Give 'em Heaven

Michael writes this July Fourth week that John Piper a pastor in the Midwest gave a message about the present times in the United States and the spiritual warfare that surrounds us. Although men and women of God may not have changed, the world has changed around us. The Church in America has awakened from a "distortion" of 350 years of dominance in America. For most of history, the Christian church has not been dominant in worldly affairs. A dominant American Christian Culture has created a distorted Christian mindset of "being at home in the world." Distortion means that the true meaning has been twisted and perverted from the truth of the Word of God. Throughout most of history, true followers of Christ have been the outcast of the world. They have been the poor, the persecuted and the afflicted. These Christians know and understand what it means to suffer for the faith of Jesus Christ. The blood of the martyrs flows through the pages of Christian history.  However, being a Christian in America implied the exact opposite of human suffering.  The promise of "prosperity" and "easy believism" has distorted and changed the true biblical meaning of Christianity. In most of the history of the church, followers of the truth of the Word of God have personified Jesus' message: “Blessed are they when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake, for great is your reward in heaven” – Matthew 5:11-12.  Also, “In this world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world” – John 16:33 . 

America, however, has been the exception to the rule.  Many of our Founding Fathers conceived of a new nation founded on the biblical ideal of a land blessed by Divine Providence ... a land where citizens are free to exercise their God-given inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness (biblical virtue.) This nation was founded on the belief that righteous godly men and women would stand in the gap against the evil deeds of unrighteous people, to uphold the virtuous precepts of the Word of God. A nation built on the Christian charity of God’s children in whom the Spirit of the Lord is. God has blessed this nation with a brief and shining moment of material prosperity and material abundance. For most of American history, American Christians have been respected, emulated, and held in high regard. However, the devil has been working behind the scenes to undermine our Christian culture and the biblical foundations that the Founders and previous generations of Americans have held dear.  Hebrews Chapter 10 was written to Christians in a time similar to ours, where the Christians were alienated and persecuted; a time similar to ours where the culture deteriorated and became opposed to the values of biblical virtue.

Secular world history teaches about "the age of enlightenment." However, Matthew 5 talks about a different type of enlightenment. Jesus said, "ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid” - Matthew 5:14.  This is also the theme of Matthew 24 regarding the signs of the apostasy ... of a time when the  church and the culture has fallen away from fellowship in Christ and the light of the Word of God. The disciples in the book of Luke, when they were commanded not to speak in the name of Jesus, said to their persecutors, "if we don't speak, the rocks will cry out" - Luke 19:40.  The declaration of a child of God in the face of adversity is "choose ye this day whom ye will serve, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" – Joshua 24: 14-15. This scenario is playing out today all over the world, outside of the United States where believers have taken a stand against the clear and present danger of the onslaught of evil men. 

Most American Christians have never truly seen the godly purpose of suffering and affliction. Americans have come to value the comforts of the flesh above the comfort of the Holy Spirit in the midst of the tribulation of the spiritual battle. Christians must have a “right” heart in order to respond “righteously” when confronted by the evil of the  world.  In God's Divine design, suffering and deprivation is the antidote to the worship of the flesh through the comforts of the god-rejecting world system and of materialism. As the Apostle James said, “I count it all joy to suffer affliction for Christ” – James 1:2. The darker the night the brighter the light shines. For this light affliction worketh a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” – 2 Corinthians 4:17. For our citizenship is in heaven and our allegiance is to the Lord of our Heavenly homeland in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom we shine as lights in the world.

In the midst of the encroaching darkness, “let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven” – Matthew 5:16.  This world is not my home, I'm just a-passing through ... My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.  For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven, from whence we behold the Lord Christ. Therefore, amidst the onslaught of the spiritual battle, our battle cry is "give 'em heaven!"

May God richly bless you.
Your brother in Christ,
Michael