"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:4-6
As I was at the grill last evening cooking burgers, the thought of how we often treat each other and those without the hope of Christ came to me. I could not get it off of my mind. I thought of the many times I tried desperately to get others to see things clearly. I thought of the many times that I wished that what I was saying would be heard. Then, I realized that I needed to pray that the power of the Lord Jesus, His Holy Word, and the Holy Ghost would lift that veil of blindness. Christ is all that really ever effects meaningful change in any of us! The question came to me, "How do you treat the blind?"
So how do you treat the blind? Do you get angry with them as they trip on the undetectable obstacles in their way? Do you get disgusted with them as they head out into oncoming traffic thinking that they ought to hear the cars and not be so senseless? Do you grow impatient with them as they slowly negotiate themselves through the door while blocking it? Do you ever get frustrated with them and wonder how it would be for them if they could only see? If they could just see!
It is the same with those who have any disability. They don't need rebuke, bitterness, condemnation, and meanness. They don't need unloving, angry, inpatient , and non-understanding Christians. They need to be shown the love of Jesus and bathed in prayer. They need prayer warriors who will fall on their faces before God and beg that the blindness be healed! They need intercessors.
What about the spiritually blind and crippled. What about those caught in the death grip of sin. They need the healing medicine of God's word first of all! Truth must be shared and conveyed clearly. Yet, it must be conveyed in a spirit of love. Be precise, but be loving. How did Jesus treat the woman at the well? How did he react to Matthew who was a traitorous tax collector? How did he react to His often fumbling and bumbling disciples? With the fruit of the Spirit, that's how. Through constant prayer and intercession, that's how. Through patient reminders of His purposes, that's how.
Sinners are blind! Share the Medicine of the Gospel and then pray for the Holy Spirit to remove the blindness. Carnal Christians may be blinded in some areas. Share the truth lovingly and then pray that the blindness be healed by the power of Christ' all pervasive, cleansing blood. Consider your own self too! It is during those type of encounters that our flaws and failure, our impatience and nastiness sometimes shine through. It is then that the Lord reminds us of how desperately we need constant fellowship and communion with Christ and His cross! Just some thoughts!
Now, how did Jesus deal with those who were willfully blind and ignorant of their situation while seeing themselves as God's gift to humanity. Well that is a story for another day! There is a time for strong rebuke, but again, that is the subject for another time. God Bless!
Israel and the Middle East
It seems that the heating up of the Middle East continues as we head towards that precious divine appointment. The Day of the Lord. That precious day when every eye shall see HIM!
FoxNews.com - Anonymous Hackers Release Stuxnet Worm Online
'Maximum security' at 4 Israeli embassies due to threats
Days of Arab Rage Spread to Bahrain - Defense/Middle East - Israel News - Israel National News
Knesset Conference Calls to Expand Greater Jerusalem - Politics & Gov't - Israel News - Israel National News **** What a possible trigger!!!
Nasrallah: Hezbollah will conquer the Galilee You have underestimated the power of the Almighty Mr. Nasrallah! You have greatly and grossly underestimated God!
Israel: Iranian Warships in Med are a 'Serious Provocation' - Defense/Middle East - Israel News - Israel National News
Hezbollah chief tells IDF: Watch your heads - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News
Jordan justice minister: Israel is a terrorist state - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News
John,
ReplyDeleteWe are probably going to disagree on this one.
I often hear preaching on lovingly treating those who are willingly blind (since they have and read the scriptures,and yet they say "we see")
and they want to lead others into their same error.
And Christians will always bring up the woman at the well for an example of how Jesus would treat these people.
But they're forgetting that Jesus himself talked sternly and directly to the blind Pharisees.
He dealt with them directly and didn't mince words.
People today would probably accuse Jesus of nastiness because He called them blind guides and white washed tombs, vipers and snakes and was angry with them for their stubborness.
They want to put Jesus and us in a box.
The truth must be told and God will judge if it was nasty or unkind or if it just felt that way because it exposed their sin.
The truth cuts, you can feel it in your heart as it divides what you deeply believe, and separates the Truth from the error that we've been clinging to deep inside.
There is an offensive nature to speaking the Truth directly.
And if it was said to call attention to ourselves or to Him, God will judge.
Or was it said with the hope of setting some people free and defending the Truth, from error so that others are not misled in the same way.
Being soft spoken and loving in order not to offend is doing more damage then direct confrontation with the Truth ever could.
Because confrontation exposes what's been hidden, where as coddling will go on forever because people will always want to be lovingly coddled while still holding on to their sin and they can just plead ignorance, and that they just didn't know.
What happened to Stephen when he told them the Truth while filled with the Holy Ghost?
It caused them to stone him and so today, we won't be liked either, if we stand for the Truth without compromise and are not speaking with "Christian approved correctness."
I agree more that you realize and that is the reason for the last paragraph. We cannot back down with the truth, but we must also operate in the Spirit.
ReplyDeleteJesus clearly used different means with different people. He seemed to know how to speak to each person in a way to get their attention. He was harsh in love at times and kind and gentle at others.
First, before I go on, go to this set of 2010 dates and read the article called "Offensive Love". You will see that we do agree much more than you realize. Yet, there are times and places where it is better to just stop and let God do the work. That is when we use the greatest asset we have, prayer as intercessors. Also it is never, never God's will to argue to the point of anger with someone. I have family members who have been swallowed up by the lie of unconditional eternal security. They never have gone to church, they drink, gamble and a whole host of other sins. If I mention Christ, they walk away. They know the truth, I have made sure that they knew it. Now all God allows me to do is pray! He can do what I can't!
Study carefully every time Jesus was harsh and every time Jesus was kinder. A pattern begins to emerge. Many people who had been devastated by sin and told that they were unworthy to get to God were shown compassion. It was what ripped through the blindness. In kindness and love Jesus reached out with uncompromising truth. The woman caught in adultery is a good example. After her pardon, He gave a stern warning not to return to sin.
However, those who were willfully blind, or filled with heresy knew truth but held it unrighteously. He was very stern and harsh. That was also in love. He even sends folks to hell in love. He is loving enough to allow them to honor their choice and allow them to not serve God for eternity since they would not wish to be with him for eternity. (I think that is in one of my old posts too)
The key is to find these patterns in the Word and to listen to the gentle promptings of the Holy Spirit. I have went to witness and have literally been impressed not to say a word. I have been very forceful at others.
God never forces anyone to serve Him. Jesus shared the truth and allowed them to make the choice. My point is that there are definite times when we must trust God to do what we can't do. Some people will not be persuaded no matter how much truth we share. We cannot force anyone to serve God, so we turn to patient, loving, persistent prayer.
DON"T ASK ME HOW MY WIFE"S UNUSED BLOG GOT ON THERE!! That was me above! Weird!!!!
ReplyDeleteOne last thought. Muslims are very angry people blinded by a demonic lie. Their religion never shows unconditional love. They want a Christian to lose their cool and be nasty. When you pray for them and show kindness, it baffles them and they then have to consider Jesus whom you have been sharing by word and action. Many Americans need a sharp, harsh word to wake them up. They think they know it all or have heard it all. They need different methods. The same Jesus that called priests who should have knew better "hypocrites" was the same Jesus who pardoned a guilty adulteress and commanded us to pray for our enemies. I try to pray daily for wisdom from the Holy Ghost on how to speak most effectively to everyone. We have to be able to discern when to be confrontational and when to not be. Jesus clearly did! That is a great study that I have done in the Gospels and in the Epistles. Try to take notes on different reactions to different people types in these books (Acts too). It is really an eye opener. Make a Harsh column and a Kind column and note the particulars of each.
I was also a school teacher. I had to develop different ways of reaching different children. Grouching at one child might work, but it may cause you to not be able to help another, and for some it is devastating. Each student has different home life and backgrounds. I once got very angry at a child who really deserved a strong word only to notice the way he pulled back as I went near. Knowing what this was an ominous sign, I investigated to find that he was being severely abused. That very day he had bruises from his shoulders to his calves due to his grades on a report card. He was being hateful towards me because He saw me as the cause. It was like the woman that I went to visit who would never come to a church. A lady had told her that God would not listen to her when she went to the altar. She was then told that God hated her for her earrings. These are examples of people who have been hurt and need to see the kindness that God has told us to have. It is the fruit of the Spirit. It is being stern in a loving matter and then going the extra mile to win them. It is being honest and then praying and calling on God to heal their blindness that reaches those so broke by sin.
Last thing, I abhor the false notion of political correctness. It was the brainchild of a lesbian and hell itself. It is also the last days spirit leading to anti-Christ!
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ReplyDeleteOffensive Love is under these 2010 dates. 05/02 - 05/09 (5)
ReplyDelete