A lot of people are unfamiliar with Blue Ribbon Sports. On the other hand, just about everyone on planet Earth has heard of the shoe giant, Nike. Blue Ribbon Sports was founded in 1964 by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight. The name was changed to Nike in 1971, after Greek mythology's goddess of victory.
The mythological goddess got her name from the Greek verb νικάω (nik-ah'-o), which means to achieve victory by overcoming in combat through tenacious persistence resulting in subduing your opponent. That definition is a far cry from today's culture of participation trophies and the prevalent "everyone's a winner" mentality.
A particularly popular variety of (pseudo) Christianity today is the illegitimate offspring of the countercultural hippie movement of the 1960s. It was notable for its psychedelic drugged-out "make peace, not war," flower-power, chickenhearted, cream puff, mediocrity-honoring, everyone is a winner mindset.
Along the way, many Christians have done precisely what the Apostle Paul prophesied in 1 Timothy 4:1... they've abandoned the faith. They have willingly submitted to the pattern of the world. Many have casually surrendered the Armor of God and exchanged transformative sermons for feel-good ones.
The saints have given up the pursuit of honoring Christ and being equipped for His Great Commission through the ministry of the Gospel. They've exchanged that privileged calling and election for consumer-minded programs.
Church boards have taken their eyes off Christ and His mission and have instead conformed to the pattern of the world. Rather than focusing on the kingdom of God and His righteousness, they've chosen to focus on building a brand through attendance, appeal, programs, marketing, and profitability.
The role of pastor has shifted from being caretaker of the Christ's flock to charismatic and ear-tickling entertainer. Rather than equipping the saints for the work of ministry as teachers and faithful shepherds, they have become entertaining personalities controlled by paychecks, performance bonuses, and popularity polls.
Many local churches have completely abandoned advancing relentlessly against the Gates of Hell with the Sword of The Spirit and have chosen instead to become apathetic - submitting to and subdued by the world and its lust for fleeting vapors and empty treasures.
As Robert E. Coleman once stated, "Something is missing in the life of the church today. The institution has a polite form of religion, but seems to lack power, the power to radically change the wayward course of society."
Sadly, the exclusive, unique, and privileged ministry of Christ's Body & Bride has been surrendered to parachurch organizations. Now we rather than God Almighty have become the judges of the style and quality of our worship (John 4:23).
Christian men, those who should be growing and maturing in the faith as followers of The Way, maturing beyond spiritual milk, pursuing wisdom, understanding the times and knowing what they should do (1 Chron 12:32), and who should NOT be unaware of Satan and his schemes (2 Cor 2:11), have instead, like our forefather, Adam, become nothing more than apathetic bystanders as the Serpent wreaks havoc in sacred space.
Men today are so interested in their toys and hobbies: playing golf, goin' muddin', hittin' the trails, watching sports, serving corporate idols, and drinking beer - that they've completely abandoned and totally neglected their God-ordained duties as leaders in the church.
Women are striving for and serving as pastors, preachers, bishops, prophets, and teachers - just as God revealed in Gen 3:16. With men having abandoned their God-ordained roles, women doing the same to fill men's, our relationship-deprived and attention-depraved kids are more confused and depressed than ever. Satan has most certainly turned God's perfect design for the family and Church inside out and upside down.
"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his house, his possessions are secure. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers (subdues) him, he takes away the armor, which the man trusted in, and then divides up his plunder. He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters."
-Luke 11:21-23
"Do not be conquered (subdued) by evil, but overcome (subdue) evil with good!"
-Romans 12:21
"You, little children, are from God and have overcome (subdued) them (deceiving spirits of the antichrist) because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. They are of the world. That is why they speak from the world’s perspective, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of deception."
-1 John 4:4-6
"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome, because everyone born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith. Who then overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."
-1 John 5:3-5
The author of the Book of Revelation uses the word νικάω (nik-ah'-o) a whopping fourteen times! It means to achieve victory by overcoming in combat through tenacious persistence resulting in subduing your opponent.
The words of Revelation 13:6-10, referring to the Beast from the Sea, should be a shocking wake-up call for us:
"And the beast opened its mouth to speak blasphemies against God and to slander His name and His tabernacle—those who dwell in heaven. Then the beast was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer (subdue) them, and it was given authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation. And all who dwell on the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written from the foundation of the world in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb who was slain. He who has an ear, let him hear: If anyone is destined for captivity, into captivity he will go; if anyone is to die by the sword, by the sword he must be killed. Here is a call for the perseverance and faith of the saints."
Our enemy, Satan, despite knowing he's already lost the war, tenaciously continues his relentless battle to conquer and subdue the hearts and minds of humanity. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy. He is the crafty ancient serpent and the great fiery red dragon who masquerades as an angel of light.
Satan's plan isn't to overwhelm us with dark things overtly corrupt and flagrantly wicked. Instead, he lures us moment after moment... day after day... year after year... into tiny sacrifices and seemingly small compromises until our consciences are seared and we've been quietly conquered and subdued into passivity. He's so crafty and skilled that it often happens without so much as a finger raised in opposition.
Today's apathetic, passive, consumer-minded, entertainment-focused, and mediocrity-honoring variety of (pseudo)Christianity - has absolutely nothing in common with the hard-charging, tenaciously overcoming, Gates of Hell-wrecking Proverbs 31 Woman who reveals the true Church of King Jesus.
Actively participating in our sanctification, making every effort as the Bible teaches, is not works-based salvation, but sound biblical theology. It gives tangible credence to the fact that our old corrupt self truly has died in being baptized with Christ and that we no longer live but Christ, through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, now lives in us!
Many Christians today are of no use to God because they'll never do anything more than ask Jesus into their heart. They'll never begin training in righteousness (2 Tim 3:16-17). Instead, they're constantly being tossed about by the waves and whims of culture (Eph 4:14) - paying attention to myths, genealogies, and endless speculation from deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons (1 Tim 1:4; 4:1).
In the final chapters and words of Scripture, there's a stark contrast painted between the victorious overcomers in Christ actively and intentionally participating in their sanctification through the ministry of the Gospel as devoted members of Christ's Body & Bride and... all the others:
"...the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has prepared Herself. She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure. For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints"
-Revelation 19:7-8
"Blessed are those who wash their robes, so they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood."
-Revelation 22:14
There's a battle going on today for your mind. The Devil wants you to focus on, worry about, and be consumed with, anything and everything -except- Christ and His everlasting kingdom. The enemy's strategy is to get us so overwhelmed with the things of this fleeting world that we shatter under the weight of our own misguided efforts, are defeated by our own pet demons, and willfully submit to the familiar idols of our own design.
There is no force or power outside of us in all of creation, natural or supernatural, that can separate us from the love of God. The only force capable of that is the same one that did in the first place - our own personal apathetic disregard for our Creator and His will.
Are you actively and intentionally pursuing God's will for you - a victorious life in Christ Jesus? Or are you merely part of today's disconnected, feel-good, apathetic, participation trophy version of (pseudo)Christianity running rampant in our culture?
The Lord has said, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to eat from the tree of life in the Paradise of God." He said the rest will be outside where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Grace and Peace,
Kevin M. Kelley
Get your copy of UNSTOPPABLE!
"The World's Greatest Kids Book"
by Kevin M. Kelley >>HERE<<
https://www.unstoppablekidsbooks.com/reviews
WATCH >>HERE<<
#unstoppablekidsbooks
#jointeamunstoppable
No comments:
Post a Comment