Message: Representing The Word of God to the World
Ephesians 2:2 - In time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.
The Spirit of the Age makes up both spiritual powers and cultural forces. Satan is active in our world through demonic influences and personifies the spirit of the age. He and his demonic hosts are the principalities, the powers, the world rulers of this present darkness, and the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Satan takes advantage of selfish choices. Adam and Eve in the Garden. 1. It was their choice to disobey God. Why blame Eve for Adam's choice. Sure Eve tempted him to sin, but it was still his choice. 2. They both were influenced by the devil. 3. The result of their choice - Exploited by the devil. Their choice brought about separation from God, hard labor, pain, misery and last but not least - physical death.
Modern Culture represents (social behaviour pattern, beliefs or products of human works or thoughts) is ike a beautiful bird cage. We are all caught in it and we cannot escape. We are encircled by its ideas, ideologies, its structures and systems. This culture is unsympathetic, even hostile. The world in which we live is not holy. It is unholy, and the surrounding culture which invades our daily existence is not under the director of the Spirit of God. This culture is dominated by a spirit which is opposed to holiness and righteousness-which the bible calls the spirit of the age.
I recall a time when a beautiful home was offered to me by a wonderful builder so that I could continue to help house homeless people. Everything was fine until I want to get the license for the home from the city in which I live. The city officials did all that they could to discourage me from pursuing the home. I threatened city officials that if we do not have any concern about the plight of homeless people a time will come when bodies will be sleeping at our front doors. They did not care. We are living during a time when the spirit of the age is opposed to righteousness and selfishness. Everything is centered on SELF.
St. John 15:19 - If you were of the world, the world would love his own, but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. (We live in this world, but we are not to pattern our lives after this ungodly world). We are to represent the word of God to this sick and dying world!
We can become unholy without ever making a conscious choice to be worldly by becoming caught up in modern day cultures.
Galatian 1:4 - Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world (age) according to the will of God, and our Father.
The Spirit of the age can represent the spirit of selfishness. ME first. Satan is seeking to destroy the saints by turning our attention away from Christ and toward ourselves. He wants to turn our attention away from Christ and toward credit cards.
Living above our means is a result of being caught up in the spirit of selfishness. We pile all of these material pleasures before our faces and have not the money to pay for them. Shame on us! We ought to be greedy for God not for things that we can't afford! Job 21:13 - They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave. 1 Timothy 6:9 - But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perditino. WILL BE RICH means to live beyond your means. In other words, some will do anything for money. Remember Evil Kaneeval!
Some preachers have lost their passion for souls and have become greedy - preaching for wealth. Many churches have turned people off by overly concentrating on money-and not concentrating on the needs of their community. God will judge.
Sharon Therese Spencer
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