Engaging the Culture, Part 3<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
 
There's no doubt that we as Christians are engaged ina raging battle for our culture.  This "culture war,"as it is often referred to, can be seen on every frontin our society, and we must enter the fray, if we havenot done so already.  But we must be extremely carefulto properly equip ourselves for the battle at hand. If we simply march out into our world and stand up forrighteousness, without first laying the properfoundation, we will not achieve victory, Christ willnot be glorified, and God's kingdom will not beadvanced in the earth.  So in this final article ofthis series, I would like to take us back to thebasics to make sure we are standing, and living, onthe right foundation.  It is first here, in ourhearts, that the culture war is won or lost.When I was a brand new Christian, I devoured the wordof God almost continuously.  One of the things that Idid was to memorize scripture verses or passages. Every time a verse or passage jumped off the page atme while I was reading, I would write it down on a 3x5index card.  Within a couple of months, I had about200 verses written down this way, and I was diligentlycommitting them to memory.  A verse that stood out tome then, as it still does now, was Philippians 3:10. I call it my "life verse," because it expresses thegoal of my life: "that I may know Him and the power ofHis resurrection, and the fellowship of Hissufferings, being conformed to His death." (NKJV) Here it is in the Amplified version:"[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him[that I may progressively become more deeply andintimately acquainted with Him, perceiving andrecognizing and understanding the wonders of HisPerson more strongly and more clearly], and that I mayin that same way come to know the power out flowingfrom His resurrection [which it exerts overbelievers], and that I may so share His sufferings asto be continually transformed [in spirit into Hislikeness even] to His death."In Paul's letter to the Philippians, one dominanttheme emerges, and that is joy:  joy that comes fromknowing Christ, joy that comes from fellowshippingwith Christ, and yes, joy that comes from sufferingwith Christ.  Paul penned these words from a Roman prison, so heknew quite well about suffering.  Yet listen to hismagnificent description in verses 7 and 8 which leadup to verse 10: "But whatever former things I had that might have beengains to me, I have come to consider as [one combined]loss for Christ's sake.  Yes, furthermore, I counteverything as loss compared to the possession of thepriceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness,the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) ofknowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressivelybecoming more deeply and intimately acquainted withHim [of perceiving and recognizing and understandingHim more fully and clearly]. For His sake I have losteverything and consider it all to be mere rubbish(refuse, dregs), in order that I may win (gain) Christ(the Anointed One)."(Amplified) Paul viewed everything, including every circumstance,every trial, and every disappointment, through thislens of his life-long consuming goal of knowingChrist.  He evaluated each thing he endured by how itwould help him reach toward this highest of allcallings upon his life.  If he had a "life verse,"this was it.  Even though he didn't write the letter to thePhilippians until around A.D. 61,  many years afterhis conversion, he carried this consuming passionaround in his heart.  I call it "The MagnificentObsession."  Look again at the description in theAmplified version of this passage: knowing Christintimately is described as the "priceless privilege,"the "overwhelming preciousness," the "surpassingworth" and the "supreme advantage."  Is the main goal of your life to know Christ?  Doesthis purpose supersede all others in your life? Do youhave this magnificent obsession burning in your soul? If so, then everything else that God wants toaccomplish in your life will take care of itself.  Butif not, then you must go back and lay the properfoundation again.  Look in the second chapter ofRevelation (verses 1 through 7) at God's indictmentagainst the church at <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Ephesus.  After commending themin the first three verses for their good works, lookat what He says in verse 4: "Nevertheless I havesomewhat against you, because you have LEFT your firstlove." (emphasis mine)  Notice what this verse doesnot say.  It does not say that the Ephesians LOSTtheir first love, as we often hear it quoted.  Theirpassionate love for Christ didn't just slip throughtheir fingers and disappear.  No, they moved away fromChrist, either through their neglect (see Hebrews2:1-3) or through compromise with the world (see James4:4 and I John 2:15-17).This accusation by the Spirit of God against thechurch at Ephesus was telling then, and it is equallytelling now, because it still applies to God's church. Ask yourself:  what is my magnificent obsession?  Anddon't say that you don't have one, because all of ushave obsessions and pursuits that we pour our time,energy and money into.  All of us are religious bynature - our hearts seek after something or someone toworship.  God made us that way, but unless the objectof our worship is Him, and only Him, we will never besatisfied, and we will never fulfill God's purposesfor our lives.  He made us for Himself, and He wantsall of us, not just the parts we want to give Him.One of my favorite descriptions of God in the OldTestament is found in the book of Exodus, in chapter34.  Look at verse 10 through 17:10 And He said: "Behold, I make a covenant. Before allyour people I will do marvels such as have not beendone in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all thepeople among whom you are shall see the work of theLORD. For it is an awesome thing that I will do withyou. 11Observe what I command you this day. Behold, Iam driving out from before you the Amorite and theCanaanite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and theHivite and the Jebusite. 12Take heed to yourself, lestyou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the landwhere you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst.13But you shall destroy their altars, break theirsacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images14(for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD,whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), 15lest youmake a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, andthey play the harlot with their gods and makesacrifice to their gods, and one of them invites youand you eat of his sacrifice, 16and you take of hisdaughters for your sons, and his daughters play theharlot with their gods and make your sons play theharlot with their gods.  17"You shall make no moldedgods for yourselves.Keep in mind that this admonition to the children ofIsrael comes in the light of Moses' face-to-faceencounter with God in chapter 33, and it spells outthe conditions of His covenant with His people. Nestled in the middle of this passage, in verse 14, isa reiteration of the first commandment God gave Mosesin Exodus 20, followed by a name given to God:Jealous.  Nowhere else in the Bible is God describedwith the name Jealous.  Is it any wonder that Jesustold His disciples, and He tells us now, that thefirst and greatest commandment is that we love Godwith all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength? (SeeMark 12:30)Now, this great and awesome God, whose name isJealous, will do an awesome thing with us, even as Hedeclared to His people then (verse 10 above), but wemust obey Him, and that obedience begins with the fulland complete consecration of our hearts and our livesto Him!!  Let us as His people, as His ambassadors inthe world, renew our commitment to make Him ourMagnificent Obsession, so we may reflect the glory andgrandeur of Christ everywhere we go, and moreimportantly, in everything we do!  Amen!!__________________________________________________Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com