Push to Open
There are certain terms and phrases that are used in today’s culture that are used to evoke a specific response. In post modern culture, deconstruction is the hallmark of philosophical sophistry. Language appears to be one casualty of post modernism. The deconstruction of language leads to unpredictable and confusing communication.
I came across an internet article with the headline: “Openly Christian STRYPER Frontman MICHAEL SWEET: ‘We’re Definitely Living In The End Times'”. What did the author mean by “openly Christian”? Mr. Sweet’s quotes give us a glimpse into what culture thinks of Christians. Sweet said: “Well, I’ll tell you, man, if you say that in today’s world, boy, you are labeled an instant loon — you’re a loon, you’re crazy and you need to be committed and you’re out of your mind.” Is that how the world wants to see an “openly Christian” person?
As this deconstructed language devolves and is used against (and I am using the following term very intentionally) the American Christian church, who will be ready to be “outed” as openly Christian? Who is ready to “come out of the prayer closet”? Militant Christianity is not far around the corner. Do you hear the battle cry: “Take back God’s Bow and fly His banner over us”?
His banner over me is love.
From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Song%20of%20Songs%202&version=EHV>
How do we make sense and communicate what we as the Body of Christ believe? In this post modern philosophical age we can follow St Paul’s lead in dealing with culture, from Acts 17:
While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was very distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he led a discussion in the synagogue with the Jews and those who feared God, as well as with those who happened to be in the marketplace every day. Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also debated with him. Some said, “What is this seed picker trying to say?” Others said, “He seems to be someone who is proclaiming foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.
They took him and brought him to the council of the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are talking about? You seem to be bringing in some ideas that are strange to our ears, so we want to know what these things mean.” (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there enjoyed doing nothing more than telling or listening to something new.) Then Paul stood up in front of the council of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious in every way. For as I was walking around and carefully observing your objects of worship, I even found an altar on which had been inscribed, ‘To an unknown god.’ Now what you worship as unknown—this is what I am going to proclaim to you. “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made with hands. Neither is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything, since he himself gives all people life and breath and everything they have. From one man, he made every nation of mankind to live over the entire face of the earth. He determined the appointed times and the boundaries where they would live. He did this so they would seek God and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘Indeed, we are also his offspring.’ “Therefore, since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and planning. Although God overlooked the times of ignorance, he is now commanding all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man he appointed. He provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” When they heard about the resurrection from the dead, some of them started to scoff. But others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” So Paul left the council. However, some men became followers of Paul and believed.
From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+17&version=EHV>
Some take-a-ways: Paul was “distressed” over sin. He was in communication with both believers and unbelievers. He observed the culture around him, and used that culture to contrast with the world God created. He proclaimed the resurrection of Jesus. “In him we live and move and have our being.” (v 28)
Trust the Promises
Steve Skiver