No. You Shut Up.

At Bronx Bethany we try to have "duplicate" services on Sunday mornings; that is, whatever is done in the 7:45 service is repeated at 11:15. That is true in some respects. But, as you can guess, no two services are ever exactly alike.

This past Sunday, Pastor Richie shared a particular point during the first service sermon that was not repeated during the second service. I believe it's worthwhile to reflect on this point today.

In the Mark 9 passage, there is a moment where Jesus identifies a spirit by name. "You deaf and mute spirit..." (Mark 9:25). The point made by our pastor was that, in some cases, we are called to make an open identification of the spirit that is keeping persons sick or bound or deceived. Calling the spirit by name bursts open the doorway to deliverance.

In the Mark passage, we see that the spirit prevented both hearing and speech. I believe we live in a time where this is still relevant. There is a spirit afoot in the world today whose task is to rob men of hearing and speech. And this is particularly relevant to those of us in the body of Christ. Why? Because our salvation, though rooted in our faith in Christ, is activated by what we hear and say. "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts" (see Hebrews 4:7)... "With the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (see Romans 10:10).

Where does the deaf and mute spirit keep its headquarters today? Perhaps there is more than one answer to the question. Television and other media lull us into a complacency where we hear many voices, but not the voice of the Lord. Political circles warn us that if we speak in support of the finished work of Christ, we will be labeled as intolerant or ignorant or insensitive.

In this postmodern age, it seems that Christianity in the so-called free world is the poster child for "shut up". But everyone else, from agnostics to Wiccans, can voice their truths. What shall we Christians do?

So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." (Acts 4:18,19)

Amen.