Hid Behind Christ

Just yesterday we heard a preacher on the internet speak about the subject of persecution. He was joking throughout his talk. When preachers use levity constantly they are self-focused, feeling the need to entertain the sheep. They love their popularity or that others laugh at their jokes. Sadly the subject of persecution is handled flippantly in a country where we do not really have it.

The worst we can expect here is that someone won't like us or will give us a mean look. Big fat deal!!!!! I am weary of preachers who are using their preaching to keep the focus on them rather than seriousness about the Word.

Many people around the world are losing their lives, their families, their jobs and whole villages because they love Christ. How dare we handle this subject so impudently, without empathy and with disregard for true victims of persecution.

In fact, levity, joking and uproarious laughter has no place when preaching the Bible to the believers in the pew. Keep in mind that when someone hears a sermon full of joking they do not remember the message from the Word, they remember the joke. I have asked people at times what they thought of the sermons and their response was abominable, it went like this; "I like him (meaning the pastor) he is so funny." This is a condemnation for the pastor to be remembered for his humor. It is Christ that should be remembered, not the pastor.

All preachers should pray to be hid behind Christ that they diminish and Christ increase.

John 3:30

"30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Colossians 3:2-4 "…2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.…"

May those preachers who are self absorbed desiring accolades repent!

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We Warned You!

The hardest things I have dealt with have been people who take scripture out of context to make it say what they want it to say. When I would attempt to get them to put it back into context they raged at me. This has been a regular occurrence with family members. There has been no sense that we could actually sit down and discuss our differences, the raging shuts down all conversation. I have given up having any discussion with family, even going so far as to remove myself permanently because the hostility is not about what I say, but toward me personally. The meanest people I have dealt with have been churchgoers. It is difficult to find people who are truly seeking Christ for their answers.


REPLY

Judging without Information is Sinful and Cruel

Amen! When we assume things without actually having evidence we can condemn someone when they may be completely innocent.

Sarah Preston

Some times there is another side to a story so be careful how you judge another ~ Colossians 3:12-15 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Pentecostals Who Follow False Preachers

One can always tell a Pentecosal who is entrenched in the false teachers.

They always justify divorce and remarriage.

They defend women being pastors leading over men.

They depend more on what they can see than on truth, in other words if it works it must be right.

Their emotions rule over reason and scripture and they never accept the truth when it is presented. They fight, they argue and never say they will go to the Lord to pray about it.

When their assertion of their emotions and circumstances do not convince us they move to character assassination. They call us names and claim we do not know the Lord.

This is the very essence of narcissism, to claim they are special, to resist any correction or the use of scripture as well as rejecting the one who challenged them to think more deeply scripturally.

Since there are more people claiming to be Christian who do these things it is likely that most "Christians" today are not born again. They come for God's perks, His blessings, and their specialness for claiming to be Christian, but they do not love the Lord, that is clear.

Those who love the Lord receive a challenge with joy, desiring to discuss in humility while going to prayer and Bible study for their truth.

If we have already prayed through and studied God's word to find our answer we do not have to do that again when God has shown us, in this case, we can say God has already shown me that there is no need for further debate.

Those who follow false brethren often cannot leave a conversation, if one could call it that, without disparaging the character of their target. This is their way of helping to maintain their stance of superiority without ever having to self-reflect.

Truth is not important to these types of people, they merely want to be superior and dominate others, truth is not important to them. God said to avoid them entirely.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 This is a description of the end times apostate church.

Difficult Times Will Come

1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.

2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,

3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,

4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

5 holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these."

Verse 5 tells us these people want to seem spiritual but are liars full of arrogance and anger. He tells us to avoid such people.

Women's Role Misunderstood by Most

God was very clear that the role of the woman is different from the role of men at home and in the congregation. Women are not to take the role of "pastor", a gift and calling of men.

The women are allowed to share under certain conditions as told in 1 Corinthians 11. Those who attempt to silence the women completely are not following the word of God but rather their own traditions of men. They take one sentence about women remaining silent to mean she may never speak ever, even to men outside the gathering. This is an abuse of scripture as well as the offense of removing scripture out of its context to make it say what they wish to believe.

In the passage, women are to remain silent the woman is being told not to ask her husband disruptively in the gathering questions, she is to wait with those questions and ask her husband at home.

When someone uses the scripture disrespectfully and as a tool to dominate others they are not being honest. Every scripture must remain in the context of the entire Bible to be properly understood.

2 Timothy 2:14-16 "14 Remind the believers of these things, charging them before God to avoid quarreling over words, which succeeds only in leading the listeners to ruin. 15 Make every effort to present yourself approved to God, an unashamed workman who accurately handles the word of truth. 16 But avoid irreverent, empty chatter, which will only lead to more ungodliness,…"

When we love the Word and desire to have wisdom we will not merely believe what others teach but pray and read for ourselves to see if what is being taught is supported by the word and through the instruction of the Holy Spirit.

Boundaries with a Narcissist

We Must Count the Cost, it does not get Easier!