Wait, can a city be reprobate? Or are only individuals given over by God to a reprobate mind…”given over” as a convicted prisoner is given over for sentencing? I believe that both assertions are true as individual corrupt minds promote and elect the leadership that will govern over them. Collectively, there is a ‘reprobate mind’, set against God, against His commandments – preparing to receive the “wages of sin”.
NYC’s flashpoints of sin are almost forgotten but not by God. The culmination of ‘Gay Pride’, landmark celebratory parades and festivities continue to resound and replicate around the globe. ‘Abortion up to delivery’, legislation effective January 2019, had to repeal several penal laws to allow the murder of viable babies even as they are pushing through the womb. This great victory was celebrated at the State Capital but most notably in NYC as elected officials clapped and cheered before cameras and the city was lit up in triumphant celebration for the world to see.
The Empire State Building, set aglow to celebrate this infanticide, was not struck by lightening. No tsunami washed over the city. Instead, I believe, God silently yet powerfully effected an abandonment of this city. He is still here, of course, and faithful to the brethren, but is allowing rebellious unrestrained expression bring about unrestrained consequences of sin. God has given us over to a reprobate mind.
A year after the murderous abortion celebration came ‘Bail Reform’ 2020, delighting ‘progressives’ and igniting freed detainees. The great lie of Satan, “you can sin and nothing will happen!” was planted in the NYC judicial system, just prior to, just in time for, the riots of George Floyd. Criminals are freed, instigated, and emboldened toward utter lawlessness while police, set upon and degraded, retire, quit and transfer in record numbers.
Crime and lawlessness rule once again in this city but with great difference – it is facilitated by the leadership. In fact, according to the newly elected Manhattan District Attorney, crime is no longer crime in this city.
“Bragg has sparked a firestorm after announcing that his office will no longer prosecute a variety of crimes, from resisting arrest to drug dealing. He has also laid out a plan that lowers the type of crimes that armed robbers, for example, can be charged with by reducing the charges to lesser counts. What has been considered felonies would be cut to misdemeanors, which would often mean no jail time for offenders.” (from Fox News report, 1/12/2022)
One need not be a retired law enforcement to conclude that consequences are powerful influencers of behavioral change. However, after supervising felony offenders for nearly 30 years I must say that no other factor affects decisions more than considering sure and exact consequences. Hollow threats are laughable but real consequences, punishment for crimes, can stir rational thinking and change behavior.
How is one to live for Christ in a ‘reprobate city’? Are we to live in a reprobate city?
The answer to the latter is, of course, and surely, what springs forth from the cities will cast seeds into the nation. The apostle Peter exhorts us, “prepare your minds for action”, having our mindset toward holiness and unto the Lord. If we walk aright before the Lord, we can know the confidence and power of walking in His favor and faithfulness wherever He calls us to live.
The greatest temptation for those striving to live a righteous life is to fight against the ‘unrighteous’, to hammer shameless leaders and their supporters. However passionate and logical, it is not God’s way.
“For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness…” Fighting a political party is easier, even rewarding to the flesh. But as Lloyd Martyn-Jones expounds in The Christian Warfare,
“The term “world rulers”…is a very powerful word which conjures up the notion of power to govern and to rule the whole world.”
Martyn-Jones also states in this captivating book,
“There are unseen “rulers” who are manipulating world affairs…”
“They are manipulating the Press and all other such agencies…”
“There is nothing more monstrous than that people should joke about the devil…”
So how to live for Christ when the heart of the city is reprobate and the majority celebrate it?
While the whole world lies in darkness and is ripening to receive the antichrist, as believers (I remind myself!) we’re not called to fight fallen man. They are already under the wrath of God, should we defeat them to preserve ‘our way of life’ which is destined to conform to the antichrist? Surely this is a devilish snare set to derail us from the high call of God.
“You are the light of the world” proclaimed Jesus about His followers. I pray to be a light in this dark world, obedient to Him, available to Him, humbled under His word. My flesh would rather fight but my heart knows it’s all futile and worse, what purposes of God will I miss by following carnal fervor?
I believe God has us living amongst reprobate minds for two reasons. One, to draw nearer to Him through prayer and His word, becoming more dependent upon the Him and ultimately to conform to the image of His Son. Secondly, there are people in the darkness, those whom the Lord would call out. Representing Him in the short time we have left in this world, may God reveal them, enable us to minister to them, counsel them in the truth and draw them into the Kingdom of God.
May the Lord embolden and brighten His life and light in us, order our steps, and call His sheep from within the ‘reprobate city’ – wherever it is.
theburninglampdotcom 
Tremendous post, Lisa Beth. You really brought it home in the last 2 paragraphs, and Christians would do well to abide by these truths.
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Thank you so much David, I very much appreciate your comments.
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Excellent post Lisa Beth!
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Thank you so much Cathy!
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Wow, and how sad that the crime and lawlessness is facilitated by the leadership. Lisa Beth, one thing that has always baffled me has been abortion and especially because it’s in the United States of America. “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” If “life” why the killing of babies? And up to the ninth month? And even if they survive abortion? How evil can you get? What about starving a disabled woman to death? No case in all my years on this earth has devastated me more than the starvation death of Terri Schiavo. Her husband didn’t want her alive anymore so a judge said yes, he could remove the feeding tube thereby starving her to death. How evil can you get? I was living and working in Florida when my supervisor came in and said “Terri Schiavo has just died.” My co-workers had to come to my desk to try and comfort me because I was inconsolable. I could not believe the United States of America had starved a disabled woman to death. Our God is patient and merciful though but time is running out. Yes, let us draw nearer to Him conforming to the image of His Son. Thank you beautiful sister for that inspiring post.
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Thank you Eve for such personal, thoughtful and encouraging comments. May the darkness draw us closer to the Lord and closer to each other. Good to hear from you sister.
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Hi, Eve! Forgive me for intruding. Terri Schiavo still incenses me. I have a major heart for people with disabilities and this was totally inhumane. I was 23 or 24, a social work major and a relatively new believer in 2005. I could not understand nor reconcile how the supposed party for life killed this woman by starvation. We would not treat an animal with such cruelty. That was a moment that profoundly effected how I saw the US and humanity as a whole. I am so thankful that God will hold evildoers accountable.
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Blue Collar Theologian, of course you are not intruding. Yes, the starvation death of Terri Schiavo completely devastated me. Hearing her name brings pain to my heart. One day justice will be served because we have a just God and these evildoers of the land of LIFE and liberty who are responsible for her horrific death if they don’t repent will be held accountable. Come, Lord Jesus, come.
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Amen sisters!
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Amen to come Lord Jesus! Blessings, Mandy
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Thanks, Lisa Beth. Society has changed dramatically in 55-60 years since I was a child. It’s a mess and getting worse. But we are joyous because our hope is in the unfailing Rock of our salvation. Thanks for the good exhortations!
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Amen brother, we can be joyous. Thank you Tom, always good to hear from you.
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You are a shining light to your city, Lisa.
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Mary! Aloha! We’ve been thinking of you and praying for you. Did you go on the trip? Will reach out to you.
Thank you for your kind comment. I pray to be a light. ❤
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Excellent post. I hope you won’t roll your eyes at me! I know this seems small, small leads to big. Even in my area the amount of trash/litter has increased 100%. For those who are serious climate change adherents, how can you claim to want to stop this warming trend yet allow trash to pile up which is doing real, genuine harm to our world?! If we as a society all over the world are double minded in caring for God’s creation which He mandated from before the Fall in Genesis 3, there is absolutely no hope without Christ for people to care about the ethical, moral treatment of human beings. I remember when there was a pregnant woman who was murdered in NYC and they decided not to charge him with double homicide because the living baby in the womb wasn’t alive/viable (my paraphrase of the event). That broke my heart so bad. I appreciate the MLJ quote and more folks would rather fight about the physical political issues than to see the greater spiritual battle being waged. Demonic activity is truly ramping up (I feel like you are ok with such terminology) and Christians need to be prepared for this regardless of where they live, city, rural, suburbs. I know it can’t be easy watching the city that you love destroy itself. I am glad for the time that you are a light to the city and also for the times that you can rest and be a light elsewhere. I am so thankful for you and your gift of faith and exhortation to live for Christ! 🤗😻
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Thank you so much for expressing such valid perspectives. I’m sure I take law enforcement issues so strongly bc of my career background and work with law enforcement agencies. The majority of officers are dedicated & laudable. (Many of them though are leaving)
I definitely agree that, WHEREVER, the Lord has us – rural, suburban, urban – we have the challenge of representing Him and the Gospel. I wish I had expressed that. Honestly, some of the hardest people to share the Gospel with are wealthy suburbanites.
I always look forward to your posts and comments, thank you again Mandy for adding so much to the WP fellowship. ❤
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So much of your description of NYC sounds like here in LA…but then again I think SJW is ruining things everywhere. We gotta be a light in these dark times. Here in LA there’s a young LAPD officer off duty got killed over a necklace…its despicable
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Yes, I heard about that officer. The news said, “He was a devout Christian”. So terrible.
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So sad
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Such good wisdom, Lisa Beth. Now more than ever we need to guard against being distracted from our mission and fight our battles with prayer and the Word.
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That is SO true sister. I find the greatest temptation is to fight in the flesh when our real power is spiritual. Thank you, we need to hear that often! ⚘
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