Revelation 3 :1-6
““Write this letter to the angel of the church in Sardis. This is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars: “I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief. “Yet there are some in the church in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes with evil. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine. “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”
Revelation 3:1-6
It’s that time of year again. You know, that month right after we spend exactly 24 hours honoring people who died in combat in order to protect our country and freedoms. The month where we as a nation are told to celebrate a mental disorder that has almost half of its youth victims considering suicide every year. (Despite the fact that there is an entire month devoted to celebrating this mental illness). The month where we are supposed to applaud people for being totally consumed and led emotionally by their sexual impulse and desire. The month where a very small, exclusive group of people hijack words like; inclusive, acceptance, and love. With the aims to alienate, openly discriminate and create resentment towards the majority of people who disagree with them. It’s the month where culture makes traditional Christian marriage seem taboo. The month that works to make the idea of the nuclear family appear racist and antiquated.
Yes, it’s the beginning of June. Which means it’s also the beginning of what the world calls pride month. Admitally over the last couple of years, I have grown accustomed to gritting my teeth, keeping my mouth shut, and waiting out the storm of corporate pandering and rainbow paraphernalia. I now realize that my passive aggressive approach to the month of June is the common approach from most of the American Church. I am also understanding that our passive aggressive approach is the reason we are in the condition we are in, culturally, as a nation. Make no mistake, It has gotten to the point where it is unacceptable to not be spiritually engaged in the very real spiritual warfare that is happening and heightened in the month of June. There is a cultural and spiritual war happening for the heart of our children and our nation happening right now. In order for anything to change, the Church must be engaged and active in fighting the deception that is sweeping into our nation unchecked and unopposed.
One may ask, John, why should I care how someone identifies themselves sexually? Good question. It’s not really about how an individual person decides to live their life. We all are free to do what we want to do with our own lives. The battle is over what we as a nation and people call moral and right. No one actually cares how a person or group of people identify sexually. That’s between the person and their God. What the Church needs to be concerned with is when said person or people begin advocating for their chosen preference of sexual perversion to become the social norm for everyone else, specifically children. Especially when that preference is anti science, anti humanity and worse of all anti Christ. Which is exactly what the LGBTQ ideology is. It serves no purpose outside of personal pleasure and gratification and invites a host of emotional, mental and substance disorders into the lives of those who give themselves over to it. The data that supports that claim is easy to discover when you google substance abuse or mental disorders in the LGBTQ community.
At this point if we the Church continue to not engage this issue, I believe we will be liable before the Lord. I believe that the Church in America has become much like the Church Sardis outlined in Revelation 3. Big, seemingly self important, and effective. But sadly, in reality we are compromised, dead, and useless to the world around us.
Let’s repent, wake up to the dire straits we are in, and begin working with Holy Spirit to bring awakening and revival into our dying nation.
Here’s how we can fight spiritually and intentionally during the month of June for awakening in our Nation from the deception it is currently bound up in.
Take responsibility for your own sexual brokenness. Everyone is born into this fallen world with broken sexuality. God has given us the gift of marriage (between one man and one woman) covenant as a way to redeem our broken sexuality and in turn use it to Glorify Himself through us. When we allow shame and guilt to cause us not to address our sexual brokenness with the healing love of God, we give the enemy access and permission in our lives. Homosexuality, infidelity, adultery, pornography… It’s all the same. We cannot fight for healing in others, if we don't start with fighting for ourselves first.
Pray throughout the month of June, specifically for those who are trapped in the LGBTQ lifestyle to find healing and salvation in Jesus. Those who are trapped in that lifestyle are not our enemy nor do we hate them. Jesus commands that we love, pray and support those who are hurting into His wholeness. Devote June toward targeted prayer for the folks who are hurting and deceived the most in this month.
Talk with your children about the sensitive subjects the world is trying to bombard them with. One of the worst ways we can prepare our children to engage the world is by refusing to have the awkward conversations with them that they need to have with their parents exclusively. The world is presenting a very perverted message about sex and marriage that they really have no business presenting to your child. Unfortunately, their message is effective mainly because we parents are terrified of communicating it ourselves. Quit letting shame determine what your child needs to learn first from you. Invite them into conversations, don’t be afraid of awkward questions. Be prepared to gently explain the truth.
These are simple yet proactive ways the Church can go on the offensive during the month of June. Our lives are bought by the blood of Jesus, so we have nothing to be afraid or ashamed of. We do have a responsibility to stand upon and offer the truth that saves to a dying and love starved world around us.
Love,
Pastor John
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