In the 2nd chapter of the Book of Revelation Jesus tells John to write to the church people who are suffering in the city of Smyrna and encourage them in the face of the persecution they are receiving from non believers in their culture. In Smyrna they had a temple to the emperor Tiberius. A bunch of cities were being considered for this temple and Smyrna won the prize so they were very proud of their emperor worship. Then these Christians come along and say “don’t worship Caesar", who do they think they are?
I know many Christians who stand in direct opposite of the morality and behavior of the much of the culture we live in and as a result they don’t fit in. It reminds me of the media worship President Obama received before his first election donning the cover of Time magazine a record seventeen times in the months before the election.
Celebration Community Church’s youth ministry is called CROSSCURRENT and their logo is of a fish swimming against the current. That is a picture of what sometimes happens to believers as we face cultural pressures to conform today. What gives you the strength to swim upstream? What gives you the spiritual strength and encouragement we need when facing tough times?
We will look at that in this blog tomorrow.
Your pastor and partner in ministry,
Kyle
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