{"id":1014,"date":"2024-07-03T12:30:12","date_gmt":"2024-07-03T17:30:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/thethinkingtheist\/?p=1014"},"modified":"2024-07-28T16:33:41","modified_gmt":"2024-07-28T21:33:41","slug":"when-in-babylon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/thethinkingtheist\/2024\/07\/when-in-babylon\/","title":{"rendered":"When In Babylon…"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

<\/h3>\n <\/p>\n

We Survived\u2026<\/strong><\/h3>\n Take it from the mind of G.K. Chesterton when it comes to discussions around politics.<\/p>\n \u201cI never discuss anything else except politics and religion. There is nothing else to discuss.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Some of you may roll your eyes in disdain and sarcasm. Others may soberly nod and agree. The fact of the matter is, there are 2 things that impact everybody: Religion and Politics. They need to be discussed. At the dinner table, in small groups\u2026 Yes\u2026 from the pulpit even.<\/p>\n That being said, in the debate between current president Joe Biden, and former President Donald Trump, we learned about golf, the cognitive state of our current president, the blending of relativism with huge moral issues like abortion, and the list goes on and on.<\/p>\n There was no winner. No one can rightfully triumph in the streets. Not a single soul can make the claim that \u201cOur side won.\u201d Because\u2026 honestly\u2026 in a debate with no true information given, who really wins?<\/p>\n We saw an exercise of insanity before our eyes. And it impacts us all.<\/p>\n So, how are you doing?<\/p>\n I May be Overreacting, but I Can\u2019t Help but Get the Feeling That We are in Babylon\u2026<\/strong><\/h3>\n Of course, we are not in literal Babylon. But when one is following Jesus, it seems that we are so far removed from where our culture is headed and where our politics now lie that it is other-worldly. It\u2019s as if we have exited Earth and have now landed on Mars. What are we to do?<\/p>\n If you are a follower of Jesus, and you\u2019re feeling like you\u2019re living in Babylon, this is for you. If you are a follower of Jesus and you think everything is just fine\u2026 I want to encourage you to consider this: When asked about the issue of abortion, a former president who is running for reelection (who is commonly championed as the Pro-Life option) said, \u201cSome people, you have to follow your heart, some people don\u2019t believe in that.\u201d<\/p>\n If the same statement were to be said about chattel slavery in the U.S. or sex trafficking, there would be riots in the streets. This is where we are. And so, we must respond. But how?<\/p>\n When in Babylon\u2026 Take it From Daniel<\/strong><\/h4>\n There is wisdom in looking at the person of Daniel. Daniel 1 is where I want to start.<\/p>\n When Nebuchadnezzar defeated King Jehoiakim of Judah, he took away all of the elites of Israel to the Capital city as was customary in Ancient Near Eastern warfare. Daniel and his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were among these elites that were carried off.<\/p>\n They were to be trained, taught, and fed in order to be fit for royal service. But upon hearing this, Daniel refused to defile himself.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the First Takeaway\u2026<\/p>\n When in Babylon\u2026 Don\u2019t Defile Yourself<\/strong><\/h4>\n At this point in time, there are all sorts of ways to defile yourself in our culture. We have ample choices to make. What music are we listening to and what shows are we watching? How much screen time are we allowing our children to have? What foods are we eating? Are we seeking pleasure through wild parties and drunkenness? Are we living out our own self-described sexuality or are we ascribing to God\u2019s sexual ethic? Do we affirm things that Jesus doesn\u2019t and do we wave off murdering babies with a \u201cFollow your heart on this issue; if you don\u2019t want an abortion then don\u2019t get one\u201d kind of attitude?<\/p>\n How are you doing on comment sections so far? Are you prayerfully having conversations that matter or are you creating noise and causing confusion online?<\/p>\n When in Babylon, don\u2019t defile yourself. Be cautious.<\/p>\n As believers we are called to be salt and light in a world that is bland and dark.<\/p>\n Statues of Gold<\/strong><\/h3>\n Perhaps you\u2019re familiar with Nebuchadnezzar\u2019s golden statue. He made a law that stated that any time a great musical chorus was sounded that all were to bow to the statue and worship it. If one were to disobey, they would be thrown into the furnace.<\/p>\n As you can guess, Daniel\u2019s friends (and presumably Daniel) refused to worship the statue. They said,<\/p>\n \u201cO Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn\u2019t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.\u201d Daniel 3: 16-18 NLT<\/p>\n Woah.<\/p>\n When in Babylon\u2026 Remember to Whom Your True Loyalty is Owed<\/strong><\/h4>\n Have you noticed an almost fanatical defense of both candidates? As if to say something unpopular, or \u201cincorrect\u201d about them means that you are committing the ultimate offense? Or what about other cultural issues?<\/p>\n When you speak out against abortion as murder of babies, you\u2019re thrown into a furnace. You\u2019re against women.<\/p>\n When you speak up against men swimming in women\u2019s events, you\u2019re thrown into a furnace. You\u2019re a transphobe.<\/p>\n Speaking up against federally sanctioned same-sex marriage causes you to be thrown into a furnace. You\u2019re a bigot.<\/p>\n Speaking out against DEI trainings, though they are finally becoming unpopular in businesses, causes you to be thrown into a furnace. You\u2019re a racist.<\/p>\n How many furnaces are trying to avoid?<\/p>\n When we seek to love our neighbor and love God, we are bound to be thrown into a furnace as some point. Our duty to be gracious and kind, yes. And it\u2019s also to be truth-telling. Love cannot exist without truth. And to lie to others is the opposite of love even when done from the heart of compassion.<\/p>\n Your true loyalty is owed to Christ who is your true King. Don\u2019t bow to the golden statues of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Tolerance. Don\u2019t wave you hand flippantly at moral crimes. Be a loving and gracious truth-teller. Remember to whom your loyalty is owed.<\/p>\n When in Babylon\u2026 Praise the Lord Above All Else<\/strong><\/h4>\n Babylon was taken over by King Darius and the Medes (commonly known as the Persians). Hence, there was a shift in the court where Daniel was, at best, unknown and, at worst, unfavorable. In Daniel\u2019s case, though unknown, he was found in favor of King Darius.<\/p>\n A law was passed in which anyone who dared worship and praise, pray to, or honor any deity but Darius, then they would be thrown to the lions. Daniel, upon hearing this, immediately went home, and prayed facing Jerusalem. he continued to worship the Lord 3 times a day as was normal in light of the law that was passed. A troubled Darius then, bound by his own law, had to throw David to the lions.<\/p>\n Laws will be passed. Messages will be censored. Jobs will be lost. Friends will desert. The government will claim authority over your children. But in the end, we must remember that we are but sojourners here on a world that is fading away. We are to influence for the Kingdom of God and are to invite others into this kingdom. And above all else, we are to fear God over man.<\/p>\n No matter what dens await us, no matter what furnaces await to be used, and no matter sugar-tainted message is offered, remember who your Lord is. And follow Him over man.<\/p>\n When in Babylon\u2026 what other choice is there?<\/p>\n In the meantime:<\/p>\n \nRepresent Jesus whenever always.<\/li>\nFollow Jesus over man.<\/li>\nVote with your conscience, taking into account how to truly love your neighbor and how to love the Lord.<\/li>\nStand for truth with grace and precision.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nWhat do you think: Are we as Christians living in Babylon, or is the culture reflecting Christian values more than ever?<\/h2>\n**** Leave a Comment Below!<\/h2>\n If you wish to continue to follow our content\u2026<\/h2>\n Make sure to subscribe to our Newsletter!<\/p>\n You can follow us on Facebook by clicking Here<\/a><\/p>\n Find us on X @TheistThinking<\/a><\/p>\n You can follow us on Instagram at the_thinking_theist<\/a><\/p>\n You can find the rest of our articles HERE<\/a><\/p>\n \n<\/p><\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We Survived\u2026 Take it from the mind of G.K. Chesterton when it comes to discussions around politics. \u201cI never discuss anything else except politics and religion. There is nothing else to discuss.\u201d Some of you may roll your eyes in disdain and sarcasm. Others may soberly nod and agree. The fact of the matter is, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4678,"featured_media":1017,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[248],"tags":[363,13,37,354,360],"class_list":["post-1014","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cultural-issues","tag-biden","tag-christianity","tag-culture","tag-debate","tag-trump"],"yoast_head":"\nWhen In Babylon...<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Laws will be passed. Messages will be censored. Jobs will be lost. Friends will desert. 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