Unfortunately in the last three months I
have seen first-hand as well as experienced heart ache. If you live life long enough…you have experienced
heart ache. It isn’t fun. Sadly
what I speak occurred between the children of God…the family of Christ; people
I am very close with or now, was. I now know
why some people choose not to be a Christian…not because of Christ but because
of His people.
I haven’t blogged because sometimes when
people write out of anger, out of emotion…what they write can be harsh,
destructive, hateful, or the like. I didn’t want to do that. Jesus commands me to love God and love
people. I know the first command can be
hard but so is that second command. Jesus
tells us to love another. I have said
before that love defines Jesus and it also defines us (Christians). We are also called to be at peace with
another. But not everyone who is a Christian
heeds these words. They don’t heed it
because of pride, arrogance…sin!
Growing up as a preacher’s kid, this is
not my first time dealing with heart ache within the church and as a preacher
now, it won’t be my last. It nothing new…look
at the warnings Paul wrote to the churches as well as Timothy ( a preacher):
“Now I urge you,
brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary
to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are
slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth
and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.”
– Romans
16:17-18
“O Timothy,
guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and
the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge” which some have
professed and thus gone astray from the faith.”
– 1 Timothy 6:20-21
“See to it that
no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to
the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world,
rather than according to Christ.”
– Colossians
2:8
“I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
- 2 Timothy 4:1
“Therefore you
have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you
judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same
things. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who
practice such things. But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on
those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape
the judgment of God? Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and
tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to
repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are
storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the
righteous judgment of God, who will render to each person according to his
deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and
immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not
obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. There will be
tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first
and also of the Greek, but glory and
honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the
Greek. For there is no partiality with God.
For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the
Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; for it is
not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law
will be justified. For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively
the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in
that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience
bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending
them, on the day when, according to my
gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.”
- Romans 2:1-16
Jesus
and Peter also warned of this:
“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.”
- Matthew
7:15-20
“But false
prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers
among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the
Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will
follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be
maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their
judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”
- 2 Peter 2:1-3
As I write this…I have spent much, much
time with my Father in heaven. I have
asked for forgiveness and have forgiven those I needed to forgive. I am
moving on. I
will say this last thing: To all of my
Christian family, my brothers and sisters…test every action you make, every
thought you have, all of your emotions to that of Scripture. Be sound in doctrine, in truth; not according
to you or anyone else but to that of Jesus…to God’s Word.
“Trust in the
Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will
make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and
turn away from evil.”
– Proverbs 3:5-7
“Love* one
another!”
-Jesus
*for
a better definition of this love (agape) see 1 Corinthians 13
