They say, "you must not prophesy"
And yet they tolerate the worship of all the gods of this world.
Amos 8:13
"In that day the lovely virgins and the young men shall faint for thirst."
You watch the various media outlets today and you'll see all sorts of reactions to the political campaigns and political protests. You'll hear about VP picks and debates about God and gods. You'll watch battles over lawfare and assassination attempts. So much turbulence and unrest. People lost. Wandering around searching for meaning and a place to call home. They want to connect with whatever feels right to them; sounds right, looks right, acts right, says the right things. And the one thing they all agree upon is that what they don't want is a prophet speaking truth for all the people in the sight of God.
The Bible speaks of a spiritual blindness...
2 Corinthians 4:3-4
"If our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."
...and the day of darkness is making the way difficult to see, even for those who have sight.
Jesus said to the sinners repent.
Why?
Isn't he there to forgive them and fix them? Shouldn't we be open to people who are at least trying to reach out in prayers, even if the so called prayers are meditating on meaningless dead pagan gods? Isn't this "almost Christian" attitude going to expose them to the truth? Maybe by osmosis they'll absorb Jesus? I mean, they are merely perishing, but their situation is not completely hopeless. They're not incapable of believing, right? Their spirituality shows an innate willingness to discover, right? They're not already lost, right? Perhaps they will yet turn from unbelief and be saved through the ministry of the Gospel.
I answer these questions with this simple thought. How are they going to accidentally grasp the gospel light if the people of God sharing that light are dim, hidden under a bushel, blinded by sin themselves.
The pagans, former pagans and many almost Christian's have made this world their god and so they're blind to the true splendor of Christ, who makes the true God known. They kinda sorta believe Jesus is the Son of God. They practice the practices. And they also follow astrology. And they also worship nature gods and goddesses, guru's living and dead, alien artifacts, crystals, herbs, narcotics, sexuality, and all the wealth and pleasures of the world. And some worship the cause, zealots for the cause. And many even think of themselves as gods. So much spiritual thinking and confusion.
Take a second look at the prophecy.
Amos 8:13
"In that day the lovely virgins and the young men shall faint for thirst."
Hmmm 🤔 I want to share two gospel verses from the mouth of Jesus, and so want you to see the truth and the problem.
Matthew 4:17
From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”
Mark 4:17
"But they have no root; they are short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away."
The truth and the problem. They hear the word, they have no root because they haven't repented. They haven't turned away from the things that exiled them from knowing God. And so when the word becomes uncomfortable, inconvenient, considered intolerant, they wilt. They demand that the prophet stop prophesying. They call the preachers and teachers of the word fundamentalists, overreacting and unkind. They even accuse them of being unchristian. These "almost Christians" judge the teachers of the word according to the ways of the world. The god of this world wants all the gods worshipped. And if a prophet speaks against that dragon and his evil spirits, they'll call them out, using Jesus' words to chastise Jesus' followers. They put a comma where there is none. A period where a comma should be. They'll deceive with the gospel of a corrupted unholy trinity; the dragon, the beast, and the corrupted church teachings.
Ultimately political power either supports or opposes real religion. No matter the party and its platform, all the land is under the authority of our God. This cannot be escaped. Even the Libertarians can't escape God with all their adherence to constitutional principles and protections. That document was written under the influence of God almighty. There is no escaping the King of the Universe. Every knee and every doctrine will bow before Jesus.
Ultimately all religious and political views that seek to understand the secret of the kingdom of God must be understood against the backdrop of Jesus' person, his ministry, and his gospel light. No other gods are welcome, or needed, in order to include any of the inhabitants of the earth. Jesus said repentance is required, rebirth.
The truth:
The Holy Spirit is not taking up shop in a soul that is already filled up by the idols of this world. Jesus is not keeping company with those who are teaching and praying about false truths to fake gods. He calls them to himself, yes. He is drawing them.
Q: Where's he drawing them too?
A: Away from their sins; he's calling them to repentance and rebirth.
And he sends his prophets, preachers and teachers to accomplish that.
But will they hear?
All we can do, all we should do, when we're forced by the situation. When we find ourselves exposed to the spiritually depraved and confused, maybe even during a political convention, is pray that Jesus reach their hearts and minds. Pray for their spirit to be cleansed of the wicked spirits that have a hold on them. Pray right then and there. While everyone around you is feigning prayer, just going along to get along; you pray against that demonic spirit. Call it by name, and give all that up to Jesus in His name.
Prayer of intercession:
"King of the universe, Lord Jesus, meet those who doubt or struggle in their faith journeys. Reveal Yourself to them in undeniable ways and renew their hope. Lord we ask that you bind the evil spirits holding onto the hearts and minds of Your children. Support those overcoming addictions with Your strength. Strengthen Your community, and give them Your redeeming love. Lead them into Your lasting freedom. Bless Your preachers and educators with wisdom, patience, and creativity. Help their students to learn, thrive, and discover their way in You. Guide our leaders to foster environments of peace, integrity, health, and growth in You. Bless their efforts to improve the lives of those they serve, and help them to resist the works of the evil one. Lord send your Holy Spirit into their personal situations, revive their hearts and inspire Your churches. Lord tear down their pagan idols and many false equivalences. Jesus you alone are God and king. Enlighten them Lord with the truth of Your gospel light. Ignite in us all a renewed passion for Your Word, worship, and the way of Christ.”
Amen.