Is it ever okay to hate?

The love that abounds from a heart that adores Christ is real evidence of Him abiding in us. When we are close to Christ and look at the world through His eyes we see the hearts of those who are hurting. We are heartbroken for the lost and eager to be a comfort to the poor in spirit. That is the side of Christ we are most familiar with. There is another side that is not discussed much in the modern church.  The side that will stand and say, "that behavior is not of God and there will be no tolerance for it here." The movement has been to prove to the world that we do love everyone and God can forgive any sin. Which is true. The problem is we have allowed behaviors that God hates into our church and let it take up residence. We smile and pat on the head actions harmful to the church body just for the sake of making sure those do not leave the church. That creates a toxic environment and allows sin to fester and evil to abound. The love of our brother must be to the level of trying to restore him to righteousness. But the human value cannot supersede the value of the sanctity of the church. We try out of great love, to reason with their heart but if we cannot they must not be allowed to poison the body. Such is the reason for the instruction given in Matthew 18 verses 15-17 "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. ’And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector."

There are things we are to hate. We must have unwavering resolve to defend the honor of our Lord. He knows that to fraternize with wicked and ungodly actions is playing with fire. "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate." Proverbs 8:13. To write it this way drives the point home. To fear the Lord = hate evil. Our culture is so saturated with wickedness, most of us have a moderate disapproval for sin. We are so afraid of becoming what the world around us has accused us of being we do not take a stand against much. We are convinced that our biggest public relations nightmare is being labeled haters. The truth is there are definite things we are supposed to hate. And our hate for evil is to be born out of tremendous love of Christ as well as our brother. "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good." Romans 12:9. Only when our love is hypocritical do we tolerate what is evil. You see friend, we must proclaim righteousness first out of love of Christ. But second out of love for our brother.

The standard for everything that right and good must shine out of us like a beacon. We must be humble, realizing that the only reason we have any knowledge of truth is because God in His mercy has revealed it to us. God is clear that in our stance against evil we must not be condescending. "For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, Nor shall evil dwell with You. The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity. You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man." Psalm 5:4-6. We are chosen by God to hold the standard HE has established and we have confused the love of our brother with tolerance of our brother's sin which doesn't help our brother or anyone else. We are not doing our job when we stay silent. We are bullied by society to not only allow homosexuals to join our congregations but hold leadership positions in the church as well as cohabitating heterosexuals. What about the substance abuser or the slanderer? God does not hate these people and neither do we. Our battle is not with the people. "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12.  We must fight this battle against evil with the strength and confidence of our commander. When we strike a blow against evil we free those that evil has deceived! Yet we have adopted the game plan to not fight evil at all for the fear of being dubbed haters. We are commanded to hate evil. The enemy will twist that into a lie about us and that tactic is a old as time itself. Evil's commander is the father of lies. "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it." John 8:44. We must stop cowering from name calling and declare that yes, we do hate evil because we are commanded to. We must because of our love for our brethren  attempt to reveal the deception. Christ created truth.  We are merely defenders of it. It is out of love of our brother as well as Christ that we must defend it.  Do we just turn a blind eye for the fear of them leaving? We must not only defend the standard, we must live the standard or we are no better than the Pharisees. "Hate evil, love good; Establish justice in the gate." Amos 5:15a.

Lastly, there is a different approach we are to take with those who are openly hostile about assaulting the name of our beautiful savior. "The Lord tests the righteous, But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates." Psalm 11:5. There are many in the world today that are enemies of truth itself. Those who seek out violence and parade it on the street.  "You love righteousness and hate wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You." Psalm 45:7. I think it is significant that it is specified exactly whose God had done the anointing here. We are to stand up against evil with a loud and clear voice and with our love for Christ hate everything that is evil, everything. And do it unapologetically. We must proclaim the standard as created by God not man and defend it. "These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren." Proverbs 6:16-19. We must not fraternize with enemy. Love for our brethren is followed by desiring righteousness for him. The closer we are to Christ the more we can see this challenging path and follow it. Our desire to glorify Christ will lead others to Him as well as defend the honor of our savior.  

 

To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:. . .A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1 & 8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

Guiding our Teens to be Closer to Christ

There is an epidemic in the church today. It is a mass exodus of our young adults from active participation in church. Surprisingly, according to four independent studies, between 61% and 81% of young people leave the church once they enter college. This is frightening. Another bit of data is, when asked one third of youth stated that their main reason for attending church was to spend time with friends and only 45% said that making a spiritual connection with God at church was important to them. These are deep philosophical challenges we face. The church as it is, is dying on the vine, but God's word tells us that His influence on the earth through the people of His church will not die. We see teenagers of Islam dedicating their lives to their faith. They are willing to die to advance their cause as well as eradicate those who are Christian or Jew. Those young people are not leaving their faith.  Let's look at the great cultural divide.

 

First, kids growing up in the United States today do not  typically witness their parents or even elders at their church display complete and wholly devoted life to Christ. Young people whose families attend church often times do not hear much about Christ at home or even see their parents read their bibles or serving others being a priority. Their lives are so filled with demanding jobs to pay for the activities to amuse and entertain themselves and their children, that there is no time left over for serving others. Isn't our typical excuse that we do not have time? Even when there is time often there is little desire to be about the work of Christ. If we were passionate about our faith we would eager to be about the work of the church. We have become spiritual harlots, adulterers. Christ is not our love above all loves. We are teaching our young people that Christ is not all that important. As harlots, we are cheaters and unfaithful to our first love and unfaithful with our hearts as we are seduced to follow the desires of our own flesh. Our kids are not deceived by our instruction to love God with all our hearts when our actions are so different. "These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.  So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—" Revelation 3:14-17. Could it be that God speaks so harshly about ambivalent hearts because of the devastation it causes our children? It teaches our children that Christ is not worthy of our very lives given in dedication to Him.

 

Second, our churches are not spending time mentoring our teens and giving them opportunities to grow their skills and practice their gifts in productive ways. Everyone who accepts Christ is equipped with spiritual gifts and talents for their specific purpose of serving Him. "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith;" Romans 12:6. We are enticing and bribing our youth to church by games, food, and social activities to entertain them. Giving them opportunities to connect with each other is important. They need to be a support for each other but if they do not feel they have a purpose, there is no need for them to continue to participate if their main goal is to spend times with their friends once they or their friends go to college. If they are not taught to serve, their focus will continue to be on self instead of the greater cause and being apart of something bigger than themselves. 

 

Lastly, as we tote our kids to church and the programs they offer there, they are told what to think and what to believe. The sound doctrine they hear in sunday school, bible school, and children's church, is a great supplement to the training they receive at home. But so many parents are leaving the spiritual training  of their children to the church. Discussions must be had with our kids about their faith, we must engage in prayer with them and they need to know we pray for them. We must share how the mighty, loving, hand of God has answered our prayers and sustained us through our trials. And in the end, we need to explain to them that our beliefs at some point must be come theirs. A conversation needs to be had explaining the pitfalls they will face if their decisions are only based on what their parents expect them to do. At some point they need to decide what they believe. This needs to be something they are encouraged to think about. “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:6-9. They need to know they are needed, and boy are they needed!

 

Our kids need to know they carry the all important banner of Christianity. They are the warriors for the almighty who has already won the battle. The battle is fierce and very real in our world. The young people of Islam are committing themselves in droves and are equipping themselves, while Christians young and old alike are sitting on our laurels while the honor of Christ is desecrated. His kingdom must be advanced and we must share the saving power that can only come through the blood of Christ. We must be dedicated to Christ above all and be a picture to our kids of what that looks like.  Our kids must know how valuable to the kingdom they really are, and  help them discover ways they can put their gifts to use for Christ's glory. Then the ultimate goal is to take the teaching  they have received and make it their own. We must equip our teens and treat them with more dignity than making them feel that we can hang on to them with pizza and game nights. Encouraging our teens to be continually moving toward Christ and the young people asking Christ to make them responsible for great things for His kingdom is vital, then be available to Him. The purpose is great they need to know it. 

 

 

 

acknowledgements

http://www.ministertoyouth.com/?p=254

http://www.conversantlife.com/theology/how-many-youth-are-leaving-the-church

God sent you to me today

As I have grown, the more precious true friends have become to me. There are hearts that have touched and impacted my life in ways I cannot even articulate. Christ places people in our lives to bless us and help us carry the burdensome load this life often lays on us. In turn, we must be purposeful in being even a greater blessing to others. We all have heard the saying "being the hands and feet of Jesus." This is not found in scripture but is a metaphor for the work we are to do in the name of Christ. "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." Matthew 25:37-40. As we draw closer to Christ we are in tune to the urgings he puts on our hearts. There have been countless times I have been contacted by one of these dear friends at a time that can only be attributed to the persuasion of the Spirit.

 

As we go through this life we come in contact with people with whom we have a connection. They have a deep purpose in our lives and are a blessing from the Lord. Then there are those we pass by and often do not see. The closer we are to Christ the more we see heartbroken souls through His eyes. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, and this is accomplished by emptying ourselves of our own desires, we are vessels to be blessings to others. Those who are defeated and struggling, grieving and brokenhearted, they are the ones who are desperately needing a touch from the Lord, his hands and feet alive in us. "Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also." Hebrews 13:1-3. It is uncanny how, when we take our focus off of ourselves for just a second, we can have our eyes opened to those struggling and provide a need. God shows up in amazing ways.

 

I was in the Public Library recently on a very cold and rainy afternoon. The librarian had informed me my card had expired and apparently the process in renewing it is VERY involved. I was becoming annoyed at the amount of time it was taking to renew it. She seemed convinced that no upstanding citizen would ever let their library card expire. Along came an older lady who had her arms full of books. I stepped aside and let her lay them on the counter, and as I did so, I noticed she was worn and tired and slightly out of breath. As I made small talk with her I offered to help her to her car with the books. She shared that she had no car and had just missed the transit to take her home. So there I stood, annoyed that my card renewal was taking so long and facing one of the scariest things in life. Not a needy stranger but everything the needy stranger represents that we do not want to be. We do not want to be one with no cell phone and more than that no friend to call. We do not want be one who smells musty like the old damp house we must live in, in the neighborhood served by the public transit. But most of all, we do not want to be the faceless person no one sees. I offered to take her home and when I pulled up in front of her house she turned and with genuine gratitude told me, "God sent you to me today."

 

I pondered that statement all the way home. Christ had used me to touch another life. Me, who was so consumed with my own inconvenience I almost didn't even see the need. My focus was literally self-centered. Christ knew a heart needed to be touched, a soul needed to be  seen by someone who cared. As I thought, I wondered how many of these opportunities had I passed? Multitudes I am sure. I was not filled with pride at doing a good deed. I was contemplating the multitudes of hurting souls in my community and at the same time humbled that Christ could use me to touch them. "But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.  So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him." Luke 10:33-34. That is our purpose. People often ask, "What is the meaning of life?" as if it is an unanswerable question. The answer is to serve and glorify the Lord. It is that simple. How that is played out in each ones lives is different but the purpose is the same. As I have thought about her words since that day, "God sent you to me today" I realized that she was mistaken. The small task I did for her was miniscule compared to what she had done for me. She had gotten my focus off myself. God had not sent me to her; he had sent her to me.

 

 

Holy War Lesson for the White House and the Rest of Us

The conflicts we see more and more frequently across the world resulting in violent ends are not new to society. In fact it is one of the longest-lasting conflicts in history. In his speech at the February 5 National Prayer Breakfast February 5, the President of the United States stated: "this is not unique to one group or one religion." That may have been one of the only accurate statements regarding this topic he has made. He compared these heinous acts performed by members of radical Islamic groups to actions taken by Christians during the Crusades and the Inquisitions.  "And lest we get on our high horse and think this is unique to some other place, remember that during the Crusades and the Inquisition, people committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ." What originated in the Sinai Peninsula about 1800 years ago still takes place today. It is a holy war and the U.S. military, the Israeli forces, and all our allies cannot defeat this enemy of evil. It will take the army of God and the return of Christ to end it for good.

 

First of all, the Crusades were a retaliatory action against oppression by the Jihad in Europe and northern Africa. The conflict had been going on for 400 hundred years -- since the fall of the Roman Empire between the years 500-600 A.D. when the Ottoman Empire  (Muslims) swept across the two continents suppressing Christianity. The Ottomans originated in the Sinai Peninsula and were descendants of Abraham's first son, Ishmael. "These were the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred and thirty-seven years; and he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people. (They dwelt from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt as you go toward Assyria.)" Genesis 25:17-18.

 

 

 

When we see the advancement of the Jihad throughout these two continents we see the cultural significance which is told to us in scripture.  We also can know several things about these people. They, like Isaac, also are descendants of Abraham with a promise of God's blessing on them. "And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation." Genesis 17:20. We also are told that there will be no peace with the Ishmaelites-Ottomans-Muslims-Islamists. "He [Ishmael] will be a wild man; His hand shall be against every man, And every man’s hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.” Genesis 16:12. When the Ottoman Empire controlled and suppressed the majority of the Christians and Jews, they swept across the region originating from the Sinai Peninsula. You can see their advancement here. At the end of the clip the cross shaped icons indicate where Christians fought back to regain control in areas around the Holy Land. These would be the battles to which the President is referring and commonly are called the Crusades. It is clear that Ottomans/Muslims were the aggressors. The Christians and Jews were fighting to exist.

 

Now to the comparison of Islam to Christians during the Inquisitions. This was a far more aggressive movement by followers of Christ being on the offensive. Christians were seeking out those within their cities who were practicing other faiths or heretics of their own faith and sharing false doctrine. The unbelievers would be arrested and many times tortured then killed. The religious leaders thought they were being true to their faith as well as the word of God. Many times God instructed His people to eliminate those who worshipped false God's from their midst. "If you hear someone in one of your cities, which the Lord your God gives you to dwell in, saying,  ‘Corrupt men have gone out from among you and enticed the inhabitants of their city, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods”’—which you have not known— then you shall inquire, search out, and ask diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain that such an abomination was committed among you, you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying it, all that is in it and its livestock—with the edge of the sword." Deuteronomy 13:12-15. This is one of many examples: Deuteronomy 13:5, 17:7. Never, not even in scripture has torture been condoned by the one true living God.

 

The President also made this statement about truth and to whom God speaks.  ". . .not being so full of yourself and so confident that you are right and that God speaks only to us, and doesn’t speak to others, that God only cares about us and doesn’t care about others, that somehow we alone are in possession of the truth. Our job is not to ask that God respond to our notion of truth." This is a misconception and a humanistic philosophy to believe that we are the bearers of truth, that it is in our "possession." Christ Himself is the incarnation of truth. The very embodiment of truth, truth with skin on it. It is His possession, not ours, as well as His being and is only bestowed upon us by His divine revelation. "Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6. This is not exclusive to anyone people group but is most definitely exclusive of any other deity. Of this fact we can and must be confident. It is our faith in Christ that secures our souls. "And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name." John 20:30-31.

 

President Obama also made this claim: "No God condones terror." This insinuates that there is more than one God. This would indicate an acceptance a polytheistic belief. How are people going to come to know the only Savior and the only God able to redeem our lost souls if this type of nonsense is tolerated? Our President is obviously lacking the knowledge as well as the belief in the one true God. He is not aware of the reality of Hell or he would know that entertaining this false doctrine is far too high a price to pay to keep from offending. As children of God, we must not be afraid to stand in opposition to this heresy. The army of God must be the one to rise up against the slandering of our Savior. President Obama was right about this one point, "this is not unique to one group or one religion." This holy war has been raging between Islam and  Christians and Jews for several millennia. By definition there can be only one  truth, and that is  the saving truth of Jesus Christ. That truth will prevail and we must be the ones to share it as well as protect it with  our lives.

 

Acknowledgements

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLBws-4kzG8

http://www.catholic.com/tracts/the-inquisition

Infidels: A History of the Conflict Between Christendon and Islam by Andrew Wheatcroft

 

              

 



 

 

     

There is no Shading the Truth

WARNING: Contains comments that are sexually explicit:

 

As the movie, Fifty Shades of Gray, is set to open and I am grieved by the lure this philosophy has on society as a whole and especially the church. I must admit I was intrigued by the plot but I have not read the book. Human beings are created to enjoy the intimacy of sex. Therefore, it is easy to be deceived into participating in sexually deviant behavior when society accepts it as healthy and vibrant lifestyle. Bondage and abusive sex is being promoted as healthy and it is a lie straight from the pit of hell. "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." Galatians 5:1. This goes for all bondage, whether it be physical, sexual, emotional, or even mental.

 

The church must stand up and say "no" with a clear and loud voice and refuse to accept sexual deviance as healthy and normal. We are NOT prudes who minimize or are ashamed of all encompassing physical, emotional, and sexual freedom that completely fulfills, satisfies and leaves a hunger and a longing for our spouse. We embrace that relationship that nurtures as well as devours. It is healthy and safe and mutual and an expression of true intimacy and love as well as overwhelmingly erotic. "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word," Ephesians 5:25-26. This is a picture of how husbands are supposed to love their wives or future wives. His main objective is to put her needs and best interest above his own. That makes it a safe environment for her to submit to him. "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord." Ephesians 5:22.

 

True devotion and adoration felt by a spouse is erotic. Being defended and protected by anyone or anything that would potentially threaten our family not just physically but emotionally or spiritually is beautiful and arousing. "His left hand is under my head, And his right hand embraces me." Song of Solomon 8:3 Undying love and trust as well as lust for only a spouse and no one else is how the marital relationship is healthy and fulfilling. Please say "no" to the twisted perversion of the message this movie sends. It is glorified lies that are destructive to families for generations.

 

I am my beloved’s, And his desire is toward me." Song of Solomon 7:10.