Then There Was Jesus

During the days when Jesus walked the earth in the flesh, the culture was a bit different, but also very similar. Same, but different. The religious system was dominated by two sects who basically were at odds with each other over the legitimacy of the supernatural and how adamant in adherence the Jews must be to legal interpretations of the Torah (the Books of Moses, but also a lifestyle associated with the standards of The Law given at Mount Sinai). This is a generic summation of the Sadducees and Pharisees who basically controlled Judaism. It is the classic confrontation of the Spirit versus the, “law.”

On the societal front, Roman society was a chaotic compromise in the confusion of philosophical ideology based on the, “Greek Thinkers,” like Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle, and their invented, progressive morality. Their psychological influence created an observable hierarchy and division in society over useless and narcissistic opinions regarded as near-sacrosanct to their followers and was embraced to the extremes; very akin to the, “intellectuals,” of today. The cerebral academics were incessantly pushing the forces of politics and society back and forth based on who had the loudest voice, the biggest crowds, and the most economic backing. These factions were hypocritically tolerated by the actual powers of the day vested in the tyrannical monarchy of Caesar and his government of prostituted elites because it kept the masses under subtle control.

Religion was a spiritual and/or intellectual mess, while the secular domain was a cesspool of wicked humanity doing their utmost to obtain and maintain control. The folks who tried to stay on the fringes of these two ever-darkening forces were mostly victimized by whichever system was dominating the populous at that time. All of this being exponentially worsened by the unreserved deviancy of ungodly sexuality, public corruption, blatant moral degeneracy, lawless lifestyles, promotion of philosophical irrationality, and rampant economic nonsense suffocating the populous. It was a discombobulated mess!

Sound familiar? Sound like our time in our world a bit? There is no new playbook available to the enemy of mankind, so it must be wash-rinse-repeat just like the Babylonian system that tried to rule humanity in times past. Which is like the Roman system… which is like the Egyptian system… which is like the socialist system… which is like the communist system… which is like the cabal and one-world-order system today.

Then there was Jesus.

He was the right in all the wrong, He was the light in the dark, He was the authentic in the fake, He was the good in the bad, and He was the perfect Image of what was needed for ALL the brokenness in ALL the world for ALL the people.

And, He knew it. Look at this:

He is the Rock, His work is perfect; all His ways are just. A God of faithfulness without injustice, righteous and upright is He. His people have acted corruptly toward Him; the spot on them is not that of His children, but of a perverse and crooked generation.

Deuteronomy 32:4-5 BSB

Moses prophesied these times and Jesus confirmed it:

“O unbelieving and perverse generation!” Jesus replied. “How long must I remain with you? How long must I put up with you? …”

Matthew 17:17 BSB

The Scriptures speak directly to that culture and call them out for what they were, a “crooked and perverse generation.”

With many other words he testified, and he urged them, “Be saved from this corrupt generation.”

Acts 2:40 BSB

so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world

Philippians 2:15 BSB

What do we call our present culture if it was “crooked, perverse, corrupt” back then? I have a few unflattering adjectives I will go ahead and keep to myself…

Please note that all three of these descriptors used by the Word of God have a commonality in their application. Something cannot be, “crooked,” unless it was once straight. Something cannot be, “perverse,” unless it was once proper. Something cannot be, “corrupt,” unless it was once pure.

The Biblical analogy for this insidious infection of sin is in the usage of leaven by Jesus:

“Watch out!” Jesus told them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
Matthew 16:6

“Watch out!” He cautioned them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod.”
Mark 8:15

Notice how Jesus cautioned His intimate disciples about the infiltration of this corrupting force coming from religion and government. The same is true today, Beloved. It would be of great advantage for us to take heed to the Lord and His infinite wisdom.

In our day, we see defiled religion and politics working together to distract, deter, and eventually destroy those who thought to find safety from the storms of life under their feeble roof. These unified forces are targeting the innocence of our children with unspeakable evils. They are unified in their proclamation of redefining good as evil, and evil as good. They are cooperative in driving our populous into the torture chambers of addiction, depression, hopelessness, self-centeredness, confusion, and, eventually, to even despair in life itself as illustrated by the skyrocketing suicide rates, especially among young people.

The solution is to have a humble and total submission in returning to the Lord and His Words.

Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Mark 8:38 BSB

His Word brings the cleansing we need as individuals, as a society, and as a culture.

You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
John 15:3 BSB

These eternal truths of our Creator will purify and separate us from the leaven of religion and government.

Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.
John 17:17 NLT

It is time for the remnant church, the real people of God, the Bride of Christ, the Ekklesia, the ones not ashamed of the Gospel, the true disciples, the royal priesthood, and this chosen generation to wash ourselves of the vile filth of this present evil world and become the salt and the light that we were intended to be!

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.

Ephesians 5:25-27

I know my words today are direct, sharp, and without political correctness… but the time is short and the carcasses of the casualties in this war are starting to pile up. I am unapologetic in my clarion call for returning to the Holy God, the Holy Word, and the Holy Spirit so we can join the worshippers in heaven who cry out endlessly day and night, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, Who was, and is, and is to come!”

The Jesus of yesterday bringing His Kingdom to that broken culture is the Jesus of today bringing His Kingdom to our broken culture is the Jesus of tomorrow returning to bring His Kingdom to the remaining brokenness of human culture.

He is also knocking on the door of our hearts to bring His Kingdom into our personal culture… answer the door, it is important.

I love you greatly!
Steve