Posts Tagged ‘cross’

Do you love me more than these?

Posted: July 15, 2018 in Devotionals, Shared Thoughts, Wake Up!
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
1

“Do you love me more than these,” Jesus asked of Peter who had not too long before boldly stated before all the disciples “Though all men forsake Thee, I will not.”

Here Jesus was graciously administering some much needed comfort and healing to Peter because of his earlier three denials with three precious opportunities to confirm his love for Christ. Yet Jesus takes Peter further as He continues with His instruction to Peter as to how He wants Peter to love Him; 1. Feed my Sheep and 2. Follow me. What a blessing it is that the Lord instructs us how to pray, love, serve and worship Him.

Certainly nobody could deny Peter loved Christ in view of the fact that he had been willing to lay down his life for Jesus who tells us there is no greater love than that . . . however, love needs to be . . . no, actually love must be given to the honoring of its proclaimed point of affection. Godly love doesn’t merely seek its own expression; rather it pursues the gratification of the other. (more…)

Do you love me more than these?

Posted: June 9, 2015 in Devotionals, Shared Thoughts, Wake Up!
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

“Do you love me more than these,” Jesus asked of Peter who had not too long before boldly stated before all the disciples “Though all men forsake Thee, I will not.”

Here Jesus was graciously administering some much needed comfort and healing to Peter because of his earlier three denials with three precious opportunities to confirm his love for Christ. Yet Jesus takes Peter further as He continues with His instruction to Peter as to how He wants Peter to love Him; 1. Feed my Sheep and 2. Follow me. What a blessing it is that the Lord instructs us how to pray, love, serve and worship Him.

Certainly nobody could deny Peter loved Christ in view of the fact that he had been willing to lay down his life for Jesus who tells us there is no greater love than that . . . however, love needs to be . . . no, actually love must be given to the honoring of its proclaimed point of affection. Godly love doesn’t merely seek its own expression; rather it pursues the gratification of the other. (more…)

So you’re an atheist . . .

Posted: January 5, 2014 in Deity of Jesus Christ, Shared Thoughts, Study!, Wake Up!
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Hey, so you don’t believe in God and you’re an intelligent person? Well then, certainly you’re not going believe you found truth already before you’ve exhausted your life time truly seeking and proving it? Don’t you think that alone would be the height of foolishness? Look at the vastness of it all, the immeasurable expanse of the universe and consider the infinitesimal perspective that your meager little life has afforded you thus far. You may feel and even openly declare that only fools would arrogantly proclaim they know God, but a truly honest person would only admit that they don’t see him as others proclaim they do.

Personally, I will be the first to admit that there is a whole lot of the religious rhetoric out there which is absolute nonsense; endless dogmas saturated with egotistical men’s own silly imaginations that are being peddled to the world by these self-righteous hypocrites. But that doesn’t mean that there is not truth, divine truth out there. Rather to me it is credible evidence of a war that goes beyond our dimension where the real hidden enemies of truth have cleverly sought to discredit it by perverting it and intentionally dressing it up like a self satisfying gluttonous whore that simply exists to pray on the weak of mind.

I would highly recommend any person skeptical of a “divine being” or a “higher power” to posture themselves as students of life who are actively seeking and ever learning, resisting the temptation to get arrogant because you’ve been discerning enough to see the blatant flaws in the cesspool of religions. Certainly all these belief systems cannot all be right since throughout history and even now in many places they are literally killing each other. This world has no shortage of theologies and every religion has fractions that are against each other screaming condemnations of damnation back and forth. Seems to me that if one is really seeking to find truth, it is in fact the proverbial needle in a haystack of mysticism which seems to turn to ashes under the fiery test of genuine, sincere, open and objective evaluation.

We all know atheists who reject the concept of a god, and to a degree I respect their position exactly for the reasons I mentioned above; the world’s religions are a cesspool of obvious lies, and that includes some of the man-made doctrines in Christianity too. After all, what other religion in the world is as fractured as Christianity with its tens of thousands of denominations and cults all over the world claiming to be the true church? Having visited too many of these churches I am often amazed that anyone seeking God would actually go to some of these churches; seems most go just for the social status, or for business contacts, some out of personal guilt and others out of self-righteousness. But to practical and honest person it is clear that what many of these “believers” are saying versus what they are doing is often light years apart. How can any honest person with their eyes wide open embrace such obvious hypocritical “blind faith?”

One of my favorite quotes concerning the integrity of all faith which should be compelling men forward in their religion is from a book titled Creeds of the Churches. This book is evidence to the presence of falsities in some aspects of Christian faiths as readily obvious in the various creeds recorded from the past to the present, with many conflicting with each other about what is truth. The man who compiled it, John H. Leith, stated this in the first few pages of the book –

“What cannot be thought through critically and expressed with reasonable clarity cannot demand the allegiance of man’s whole being. Understanding is necessary for man’s full commitment. Hence faith must be spoken and be made intelligible. This is not to say that faith must be enclosed within the limits of reason, but it does mean that faith must require neither the closing of the mind nor the sacrifice of the integrity of the mind”

To me, a truly honest seeker trying to determine the credibility of a sovereign deity would look to those events which no  person can deny happened,  indisputable facts, “reality,”at least to the measure that all men can readily see. If there is a sovereign being, than certainly there has to be evidence for all the world to see. With that in mind, one would be prudent to consider how the Bible boldly proclaims that they that bless Israel will be blessed and they that curse it will be curse. My years of watching Israel seems to have the witness of history that the covenant above is true, and not only history,  for the present seems to be a continuous news feed of evidence that demands serious scrutiny. Only the arrogant and willfully blinded would reject that there something is going on globally with the little nation from which scripture clearly declares for all who will hear that God has chosen to send for His name from this proclaimed “Holy Land” unto all the earth that all men may know that there is a God which made the heavens and earth.

I trust most who have read this far are intelligent people who would agree atheists can certainly be good and decent people. But I do believe many self proclaiming atheists are merely honest people who have been fittingly turned off by the corrupt presentation of religion, yet still maintain their integrity doing what their heart feels is right and good. I would therefore recommend a book for everyone’s review concerning Israel and our own country America. It is an excellent  documentation of events that no one in the world can deny has happen or the time element in which they have happen. Facts are facts, and if we are to be honest with ourselves, one must admit when they are so and search for the common denominator. Today, there are many events that have unfolded since the printing of the book that could be added since this is a story still being documented concerning Israel in these last days, but amazingly much of it has already been written in the Bible itself for these things were foreseen thousands of years ago.

Here is a link to the book, take some time to read up about the author and then humbly consider these things. If you are truly intelligent, I know you will be compiled to seek answers to the questions that will come to your heart. In the Hebrew there wasn’t a word which one could translate to mean coincidence, they didn’t believe in it. It is in fact an atheistic concept,  that “things just happen.” The Bible warns all men to prove all things and hold fast to that which is good and sound, worthy of one’s faith and belief.

William Koenig’s Web Page

Also, if you have time,  I would encourage taking the time to read something I wrote a long time ago endeavoring to explain why Jesus wasn’t just another man, but God manifested in the flesh, and why He went to the cross.

Justified in the Spirit

Faith, as a grain of mustard seed.

Posted: March 27, 2012 in Shared Thoughts, Wake Up!
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
0

Ps 23:3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

Part of the restoration process is the tearing down phase where God works to be sure we have a good foundation from which to rebuild. For that reason in my last few articles I reviewed a variety of topics in Luke which Jesus addressed before the Pharisees and His disciples, each having great significance. I have now come to the end of my recent scholastic yoyage and journalism to this place in scripture where Jesus tells us ‘If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you might say unto this sycamine tree, Be plucked up by the root, and be  planted in the sea; and it should obey you.”

Lord, grant us such faith.

In addition to the topics I’ve recently examined, there are equally significant others that Jesus’ shared deserving of a brief review. Such as when He asked lawyers and Pharisees which one of them would not rescue their ox or donkey if it had fallen into a ditch, even if it was on the Sabbath? Even though they couldn’t defend their own actions, they couldn’t avoid the hypocritical judgment that stirred in their hearts against Jesus when He then healed a man on the Sabbath before them.

While at the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread with them, Luke tells us that all these lawyers and Pharisees “watched” Him, meaning they insidiously and scrupulously observed Jesus looking for fault with Him. With purer judgment than theirs, Jesus openly acknowledged how all they all had taken seats of honor straightway when they came, risking shame and humiliation by possibly having their place taken from them for another more deserving. When invited to affairs such as a wedding Jesus explained, it was more prudent to take the lower place whereby they might receive respect from the host with honor as he publicly calls them up to better positions.

Luke 14:11 “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

(more…)

Prayer-Preaching

Posted: April 21, 2011 in Devotionals, Shared Thoughts, Study!
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
1

If you have been to many churches, religious gatherings, or have been a Christian for a while now, then I am sure you been exposed to Prayer-Preaching. It is that part of public prayers where the person who is supposed to be praying is actually speaking to everyone else in the room instead of to God. Sometimes people treat prayer like it’s a pulpit in the pocket, any opportunity to pray to them becomes a must take opportunity for them to preach. Now, let me state right off that prayer-preaching isn’t a bad thing . . . but that doesn’t mean it is a good thing always. Sadly, some people just can’t seem to stop themselves from taking public prayer and using it to show others what they know, or pass over a chance to address someone in the room “anonymously.”

I have to admit most of the time when I hear someone prayer-preaching, I feel the sanctity of prayer is being compromise, that it is almost insulting to our Lord. However, sometimes it is the absolute right way to be praying . . . which is why I want to look at some of those last words of our Lord on His Cross.

Matthew 27:46 – And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me?

There have been so many conclusions put forth as what Jesus was saying here. Some say that the Father literally turned away and abandoned Jesus on the cross and therefore Jesus cried out in forsaken agony. The reasoning goes that the Father couldn’t look upon Jesus with all the sins of the world placed upon Him.

(more…)

Understanding God’s Anger

Posted: March 26, 2011 in Coffee House, Shared Thoughts, Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

It has been said by some that “the God of the Old Testament was an angry God.” Now that creates a need for clarity because God never changes. That He is the same yesterday, today and forever is in fact the teaching of scriptures, but they also state that God is indeed angry with the wicked everyday (Psm 7:11), because they have made themselves to be His enemies. His word also clearly tells us that to become friends with world is to willfully engage in war with Him.

(more…)

Water Pots of Stone

Posted: February 28, 2011 in Devotionals, Shared Thoughts, Study!
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
3

John 2:1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 2 And both Jesus was called, and His disciples, to the marriage. 3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. 4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. 5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it. 6 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. 7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. 9  When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. 11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth His glory; and His disciples believed on Him.

Years ago I was reading these verses about Jesus’ first miracle when I came to verse 6 and it just seemed to jump out at me.

“And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.”

For many years I had simply read through the passage, simply retaining how Jesus had turned water into wine, which without a doubt was truly a significant event. But I had failed to take notice what water Jesus had turned into wine, and even why it was there. Suddenly, every aspect of the event was suddenly more significant than I had previously appreciated. Everything from the location, the marriage, and all the steps involved in the miracle seemed filled with meaning. Hopefully, I will be able to  share these things with you, details that require reflection if one is to truly appreciate all Jesus did with this “beginning of miracles,” when he began to “manifested forth His glory” at the wedding in Cana of Galilee.

(more…)

Dwelling in the Secret Place

Posted: February 27, 2011 in Coffee House, Devotionals, Prophecy, Shared Thoughts, Uncategorized, Wake Up!
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

So often as believers we are content to dwell in the world with our belief system, thinking that it is sufficient. We know our scriptures, go to our church, busy ourselves with other things that we truly believe to benign, indulging in leisures and entertainments . . . all while the time we need to purchase necessary oil for our lamps and eye salve for true godly vision is quickly slipping away.

We must be found to be in Christ, not just a church. We must have true works of faith which bear witness to our love for God. We need to be godly, not just good. We must be holy as He is holy and not merely moral, for if we are not in Him then all our “good works” are worthless, reprobate, and actually witness against us because we knew the truth and did not truly live in Him.

Re 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

 

Live for the King

So you’re an atheist . . .

Posted: February 10, 2011 in Deity of Jesus Christ, Shared Thoughts, Study!, Wake Up!
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
3

Hey, so you don’t believe in God and you’re an intelligent person? Well then, certainly you’re not going believe you found truth already before you’ve exhausted your life time truly seeking and proving it? Don’t you think that alone would be the height of foolishness? Look at the vastness of it all, the immeasurable expanse of the universe and consider the infinitesimal perspective that your meager little life has afforded you thus far. You may feel and even openly declare that only fools would arrogantly proclaim they know God, but a truly honest person would only admit that they don’t see him as others proclaim they do.

Personally, I will be the first to admit that there is a whole lot of the religious rhetoric out there which is absolute nonsense; endless dogmas saturated with egotistical men’s own silly imaginations that are being peddled to the world by these self-righteous hypocrites. But that doesn’t mean that there is not truth, divine truth out there. Rather to me it is credible evidence of a war that goes beyond our dimension where the real hidden enemies of truth have cleverly sought to discredit it by perverting it and intentionally dressing it up like a self satisfying gluttonous whore that simply exists to pray on the weak of mind.

(more…)

Today, God is in our midst.

Posted: February 7, 2011 in Coffee House, Devotionals, Shared Thoughts, Wake Up!
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

If God can’t deliver you today, it isn’t because He isn’t able. It is because you aren’t willing to let Him be God. Today is the day of salvation and as long as it is called “today,” Jesus Christ is able to save the utmost those who surrender and entrust the absolute control of their lives into His hands.

Fulfilling The Call To Holiness

Posted: January 16, 2011 in Coffee House, Devotionals, Shared Thoughts, Wake Up!
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

The Bible tells us many truths we must embrace if we are to live a life of intimacy with our Redeemer Jesus Christ; that we are to “prefect holiness in the fear of God” and also “without holiness no man shall see God.”

Because these truths apply to everyone of us, the Apostle John tells us, “every man that hath this hope in God purifies himself, even as He is pure.”

Coming to Christ and Baptism

Posted: January 10, 2011 in Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Since the fall of men it has been debated to the point of bloodshed what God requires of men to be found pleasing to Him. Some like Adam’s son Abel were not hesitant to offer the first born of his flock, as well as the fattest to the Lord as an offering, while Cain brought forth of his bounty from the earth as an offering. Yet it is clear from the scriptures that Abel’s offering was considered by God to be “a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.” God’s words to Cain regarding his offering was rather simple, “Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shall you not be accepted? and if you do not well, sin lieth at the door.”

Le 2:1 And when any will offer a meat [grain] offering unto the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon: 2 And he shall bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests: and he shall take there out his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour [aroma] unto the LORD.

Now many have reasoned that the displeasure God had with Cain’s offering was that it was a bloodless offering, yet scriptures tell us that God accepted such offerings. So it is clear here that the problem was not in that which was offered . . . rather the trouble was with the one making the offering. Today however, God is not asking for us to make these types of sacrifices, He is however still looking for that which Cain obviously lack in his offering to God and that for which “the Lord respected Abel and his offering.”  But on this I will touch briefly a bit later.

Since the crucifixion of Christ when a sinner yields to the Holy Spirit’s conviction that their sins have caused them to fall short of God’s righteousness in their life, that simple acceptance of God’s judgment against them is sufficient to bring them to the point where true reconciliation with the Redeemer can begin through repentance. But this is only a starting place, the beginning of a new life, a new birth where they can continue on to grow in wisdom and stature before God.

(more…)

Do you love me more than these?

Posted: December 27, 2010 in Devotionals, Shared Thoughts, Uncategorized, Wake Up!
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
1

“Do you love me more than these,” Jesus asked of Peter who not too long before boldly stated “Though all men forsake Thee, I will not.”

Here Jesus was administering some much needed comfort and healing to Peter because of his earlier three denials with three opportunities to confirm his love. Yet Jesus clearly takes Peter further and instructs Peter in how He wants Peter to love Him; 1. Feed my Sheep and 2. Follow me. What blessings of the Lord that He instructs us how to pray, love, serve and worship Him.

Certainly nobody could deny Peter’s love for Christ in view of the fact that he had been willing to lay down his life for Jesus who tells us there is no greater love than that . . . however, love needs to be . . . no, actually, love must be to the honoring of its proclaimed point of affection. Godly love doesn’t merely seek its own expression; rather it pursues the gratification of the other.

(more…)

Holding the Truth in Love

Posted: December 20, 2010 in Devotionals, Shared Thoughts, Wake Up!
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Many sincere Christians have been provoked into righteous indignation by those who reduce what Paul referred to as “the Power of God unto salvation,” the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to nothing more than mere theology. In doing so they rendered it a non-effectual redemption message, because it allows people to hear about God in the flesh dying on the cross for their sins without clarifying the necessities and biblical requirements for a personal willingness to change, obey, follow, and even die to self.

When for the sake of “unity” and “harmony,” true believers make concessions with others  who make a profession of Christ, they allow the Gospel of Jesus Christ is reduced to a mere theology. However, the end result can only be that people will most likely just become members of a congregation rather than maturing members of the Body of Christ. What a snare we fall into when men care about people’s feelings and how big, “successful” and “growing” the congregation is growing, if the precepts of righteousness are having to be cast aside, the Kingdom of God is neglected, and the righteousness of God is not being properly adorn by the body of Christ?

The answer is, carnal people care, people seeking acceptance by other people care, selfish and egotistical people care.

The purpose God has committed the Gospel into the hands of His people is that they might bring the glory due His name through its power to set captives free. However, it is the TRUTH, the WHOLE TRUTH, and NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH of the Gospel that sets men free. For if a person truly believes and obeys the Gospel, it places them in the “congregation of the righteous” and makes them members of the Body of Christ. Thus, true Christians are to be as the Apostle Paul said “faithful stewards” of the Gospel.

1 Corinthians 4:1 – Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

Yet, today there are many liberal preachers who are growing mega churches by generating feel-good-about-yourself religious social centers. Such men, and women preachers too, are guilty of allowing the biblical requirements of true discipleship to become lost historical facts instead of present-day necessities for godly Christian lifestyles and fellowship with God.

John 8:31 – Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If you continue in My word, then are you My disciples indeed;32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.33 They answered Him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: why do You say, You shall be made free?34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever commits sin is the servant of sin.35 And the servant abides not in the house for ever: but the Son abides ever.36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.

Luke 14:27 – And whosoever does not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple.

Unless believers become true disciples of Christ, (or willingly come under the discipline and chastisement of Christ,) we are not children of God, but bastards (Heb. 12:5-8). Now this is not merely my personal commentary or opinion; this is what the Word of God says, and if we are not disciples, then we’re bastards which have no rightful inheritance to God or His Kingdom.

Hebrew 12:5 – And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks unto you as unto children, My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are rebuked of Him: 6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and He scourges every son whom He receives. 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the Father chastens not? 8 But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are you bastards and not sons.

Now consider also these words –

Matthew 23:13 – But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for you neither go in yourselves, neither suffer you them that are entering to go in. 14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayer: therefore you shall receive the greater damnation. 15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, you make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

In Jesus’ statement, we can sense His disgust towards the hypocrisy of that the leaders of that present day religious system. It was a corrupt system whose leaders were failing as mediators and intercessors for people unto God, and that because its primary concern was to further their ministries at the expense of other people who were seeking God. Listen carefully to the certain fate of such hypocrites who keep back the truth – theirs is a greater damnation. And please, don’t be so naive as to think that the same hypocritical system isn’t flourishing today in the world’s present religious systems?

Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ who find themselves frustrated with this facade of Christianity being promoted by this pseudo religious system should find some relief in those words of Jesus that such “shall receive the greater damnation.” Although God is indeed long-suffering with the misplaced sincerity of the ignorant, He is “angry with the wicked every day” (Psalm 7:11). “For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be” (Psalm 37:9, 10).

While true believers will often be provoked to anger by these hypocrites who keep others from coming to a saving knowledge of the truth, God’s word tells us not to “fret” over these wicked, (Psalm 37:7).

Psalm 37:7 – Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. 9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. 10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. 11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

However, we must not “give place to the devil” in our frustrations.

Ephesians 4:26 – Be you angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil.

We give place to the devil is we engage in open slander or attack these hypocrites in a personal manner. That is not to say we shouldn’t mark these people as those “transgresses, and abides not in the doctrine of Christ, [and therefore] have not God” (II John 9). But we need to be cautious because there is a point when flippant comments become nothing more than a person attack on others. At that point, such words not only cease to benefit the body of Christ, they can and often do cause damage to those who are young in the Lord.

Therefore, don’t neglect your responsibilities as a mature Christian to both God and His Church. As true believers and disciples of Christ we must both in wisdom and with restraint “mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them” (Romans 16:17). BUT careful not to do so with any form of self-gratifying, personal vengeance such as slander or even an abusive rebuttal — even though you are correct. Truth must never to be used as a means of personal vengeance for the enemies of the Gospel are actually opposed to Jesus, not us. Their seeming opposition to us is only because they in opposition to the true God – just as they should only receive you IF they truly receive Jesus.

Jesus said, “If the world hate you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love his own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept My saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not Him that sent Me” (John 15:18-21).

We must hold the truth in love and only use it as a weapon “against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). We are never to use the truth to lash out at flesh and blood. Yes, many will discover the truth is in opposition to what they are doing, but we should never stand in physical opposition waving as it were the sword of truth at our neighbor. Remember, the truth is meant to be a lamp unto the feet of men and a light for their path. For it is given to be the power of God unto salvation for those that believe it. It is meant to bring life through redemption and deliverance.

Therefore, let’s earnestly, yet humbly, contend for the faith and expel the lies by presenting the truth in love for the King who has saved us, and in love for those who have yet to hear and believe.

Live for the King!