11/10/13

Haters of God

Romans 1:28-32
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.


Yesterday I was watching a Youtube video of Islam extremist preachers talking of love in Islam. These preachers (mostly young men) first spoke of love but as they went on they emphasized whom Muslims should love. They mocked the teachings of Jesus to love everyone including the enemy. One also referred to the instruction of Jesus 'if someone slapped you on the left cheek, show them your right cheek' and called it stupidity. They explained Islam's attitude towards love, they stated Islam instructs to love only those who love Allah, his prophet Mohammad and his teachings and to hate those who hate them. They were very clear their hate was not only against the wrong the people did, but to hate the people along with the wrong they did. This gives an explanation why we see so much violence exist in Islamic countries or people who dedicatedly follow such teachings. They hate the people of the world and even each other for they accuse people within their folds for not following 'the teachings'. At the end what happens is pure vanity, they send each other quicker to the bottomless pit - Hell.

Today's message talks of people who hate the knowledge of God and these people the Bible classifies as haters of God and this is a very important fact for us to understand.

There are people who advice you not to go too deep into the Bible, or study of scriptures, please do not listen to them. If one loves God one will desire to know God and if one desires to know God one has to study the Word of God and walk with the Lord. The Bible is not a school syllabus which can be mugged up. Leave alone God it does not take time for a person in the Lord to identify such people. They soon or later fall terribly when the ground under them shakes even a little.

No doubt the Gospel is simple yet the Word of God cannot be understood even by the wise of this world. Gospel means the Good News or the hope that comes through Jesus Christ and that does not require someone to have great wisdom. But when we accept Christ and are baptized in Him we are given the promise of the Holy Spirit. That does not mean we receive the full of the Holy Spirit. Bible says only in Christ the Lord dwelled in fullness. We on accepting the Gospel and being baptized receive a token of the Holy Spirit and that too a token of the Spirit of Truth. It is the Spirit of Truth who starts to reveal the Word of God to us. That is why things which we could not understand start to become clearer and simple to us. As we grow in the Spirit of Truth we grow in knowledge and understanding of the Word. That is why to truly grow in the knowledge and understanding of God one cannot do that studying the Bible like worldly books but needs to grow in Spirit.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, your Word was Manna to those who did not know You and is the Living Bread for those who are baptized in You. Lord, You have said in your Word those who eat your message will have eternal life and drink of your Spirit (water) rivers of living water (understanding) shall flow from their bellies. Lord, we pray You increase our hunger for your Word and a thirst for your Spirit such that we may not hunger for the things of this world and thirst for the understanding of this world...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference ]
John 6:51 - I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh [in Hebrew the word comes from the root word 'tiding'], which I will give for the life of the world.

John 4:10-14
10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

1 Corinthians 2:6-8
6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

John 16:12-13
12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

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