Mike Paschall . com

I’ve often thought and said that the Pharisees of Jesus’ day hated him.  If we poke around on that a little bit, I think there is something in there for us that helps us (me) when we go into a place, area or culture that seems to be hostile to the Spirit and or Christ (uh…that could even be a church, denomination or a specific theology packed full of rules and regulations for governing the sheep).

Think about the personal encounters that Jesus had with just about everyone.  Nicodemus (pharisee), tax collectors, sinners, prostitutes, soldiers, friends, children (usually very discerning about what and who to trust), multitudes of followers, his own chosen disciples, random people on the streets, even Pontius Pilate and Herod didn’t necessarily have a distaste for Jesus personally.  Seriously, Jesus was so full of virtuous effect that you had to like him when you were around him.   The hate for Jesus would usually manifest when the agents of Satan (demons) recognized him and knew their gig was up; or when religious power-brokers realized his divine presence was going to disturb their unchallenged status quo.  He brought the message of the Kingdom where ever he went.  That means He was always advancing the Kingdom in everything he was doing.  Jesus, himself, wasn’t the problem.  It was the change in the spirit, the challenge to the rule of darkness, the unmatchable force of pure love prodding deeply into the culture that was causing so much of the disruption.

When we walk on footpaths in various cultures or religious systems that seem to hate us, we really do not need to personalize the warfare.  We are full of the Spirit.  We are full of the seed of God.  We are anointed and operating under the “dome” of the “King”.  Of course territories under the influence of principalities are not going to be happy about that.  Of course!  But, love breaks the chains.  Every step we take brings another level of the revelation of His light.  We are advancing the Kingdom, not just holding down the fort.  The rumble you hear and feel is the effect of the change that is about to come.

Instead of judging the culture you are working with, pray for “favor” with the people.  People who “like” us, usually are very open to the truth inside of us.  We feel oppressed because of that truth in us and we are reminded that we are in the right place to love.

-MDP-