The Words of Jesus.

     "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect even as your heavenly Father is perfect."
                               Matthew 5:44-48 NASB

     These are some sobering words for most of us I believe. Sadly too many who call themselves Christians relate to what Christ was trying to correct. We are counted among those to whom Christ said "You have heard that it was said." We love those who love us back, but hate our enemies.
     Take a serious look at what Jesus teaches us in the Sermon on the Mount! It is a radical departure from the way society believes and lives.
     The world's way of doing things is selfish. The world is looking out for itself, it's own interests at the expense of others.  Revenge and retaliation are what motivates the world rather than love and forgiveness.
     As Christians, we belong to a different kingdom. We live in this world, but we have forsaken it and its ways. Therefore we no longer look at things in the same way the world does.
     As Jesus taught, we are to love our enemies. I'm afraid that many who call themselves Christians do not love their enemies, whoever they may be. We have bought into the lie that we must demand our rights, retaliation is okay, war is called holy, and so on.
     What does the Bible say about our rights (Matthew 5:38-42, Luke 6:29-31)? What does it say about forgiveness ( Matt 6:12, 14-15,  Col 3:13)? Look at what the Apostle Paul said about revenge (Romans 12:17-19).
     Do you see the majority of Christians today actively living these concepts out in their daily lives? Too many of us are being overcome by evil, instead of overcoming evil with good (Romans 12:21).
     I don't mean to say that there should not be justice and that evil should just be allowed to go on unchecked. Look at what Paul teaches us in Romans thirteen. The governments of this world are set into place by God (Romans 13:1). He has placed them in power for the purpose of dealing with the evils within society (Romans 13:4).
     I understand that there are bad governments in the world. The government in the days of the early Church was one of the worst, and greatly persecuted Christians. History is filled with evil empires, bent on conquest and destruction. However it stills stands that God has ordained the government for the purpose of dealing out justice.
     We as Christians are to let the government do this. We are to forgive. We are to love even our enemies, praying for them that they might be saved. Remember, we are of a different kingdom!
     As believers we are to pray for the governing authorities (1Timothy 2:1-4). We are to respect those in authority, honor them, and pay our taxes (Romans 13:5-7, 1Peter 2:13-15). Remember, at the time this was written, a government existed that brought severe persecution to the Church!
     My point in all of this is to remind you that as Christians we are called to be radically different than the world around us! We are to love instead of hate one another. We are to forgive and let go, instead of retaliating, and harboring bitterness within our hearts.
     This is so opposite the way we live today, even within the professing Church. We have conformed to the worldly way of dealing with our enemies, to our shame. What do you think Jesus thinks of many of His professed followers as they scream for revenge, and tightly hang on to their rights. Remember what He said as He hung dying upon the Cross?  "Father forgive them" (Luke 23:34).
     He calls us to do the same. He is our example, we are to follow in His steps (1Peter 2:21-23). We also must entrust ourselves to Him who judges righteously.
    

Which City Are We Seeking?

     Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.
     So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.
     For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.
                                Hebrews 13:12-14 NASB

     I want to ask professing Christians some very serious questions. Which city are you living for? Which kingdom are you seeking? Is it the heavenly kingdom of Christ, or the world in which we live?
     The Bible speaks of Christians as those who are seeking a heavenly kingdom. Look at the above text. It says to us that just as Christ went outside the gate to die for our sanctification, so we to are to bear His reproach outside the camp.
     Outside the camp was the place where refuse was discarded and burned (Hebrews 13:11). This is not a pleasant place to think of going out to, but being a true follower of Christ in this world is not always an easy pleasant thing to be either. The world will despise those who have renounced it and its ways. History has shown us how this world has treated godly men and women down through the ages. It has scorned them, mocked them, imprisoned them, and killed them.
     The temptation for many is to please man rather than God. We might claim to be Christians but remain silent, watch what we say, compromise the truth, etc. Jesus said if we are ashamed of Him, He is ashamed of us. It is just that simple (Mark 8:38)! If are trying to please man, then we are not servants of Christ (Galatians 1:10).
     This world is not our home! We must go outside the camp, just like Christ! Be willing to suffer reproach.
       This world is only temporary. It will not last, so why do we spend ourselves in pursuit of all that it can offer us? Someday all that can be shaken will be shaken. Only the Kingdom of God will remain. That is what we stand to inherit as followers of Christ, and not this world (Hebrews 12:26-28). 
     Jesus told us to lay up eternal treasure, to live for eternal things, not temporal material things (Matthew 6:19-21). What we pursue, the things that take up our time, thoughts, money, effort, are what we worship! That is right. Is Jesus Christ enthroned in your heart? Are you consumed by Him and His service, or are you consumed by the things of this life? Are you spending your days living for temporal things? Even things innocent and even needful can become snares and idols to us!
     Look at men like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Bible tells us that they did not consider this world their home. They were looking to the city whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11:10, 13-14). They had come out of this world. They did not look back at what they had left or else they would have returned to it (Hebrews 11:15). Remember Lot's wife looked back as Sodom and Gomorrah were burning up? Where do you suppose her heart was (Genesis 19:24-26)?
     Jesus said that no one who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is fit for the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62). What are we looking at, our eternal home with Christ, or our temporal life on this earth?
     These patriarchs of renown did not look back from where they came from, but looked to the heavenly kingdom they would one day possess. They clung to the promise of God by faith while living on this earth, and God was not ashamed to be called their God ( Hebrews 11:16). 
     What about us? Is God unashamed to be called our God, or do we bring Him reproach by our worldly mindedness?  What our we looking forward to, the city whose builder and maker is God, or mere material things that will someday be shaken and destroyed?
     As Christians, we are indeed strangers and pilgrims upon this earth. Let us live like it.



    

The Enduring Word.

The Grass withers, and the flower falls off

but the Word of the Lord abides forever
1 Peter 1:24-25 NASB

Holding a Form Of Godliness.

     We read in 2 Timothy 3:2-5, of a worldly, selfish professed Church. Paul describes them as lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, no self control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure instead of God. They hold to a FORM of godliness but deny it's power.
     Look around! The "Christian television" is filled with ministries and churches that fit into this category. Professed believers are living the above lifestyles with little or no shame. Ministers are coming into homes (2 Timothy 3:6) via the media further enslaving individuals already captivated by sin. The modern "gospel" seems to be all about us. God lives to make us happy. The absolutes are blurred, in fact they are swiftly passing away. If it feels good, if it works for you, do it! God lives to see you happy! It is your pleasure He desires. 
     This is an abomination! Millions are rushing to hell as smooth preachers encourage them on. Paul says to have nothing to do with such people (2 Timothy 3:5). These ministers are rejected as regarding the faith (2 Timothy 3:8)!
     People may read this and consider it judgmental as many do as others speak out against the worldliness that permeates our culture today. You better call Paul a mean spirited judgmental person as well, as these are his words as inspired by the Holy Spirit! 
     People wake up! God is telling us to flee from such things! He is warning us that this is not the way of truth. A lie is still a lie when it is all over. Eternity is too long of a time to suffer in regret and endless torment as we realize we have been deceived!
     The good news is this. Jesus still saves and sets sinners free! There is a true church, one where the truth is proclaimed and lived. Lives are being transformed by the grace of God. The word of God is still being upheld as the unchangeable truth. This is the church that overcomes, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18).
     Beware of a gospel that allows you to remain in your sin! Beware of a gospel that promotes self over God. Beware of a gospel with no cross, no self denial. Test all things according to the standard of God's word (Acts 17:11, 1John 4:1).
     A form of godliness is worthless without the power to transform lives!