Name-Calling.

In this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Sam took time to discuss what I would call "the strategy of resistance". As Christians, we often fight on two battlefields. The first, which was blogged on Tuesday, was the idea of a sociopolitical mandate that flew in the face of God's plan and purpose. Specifically, if God's design is for the multiplication of mankind through marriage and having children, then it is a sin to obey Pharaoh when Pharaoh calls for every male in a particular ethnic group to be killed at birth.

The second battlefield, though, might be a bit more subtle. It is in operation on a spiritual plane: in a realm we can't see, but that is powerful and deadly, the devil works to destroy the children of God. This is seen in Scripture. Let's look at a scene Pastor Sam referred to back in December 2007 during the Revelation series:

And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. (Revelation 12:3-4)

As the chapter progresses, we see that the devil was unsuccessful in his attempt to subvert the work of Christ, and in anger the enemy strategizes to instead subvert the work of Christ's followers:

And the dragon was wroth (angry) with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:17)

To wrap up, I'll leave you with this thought: sometimes, there is a demonic force behind certain forms of media. Why? Because, although the stated goal is to entertain, the actual goal is to destroy. To paraphrase the former Chief Executive Officer of BET (Robert Johnson), "The 'E' in BET does not stand for enlightenment or education, but entertainment."

What sort of future is promised to a people who are uneducated and unenlightened?

Pharaoh had the Nile. And today, there is still a Nile where children are drowned.

Friends, there's a war going on.