01/12/11

The world will hate you, more so your own kin will

Acts 24:8 - Commanding his accusers to come unto thee: by examining of whom thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse him.


It really angers me when people make Satan to be a god. They glorify him when they get themselves occupied with him and fear him.

First thing we should get into our heads that Satan is a fallen angel being. Lucifer also called the dragon (due to his hatefulness) or the serpent (because of his deceitfulness) or the crocodile (for his hardness of heart), who is the ringleader is bonded in Hell. Now the others who are with us (including the Beast) have their angelic powers taken away from them during Noah's flood when they went out of their limits.

They can only harm people who are not in the Lord. They are called accusers because when we are in the Lord they cannot harm us so they can only accuse us before the Lord by causing the image of the Lord in us to degrade. The Holy Spirit works in us to better the image of the Lord in us so that more and more we come closer to the Lord and have His more of His favour. But Satan does not want us to have the favour of God so he imputes his image into us by tempting us, causing us to lose faith, harden our hearts, bringing fear in us etc...

The people of this world are under his control and they too can not harm us, so like him they too accuse us with lies in deceitful ways.

We read in today's message the Jews wanted to harm Paul but the Lord saved him from their hands. The Jews were under the rule of the Romans so could not have their way. Therefore they approached Felix the Roman Governor of that province to put away Paul. In Acts, Luke records the deceitful way they approach Felix by first glorifying him and his works and then bringing false accusations against Paul. One important thing to notice is the way they classify Christians - as a sect.

Christianity and Judaism are in no way of the same group. Christianity is based on Christ being the only way to the Lord. People of different religions may believe in God but the moment they reject Christ as being their Messiah, they are cut off.

The Christians had come from among the Jews but were not Jews (followers of Judaism). They have the same historic background but not the same belief. Jesus accused them of not following the commandments of the Lord but following the commandments or traditions of men.

Today also we have the same situation. We have a large part of Christians who like the Jews are followers of the commandments (traditions
) of man and not Commandments of the Lord and the people who do, they call them as a sect. They hate these people more than they hate the unbelievers.

The moment they come to know you are a believer you are treated like a leaper. Their hearts turn cold towards you and their ears shut to all what you say. You speak to them from the Bible and they ask you 'which Bible?'.

Like Jesus, Paul too exposed the harden hearts of the Jews therefore was hated the most. Today if you and I stand by the Truth and the Word of the Lord, we too will be hated by these people. They will call is their brethren by their mouths but in their hearts we will be their worst enemy. They will not mind selling their souls to the Devil to see our end. The reason they do this is because we expose their hearts unto them.

Jesus warned us when we are in Christ our own family member who harden their hearts will hate us and come against us. At this time Jesus instructs us not to fear for it is not against us that they are hardened their hearts but it is against Him.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, You warned us that people who are our own will hate us for they may called themselves as your people but are still people of this world. Even though they take your Name deep with their hearts they hate You. Lord, You also instructed us not to fear them for You are a Living God and You are in control, without your permission no one can touch us. Lord, we pray not that You take them away but we pray that in everything You be glorified and your Kingdom come...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
Acts 24:1-8
1 And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul.
2 And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence,
3 We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness.
4 Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words.
5 For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:
6 Who also hath gone about to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged according to our law.
7 But the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands,
8 Commanding his accusers to come unto thee: by examining of whom thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse him.

John 7:7 - The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

John 15:18-23
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19 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.
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.
22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.
23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.

Matthew 10:28 - And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Mark 7:8 - For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)