Have you ever experienced as a child, the provoking of another child, at school or from around your neighborhood? They would keep picking on you in some way, maybe hitting you or calling names, or in other ways were just being a nuisance until finally you had enough and lashed out at them just to put a stop to their picking. You were provoked into action in order to defend yourself and put a stop to their wrong. I think we are at such a time as a church and as a nation.
There has been so much wrong doing and so many assaults against what is right, Godly and just in our nation for the past sixty or so years, that it is coming to a head. We see it in the streets where Antifa gangs and rioters assemble only to burn, attack innocent people, and destroy property. The Mayors of those cities where the anarchy takes place stand back and let it go on. Rather than pursue the wrong doers with the proper law enforcement, they weaken the very police and enforcers of law, not allowing them to do what needs to be done to restore order and protect people and property. Whatever voices are raised in objection to this lawlessness and subversion are quickly drowned out or ignored by a left wing dominated media that falsely portrays the rioters as "protesters." Politicians in D C talk a good game on television, and social media, but as far as I can tell take no action to protect their constituents and law abiding citizens.
My question today is, What is it going to take to provoke the church of Jesus Christ to raise our voice and speak truth into this ungodly culture and context? I read in Acts 17:16 that the Apostle Paul while in Athens saw the idols, religions and philosophies that were common in that day and that "his spirit was being provoked within him..." His response was to speak truth into the cultural context of the city. He addressed the narrative of his day directly with truth and wisdom from God. I wonder if we as the body of Christ feel that same sense of being provoked. Does the lawlessness and the false narrative concerning it create any sense of indignation within our numbers?
We cannot turn a blind eye to the threat that is upon our nation in the form of rising socialism. The violence in our streets go hand in hand with its rise. It's one of the fascist tactics of left wing politicians, along with misinformation and lies of their media accomplices. This was how socialists ascended to power in days past. They wrenched power from the citizens of Germany, Italy and Russia in the same manner we're seeing leftists doing it today in our nation. We have to sound forth the truth of the Gospel and the ramifications of that world view. The Gospel is not just about eternal life in heaven, but about being salt and light in the here and now. We are called to declare the Lordship of Christ over every authority, every form of Government, King or any other ruler. If He is Lord, then His followers are under a mandate to speak the ramifications of what that Lordship means for all the world. Yet we seem to be silent, or at least weak in our public presence and witness. Where is the provocation of our own spirits? Is the indignation deep enough to cause us to speak out and address directly the anti Christian spirit, that is the root of socialism and other ideologies? Are we so limited to our own narrative of how the church should behave? Offering a sappy version of love and cowering attempts to "build relationships" with those who assault our Lord and our freedoms every day will not cut it.
We must regain our prophetic voice, and be bold to speak truth with genuine love into the false narrative that grips us. The only way to kindle this fire is by prayer. Pray for our nation, pray against the enemies of our nation. Pray for the Gospel to prevail along with all the ramifications that accompany it. The writer of Hebrews calls us to provoke one another to love and good deeds. Confronting falsehood, and the rising anti christian spirit is genuine love in action. Souls are in the balance. May the fire of the Holy Spirit provoke us to wake up to the wolf at the door, and move us to take the actions still available to us in or great nation to confront and drive it away.
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