“Encompassed with many enemies…”

“Doubtless our condition in this world will include many hardships, but God’s will is that Christ’s kingdom should be encompassed with many enemies, his design being to keep us in a state of constant warfare. Therefore it becomes us to exercise patience and meekness, and, assured of God’s aid, boldly to consider the rage of the whole world as nothing.”

~John Calvin

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 — King James Version

The weapons of our warfare cast down atheistic imaginations with pot roast suppers and watermelon, psalm singing, and warm mugs of tea, prayer, and repentance. And how do we prepare for such feasts? Know what is true. Let the inerrant and living Word of God commandeer your heart and mind and body. Worship what is true. Give God the holy worship He commands, being ready to join in the fellowship of Christ’s suffering. Repent daily. Be a covenant member of a faithful church. Sing psalms. Feast in the presence of your enemies. If you are in Christ, your enemies are Christ’s enemies. And this means we have nothing to fear.

Rosaria Butterfield, from an article titled “In The Presence Of My Enemies” from the September 2021 Tabletalk magazine.

We need to become hospitable. To know and understand true hospitality. To come to know the true love of Christ, in Christ, of Christ. To come to know truly what loving our enemies means. To know true repentance. True worship. To know what agape love is and how we are to be the light of the world, like an illuminated city on a hill. To invite folks into our homes. The lonely. The grieved. The joyful, the young, the old. The poor, the rich. One and all. Over a good meal. Hot coffee or tea or beverages. Good food. Laughter. Singing songs of praise. Prayers. Reading of the Word of God. To do this with our neighbors, friends, co-workers the unbelieving, the enemies of Christ as well a with our brothers and sisters in the faith. Something that seems a lost art. A distant memory. As people cacoon themselves, keep others at arm’s length — or further away. Enjoy each other’s company over an evening face to face, voice to voice, heart to heart. Where has the hospitality gone? Where has the love gone? The joy? The conversation? The rejoicing in the Lord in family homes with others? Why is this more a stagnant two-dimensional scene on a faded card or painting than reality in our time? And do not DO NOT revert to placing blame for this absence on COVID-19! This was absent in lives, in professed Christian homes, families, and churches long before the pandemic arrived. The absence of these things arrived many years ago and has become ingrained. The norm.

Churches contain clicques. Need to be part of the in-crowd. Be accepted into a little group. Otherwise…the places called houses where God lives, Christian churches are as cold and phony as an office, like being in high school. Same ways. Same goings-on.

And they busy themselves. They have so much going on. This thing, that thing, that group, this group and they imagine this is hospitality. That that is Christian love. This is the brotherhood and sisterhood, the discipleship, the COMMUNITY, the FAMILY of Christ, the BODY of Christ and yet it cannot, for the most part, be distinguished from any other collective of people in an organization of the world.

Where has the love gone? The warmth? The joy within? The sincerity? The hospitality? The gathering around a table, laughter, talk, real conversation, the breaking of bread — which REALLY MEANS SOMETHING OR SHOULD (look up the history and importance of and why the whole “breaking of bread” exists in our lexicon) where is this? Where? Why don’t Christians do this with other Christians? Why don’t Christians do this with their neighbors, the enemies of Christ, the unbelieving in their homes along with other brothers and sisters in the faith present for the meal? The conversation? The praying? The singing of hymns and Pslams? Why? Where? What will it take to make this how it naturally is rather than a distant memory for old folks remembering this was how it was every week, week in, week out. This was life. Past tense. Absent in the present. Then no hope for the future.

Staring into a glowing handheld electronic device tapping on it is not having a conversation or being social. It is isolation. The unsocial so-called social media. Not hunkering down in isolation in your abode keeping the world out, also keeping your fellow brothers and sisters out. Keeping the enemies of Christ out as well, dear disciple.

Showing up a Sunday, smiling, and thinking that’s it. Done. Let’s resume the week as the last one was and the one before that and on and on and on Infinitum! Till the last breath, last heartbeat, or you’re carted away to a home, not your own hanging on until that last breath, that last heartbeat.

Where’s the love? The family of Christ gathering together in homes? With believers and unbelievers alike? To eat, drink, laugh, pray, sing songs, read the Word?

Where’s the hospitality? With those of likemindedness, with the enemies of Christ to be an example to them of what being the light of the world truly means, what being in Christ truly means, what being a Christian truly means. And showing them the love of Christ within us that can be seen and felt by them? As the Bible instructs us we are to be — so they can see that light AND GLORIFY THE FATHER. 

To know what is true. To live what is true. With God. In Christ. By the Holy Spirit. Within the Word of God.

Ken Pullen, A Crooked Path, Friday, August 6th, 2021