A Thought

“These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble.  They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think he offers God service.  And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.  But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.”  John 16:1-4

We must also remember Jesus’ words as well about the hatred that will come from the world because of the world’s hatred of the Lord.  And it is easy for us to get caught up in these senseless arguments by pretending to speak or act in the Lord’s behalf or thinking we are standing up for our “rights”.  To another extreme are the many denominations that are giving in, surrendering to the social and cultural demands and issues of the day.  It can be confusing for the few who do try to stand firm in faith and compassion, and it becomes even harder when we are unsure about where we should be and how we should respond – or if we should respond at all.  I say “no”, and it would seem Jesus says so as well.

If we are hated or outcast or made fun of because of our beliefs, we should try to remember we are in Good Company.  They did the same to Jesus, and they would do the same today if He were standing right in front of them because they do not know Him.  But the greater question for those who get caught up in these useless battles is: do we not know Him, either?  Are some going to Chick-fil-A today, for instance, to support our brothers and sisters … or to pick a fight??

He is the God of the Scriptures, and He is Lord of the Church.  We must make sure we know Him by following Him, by studying Him, and by listening to every word which comes from His Mouth.  And then we make a decision to stand with Him … or against Him.  There is no middle ground.

Blessings,

Michael