When I lived in Southern California we went through a period where people were shooting at one another in frustration. Everyone eventually began to be more gracious and polite to one another and the shootings ceased.
Now living in Southern Virginia these same attitudes and activities seem to be starting. One family was driving home from the beach towing their boat behind and the back seat passengers were shot through the door. In other towns, drivers have been shot as well.
I often watch the attitudes and insults heaped upon Christians in media and from those who don't like our opinions about their lifestyles. We are called haters and bigots; the destroyers of rights. Those who want to live as depraved or 'free' lives as they call them are offended by our Biblical stance on life.
There are many things that these same people neglect to mention though.
The Beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5 say that peacemakers are blessed by God. They say the meek will inherit the earth. Other scriptures say the truth will make us free.
What we see today now that the church has abandoned their belief in the infallibility of scripture is that we no longer live the lives of humility, service, grace and love toward one another. We don't press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Many don't even consider it to be a high calling. Many pastors are as likely to be caught in sin, dishonesty, and degradation as the non-Christian down the road.
Pastors are leaving the ministry in droves; not against the word of God, but because the Word of God says it will happen. There will be a great falling away.
I love God and I love science. I'm not talking about the pseudoscience where those who want to make scripture untrue come up with theories that look good only if you don't look too close. I'd love for someone to prove something to me in a scientific venue that wasn't prostituted to prove an unprovable point.
Museums and schools throughout the world show the ascent of man from a primate to modern man. It's totally false and anthropologists know it is. There are no complete skeletons or examples that they can point to and say, "This proves it." No DNA. No evidence. Nothing.
You ask, what does this have to do with frustration and rage and gunshots on our freeways?
We've stopped teaching our children that they are more than this weak flesh and blood experience. We are a spirit. We've failed to remind them that there is one greater that they must answer to. Parents kill their own children to get even with a spouse they can't stand. They kill themselves thinking, "It's all over. My pain or rage is at an end."
Now kids take guns or knives or rocks and shoot, stab and bash one another's heads in while God weeps for our decisions. He ordered us; not suggested or asked but ordered us to train up our children in the godly way they should go. Yesterday I saw a news story where two children not even teens yet had been strapped with explosives by their own father and sent out to blow themselves and someone else up. The little brother did as he was told. The older one hesitated and was disarmed.
People will say this is because all religion is evil and it was a religion that told them to do this. That is not only a lie but a stupid lie. The truth about Christian murderers is that they refuse to surrender to God as Matthew 5 says. They refuse to love as the gospel of John says. The truth of other non-Christian murderers is that they are angry, put upon and refuse to suffer any wrong to be done to them...ever.
God has promised to bless the peacemaker. God gives a godly and God-fearing husband a blessing for loving and cherishing his wife. God gives blessings to those who obey His scriptures even when obedience is difficult.
I've been cursed, cussed at and lied about by those who should know better. I have been in error myself from time to time. I am thankful that scripture says, "A righteous man falls seven times but gets up again." It lets me know I can arise from my mistakes and be restored in God's eyes.
Beloved, I don't expect you to get it right every time, first time or all the time. I hope you will put God's word first and your petty and not so petty squabbles second most of the time.
Yesterday I got rear ended in a McDonald's drive-through. The driver didn't say anything to me at all; not sorry, excuse me, nothing. Fortunately, neither my car or myself was injured. Her car looked like something out of demolition derby. I looked at her remembering I was wearing my "Live by Faith" T-shirt and said, "We're both blessed today."
For those of you who are struggling to live godly and find yourself under attack more and more; you are not alone. I have seen more and more passive aggressive and not so passive aggressive people where I live. It is easy to let yourself go and give someone a piece of your anger or a piece of your mind. It's better to give them a piece of your peace.
If it really gets bad or you find you just can't bite your tongue; perhaps it's time to fast and pray. It does work. I promise.
Be blessed.
Bishop J
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