February 2021
Nougat 2
Hi
As I stewed yesterday about the act of murder and the disregard for the house of God, several thoughts crossed my mind. I thought about the indictment this act is on us the Church, about our failed political leadership over the years, our apparent impotence as Church, how we have failed our children and where it all began.
A good sistah-friend challenged me to think of solutions. Collaborative approach type solutions where different apolitical, rather unaligned, interest groups can effect real change where and how it matters (apolitical, as partisan politics invites and incites much of the horrific action manifested globally; and our motives may be questioned). In today’s Holy Nougat
“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,”. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 ESV
My sistah-friend was right; we have to take responsibility for creating a paradigm shift. And yes, we will have to name our complicity in how we failed our children; for unwillingness to speak, failure to act against the slightest bit of injustice, acceptance of wrongs as the status quo, and pointing fingers without being change agents got us here. Whether we speak of Jamaica, Haiti, Columbia, Myanmar, USA, etc, we quickly realize that it’s a global failing; not just one nation.
And for our part as followers of Christ, I wonder if we hadn’t lost sight of our role in all this. Whether we misremembered our calling. Some of us have remembered that we are at war; but we have been fighting on the wrong terrain. We have been busy in-fighting; calling each other names or, worse yet wounding each other, ostensibly in the name of Jesus. We’ve been focusing on the wrong enemy! For the Word says we go to the erring sibling and correct in love. Instead, we have opted to go public first. That’s waging war according to the flesh.
Rather, we need to polish our armour, and fight with Authority. For the armour we have are protective gear; but they are also weapons!
We put on The Entire Armour of God: the Loincloth (Girdle) of Truth; the Breastplate (Bullet-proof vest) of Righteousness; the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace; the Helmet of Salvation; the Shield of Faith; the Sword of God’s Spirit (ie God’s Holy Word) and we go on the offensive by Activating them through PRAYER. Then we hit the battle fighting.
For Prayer is like the night vision goggles that allows us to see the real enemy. And enables us to Destroy Garrisons and the god of partisanship (also seen as strongholds). Further Prayer counterattacks EVERY imagination that suggests God; YHWH Tzevaot is Not in control. And with each victory and with continued prayer; we will find even our own thought life shifting.
We aren’t about fighting people; that’s NOT our calling. We are fighting systems; mentalities; prejudices (pre-judgements), selfish ideals and value systems that are CONTRARY to God’s command to live in Love. Love of God firstly; then Love of neighbour AS we Love ourselves.
In other words; our every action is IN Love and aimed at Saving Lives in this world FOR the Next.
So what can we do?
Live IN Love. Move past Anger and Apathy and Fight with ALL our might. With God’s power. For ourselves, our families, our friends and even our foes. For the sake of this generation. For the generations to come, until Christ comes. For the glory of God, by the power of God’s Spirit. In our corner of the earth; For our corner and beyond.
The weapons of war we possess in Christ are Mighty … For fighting systems (principalities and powers) Not each other; Overthrowing spiritual wickedness, corruption, and evil forces that seek to oppose God’s way.
May God’s strength be ours today.
In Christ’s love and grace . . .