“And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.”
—Luke 21:17
One of the ways to tell a Christian is that he will be hated.
This also goes for the message he brings.
Hated.
The Christian will not be popular. The Christian bears the “good news” of the gospel”–and bad news for all who pay it no heed.
Or who pay it lip service only.
Outside of the gospel, the Bible doesn’t have a lot of happy-time messages.
The message of what happens to the tares is not a happy one.
Yet, the churches are chock-full of “happy-time” messages.
“FEAR GOD” IS NOT A POPULAR MESSAGE
The Bible has much to say about “fear God.” Fearing God is equated with righteousness and the beginning of wisdom.
Fear of the LORD: Fear is Fear
Yet, The fear of God has vanished and the churches continue to preach that no sinner need fear the idol that is their god.
The gospel goes unpreached, other gospels are substituted and the message of the world is preached in the churches: “God LOVES the sinner.”
The Bible declares a different story.
“The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.”
—Psalm 5:5
“The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.”
—Psalm 11:5
“These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”
—Proverbs 6:16-19
“I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers. I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked.”
—Psalm 26:4-5
JESUS’ DISCIPLESHIP IS NOT PREACHED
Jesus had a different message about being His disciple than the one the churches bring. Jesus laid down the rules for being his disciple.
“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”
—Luke 14:33
“If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
—Luke 14:26
Discipleship: Jesus vs The Apostate Churches
Hated.
The Christian and his message is hated by the world.
The Bible tells us why this is.
“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”
—John 3:19-21
The world hates the Christian. The world hates the Christian message and the Christian gospel.
Contrary to what one might hear or be told: Christianity is not popular.
Christianity is particular unpopular in the apostate churches. This is because of where the Christian message originates: Jesus Christ.
“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”
—John 15:18
“Tribulation” means “pressure.”*
It is the pressure applied to the Christian by the world to soften his message; to compromise; to conform himself to the world and the ways of the world.
And nowhere is that pressure applied more than in the churches.
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
—Romans 12:2
The Christian is assured that he will have to endure tribulation (pressure) in this world. The Christian is assured that he will have to endure persecution also.
“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
—2 Timothy 3:12
IF the reader or his message is a “popular” or “happy” message, it’s time to re-examine both the man and the message.
There is no way to make Christianity popular in this world. That is simply unbiblical.
So, the person who considers Christianity needs to be ready for vitriol and viciousness.
Still, no matter how unpopular the Christian or his message may become; no matter how hard the world presses for a compromised message: Jesus offered hope.
“Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.”
—1 John 3:13
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
—John 16:33
The Christian and his message may be hated–but it matters not. This temporary shadow we call “life” gives way to life eternal for the Christian.
And then, he is hated no longer.
* – thlípsis – properly, pressure (what constricts or rubs together), used of a narrow place that “hems someone in”; tribulation, especially internal pressure that causes someone to feel confined (restricted, “without options”).
—Strong’s 2347 tslipsis
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
-–Romans 1:16
THE GOSPEL
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. ”
–1 Corinthians 15:1-8
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by Jeremiah Jameson
–with Mondo Frazier
image:ETPR/winnond, FreeDigitalPhotos.net/ETPR
© Jeremiah J. Jameson and End Times Prophecy Report, 2012-15. © Mondo Frazier and End Times Prophecy Report, DBKP 2007-2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeremiah J. Jameson and End Times Prophecy Report with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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