Whose side are YOU on?

I know there have many smarter and more famous people addressing the current issue of Bullying. I also am so aware that I am just a mere small “voice in the wilderness” proclaiming the same thing. However God has spoken to my heart to at least throw in my thoughts and opinions as well:

First of all, I do not condone the actions or lifestyles of either side of this argument. I am only addressing the actions of so-called believers and the consequences to the Faith that their actions shine on us all. I am disgusted with the pious and sanctimonious attitude that some “christians” wrap themselves with while using their religion as a rationale for violence and hatred. Scribes and Pharasees, The Spanish Inquisition and the Crusades are brought to mind in these thoughts. I believe that TRUE Christ Followers show love and compassion to the persons while separating themselves from the action and attitude of “the world”. How can we share a gospel (Good News) while physically or verbally abusing those that need it most? Does that make sense to you? It doesn’t to me.

Homosexuality and Islamic beliefs are not the only targets for these pseudo-christians. The rise in sexual abuse, and discrimination (sexual, racial or ANY kind)  are exploding all across the headlines as well. Child Abuse and Spousal Abuse (Male and Female) are at an all time high. Why are we destroying the very people that we claim to love and should want to protect? What has happened to respecting our fellow human? What example of Jesus’ Love do we exhibit when we burn down someone’s home just because they do not accept the LORDSHIP of Christ? GOD will be THE Judge in the appointed hour, not us. So why not promote HIS WILL by expressing our love instead of our ignorant hatred and disagreements?

1 John 3:11 – 24 (NET) For this is the gospel message that you have heard from the beginning: that we should love one another, not like Cain who was of the evil one and brutally murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his deeds were evil, but his brother’s were righteous.

 Therefore do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. We know that we have crossed over from death to life because we love our fellow Christians. The one who does not love remains in death. Everyone who hates his fellow Christian is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.  We have come to know love by this: that Jesus laid down his life for us; thus we ought to lay down our lives for our fellow Christians. But whoever has the world’s possessions and sees his fellow Christian in need and shuts off his compassion against him, how can the love of God reside in such a person?

 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue but in deed and truth. And by this we will know that we are of the truth and will convince our conscience in his presence, that if our conscience condemns us, that God is greater than our conscience and knows all things.  Dear friends, if our conscience does not condemn us, we have confidence in the presence of God, and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing to him. Now this is his commandment: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he gave us the commandment. And the person who keeps his commandments resides in God and God in him. Now by this we know that God resides in us: by the Spirit he has given us.

Just because a person claims to be a minister of THE LORD, does not make them so. We have to see and examine their lives and words against the standard that has been set before us by Christ and the Apostles. If they are not teaching the same gospel as THE CHRIST, then they are teaching the gospel of the antichrist. Violence and hatred of our fellow sinners are not in the gospel of THE CHRIST.

1 John 2:18 – 19  (NET)  Children, it is the last hour, and just as you heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. We know from this that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us, because if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But they went out from us to demonstrate that all of them do not belong to us.

Ephesians 6:12 (NET)  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.

I would be very curious to hear your thoughts on this topic and what we can do to spread the Gospel of Forgiveness and Love to those in dire need of THE FRIEND, 

 

J E S U S .

May God Bless You and Yours

Gene

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