Post-Christian Culture?

"How long will you (plural) judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked?"  (Psalm 82:2)

We are watching this very passage being played out in the United States of America today.

As Sarah and I were having some lunch, I was about to say that the Church has lived and is living most of its life in a hostile, even violent atmosphere, when she said, "Maybe we'll have to learn to live in a post Christian culture."

The question is, and it is a very large question for the "five fold" folks, as well as the whole Church, a question taken from the prophet Ezekiel, "How can we then live," or as the NLT says in context, "You are saying, 'Our sins are heavy upon us; we are wasting away!  How can we survive?'"  Well, we live in Jesus Christ and He in us.  We live in and by His Words.  We continue to live, as Charles Wesley said, "lost in wonder, love, and praise."  We continue to pray for the lost, the sick, the possessed, take care of widows and the poor, the aged.  We continue to fellowship, which means, "participate," in the Godhead.

We have outlived the Roman, Byzantine, Carthaginian, Ottoman, Empires.  Yes, followers of Jesus are being persecuted in most of the world.  They are being murdered, their meeting places burned and destroyed, their families turning against them when they surrender their lives to Jesus, and all this in much, if not most of the world.  All this is, however, what our Lord Jesus Christ promised to those who would take up the cross daily and follow Him.  Remember: "These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to live in the reality of Your Universe.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"But I...."

"O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled Your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble."  (Psalm 79:1, NIV)

This was the first Scripture which I read this morning.  This, my friend, is the attempt of the unleashed evil, not only for you and me, but also the nations.  Now what?  Or, as Jimmy Malone said, "What are you prepared to do??

There was a very real sense in which our text was fulfilled in America in 1962 and '63.  We went from a nation which read the Bible to our children and led them in the Prayer of Jesus every Monday through Friday to a nation of legalizing the murder of babies in their mothers' womb 10 years later----- inevitable. 

Psalm 109:4 says, "In return for my love, they are my accusers," then literally, "But I prayer."  So there you have it.  This is the attitude of the Follower of Jesus in regard to all around us, no matter what or who the, "they," do to us or say about us, "But I pray[]."

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You for calling us Your People to pray.  It is such marvelous fellowship.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

So, You Want To Know "The Mystery of His Will"?

"....having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself ('which He purposed in Christ', NIV), that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth---- in Him."  (Ephesians 1:9, 10)

The Interlinear translates, "dispensation," as, "administration," and defines it as, "management of household affairs."  That could be code for, Jesus Christ is running the show. 

I preached on this text in November, 1998, in a relatively large pentecostal congregation meeting in Berlin, Germany.  They were in the midst of a great conflict among the members.  A few took issue to my message, of course, but one of the elders came to me afterward and whispered, "This is the word for Germany."  When you look at divided Christendom, which is another way of saying, "Our group does it better than yours," you and I can take great encouragement that King Jesus will not allow this to go on indefinitely.

Notice that, "the mystery of His will," is, "according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself ('Christ')."  It has nothing to do with what you and I "plan," or the myriad of seminars and summits of nations' leaders.  What is going on in the governments of the nations, the rise of global humanism, the attitudes of leaders similar to those of the kings rebuked in Ezekiel 28 & 29, it is the Lord Jesus Christ, "The Word of God," He Who, "sat as King at the Flood," Who is orchestrating the, "management of household affairs."

No matter the news, the US and global chaos, the intent of the Godhead is to, "....gather together in one all things in Christ...."  And, as the Living Triune God "manages" His, "household affairs," He is bringing history to a "dramatic climax."  Let the governments, the cultures, the people groups of the word do as they may; "....the mystery of His will...which He purposed in Himself," is to, "gather together in one all things in Christ."  I have great peace in this/Him. 

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You that in this reading today You have reminded me that no matter how seemingly unrestrained, the angel of the bottomless pit," is rearing his ugly head, he cannot affect Your, "management of Household affairs."  Amen.

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Americans:  I sincerely hope and pray that you are praying for the President, the Congress, and the Supreme Court.  The history of Israel reveals what can happen even to a "chosen nation," when that nation entertains evil (Matthew 25).

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

CAREFUL: The Foundation Is Found, "Deep"

"Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:  He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on a rock.  And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded ('well built') on the rock."  (Luke 6:47, 48)

This morning as I was reading my Gospel, the thought occurred to me that perhaps sometimes we need to, "d[i]g deep," in order to lay our foundation on that Solid Rock.

This is not some "works gospel."  But it is an effort of, "with all your strength."  Hebrews tells us that we need to, "....labor therefore to enter into that rest."  What our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us/does for us does not go without opposition.  We may, "wrestle not against flesh and blood," but we do wrestle.  The evil one is referred to in Revelation, "And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in the Greek he has the name, Apollyon."  He is a most formidable enemy, "....the angel of the bottomless pit...."  If you and I are going to walk victoriously in Father, Son Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, there is some serious digging we need to do.

 I'm afraid for many there is too much debris between the surface and that, "....foundation on the rock."  There is the debris of, "O, I just can't find the time," or, "There is just so much which doesn't seem relevant to my life today," or,........  Whatever debris we may find between the "surface" and that, "Foundation," of which, I remind us, our Lord Jesus said is, "deep," then perhaps we need to ask our Lord today, "How much digging do I need to do?"

Father, in Jesus' Name, help me today to dig away any debris which is keeping me from the, "deep...foundation...founded on the Rock."  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

Arguments, Knowledge, Thoughts

"For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ...."  (2 Corinthians 10:4-6)

If I recall correctly, there is a scene in "War and Peace" where a priest places a Bible on the chest of a dying man.  I placed a Bible on my head today.  As my Grandpa Barnette once said, "Everyone has their peculiarities."

I read our text a couple days ago, and was reminded of what our Lord Jesus made clear to me some decades ago.  I don't pull down strongholds by declaring, "I pull down strongholds."  The, "strongholds," over the United States of America are, "arguments.., knowledge.., thought."  Wrong, "knowledge," wrong, "thought," will produce wrong living, wrong government, wrong "churches," no matter the religious exercise.  "The Word of God," Jesus, and His Words alone can give Kingdom, "knowledge," and, "thought." 

I know that I am probably worse than the "broken record," but I repeat that anything a Follower of Jesus does, if it is not rooted in, coming from, relying on the Words of Our Lord Jesus Christ, is erroneous, "weapons of...warfare."  I suggest that we do not think of others when we read our text, but take the Words for ourselves as a guide to living the "spirit-filled," Jesus-Centered life.  ....The knowledge of God," and the, "bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ," can only come by the Words of God.  And His, "Knowledge," and, "thought," determines defeat or victory.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You that You have not let me without, "weapons."  Amen.

   

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2