If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? “A slave is not greater than the master.” Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you.” [John 15:18-20 (NLT)]
A century of dike-building, agricultural development, and population growth has destroyed much of Florida’s wetlands and threatened the survival of dozens of animals like Florida panthers, Snail Kites, and Wood Storks. The White Ibis, however, is an exception. Having adapted to the new urban landscape, large groups of ibis happily graze the lawns of subdivisions, parks, and golf courses. They’ve found it easier to poke at the soil for a predictable buffet of grubs, earthworms, and insects than to forage in the remaining wetlands for aquatic prey like small fish, frogs, and crayfish. Once wary of humans, these urbanized ibis pay little or no attention to people as they follow one another across our lawns.
While conforming to a world of diminishing wetlands may be beneficial to the ibis, the Bible makes it clear that Christ’s followers are not to conform to the world around us. As the salt of the earth, we are to bring a distinctive taste, look, and smell to the world rather than take on the flavor of the world in which we live. Nevertheless, like the ibis, Christ’s church appears to be acclimating and adjusting to the world surrounding it.
In an effort to fill the pews and keep the coffers filled, we’re seeing His church adapting and conforming to today’s culture. Social media, politics, fashion, popular music, celebrities, advertisements, movies, television, politics, and politicians seem to be infiltrating and influencing our attitudes, worship, instruction, and doctrine. We’re beginning to shape values, use words, understand events, and determine right and wrong through the eyes of the world rather than the Bible. Jesus, however, was anything but popular, politically correct, or entertaining and His Church was never meant to be cool, trendy, fashionable, or fun to an unbelieving world; it is meant to be like Christ!
Just as the Israelites were not to succumb to the influence of the pagan nations around them, we are to remain apart and distinct from the corrupting influences of the world around us. While sinners should be welcome in the church, sin should not. Nevertheless, afraid of offending anyone—we creatively reinterpret or ignore Scripture, turn a blind eye to sin, or refuse to speak of sin at all. Are we seeking the world’s approval or God’s?
If we go back to the beginning of the Church, it’s estimated there were only about 1,000 Christ followers in the Roman Empire. By AD 100, however, there were about 7,500. By AD 150, there were 40,000 believers and, by 350, 34 million people (more than half the Roman Empire) followed Christ! Although the early church grew by about 40% each decade, the numbers are going in the opposite direction today. According to the Pew Research Center, 90% of Americans identified as Christian just 50 years ago but, in 2023, that number was only 64%! While adapting to the world around them may be working for the ibis, it doesn’t seem to be working for today’s church. In actuality, the church the looks and acts like the world around it, is not Christ’s church.
The early church didn’t grow because it lived as Rome did—it grew because it lived as Jesus did. The early believers had an uncompromising faith that transformed the pagan world around them. Let us do the same!
The Israelites had been away from Israel for less than two months when they arrived at Rephidim. With no water to drink, the people complained, questioned whether the Lord was with them, criticized Moses, and then threatened him. Fearing for his life, Moses asked God what to do. Instructing him to strike a rock with his staff, God promised that water would come gushing out and, as promised, it did. The miracle was memorialized by the name given to this location, Massah (meaning testing) and Meribah (meaning quarreling.) Unfortunately, that was not the last time the Israelites tested the Lord and quarreled with Moses.
Like their parents, my youngest grands like to race and recently did this year’s 5K “Hot Chocolate” run. When Paul referred to running, he wasn’t referring to fun runs like theirs or a marathon like the one their parents ran nor were his boxing and wrestling references to the sports we know today. His allusions were to the Panhellenic games and Olympics which were well known throughout the Roman Empire in his day.
Pastor Chris recently shared a devotion she read in which the author gives his office globe a gentle spin each morning. After a moment or two, he places a finger on the globe, stops its revolution, and prays for the people wherever his finger lands. Chris said she’s adopted this practice but, to make it more than a quick uninformed prayer, she does some research on the country’s needs and religions to guide her petitions.
Last month we took a driving trip through Virginia and North Carolina to enjoy the fall colors in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains. While taking a train ride along the Nantahala River Gorge, we commented on the beautiful vines covering the hillside. Our seat-mate told us this lovely looking plant is a destructive weed called kudzu. Native to Asia, this semi-woody vine was introduced to the U.S. back in 1876 during the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. Originally advertised as an ornamental plant, kudzu’s ability to grow up to a foot day (and up to 60-feet a year), overtake, grow over, and smother just about anything in its path, has given it a new name: “the vine that ate the South.”
Saul, a man willing to kill his son rather than concede his error in making a foolish vow, wasn’t quite as eager to fulfill other vows he made. Later, he promised his daughter (along with exemption from taxes and military service) to the man who killed Goliath. While the vow prohibiting his men from eating came from his desire for revenge, this one may have come from fear. It was the king’s job to lead his men into battle and Saul, as the tallest man and the only one with bronze armor like Goliath’s, was the obvious choice to take on the Philistine. Perhaps Saul hoped the promise of wealth, honor, and a place at the king’s table would be incentive enough for someone else to volunteer to face the Philistine. For 40 days Goliath had taunted Israel but there were no takers until David.
Devotions of the Heart 