Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Devotion 7.22.15


We are, and have been, in a culture war for some time.  How long?  Try since the nation's founding.  Hamilton and Jefferson drew the political lines on the role of a central government.  The Alien and Sedition Act, signed into law by John Adams, affirmed our suspicion at that time of behavior and acts by those we did not identify as us and targeted immigrants and the press.

Christians have been caught up in the modern day culture war, which is a citizen's right in a our country, yet I constantly pray we also realize we have been in a spiritual war since the day of the fall of man.  Is the spiritual war the same as the cultural war?  I suppose we could talk about that for days, but as members of the body of Christ, we have definite instructions on our role within the body of believers when it comes to the spiritual battle. 

Christ reflects on our role as members of the body of Christ as we set out to share the Word.  "He who has ears, let him hear. But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to their playmates, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge for you, and you did not mourn.' For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'  Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds." (11:15 - 19)

Christ then laments on unrepentant cities where he has performed miracles and yet the Word has not taken root, and ends by saying, "But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you." (11:24)

People then, and now, heard the Word and resisted it, turned away from it, scoffed at it, including scoffing at Christ himself.  That battle remains today as we take up the call as sowers of the seed as it falls and grows or dies or goes dormant.

We pray that as sowers of the seed, we strive to seek fertile ground so the seed flourishes. We pray that Christ send his Spirit to work in the hearts of those who are resistant to that Word.  We pray that our actions, in the spiritual war, or in the cultural war if we engage in it, are such that teach the truth of Christ in love as he does when he says, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." (11:28)

Hope Men's Ministry

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