Offended By The Truth

Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.

And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind?

But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts.

But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.

                                                                          (Luke 7:22-26 KJV)

It seems people get offended at the slightest things these days and that includes the gospel when it is being shared. If worship isn't entertaining then many will just look for another church or stay home. If both the law and gospel are preached, people become offended. I've personally known a couple of pastors who were told by council members that they were not to be talking so much about the law. I know them personally and know that neither one of them preach only law. I also know the council members. They wanted only those things preached that will make everyone feel good about themselves in order to keep the membership and offerings up.

Yes, many who attend worship as a weekly (or monthly or annual) ritual are offended by Jesus. They are offended at the thought that they are sinners. They do not want to be reminded because they are good people, after all. Many do not want to hear that Jesus had to die because of their sins. He had to die to save us. 

Unlike Jesus, many who profess to be Christians are often like reeds shaken with every wind that blows and think so highly of themselves that they have to be treated delicately so that they are not offended.

The truth that we are all sinners and genuinely need the grace and mercy of God offends way too many. But, that should not stop the truth from being shared. 

St. Paul was definitely not a follower of Jesus who shook with every wind that blew. He was definitely not delicate! He did not stop proclaiming the good news that Jesus died for us not so that we might live like kings in this world; but, that we might live as heirs of the Kingdom of God. He was not slack in proclaiming Jesus as our Savior even as he faced the prospects of persecution, prison, and death because of the people that were offended by what he preached. 

We are all reminded even as he exhorted Timothy to:

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

                                                                                           (2 Tim 4:2-4)

May God open our ears and eyes and hearts so that we might never be offended to hear the truth in Christ Jesus. God help us to proclaim the gospel in both word and deed that all might be blessed.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Angels

Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. 

                                                                                  (Col 2:18-19 NIV)

So what about angels? Every now and then I am jolted by the reality that someone I know depends on angels more than they depend on Jesus. They pray to the angels to protect them. Why ask the angels? Why not ask the Lord to send his angels to protect you. God is in charge of angels. He directs them. He sends them out.

Just because something or someone exists in the spiritual realms does not mean that we should worship them or put our trust in them. Angels are created beings. We do not worship the creature. Rather, we worship and put our trust in the one who has charge over the spiritual realms; the one who created the spiritual realms; the one who created all things.

Angels have many purposes. Some are messengers. Some have been deliverers of God judgment. Some are ministering spirits. Angels ministered to Jesus after his temptations by the devil in the wilderness. Angels are beings created by God to serve according to God's will not our will.

Do I believe that angels exist? Of course, I believe that. But, I do not put my faith in them. We cannot serve two gods. Angels are not creators. They are created beings. Angels did not die for you. Jesus did. By worshipping and honoring angels; by lifting them up and trusting in them more than we do Christ, we lose the connection we have with the head, from whom the whole body grows, who is Jesus the Christ. We are to worship the one who has charge over angels and not the angels.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Creatures Are Not To Be Worshipped

Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. (Col 2:18-19 NIV)

So what about angels? Every now and then I am jolted by the reality that someone I know depends on angels more than they depend on Jesus.

Just because something or someone or something exists in the spiritual realms that does not mean that we should worship them or put our trust in them. We do not worship those beings or things that God created whether in this world or in the spiritual realms. We are to worship and put our trust in the one who has charge over all things; the one who created the spiritual realms; the one who created all things.

Angels have many purposes. Some are messengers. Some have been deliverers of God's judgment. Some are ministering spirits. Angels ministered to Jesus after his temptations by the devil in the wilderness. Angels are beings created by God to serve according to God's will. They do not do our will. They do God's will.

We are not to worship angels. We cannot serve two gods. Angels did not create you. They, themselves, are created beings. Angels did not die for you. Jesus did. By worshipping and honoring angels; by lifting them up more than we lift us Christ, we lose the connection we have with the head, from whom the whole body grows, who is Jesus the Christ. We are to worship the one who has charge over angels and not the angels.

God's Peace - Pr. J