"They Glory in Their Shame"

Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

Philippians 3:19

With regards to yesterday's post and my vantage point on this culture, I ask myself why am I shocked? Even churches do not follow Jesus, but clumsily form Jesus into their own image; how can I expect society at large to NOT love the darkness rather than the light because their works are evil? (John 3:19)

As far as churches go, there is this mindset of what can I take from God all the while bowing down to The Cool Kids' Table. There is not this attitude of worship and love for God and how He is timeless and infinitely beyond us in ever scope, yet came down to suffer and die for the stupid things we did. They are not like Isaiah:

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So why should I expect the world to NOT be pagans? OF COURSE, they are going to champion that which will send them to Hell (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). They do not love God.

I just find it so personally jarring because the world is so not me.

I am done making cultural commentary. You can just read up on The Babylon Bee on EXACTLY how I feel about present-day society. If I took an Arminian approach, maybe I could find comfort that maybe just the right argument might change their hearts. But, there is only divine election. God calls His people to Him and they come.

God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life." But what is God's reply to him? "I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.

Romans 11:2-5

I am listening to this old fave from 2004 for me, Jeremy Camp, One Day at a Time.

I love Jesus. I know that sounds so trite. I am likely within a quarter mile of a clothes rack of tired t-shirts with that. Look, it is the reason I live. He is my hope; He is my life. When my life has been off-kilter of that truth, I stand with trembling legs.

My death is coming soon; glorification and eternity await. What a warming realization!

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Philippians 3:20-21

Indeed, time is fast. I have no promise I will live as long as my parents. In only 19 years, I will have reached the age when my Mom died—21 for my Dad. Nineteen years ago was my big year of 2004 of my Dad's death, Europe and move to and from Arizona. Twenty-one years was 2002 as I volunteered as a barista, continued to learn about daily Christianity at the Mug and worked at a church.

These are fresh memories. It stands to reason that the chapter with the life of this fallen body will soon close.

In the Meantime...

However, there is more than mop-up duties remaining. Just because I know what my end shall be does not keep me from playing the game and responding in a spirit of thankfulness to God. I have no plans to build an earthly kingdom with the short years that remain. I do not pursue wealth, prestige or power.