Hello and welcome to Let's Talk About It podcast. I am your host, Apostle Rosemary of RCN Ministries and OSGA Apostolic Network, along with my wonderful husband, Apostle Herbie. First of all, we would like to apologize that we were not able to go live at our set time at 6 a.m. You can probably hear it here in my studio. We're having some things done here in our home. And so everything's a little dishuffled this morning. So we apologize for that. But we wanted to make sure he's going to be absent from the podcast this morning. But I'm going to carry on with the podcast. Okay. So on this today, we're going to kind of touch on the last series. Season five series was Unshaken. And the series ended with finish well, finishing well. And so it was it was very powerful because in the series, the unshaken series, in the last episode, which was again finishing well, we discussed the power of completion. That God honors those who finish what they start, and that completion begins the glory of God brings the glory of God. I apologize. Completion brings the glory of God. So we are not to settle for half weight, but always, men and women of God, finish what God gave you. So our audio will be behind this because, like I said, we're a little off with the schedule this morning due to some demolition we're having done in our home. And I know you can hear the different of the studio sound behind me here. So we're going to move forward with season six. Let me say that one more time. We are dealing with in season six voices of the church in a divided world. So when we begin to understand that today's episode, the first episode out the gate for this one, is going to be on Christ over culture and living in a counter-cultural faith. So the topic today, or the title today, if you would like to use that terminology, is Christ over culture, living a counter-cultural faith. The theme for today, we would be coming with is that kingdom identity versus the cultural pressures. See, this is the reason why the enemy is fighting this podcast. Even our background is set up a little bit different here on our live because of the fact that there's so much going on, and because of what we're digging into, there's a lot of backlash in the region, but we're going forth with this because this is a rainbow word. This is a right now word, and we're going to make sure that we get this on all audio platforms because we know that this is going to bless each and every man and woman of God. So as we begin to enter into this first episode of season six, let's let's think about the fact that we just have to start out by just bringing all of you in with us in season six and to open up our minds, our hearts, and our spirits to what does it mean to have Christ over culture? How do we deal with living a countercultural faith, especially when we're looking at the kingdom identity versus the cultural pressures of that very identity? So we begin to understand that we have to introduce the part of understanding the overarching of the voices of the church in a divided world. What it has to establish, it has to establish different things in this season. It's truly when the Lord tells us in scripture that we must contend for our faith. And we have to contend for our faith, men and women of God. Because right now in today's society, there is so much going on until we really don't know which way we're coming, which way we're going, what's going to happen from day to day. We wake up every day to a new attack. We wake up every day to so many people are battling their mental health right now, and they're battling their mental health right now because it's almost a bipolarism that we see transforming globally on a global scale. There's so much that's happening until people are not able to keep their bearings. That truth is being diluted with alternative truth and falsities and lies. There, there is a there is a another type of Christianity that is a false Christianity, that is a false doctrine that's being produced throughout the world. And people are thinking that right is wrong and wrong is right. Have you all noticed that when people are talking, many times you see them on different platforms in the news, things like that, which we don't we don't really listen to the news, but you notice that when people are beginning to talk, it's like one doesn't respect the others to just be quiet and let me get my point across first. So we understand that as the church is being pressured to conform to the world, we must be the peculiar people, as Apostle Herbie preached on Sunday, and we must stand out from because we are set apart from. We are in this world, but we are not of this world, my Lord. So under all of this pressure for the church to conform, we need to understand that in this season, we are not echoing culture, we are establishing kingdom sound. My God, let me hear that one more time. In this season, people of God, we are not echoing culture, we are establishing kingdom sound, my God. That right there will preach all by itself, people of God. Help me, Jesus. Oh my Lord, Lord, help me, Jesus. That was real good to me. I almost wanted to stop right there and just get a praise on it. Just put a praise on that right there, my Lord. So we need to when we need to understand something. Uh, let me hit this one, let me just hit it one more time, y'all. In this season, you need to tell somebody then today when you see them, tell them, you know what, people of God, in this season, we are not echoing what we see in culture, we are establishing kingdom sound. My God, that is good right there. My Lord, yes, Lord. My Lord. So when we begin to focus on something here, we need to ask ourselves what does it truly mean to live counter-cultural as a believer in today's society, in today's world? There is the war between culture and kingdom. How do we know that? Because culture is not neutral, it is formed by values, beliefs, and influence. My god, but the kingdom of God operates on a completely different system. Many believers are living blended lives, they have Christ, then they have culture. My God, we look at Romans 12 and 2, and when we begin to look at Romans 12 and 2, and many of you already know Romans 12 and 2 because it is a very familiar text, it tells us that we are we and do not be transformed to this world any longer in a superficial value in customs, so we don't look like the world, we don't act like the world, we don't live like the world, but be ye transformed and progressively changed as you mature spiritually. See what we see going on globally when people are professing Christian, but they're not living Christian, Christian is Christ-like. But are we seeing the attributes of being a child of God where we love the unlovable, where we embrace everyone, regardless of how they look, where they're from? How do we do that by the renewing of your mind and focusing on God's values and ethical, ethical attitudes, so that you may prove for yourselves? Come on, somebody, what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect in his plan and purpose for you, my God. That's good right there, y'all. That is good right there. So ask yourselves, people of God, am I truly living a transformed life according to the word of God? Am I truly doing the will of God? Am I truly walking in the characteristics of God and in his ways? We also look at John chapter 17, verse 14 through 16, and it says, I have given to them your word. Uh-huh. God gave us his word, the message you gave me, my God, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world and do not belong to the world. Somebody better catch that. Just as I am not of the world and I do not belong to it. So, in other words, like I just said, we're in the world, people of God, but we are not of the world. Somebody needs to say right there, don't get it twisted, because God has created me to stand out. I am a peculiar people. I'm not gonna act like you, I'm not gonna talk like you, I'm not gonna walk like you, and I'm sure not gonna live like you. I'm gonna live by kingdom principles and possess the kingdom attributes of my heavenly father. So we cannot conform to culture and transform by God or Christ. It's it's it's it's it's crazy. We cannot be expected to conform to the culture and transform at the same time by Christ at the same time. We can't do it. No, the devil is alive, but then we need to understand this that the greatest deception in this hour is not rebellion, it is mixture. Somebody needs to put that down, mixture. So we begin to understand what countercultural faith actually looks like. It looks like this countercultural faith is not isolation, it's distinction. I don't baby, I don't flow like you, I don't talk like you, I don't live like you, I don't do the things that you do. My God, my God. So you can be present in culture without being shaped by it. How do I know that? Let's give me give y'all some biblical examples. Daniel in Babylon, Esther in Persia. Ah, those who are preached right there. Okay, Daniel was in Babylon. They changed, they changed the name of even the three Hebrew young men. They call them Hebrew boys. A lot of people you hear that terminology, but even with Daniel, he was in Babylon, but he didn't take on the Babylonian culture in the Babylonian spirit, nor did he take on the Babylonian ideology and idea. Come on, somebody, somebody better get this greater this morning. Esther was in Persia, she was in Persia just like Daniel, but she wasn't of Persia, so she brought the distinction of her culture and of the kingdom with her to the palace. Somebody better help me this morning. Let's look at some practical expressions. Think about this how you think, how you speak, what you tolerate, what you celebrate. My God, think about that, people of God. What is it? What is it on today when you begin to think about all these things? You begin to ponder on all of these things, and then you begin to say to yourself, wait a minute, wait a minute. Uh uh, uh uh. That that's not that's not what God told me. That's not what God showed me. This this is not who I am, this is not what I'm supposed to be doing right now. So, you know what? We got to learn to live the way God has called us to live, my God. We look at Matthew, the key focus scriptures right here, people of God, is Matthew chapter 5, verses 13 through 16, and it reads, You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its favor, its flavor, its taste, my God. In other words, if the salt loses its purpose, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and tread upon under the people's feet when the walkways are wet and slippery. My God, my God, just throw some salt on it. Ah 14 says, You are the light of Christ to the world, a city set on a hill that cannot be hidden. Verse 15 says, Nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket or a bushel, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. My God, my God, somebody needs to say, I need to be the light, turn the light on. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds and moral excellence and recognize and honor and glorify your father who is in heaven. So ask yourself, people of God, what is it that you have done that people can look at you and say, Oh my God, that's a man of God. Oh my God, that's a woman of God. Oh my God, they're truly living what they preach, they're truly walking in the ways of the Lord, they're truly walking in the attributes of the Father. What is it that you have done that's been so wonderful and so marvelous? You have not done anything. Let me give you all an example here. We need to understand something. It's never about us, it's about the Christ in us, my Lord. So then we begin to look at Philippians 2 and 15. And in Philippians 2, 15, it begins to tell us, right here, it says, so that you may prove yourselves to be blameless, my Lord. And and gallous, innocent, and uncontaminated, children of God, without blemish in the midst of morally crooked and spiritually perverted generation, my God. So guess what? We got to stay on the wall like Neophire, y'all. We got to contend for our faith, baby, in this hour. Among whom you are seen as light, as bright light, as beacons shining out clearly in the world of darkness. So when people see you, do they know that you are a child of God? When people hear you, do they know that you are a child of God? When you open up your mouth, do people understand that you know what? This is somebody right here that's living something. They say for real. Can people look at you and really say you're saved for real? Are you set apart? Are you a peculiar people? Are you walking in the ways of the Father? My God. Bottom line, people of God, is this is God pleased with you? Is God truly pleased with you? Luke 9 and 23 begins to say, we're gonna look at that text here. Let me let me back up and say this to you all. Let me say this to you all, people of God. The cost of living set apart is this. You're gonna deal with isolation. There's gonna be loss of approval and acceptance for many people, but then we begin to understand that the tensions of obedience versus the belonging of my God, my Lord. When we think about and just take a reality check, following Christ will call you call cost you something. People of God hear me this morning. Anybody who knows me knows that I will tell them. If it costs you nothing, it is more than likely that you have compromised somewhere along the way, people of God. Luke 9 and 23 says, and he was saying to them all, if any man wishes to follow me as my disciple, he must deny himself, set aside his flesh, selfish interest, that's that flesh, y'all, and take up his cross daily. And when we're doing this and follow me, what do we do? Expressingly, there has to be a willingness to endure whatever that may come your way, believing in me, conforming to my example and living, and if need be, suffering or perhaps even dying because of the faith in me, my God. Are you ready to bear your cross? Are you ready to pick that cross up and follow Jesus? Are you are you just about that noise? Are you just a sounding symbol? Or are you someone that's talking the talk, but you can't walk the walk, my Lord? Then we look at First Peter 4 and 4, and in that it begins to say, in all things, they are resentful and surprised that you do not, uh-huh, my God, run with them into the same excesses of dissipation and immoral freedom, and they criticize and abuse and ridicule you and make fun of your values. Why? Because they are the unbelievers. Uh-huh. They they they upset because you don't follow the same things and you're not connected with the same values that they value. They are the unbelievers, as I said. You don't think like them, you don't possess their values, and you don't run hand in hand in the same crowds that they run in. So, guess what? You're gonna you're gonna have some people that don't understand you. So, what? Long as Christ is pleased with you. A compromised believer is accepted by everyone, but approved, but approved, but not approved by God. Think about that. Compromise, everybody loves you, everybody accepting you. But what does God say? Is Christ pleased with you? Think about that. Culture shifts constantly, but truth does not. There must be an a clarion call in this hour, a call to action. You hear that often. Well, I challenge you this morning for a call to alignment, that you cannot carry kingdom authority while bowing to cultural pressure. Somebody need to catch that right there. You cannot carry kingdom authority while bowing to cultural pressure. So, people of God, hear me this morning. This is not about perfection, it's about decision, it's about being strategic about the things of God. So, I challenge you with these four questions. Ask yourself, where in my life am I conforming instead of transforming? Somebody needs to catch that. Where in my life, make this thing personal to yourself, men and women of God. Am I conforming to this world instead of transforming the people in this world? Second thing is, what cultural pressures have I normalized that God is calling me to confront? Third thing, am I seeking approval from people or alignment with God? Choose ye this day whom you will serve. You cannot serve two masters. What would it look like for me to live boldly set apart this week? Ask yourself, begin to challenge yourself, people of God. Listen, I want you to take this action step with me. Identify one area of compromise and make a decision, a correction, a decisive excuse. Me make a decisive correction this week, publicly or privately. So again, right here, action step for all of you. Identify one area of compromise and make a decisive correction this week. Not next week, this week. Do it publicly or do it privately. Listen, people of God, to summarize what we're talking about here today. This very episode, people of God, challenges believers to examine the tension before culture and kingdom living. Between culture and kingdom living, excuse me. It expresses the danger of the mixture and it calls for a bold, uncompromised faith that reflects, reflects Christ above all. So think about that. Think about what I just said. This is calling for something in this hour and this season. I just did one of our manuals on our website. And let me tell y'all something. This manual is powerful. And it's it's about exposing the mixture. And so that is so powerful. It's on our RCN Ministries online store. But the name of it is Exposing, I think it's Exposing. No, Unmasking, because I did uh I described multiple books at a time of manuals. What should I say at a time? So it's about unmasking the mixture. And another one is unveiling the kingdom, powerful, powerful manuals and weapons to have in your arsenal for the kingdom. So when we begin to think about, let me give you the rundown of the scriptures for this podcast. It is Romans 12 and 2, John chapter 17, verse 14 through 16, Matthew chapter 5, verse 13 through 16, Philippians 2 and 15, Luke 9 and 23, and 1 Peter 4 and 4. I want y'all to catch this in your spirit. Christ did not die for you to blend in, He died for you to stand out. I'm telling y'all, if you didn't catch it, catch it on replay Apostle Herbages preached on peculiar people. He just talked about this various topic on Sunday, and it was powerful. Let us reflect and respond with these QA. Take the time this week to evaluate your environment, the influences and decisions that you may ask yourself, what does my life reflect? And does my life reflect Christ or does it reflect culture? Begin to scribe, write down one adjustment and follow through with it. Remember last month, the end of the Unshaken series, fill it finish strong. Finishing well. Don't play with it. Let's be about our father's business. Yeah, we just talked about that. Finishing well. The last episode on season five series of Unshaken last month. So then we begin to ask ourselves these four questions. Can I engage with culture without compromising my faith? Yes, yes, you can. But only if your identity is rooted in Christ first. Engagement without foundation leads to compromise. That's powerful right there. Second question is this ask yourself. Is being countercultural the same as being judgmental? No, it's not. Countercultural is about conviction, not condemnation. You cannot stand firm without being harsh. My God. Me, I'm about my father's business. Don't play with me. There's a song they got out. Don't play with me. That thing is telling the truth. Don't play with me. I'm being real about the things of God. And if it ain't, if it's not about the kingdom business, you can miss me with it. Third thing is this how do I handle rejection for my beliefs? Guess what? You gotta expect to be rejected. Why? Because Jesus was rejected. But guess what? Still stay anchored in truth, not in man's approval. Because man doesn't have a he can't get you to heaven, but he can help you go to hell. All right. Last question is this how do I know if I've compromised? Let me help you right there. If you're not adjusting to the truth to be accepted in your life in every area of your life, you've already crossed the line of compromising. Somebody needs to screen right there, turn the light on. Lord, show me me. I'm gonna start with the man in the mirror. I'm gonna start with the woman in the mirror. I'm gonna start with me, God. Because you know what? Something is wrong with me. Something is going on with me. What is it that is going on with me? Why is it that I'm feeling the way I'm feeling? Why is it that I'm handling things the way I'm handling? Why am I doing things the way that I'm doing it? What is it? Ask yourselves this. Listen, let me leave you all with this declaration. Say to yourself from this day forward, people of God, I will not bow to culture, I will not dilute truth, I will live set apart, I will live my life set apart as a peculiar person because we are peculiar people. Scripture tells us this. I will stand firm and I will reflect Christ in all that I do. Hear me when I say this, people of God. Hear me, hear me well. We need to understand one thing. We must live a Christ-centered life. It's about Christ over culture, living a counter-cultural faith. What do you choose this day? Your kingdom identity or the cultural pressures? Ask yourselves that. Excuse me, next, yeah, next month, and we will begin to talk about some other things that are going to be happening here on our podcast, some very powerful topics that God has given us for this month. This excuse me, this series, season six, six, season six series that's dealing with voices of the church in a divided world. And we're going to be dealing with in season six faith and culture. Which one do we choose? Which way are you looking for God to use you and to reposition you, to anchor you? Because this very season confronts cultural tension head on, equipping believers to stand firm in truth, to engage culture without compromise, and to carry a kingdom voice in a fractured world. May God bless you, may God keep you. And this hard truth, let me leave you with this hard truth. Ask yourselves this last thing. What it actually costs to live set apart today. The hard truth, right there. You cannot reflect Christ and mirror culture at the same time. That's the benediction. God bless you. I pray that you all have a wonderful rest of your day. We love you, and we're out to next month. God bless.