If we were to be honest with ourselves we would have to admit that we pitch our tents towards Sodom far too often. Like Lot, we pretend that we can control it. Maybe just observe. Maybe just a dabble here or there. The truth is we do not pitch our tent towards sin without the desire to live in it. You can only be enamored with the things of this world, this country, for so long before you find yourselves living in it. That is why the devil has spent so much time organizing the apostate church rather than merely attacking it. The great apostasy is well underway with churches across this land pitching their tents towards Sodom in the name of relevance, revival, and faux "purpose." We were tasked with preaching the Gospel to the lost not behavioral modification to goats. Realize this beloved. When the real persecution comes these pitched tent churches will side with national citizenship over heavenly citizenship. They will do so in the name of Jesus and lead millions astray. We cannot pitch our tent towards Sodom, gaze upon her wistfully, and think we will be immune to the siren's call.
I know many are thinking I am advocating abandoning our country and that is simply not so. I am advocating that we exercise our heavenly citizenship in our lives over our carnal citizenship. That we realize the kingdom of God is more important than the kingdom of the United States. For the record, I am also not advocating that we do not nothing regarding the decline in morality in this country. I am not advocating that we do not nothing about terror groups such as Isis. I am advocating that we stop reacting carnally and start following what God has told us:
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, - Ephesians 6: 10-18 (ESV)
Do you really think the enemy are some guys in the desert? Or do you think there might be a power over this present darkness? Do you think it is a "jihadist" or is it more likely a spiritual force of evil in heavenly places? What are we commanded to do as soldiers in the army of God? What do these verses teach us? Are we to rail against the evil with carnal measures? Are we to judge our leaders? No beloved. Our answers are never to be carnal. We start with arming ourselves with the belt of truth. In Roman times, the belt held the breastplate in place. What is God saying here? It all must start with the truth of Scripture. If you remove the belt, the truth, then the first thing that will fall to the ground is the breastplate - our righteousness. For our shoes, representing our need to go into all the world, we find the Gospel. You ask me what we ought to do? How about we start with preaching the Gospel? How about we do not settle for it being watered down and sweetened up? Instead of posting the latest atrocity by Isis, how about we post all that Christ has done for us? The next piece is the shield of faith. We will be attacked and we will need to stand firm in our faith. I do not mean the petty persecutions we think we are enduring now, like when a fifth grader is not allowed to read his Bible in school. I mean real persecution. The Bible says that all who seek a godly life will be persecuted. At some point we will have to decide whether to stay in an apostate church system or take a stand for the Gospel. I pray we all have the faith to be able to stand with Christ. Our helmet protects our head and our mind and that is the knowledge that we are saved. That we have a blessed hope. That we know that this world might be going crazy but Jesus is coming soon.
The final two items are the Word of God and prayer. These are the supernatural weapons God has provided for us. The Word is our sword. That is what we should be wielding. Prayer? Have we diminished prayer so much in our faith that we think our carnal measures are better? Do we think that if we prayed God will not answer? Sometimes I think we need to get off of our keyboards and back onto our knees. Myself included. You and I cannot change events halfway around the world but we just so happen to know He who created the entire world! His Spirit lives within us! We need to pray for the persecuted church in the Middle East. We need to pray for our leaders. We need to even pray for our enemies. God is still God.
September the 11th is a very painful and emotional day. I am not promoting the notion of denying those emotions. I am not promoting the notion that anything I speak of today is easy. I am merely pointing out that we serve God, not man. Our citizenship must first be in heaven. Our thoughts must always be on the eternal. This world is falling away and God is going to judge the nations; all of them. He did not leave us unprepared however. We need to bring light into the darkness. Not through anger and vitriol but with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and with prayer to an all powerful Father. We must resist the fleshly urge to pitch our tents towards Sodom; lest we find ourselves living there. I leave you with a small portion from a sermon delivered by Time Square Church Pastor, Carter Conlon, just one week after the attacks of September the 11th, 2001. His words still minister to us today:
"Listen to me like you've never listened to me ever in your life.
We have got to lay our lives down for the purposes of God. This is not a Sunday School picnic, the church of Jesus Christ. This is not an invitation to have continuous good times. This is a war for the souls of men. Come out from among them. Run for your life. Because this is about your life. This is not just about an opposing theology or conflicting viewpoint on Jesus, this is about your life.
My mind is forever branded with the stories that I heard of police officers from the city of New York. As people were fleeing from a crumbling building there were police officers and firemen and others that were running towards the buildings saying "Run for your life," at their own peril. And in some cases I believe they knew they were going to die but there was a sense of duty. I was crying out to God, I said "God, oh Jesus, don't let my sense of duty be less for Your Kingdom than these beloved firemen and policemen were for those that are perishing in a falling tower. We're living in a generation when Truth is falling into the streets. I want to be among those that are not running away from the conflict but running into the conflict and saying, "Run for your life."
Run from gospels that focus only on success and prosperity. Run!
Run from those who use the name of Christ only for personal gain. Run from those that are picking your pocket in the name of Jesus. Run!
Run from gospels that only focus on self improvement. Run!
Run from churches where men and not Christ are glorified. Run!
Run Body of Christ, Run! Get out! Don't touch the unclean thing.
Run from churches in America and Canada where there is no Bible. There's no cross in the theology. There's no soul-searching word. There's no repentance from sin. There's no mention of the blood of Jesus. Run! It's unclean. Run!
Run from churches where you're comfortable in your sins. If you come into the house of God and you've got sin in your life and you're not convicted of it, you're at a table of devils.
