The Cancel Culture
We have heard a lot about this in recent times, but it is not anything new.

Introduction
As in the first century, evil permeates this age (Galatians 1:4).
The “rulers of the darkness of this age” mount many efforts to disturb, distract, discourage, and destroy faithful Christians.
With sober minds and watchful eyes, we must see these tactics and equip ourselves with spiritual weapons to pull down Satan’s strongholds.

Satan prowls about seeking someone to devour 1 Peter 5:8;
The times are evil, and we are to expose the evil and warn the faithful Ephesians 5:14-17;
2 Corinthians 10: 3-5: For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,”
The Cancel Culture
The cancel culture is a tactic being used to silence righteousness and truth.
“Cancel culture refers to the popular practice of withdrawing support for (canceling) public figures and companies after they have done or said something considered objectionable or offensive.
Cancel culture is generally discussed as being performed on social media in the form of group shaming.”
“the phenomenon of promoting the ‘canceling’ of people, brands and even shows and movies due to what some consider to be offensive or problematic remarks or ideologies…”
Cancel culture tries to eliminate anyone deemed a foe for daring to resist its accepted norms (those sanctioned and promoted by secularists and influencers who refuse to retain God in their knowledge).
Make no mistake; we live in a society caught in the turbulence and turmoil of the downward spiral of its moral collapse (Romans 1:18-32).
While virtue signaling their “Moral Superiority” they display their moral corruption.
Christians must “continue in the faith” in the face of the cancel culture.
The Bible records many attempts to cancel God’s truth and God’s people.
Early Christians lived in a culture that tried to cancel them (Hebrews 10:32-33; Acts 8:1; 9:1-2; 26:9-11).
The enforcement of emperor worship put saints under extreme economic hardships, costing many their lives when they refused to relinquish their faith for the sake of the state and societal approval.
Aren’t you glad it has not come to that yet?
The times have not changed because there is nothing new under the sun.
Make not doubt about it, this world is continuing to “cancel” Christ and His church as strongly as ever.

Some Examples Of Cancel Culture
“Kill The Children”
Pharaoh ordered Jewish male newborns to be killed because they perceived a threat.
When Herod hear that a child was born in Bethlehem that would be a king, he ordered the slaughter of all males under 2 years of age.
Even today, our society approves the murder of innocent children through abortion.
In their deluded sick reasoning they consider that they are doing the child a favor by not bringing them into a sinful world.
All of this so that they can continue in their wickedness of lusts.

Must accept LGBTQPRSUVWXYZ
Every social platform being promoted these days has an underlying agenda to normalize deviant sexual behavior.
BLM which captured millions who got on board until they realized this was a means to normalize that agenda.
Entertainment industry has been forcing this material onto our television and movie screens and promotes it as normal behavior.
The public schools have been promoting this diversity for years now, and as a result many children have become confused and not sure what to think about it.
Any educational institution that wants government assistance must comply with the mandates to promote this agenda.
The cancel culture attacks truth and decency as bigoted and unworthy of a voice.
When we object to defining marriage between two of the same sex, we are called bigoted and biased.
They have legalized it, and anyone who speaks against such needs to be cancelled and silenced as far as they are concerned.

Silence God’s Prophets And Preachers
Queen Jezebel canceled the prophets of the Lord with a massacre (1 Kings 18:4).
Jeremiah was cancelled and they attempted to kill him on several occasions.
The true prophets of God were not popular because they spoke the truth, whereas the people wanted to hear what they wanted to hear.
Christ’s apostles and prophets were similarly canceled (Acts 7:54-60; 12:1-2; John 21:18-19; 2 Timothy 4:6).
We rely upon historical writings from the second century to learn how they all died a martyrs death. Only one died of old age, but not after enduring harsh treatment and torture.

Silence God’s Word
King Jehoiakim exemplifies the cancel culture.
He cut and burned the scroll of God’s word when it was read to him, commanding that Jeremiah and Baruch be arrested (Jeremiah 36:20-26).
The public school system has indoctrinated our children to consider the Bible to be myth and a false narrative.
They actually shame anyone who claims to be a believer.
Most children unwilling to endure the shame mask and hide their faith, or they soon learn not to believe.

Burning Books
The burning of books takes us to Acts 8 where the people of Gaza were burning all their books of witchcraft and necromancy in light of what they received from the preaching of the kingdom.
In many places, the truth has been sequestered and often tried to be destroyed.
Cultures and governments have been burning bibles for centuries.
Anything that someone considers unworthy to be read is handed over to the cancel culture for shaming and to be ignored (including the Bible).
One day, the teaching of God’s words could bring persecution whether it be spoken or written.
Christians will “contend earnestly for the faith” in the face of the cancel culture (Jude 3).
Censoring the truth of God does not make it go away (Acts 4:17-20; 5:27-32, 40-42).
We will either take a stand with the saints, or we will join the worldy in their disgust of God’s truth.
The denominations already have cancelled the truth by their rejection of the truth.
We must not be ashamed of Christ and His words in this cancel culture age (Mark 8:38).

Now, for the last problem with Cancel culture:
“Demonize the Opposition”
The cancel culture demonizes its opposition in at least three ways.
1) The cancel culture uses misrepresentations and lies against its target.
Jesus and Stephen were “canceled” this way (Luke 23:1-2; Acts 6:10-14).
Expect similar treatment when you speak the truth of the gospel (John 15:18-20).
2) The cancel culture marginalizes opponents. Paul, for example, was “canceled” by Tertullus as an extremist (“ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes,” Acts 24:5).
Such treatment intends to shame a person into silence or convict him as guilty without the right to be heard (cf. Acts 21:33-22:1).
3) The cancel culture demands conformity. The cancel culture comforts itself in the strength of numbers. The more people on board, the stronger the message for them.
The Roman Empire identified the nonconformists (Christians) and persecuted them unto death (Revelation 13:16-17).
They did so by making it popular and acceptable to mistreat Christians.
Hitler did they same with the Jews 100 years ago.
Yet, the Rome Empire fell, the Third Reich fell, and so will anyone who promotes this cancel culture.

Conclusion
Through Peter, the Holy Spirit said, “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men” (1 Peter 2:15).
We muzzle (render “speechless,” Matthew 22:12) those who foolishly speak without knowledge and reason.
Despite the cancel culture, God’s word remains powerful, God’s people persevere, and God’s purposes prevail (Romans 8:28-39; 1 Peter 1:22-25).
We must speak up without shame because we are of God, and our God is greater than “he who is in the world” (Romans 1:15-16; 1 John 4:4-5).

By Carey Scott based on an article by Joe R. Price

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