Our "calling," is to be Representatives of the King, Ambassadors for Christ, aware of the cost, knowing that it entails Judging and Reproof, as well as  "avoiding foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 - Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship has righteousness with  unrighteousness? and what communion has light with darkness? And what concord has Christ with Belial? or what part has he that believes with an infidel? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? for you are the temple of the living God; as God has said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.

Do Your Part in the Culture War - By Dr. Ray Rooney Jr. - ...Jesus said it was the lukewarm Christian (paralyzed with apathy or indecision) who makes Him sick (Revelation 3:16). One of the worst trends gripping the world in general and our nation, in particular, is the unwillingness to think for oneself. To make decisions and take responsibility for them. Instead, people are waiting to be told what to do. Who to vote for. What to believe. What to think. When to turn. The only people who seem to be taking decisive action(s) are those who want to destroy America. The rest are waiting on a social media post telling them that "God's got this." Then they are excused from engagement and action. This is tremendously disturbing. How does it serve the best interests of the kingdom of God to:

     Just ignore all the bad news taking place in our country and the world and/or

     Stand around waiting for someone else to tell you what to do when you already know what to do?

If you are an informed Christian and you really are concerned about the direction our nation is being driven by progressives, socialists, and proudly immoral people and want to know how to make a difference allow me to suggest four decisions you can make that will allow you to do your share in stemming the growing darkness and actually win the culture war.

Ron Helle: Silence Is Golden ... God gives strong support to those who incline their heart to be a warrior for King Jesus. ...If COVID taught Christians anything, it was the contempt that the world has for us. Look at the measures employed against so many churches by government agencies. Churches were deemed "nonessential," thus implying that we were to refrain from assembling together until further notice. Many churches became embroiled in legal battles with local governments for defying mask mandates or other imposed restrictions. Some are still fighting legal battles for violating mandates that "the science" has since shown were ineffective.

     ...We weren't very far into COVID when, to quote the song, "my eyes still see." Churches were ordered shuttered, but casinos and big box stores could stay open. We could not gather together, but if you wanted to form a mob, riot, burn some buildings, and attack police in a "mostly peaceful" demonstration, that was considered "healthy" (not so much for the people injured or killed or the businesses destroyed). Conspiracy theories abounded, many of which have, in the intervening years, proven to be true. Let me enlighten you on a "conspiracy theory" of mine.

Matthew 5:43-48 - You heard that it was said, 'You will love your neighbor" (Leviticus 19:18) and you will hate your enemy. But I am saying to you, you must love your enemies and you must pray for those who persecute you, so that you would become children of your Father, the One in the heavens, because He makes His sun rise on evil and good and rains on the righteous and unrighteous. For if you would love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do this? And if you would respect only your brothers, what are you doing that is remarkable? Do not even the heathens do this? Therefore you must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 10:14-42 - And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.

    For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaks in you. And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endures to the end shall be saved. But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.

    What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

    Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that takes not his cross, and follows after me, is not worthy of me. He that finds his life shall lose it: and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it.

    He that receives you receives me, and he that receives me receives him that sent me. He that receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. 

A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sins, being condemned of himself."  --Titus 3:9-11  Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be you therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.  --Matthew 10:16

Ephesians 6:12 - For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Pride on the Battlefield - By Ed Vitagliano - ...How often do we go about the Christian walk without prayer or Bible reading? Without asking God for His counsel? Or without waiting upon Him for the answer? How else should we interpret such spiritual neglect if not calling it pride? Pride says I can get through the day without prayer. Pride says I don't need the word of God today. Pride says I can do this or that without asking God for divine wisdom. Pride says I will act without waiting for God's OK.

Battle Stations! - By Ron Helle - ...Paul told the Corinthian believers to be alert to the actions of the enemy, "so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs" (2 Corinthians 2:11, ESV). The word translated "designs" is the Greek word noema, which means "that which is thought out, a purpose" (Vine's Dictionary). Sadly, the Church in America is ignorant of Satan's modus operandi (methods), which has resulted in the declining influence of Christianity in America.

    ...Militarily, we have been engaged in guerrilla warfare in every subsequent engagement (think Iraq and Afghanistan) since Vietnam. The battle is for the hearts and minds of the populace, not the taking of terrain. The way you treat people will determine how they will respond. The tactics of the enemy are fear, intimidation, and brutality. Satan is waging guerrilla warfare against the Church, and Christians have not responded well. In a guerrilla war, there are two opposing sides with the population caught in the middle; they, for the most part, want both sides to leave them alone. How they are treated will determine which side they will support. If the good guys mistreat them, they will either be apathetic toward them or actively be used by the enemy against them. The Church in America has been treating lost people as the enemy, resulting in a massive army that Satan is now using against us. If you doubt that, you need to start paying attention.

    ...So, what is a guy (or gal) supposed to do? It's time to suit up! We need to heed Paul's admonition and not be ignorant of how the enemy operates. To do this, we need to appropriate the weapons that God has given us.

    "Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints." --Ephesians 6:13-18

    "Battle stations, battle stations! All hands man your battle stations! This is NOT a drill. I say again, this is NOT a drill!"

2 Timothy 1:7-9 - For God did not give us a spirit of timidity but of power and love and self-control. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor me His prisoner, but you must now suffer hardships together with me to further the gospel according to the power of God, the One Who rescues us and calls us to a holy calling, not according to our works but according to His own purpose and grace, because that grace was given to us by Messiah Y'shua before eternal time.

2 Timothy 3:13-17 - But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

2 Timothy 4:1-4 - I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Matthew 5:11 - Blessed are you when they would revile you and they would persecute you and they would say all manner of evil against you falsely because of Me.  You must continually rejoice and be extremely joyful, because your reward is great in the heavens: for in this way they persecuted the prophets, the ones who were before you. (2 Chronicles 36:16)

2 Timothy 3:12-14 - And all those who want to live in a Godly manner in Messiah Y'shua will be persecuted. But evil people and swindlers will go from bad to worse, deceiving more and being deceived. But you must continuously remain in what you learned and became convinced of, because you know from whom you learned...

John 15:18-25 - If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but I chose you from the world, the world hates you because of this. You must continually remember the message, which I spoke to you, "A servant is not greater than his master." If they persecuted Me, then they will persecute you: if they kept My word, then they will keep yours. But they will do all these things to you because of My name, because they have not known the One Who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sinned: but now they do not have an excuse concerning their sin. The one who hates Me also hates My Father. If I did not do works among them which no one else had done, they would not have sinned: but now they also have seen and they have also hated both Me and My Father. But so that the statement would be fulfilled which has been written in their Torah (Teaching) that "They hated Me without reason." (Ps. 35:19; 69:5)

Acts 5:39-42 - ...and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ

Roman Empire Persecutions "Early Christians ... carried into the Coliseum to make a spectacle for those more savage than the beasts - ...Eleven of the twelve apostles were martyred, with the 12th, John, being reportedly thrown into a boiling pot of oil, but miraculously survived. --William Jennings Bryan - American Minute with Bill Federer

o Peter preached in Rome and was crucified upside down c.66 AD;

o Andrew preached in Asia Minor, modern-day Greece and Turkey, before being crucified on a sideways "Saint Andrew's Cross" around 60 AD;

o Thomas preached east of Syria, Parthia, and possibly India, and was pierced through with spears by four soldiers in 72 AD;

o Philip reportedly preached in Egypt, Carthage in North Africa, and Asia Minor. After converting the wife of a Roman proconsul in Phrygia, he was arrested and cruelly put to death in the city of Heliopolis around 80 AD;

o Matthew preached in Parthia, Persia and Ethiopia, where he was reportedly stabbed to death in the back in city of Nadabahl in 74 AD;

o Bartholomew, according to tradition, preached in India, Armenia, Ethiopia and Southern Arabia, before being skinned and martyred in the 1st century AD;

o James, thbre son of Zebedee, also know as "James, the greater," was arrested by Herod Agrippa, and beheaded by the Romans in 44 AD;

o James, the son of Alpheus, also known as "James, the younger," is said to have ministered in Syria, where he was stoned and clubbed to death in 62 AD;

o Thaddaeus, or Jude, preached in Asia Minor and Greece, till he was crucified in Beirut or Edessa around 65 AD;

o Simon the Zealot reportedly preached in Persia, Mauritania, on Africa's west, and possibly England, before being crucified in 74 AD;

o Matthias preached in Syria, where he was burned to death.