How Does God Change Culture? (Spiritual Violence 101)

Matthew 11:7-15 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written: 'BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER BEFORE YOUR FACE, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.' "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

You are greatly affecting the culture of the places God puts you. Whether you can see it or not, your simple presence changes the atmosphere of the places you go. If you want the culture of your marriage, family, church, city, or the whole world to change, it has to come from within its members.

You change the culture everywhere you go.  This is how a culture works: a little yeast leavens the whole batch.  This can be great or terrible, depending on your source of thoughts, emotions, and will.

If I show up to a gathering full of my thoughts, opinions, the emotions I've picked up from the day, and a will of my own... Even if I love God, believe the Bible, speak in verses, and sing songs to Jesus.... If my heart (mind, will, emotions) is still getting it's source of information from me, then I make the whole culture of where I am less Godly.

We tend to measure our own godliness by output (the words we speak, songs we sing, things we think we believe because we put ourselves where others believe them), but the truth is, our Godliness is only impacted by the input source of our hearts.

Romans 13:10-14 NKJV — Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

This ^ passage isn't Biblical poetry, it's practical living.

Love is the point. Love isn't an output before it is an input. Love is a fruit of the Spirit of God, not an emotion generated by humans, or even a choice humans can make. Love is literally ONLY from God. If you have ever loved anyone, it is only because you got some input of love from God before hand:

1 John 4:16-21 NKJV — And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

Paul, in the Romans passage above, says when we see the urgency of the time related to the return of Jesus in which He will judge everything that hinders love, we need to awaken OUT of self leadership and into "putting on Christ."

That means something very specific. It means we need to exchange our earthly thoughts, emotions, and will (heart/soul) for Jesus' heavenly thoughts, emotions, and will. This is truly what it means to "let Jesus into your heart." Apart from this exchange of leadership, there is literally no salvation:

Colossians 3:1-4 NKJV — If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

This is practical. If I mock, joke in hurtful ways, express rage, use sarcasm, passive aggressiveness, speak in ways that multiply fear (conspiracy theory), suggest fleshy ways to deal with the world, even though I believe in God, read the Bible, speak in verses and sing songs, I am multiplying ungodliness, not affecting the culture around me with heaven.

If I show up at a gathering, whether it be family dinner, a church meeting, Monday morning at work or the grocery store, and I am simply being lazy with my thoughts, emotions, and will, I will entirely affect the culture I am a part of... I'll be just like the rest of the world, which obviously is having some major relational difficulties!

But, if I put on Jesus, His thoughts, His emotions, His will...I will have a heavenly effect on the culture. Even if I don't say a word. Jesus dealt with the world in a way it had never seen someone with power deal with it! He was often quiet, which made the words He spoke so clear! He was very intentional when He used His power and when He didn't. He was submitted, fully, to His Father. He didn't react. He was entirely prophetic in His relationships!

Think about it like this: I can go to church, say all the right Bible things, sing all the songs, believe what everyone else believes, but If I am there angry, anxious, afraid, impatient, selfishly ambitious, wanting to be heard rather than wanting to hear, wanting be seen and known by leaders, or followed by others, rather than seeing, knowing, and following God... My input is me, and my output is me. I'm not bringing heaven to the meeting, which means not only have I not changed, I am negatively affecting the culture of the meeting.

(I should still go and be helped, but I could go and be helpful! Don't use this truth as a reason to not change and isolate. Use it as a reason connect and change!)

As the church awakens to the need to not be lazy with our thoughts, emotions, and wills, the church is going to change, and that will change cities, and the whole world. This is the ONLY way the kingdom is going to come. If you are hoping, praying, singing, and teaching how God is going to change cities and this isn't what you are picturing, you are actually picturing the antichrist power in the last days, not the Jesus Christ kingdom that will come!

Luke 17:20-21 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."

The antichrist and false prophet demand things change. Jesus Christ invites anyone willing to follow Him in the death of Himself!

This is what happened at Pentecost in Acts 2. The entire group came into "one accord" with God. They spent 10 days getting rid of their thoughts, emotions, and wills, and letting God baptize them in His. This is the point of Joel 2 (repenting into God's will simply means agreeing with God about our heart being wrong and accepting His).

This is the point of corporate prayer, church meetings, and life in Christ: intentionally getting a new nature. NOT thinking like the world. NOT trying to effect change like the world. Coming out of the world and putting on Jesus.

This takes an intentional gazing on God's throne room and thinking on Jesus' character. Meditating on WHY Jesus did things the way He did... The will of God is so non-pushy, so willing to be moved by the Father, so patient, so unafraid... The thoughts and emotions of God are so generous. If we ask for bread, He will give it. He is more than willing to share HIS thoughts, His emotions, and His will when we give ourselves to asking for them. This requires denying our fleshy reasons why it's ok for us to impatiently push others, or for us to be anxious, or for us to waste our time worrying about things God isn't even concerned about.

Right now, the church desperately needs a heavenly input, and to cut off the earthly ones. If we are willing to renew our minds intentionally, God is willing to manifest heaven all around us.

We can have confidence that God is changing the culture when we let God change OUR INTERNAL culture. Otherwise, we are delusional if we think God could use us to change the culture of the earth if our internal thinking, emotions, and will are just like the thing we want changed!

Romans 12:1-21 NKJV — I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.