The Culture vs. The Kingdom

Wow! Didn't realize it had been so long since I actually sat down over here and poured out. It's been a year and a half of a journey. Been seeking God, quiet before Him, watching what He reveals and processing. Much processing as I move forward. Been thinking about the culture of today vs. the Kingdom!

The culture is empowering, motivating, inspiring even, but it's not always Kingdom. We must realize that those constantly speaking about the culture are not all on God's side. Culture in and of itself is not a bad thing. We're all a part of a particular culture; however - there is a vast difference between the world's culture and the Kingdom and the direction it leads one to go in! Consider who really gets the glory, the applause, the adoration between the two. Strikingly different.....

The Kingdom, though empowering, motivating, and inspiring - is very different. It calls for dying to self, denying self, becoming smaller as far as notoriety goes, and lifting up the One who reigns supreme. This is not easy for those reasons alone. We like being seen, being heard, being applauded. The Gospel leaves very little room for that. Though we are the object of His love and affection, the focus in sharing the Good News is not us. It can't be. It MUST BE Jesus and Jesus alone!

I thought about this as I pondered the life of Paul. His mission, his sharing, what drove him, and what kept him. He proclaimed, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is NO LONGER I who lives,, but Christ that lives in me." (Galatians 2) He clung to that message with every fiber of his being. He fully understood that outside of Christ, no good thing dwelled within him. Here's more, "When I would do good, evil is present and so the very thing I should not do, I do!"(Romans 7) Those are Paul's words of himself before the people and so Christ deserved to be preached because He alone is good, is righteous, is holy, saves!

Maybe we have more of a challenge in these areas today than in the days Paul lived through because of all the advancements we have and because it has become 'more acceptable' to preach 'culture than Kingdom'?

Just some things I'm sitting with. Some things I'm pondering.....