The Christian's Relationship With the World

Last night, I had an interesting "discussion" on Twitter. (I use the term loosely since it's very difficult to have a discussion limited to 140 characters per 'tweet.') It began with a young girl, who goes by "holy canoli," and her statement about gays.

i cant stop thinking bout this Gay ministry issue lately. we r all sinners, it seems unfair that some are stoned for theirs

My response was this (and I'm "CathPrdDaughter." My responses to her are in red.):

@holycanoli Yes, we are all sinners. I don't 'stone' anyone but plead w/those who are going in the wrong direction to come home.

@CathPrdDaughter and what i appreciate the most is the call to prayer over politics, focus on Jesus, not our internal disputes. its all love

@holycanoli Amen. Make God your focus and He will guide you. But, Jesus did say He did not come to bring peace but a sword. Matt. 10:34-36

@CathPrdDaughter totaly! i get it! somethin just sits uncomfortably when we condemn & judge members of the church for their sins. its complx

@holycanoli Hang on tightly to Him, because we will see upheavals and at times, chaos. Still, God is in control. :-)

@holycanoli I will tell you this. It is never easy to tell ppl they are sinning accrding to the Bible. (more)

@holycanoli Our desire to be liked by the world is death to obedience to God. The world is in darkness & hates the "Light" of Jesus Christ.

@holycanoli Gal. 2:20 is my verse. When we die to the desire to be "cool" or "liked" by those who oppose God, we can be fully used by Him.

@CathPrdDaughter thanks so much for the grin :) im always a bit nervous to have these discussions, its so good& alive in Him!

@holycanoli If you ever want to write to me and discuss this more, I'd love it. zinkpoe@gmail.com. Blessings! Off to have dinner, now. :-)

You can check my Twitter stream to follow her responses, if you'd like.

The reason this abbreviated discussion caught my attention was because I am in the midst of following St. Louis Marie de Montfort's "Preparation for Total Consecration" and am in the first part, which is examining the spirit of the world. The spirit of the world is in direct opposition to the spirit of Christ. We are seeing the truth of this more than ever as we witness aggressive government promotion of abortion, radical homosexuality, and the attempted destruction of marriage - just to name a few.

I have felt for many years that the attack on the Church of Jesus Christ is a two-pronged one: Radical Feminism and Radical Homosexuality. The two are joined for diabolical reasons, and together form a powerful foe. One destroys God's purpose for woman, and the other, for man. Jesus Christ came to set us free, and this includes setting us free from fleshly ambition and the strange notion that we're gods. There are consequences for sin, some evident in this world and some will not be seen until after death. But the evil that is rising from this two-pronged attack cannot be ignored.

As a Christian in the United States, I realize I have had a pretty easy life. Persecution isn't something I've had to give much thought to unless I was praying for Christians persecuted in other parts of the world, such as China. Now, however, it seems we are going to be given an opportunity to be a witness to God's truth. As Jesus often told His disciples, "Be not afraid." We know who wins at the end and happily, it isn't the bad guys.

My heart went out to this young woman last night as I briefly talked with her. Most likely, she either attends a church where Biblical truth is not preached or worse, compromise is made with the world. It is also likely she has received quite a bit of worldly, anti-Christian propaganda in her schooling unless she attended an orthodox Christian institution. The world attacks from all sides. If it isn't through the schools, then it may be a church. If it's not through a weakened church, then it will come through the media and entertainment. Our only defense is to have a strong personal devotion to the Word of God and prayer. We must stay closer to Him than ever.

My distaste for the concept of "cool" in the Church was mentioned in this entry, My War Against Cool. I'll repeat one of my thoughts here: When one becomes so focused on "relating" to the world, it doesn't take long before he or she is conformed to the world; not transforming it.

The Christian's purpose in life is also "two-pronged": To avoid being conformed to the world and then to transform the world by living a consecrated life to God by obedience to Him, through His Son, Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is a battle. Everyday, we are targeted but praise be to God - we do not fight alone! Can I just say what an amazing realization it was to re-examine St. Michael the Archangel and his relationship with the believers on earth? How awesome! In the future, I do want to write more about my years involved with intercessory prayer - the "good," the "bad," and the "ugly." Suffice it to say that when we implore the spiritual hierarchy in heaven for spiritual protection, we're going about it the right way. St. Michael was built for such a battle, and, there are many others. God has not left us alone but indeed, has surrounded us with a host of heavenly warriors who watch over us and fight on our behalf.

Hold on tightly to Him. I say these words not only to you, but to myself. For I sense that the Christian church is entering into a darker season and we need to "gird our minds" as St. Peter exhorted in his first letter, chapter one. We know that God will not be mocked. I pray for strength to endure but also, pray for the souls of those who are still in darkness.

You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was destined before the foundation of the world but was made manifest at the end of the times for your sake. Through him you have confidence in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere love of the brethren, love one another earnestly from the heart. You have been born anew, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord abides for ever." That word is the good news which was preached to you. 1 Peter 1:18-25