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Tag: Jesus

  • Rude christians

    Rude christians

    I have searched the Gospels, Letters and Old Testament and found NO excuse for rudeness in Christians.

    Christians claim that God is a God of love. (Scripture confirms this.) We claim that Jesus came to the world because God ‘so loved the world….’ (Scripture confirms this.) God is love. Jesus is love. The Holy Spirit counsels us in love.

    So why do christians so often witness rudeness, coldness and indifference to the heart of God’s love?

    I must confess that on occasion I am the rude christian who does not return the phone call of a brother or sister in the Lord. Sometimes I forget to answer a text or an email. I often forget to pray for some saints who I know need prayer. Yet I speak of a more devastating rudeness by which we wound the body of Christ’s church.

    As I have just spoken against elevating any saint, man or woman, above God; I will lift up their many examples of love for others. (We have witnessed or read of what they have done for others out of love and compassion; things that we ought to do, but do not.)

    Have you seen a Christ-like love for others, even from a non-Christian?

    Yes, of course; we all have.

    The Law of Moses sets high moral example for us. The Qur’an sets some very strict examples of how men and women ought to behave in relation to each other. The traditions and writings of Hinduism, Buddhism and other poly-theistic religions hold relationships of family and community much higher than (it would seem) do Christians. We seem unwilling to practice this relational love in our daily, relational lives with other Christians.

    Their better relationship to family, community and country will not cover our sinfulness or redeem our mortal flesh from hell. Their fine families and close communities will not bring even one soul to eternal life. (And you do not just die, return as a cow, bird or amoeba to work your way once more to eternal bliss of some sort.)

    Yet Christians must realize that this same love for others is the same love that Christ Jesus commanded brothers and sisters in the Lord to have for each other.

    (No rudeness.)

    God IS a God of relationship.

    IF we are truly in relationship with God; IF we truly have a relationship with Christ Jesus; THEN that relationship does NOT include a rudeness toward God the Father and that relationship does NOT include a rudeness toward the risen and eternal Christ Jesus… IF HE IS your LORD.

    Do not grieve the Holy Spirit by rejecting His counsel of love – a love for one another, which does not include rudeness.

    We have numerous scriptural instructions to “love one another.” No doubt, this love intended by Jesus does not include even a hint of rudeness.

    I could say much more just on the meaning of Christ’s love commanded to us and perhaps will return to this in another post.

    John 15:17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

    My focus, however, is a conviction against our rudeness which Christ will not condone.

    Perhaps the closest possible example of Jesus that may seem to demonstrate rudeness for another human being follows in this story.

     Matthew 15:

    21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word.

    ‘There it is,’ you say. Jesus appears rude to the woman here.

    Jesus had left Galilee with the Disciples. (You know how sometimes you just have to get away from it all. Not exactly a vacation, but time together for Jesus and His dearest friends.)

    I’m kind of busy with other things. You know, we all are. right? So Jesus had not gone to the Syrian coast to work or to preach.

    23b And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

    Wow!  Nicely said, “get lost.”

    Is it rudeness to Jesus to try to send her away? (I wonder if some of my casual requests for an answer from my brother or my sister in Christ seem intrusive?)

    ‘I left you a voice-mail (when you didn’t answer).’ I didn’t get a reply to my text… even now. (You know I was hoping for some Christian fellowship – some time together for just you and me, dear brother/sister in Christ.)

    Why are you ignoring me?

    But something happens here that shows this woman to have more than just a casual, intrusive request of Jesus.

    25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

    Again, the woman is persistent. (I know, I’m a real bother to you.) She comes humbly to Jesus, kneeling before Him, humbling herself to Him as her Master in every way.

    The woman makes her request as a lowly servant, saying, ‘Even the master who feeds his own children and family will give crumbs to the dogs.’

    Yes, beloved sister… beloved brother in the Lord… give me just a crumb. (I know you’re busy; yet I need this one thing from you.

    I need a crumb of your love, dearly beloved.)

    27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”

    28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

    Jesus may have (at first) appeared rude, as our Lord was engaged in conversation and engaged in meals with His Apostles. Jesus may have seemed rude to her as He paid closest attention to those nearest to Him.

    Yet what was the lesson of Jesus and the obtrusive relationship of this woman from outside the fellowship of followers?

    Faith! For her faith Jesus showed her compassion. For her humility Jesus gave her healing for her beloved daughter.

    Suppose that your daughter was possessed by a demon? Suppose that you knew of a Man who could save her from darkness? What would you do?

     John 14:12

    “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

    Do you grieve the Holy Spirit by your rudeness to those for whom you should have compassion and show mercy?

    Jesus didn’t and neither should we.

    I ask you; dearly beloved sister, dearly beloved brother: in the Name Christ Jesus, would you please have fellowship with me?

    Please give some crumb of Christ’s love to another.

    (To do anything else, would just be rude.)

  • Saints & Martyrs; Bishops & Pawns – 2

    Saints & Martyrs; Bishops & Pawns – 2

    1 Samuel 2:9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

    Yet as the Lord lives, evil reigns in the dark places of the lands. No man: rich or poor, Arab or Jew, Westerner or Easterner, religious or godless – no man shall prevail. Only God Almighty!

    Attacks on God and godlessness will continue until Almighty God has prevailed, as I alluded to in part 1 of this post. Perpetrators of cowardly attacks on working civilians will continue for a time by pawns of misled leaders, frustrated religious zealots and enemies of God with hatred for their own enemies.

    Jesus Christ taught us to ‘love our enemies and pray for those who spitefully use you.” We had best remember this in these last days.

    How many of us remember (what we claimed we would always remember) the number of deaths on 9/11/2001?

    Deaths by Area of Attack Deaths
    World Trade Center 2,606
    Airlines 246
    Pentagon Building 125
    Hijackers 19
    Total number of people who died in the 9/11 attacks 2,996
    Casualties in the World Trade Center and Surrounding Area Deaths
    Firefighters 343
    Port Authority police officers 37
    Police officers 23
    Paramedics 2

    God testifies to the evil in the hearts of men.

    Genesis 6:5

    The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

    6 And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

    In the days of Noah  every man and woman on the earth was destroyed? The LORD prevailed with waters upon the earth for 150 days and all but Noah and seven others.

    Though we focus on the eight saved, let us not overlook the deaths of so many evil men and women, perhaps 5-17 billion people  (according to various estimates) on the earth at the time only Noah and his family obeyed Almighty God.

    world populationFor any who believe that God is not sovereign over the beginning and end of days, sovereign over the lives of men and woman, sovereign over life on earth itself; let us remember that God has promised a new heaven and a new earth for those who are victorious in Christ Jesus.

    As in the days of Noah, wars and the actions of evil men and evil women will prevail until that day. Countries and borders will be born and disappear. God will allow men temporary power over those who do not do what is evil in the eyes of the Lord.

    The Sovereign God Almighty will allow the deaths, destruction and desecration of all that is good and lawful as victims of evil and a refining of righteousness. Even now, we see and dare not ignore the signs.

    In Syria alone (separate of the deaths among refugees of the current conflict in Iraq and those fleeing Pakistan), around 5,000 to 6,000 people were being killed on a monthly basis. Latest figures put the death toll at more than 191,000 over the past three years. Men and boys account for the bulk of the deaths but nearly 18,000 women and more than 2,000 children under the age of nine are also among those killed, he said.

    [On 9/11, one day we recall as a tragic attack, 2,996 deaths.] Now, hundreds of thousands of deaths and the loss of many souls!

    Have you heard of it, or done anything to help, dear believer?

    How blind we remain to the violence of these evil men, who will stand before the Lord in judgement for their souls, rather than reap the reward of heavenly virgins. (For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. – Mark 12:25)

    Yet they would rape the women they capture on earth and hang or behead them for their witness to the Truth of Christ Jesus.

     1 Million + refugees, Muslims and Christians

    Dear believer (in God),

    Our marginal awareness of a far-distant conflict, we may believe has no affect on the body of Christ. Yet in these days of war between religions, hardly a Christian community survives openly in many areas from where refugees have fled.

    Do you not know that some will be converted by the love of Jesus Christ and the generosity of Christians in their time of need?

    The GOD of Abraham was not interested in saving the Jews from Roman occupation of Jerusalem. The Kingdom of Jesus is not of this earth, but a lasting Kingdom of eternal life for your soul.

    Since the beginning of the Church, God has accepted any who believe into our family of God, into the loving fellowship of all believers in Christ Jesus.

    The Gentiles, the Nations, sons of Esau, those who once persecuted the same Christians are welcomed (not forced) into the communion of the Blood of Christ and assurance of eternal life.

    One such former enemy of Christ was Saul of Tarsus (Turkey). He ordered the execution of Stephen, a saint and leader of the church. – Acts 7:58 

    Yet this same Saul, a Roman citizen as well, became an Apostle to the Gentiles. This former enemy of Jesus Christ witnessed to all of the mercy, love and grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ. – Acts 9

    Rest assured that many unbelievers throughout the world will come to God and Christ Jesus, our Lord. They see the love and forgiveness of Christ demonstrated through the hands of faithful Christians.

    These saints of the church, so concerned for the souls of others, bless friends and forgive foes by the grace of Jesus Christ. These saints of the 21st c. Church declare Christ’s love by our concern for others.

    Saint Paul and Saint Peter and Saint Stephen, along with the other martyrs, would never have had us worship them or any man of the early church above the example of Christ Jesus. Though the compassionate work of Teresa and Joan and Mary have been examples for women of faith, none would have had us revere them above the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus.

    The true saints of the church are not its Bishops or icons of the past.

    The widow’s mite and pauper’s pence have sustained the needy, while these true saints have withstood in long-suffering as pawns of the powers in true witness of the love of Christ Jesus.

    These, along with you, dear believer, are the saints of the church, equal in every way to those named and Saints unnamed.

    Christ Jesus is love, because God is love. In Him is no darkness at all, no hatred, no evil, no territory, no agenda. The mission of Christ is to save sinners – sinners like you and sinners like me; for His grace I am eternally grateful.

    We hardly remember the 3000 souls who perished on just one day: 9/11/2001; yet the war against Christ, the war against freedom continues.

    Pray for the persecuted. Open your eyes, your heart and your purse to those so in need.

    What’s happening in Iraq? What is hidden in Syria?

    Christians and Muslims and others are suffering terribly. Please READ more of this and do something, in the Name of Jesus Christ.

    Iraqi refugees tell their story

    Iraq (MNN) — ISIS continues its offensive across Syria and Iraq, leaving many victims in its wake. The stories of ISIS killing males above 10 years old, the systematic rape of women and girls, and the looting of personal possessions is shocking, even to many Muslims.

    (See the complete interview on the link above.)

    WIFE: The armed men passed by me and behind them were veiled women, wearing red clothes. And, they searched me, took my money and gold. They even searched my daughters. It was our lifesavings. They took all of it. The 450,000 dinars were in my husband’s pocket and they took it. There were six batches of money they took from me and all of the gold. My parents had sold their home. I had hidden THIS money in my house in Mosul. When we were going up from Mosul they threatened us. They took our stuff and detained us along the way, like a checkpoint.

    ANNOUNCER: So, they took all the savings and everything?

    WIFE: Believe me, they stole everything. They said, “Let your Bishops give you money.” They demanded our Bishops initiate a ransom for us. They didn’t let us pay the jizya tax. They threatened us. If you saw the situation of Christians at checkpoints, you would cry. They were bringing more armed men to add more pressure on us.

    MAKRAM: What happened is, we were leaving Mosul. All the Christians were leaving. We went to Hamdaneya, stayed about 13 days, then [we] went to Erbil. From Erbil, we came to the church here, because this is the only place with a Coptic Church. Not just because of the church, but it’s also safer here. It’s safe and the people are good here.

    ANNOUNCER: Isn’t Erbil safe, too?

    MAKRAM: Erbil is dangerous and it’s not like here.

    ANNOUNCER: There were Shiites in Mosul? And, ISIS was killing Shiites?

    MAKRAM: Yes, they knew the Shiites and were killing them, particularly the police. They turned on each other. They turned on Islam. The Muslims despise [the police].

    ANNOUNCER: So, ISIS started out against Shiites and now they’re against Christians and Yazidis?

    MARKAM: Yes, ISIS doesn’t accept equality. They despise them in Mosul.

     There is precedent for the Church in helping the saints (poor) so affected by these persecutions:

     It is in this case directed by the same Apostle to the Gentiles who had first persecuted the church.

    1 Corinthians 16 English Standard Version (ESV)

    The Collection for the Saints
    16 Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.

    Are you, dear believer, and your church willing to do something individually (and also corporately) now and consistently for those so in need?

    Please pray about this, my fellow saint.

    May we be the generous hands and open heart of our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus, to these, and to those who witness the love of Christ through us.

    Amen.

     

     

     

     

  • Redeeming the time because the days are evil – 2

    Redeeming the time because the days are evil – 2

    Do you know that God has enemies – many enemies? You don’t have to focus on a few evil men in a place far away; just look all around you.

    Mention ‘Jesus Christ’ at work, in school, in homes of your relatives; even in your own home you and your wife claim as ‘the Lords.’  See what happens. You do not need the imagery of Syria, Iraq, Iran, Washington D.C. or any other men in any other place to know that God and Christ Jesus have many enemies in the world – far and near – who would do evil and not good.

    In fact, look deeply into the mirror of your heart and know that you are deceived into thinking you are better than others; you think that because you are not as evil as these men… as these others, that therefore, you are good. But you are not. I am not.

    Jeremiah 17:9 ESV The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

    You do not have to be the Messiah of God to know this. Men are evil and not good.

    Much of our traditional preaching has made a bigger deal that the young man with the big question for Jesus is rich – as are almost all Americans and many others. However, note that prior to answering the man’s question, Jesus goes to the man’s motivation for coming to kneel before Him (in worship) and asking Him our burning question about eternal life. (How can I have eternal life?)

    Mark 10:18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.

    You know it is true. The man had to choose sacrifice before redemption. Yet he would not sacrifice his riches, as many a poor man will not sacrifice his pride.

    We often will not even bow down to Jesus (as did this rich young ruler), let alone obey His teachings.

    You know the Commandments, Jesus said. Yes we do (as well); yet God knows our deceitful hearts.

    Forget your “morality” for others. Forget your “morality” for any other. Do you believe in God? Do you believe in a Biblical standard of good and evil? You need look no further than your own heart. I need look no further than mine. And Jesus asks us, “Why do you call me good?”

    A mere man – a mortal man – looks at some small act or a few fine things you have done because you know that it is what Jesus would have you do as witness. And they say, “You are a good man.” (Or you are a good woman.”) You beam in the compliment, say nothing, think that you have witnessed for Christ; but you are deceived in your heart. I have done it.

    Yet we should have reacted not out of our pride, but as Paul often taught in the humility of Christ Jesus; for he confesses publicly in his letter to the Romans:

    Romans 7:18-19 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.

    The church – all the saints of Christ Jesus – sinners! Yet redeemed sinners, only in Christ Jesus our Lord.

    I am a sinner. You are a sinner. Yet in addition to redemption in Christ, we have one thing more:

    By the Holy Spirit of God we desire what is good. By the Holy Spirit of God we hate all that is evil, especially that which is evil within us.

    “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel.”  Yet first, preach the Gospel to your own heart.

    IF (for a moment) you have turned off the media and message of the world and tuned in to the headlines of the Holy Spirit through scripture and the Good News for your own heart, then you will truly see that ALL are sinners just like you and me – sinners in need of Christ Jesus.

    Paul writes to the Christians at Rome (not to the evil and wicked men and wicked men of the worldly culture that surrounded them; for these flesh-loving Romans were no more wicked than you and I would easily be lured by the social media of their day):

    Ephesians 5:

    8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

    15 See then that you walk circumspectly…

    It means to look around you as you walk as an obedient follower of Christ Jesus in this evil world. Use your peripheral vision, so to speak, as you walk on the narrow path to pass through the narrow gate of eternity. Walk perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect; walk diligently in your resolve to do what is right in the Lord.

    not as fools, but as wise…

    Oh, how many christian fools we have seen! and how oft have we been the christian fool!

    Yet do not do it. Be wise as serpents, innocent as doves.

    I do not want to be a fool. Do you? I do not want do be a fool especially when I know that others witness my walk in this world as a bold witness of Christ (when the Lord fills me with His boldness). I do not want to have them say of me, or of my Christian wife, or of my Christian children, “See, that Christian is just like everybody else.” See how he sins just like me. What difference does Jesus Christ make?”

    Therefore, be wise, dearly beloved brother – dearly beloved sister in the Lord.

    16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

    How do I redeem my time?

    How Christians have sadly forgotten that Jesus is our Redeemer, because our hearts have hidden from us the truth of our continued sinfulness. We do claim that slavery is a thing of the past, when slavery lives lavishly in the wickedness of these last days. We have repressed the thought that we must pay for the very slavery of our sinful flesh (if we do not accept Jesus as our Lord and Master, our Redeemer and our King.

    Yes, we must bow down to a King! And how we relish our freedom, though we are chained by the flesh to our sins.

    Pray deeply on the meaning of the word of scripture translated here as ‘redeeming.’

    exagorazō – to redeem – by payment of a price to recover from the power of another, to ransom, buy off

    So many souls kidnapped by Satan! even ‘christian’ souls.

    Will you forfeit Christ’s ransom by your turning from the narrow path to eternal life? Would you have the Lord declare in tears of you, “I never knew you?”

    O, sinful redeemed one, look circumspectly about you at a world which would lure each and every Christian from Light of Salvation and the wisdom that begins with the Lord.

    How do you redeem the time – your remaining days of this mortal life? (For each day and each soul is precious in the eyes of our loving Lord.)

    This, too, is in the definition:

    … make wise and sacred use of every opportunity for doing good, so that zeal and well doing are as it were the purchase money by which we make the time our own.

    Tune back in; see so many lost souls (in your circumspect, peripheral vision) and you will readily see that the days are evil. The days, especially these last days, are very evil; for men are evil and not good. Only God is good, however these days in which we witness for Christ Jesus are indeed evil.

    These days are evil – ponēros – full of labours, annoyances, hardships; bringing toils, annoyances, perils; of a time full of peril to Christian faith and steadfastness; causing pain and trouble. The root word for this evil you may not know, but you will recognize its condition: ponos – 

    1. great trouble, intense desire
    2. pain

    The persecution of Christians and the diminishing of Christ in places once held for Christ has begun and increases.

    Jesus Christ is enemy of the world, yet friend of sinners – sinners like you, sinners like some yet to be won from false gods, false prophets, false spirits, false teachings, false hatred and deceitful love of the things of this world and not the love of God the Father. And I might add, lest the deceitfulness of our hearts hold up our witness for Christ as false: sinners like me.

    All are redeemed in the blood of Christ Jesus, not the blood of those opposed to God. (God will can fend for His own righteousness.)

    God will judge on the last day. God will not reward your flesh with the fruit of the flesh, but your soul for the fruit of your righteousness in the blood of Jesus Christ. The blood of Christ is the only redemption sufficient for this sinful soul.

    See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

    • Do you seek to know what the will of the Lord is in your life?
    • Do you look for the Lord’s will in your Bible?
    • Do you seek Him in prayer?

    The Lord’s will is that you would give up your love for the things of this world. Lay down all your earthly cares and belongings before your King.

    For Christ, by His redeeming love for the world, did sacrifice His very flesh and did suffer greatly the price of your punishment for sin – the punishment deserved by me and by you. He has born our sins and paid the full price: redemption for our mortal time, yet resurrection for our now immortal souls.

    In Christ Jesus we have faith and hope and love, but the greatest of these is love; therefore redeem your measured days in His love, because the days are evil.

    May our Lord, Jesus Christ, hold you near and guide your path in the Light of His righteousness.

    Please pray for me, for my wife and for our children.

    Amen.