Bless those who Persecute you

Romans 12:14

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.”

Living in an entitlement culture, in a culture of I’m not to blame, a culture of no moral absolutes, a godless culture where what is good is called evil and what is evil is referred to as good, a culture of self before all others.  Yes, in 2016 that is where we find the remnant, the Church of the Lord Jesus, it is not what you see on Sunday, it is the few who by faith in a big God are committed to putting no faith in themselves, but have come to grips with this truth found in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Many in the church are strong, and I do mean stronger than garlic, but how is that working?  It does not seem to be working well if you’re alert to those around you, this is just a sample of what is being reported: “Young Americans today are more skeptical and resistant to Christianity than were people of the same age just a decade ago, says a new study.

Negative perceptions toward the Christian faith have outweighed the positive as a growing percentage of younger Americans associate with a faith outside Christianity.

Only 16 percent of non-Christians aged 16 to 29 years old said they have a "good impression" of Christianity, according to a report released Monday by The Barna Group. A decade ago, the vast majority of Americans outside the Christian faith, including young people, felt favorably toward Christianity’s role in society.” (By Audrey Barrick, Christian Post Reporter in 2007)

Could it be that the culture of this world has so molded the church that it is impossible at school, in the home, in the community, in our neighborhood, and the people we encounter in the workplace, see us as only adding religion to the mix?  And they are religious without church; they are committed to family vacation, to soccer, baseball, football, dance, golf, boating, and work, yes the list of religious activity is very large in our lives and the non-churched, not Christian co-worker, neighbor, friend, family member.  You question those activities as a religion, look at the definition of religion: “a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance: consumerism is the new religion.”

I’m somewhat frightful that the strong in leadership as well as in the pew will never listen to the words of Jesus found in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  Without      seeking God’s power that is made strong in weakness, the Church will never be able to “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice