The Real Opposition!

 And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

 2 Tm.2:24-26

This is an enduring scripture, full of wisdom and practicality. It is sound advice for those trying to teach, stand up for, be examples of and proclaim truth in a world that is surrounded by those who would have nothing better than to stamp it out. Indeed, it is hard to sway the opinion of those who have either chosen to abandon God or refuse to accept that God is something that they should even acknowledge. This passage strives to teach both believers as well as non-believers.

1.) If you are a believer, expect opposition! In that event, you as a believer should not be

quarrelsome or combative in your approach. In that, there is some practical advice for you in this passage:

• Be kind. Don't stoop to name calling, slurs, innuendos, or acting like people in the world you are trying to teach.
• KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TEACHING! This is part of being able to teach. If you are going to take it upon yourself to teach someone, at least know what you are talking about and preferably be living what you are talking about. No one wants to listen or will listen to a hypocrite. 
• Expect insults and hurt. The world isn't going to be nice - so don't expect it.
• Be Gentle. This goes back to being kind, it is a further modifier of that term, giving you the HOW.
• Remember who's doing the changing of the hearts here. All God expects you to do is present and live the truth. He's the one who changes hearts, not you!

2.) KNOW THE REAL SOURCE OF THE OPPOSITION!

• People of the world and its thinking are ensnared by the Devil, with his lies and deceptions. In fact the world has swallowed them hook, line, and sinker! 
• It is no coincidence, that in Rev.12:10, that Satan is called the "Accuser of our brethren." All of the opposition against good, radical or not, has one purpose and one purpose alone -- to do anything he can to be able to accuse godly people of wrong so as to smear and/or draw people away from God. 
• All of the unseen battles being waged around us every day, is pressure to keep you from doing what is right and acknowledging God.   Ephesians 6:12 says, “We are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world” 

Satan cannot attack  God directly, so he attacks those who follow Him. The advice Paul gave to Timothy in the 1st Century, is good for us to remember today. Stay away from senseless arguments, don't be like the world you are trying to teach, be humble.

How did Jesus treat those who opposed him? “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they’re doing.” The same is true with those who would oppose those who claim to follow God.  They don’t know what they’re doing. So, don't be like them!  Learn to let God live in you, and be His example. Let Him deal with the world, you live to let His glory be seen in everything you do!

Jim

Finding Burning Bushes

 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.  And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 

Ex.3:2-4

Can you imagine the conversation?  Moses comes back to camp and tells everyone "Hey! I talked to God today and He was speaking out of a burning bush!"  Would you have believed him?  The bible narrative does not speak about this because there is no need to. It assumes that you already believe in God, and that for God to speak in this manner would not be something unbelievable.  The devil was as full of trickery then as he is now, so how do we know it is God speaking, versus last night's pizza?

The first litmus test for us, is does what is being said match what has already been taught? Gal.1:8, Paul reminds us, "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed."  so, the first litmus test is did God through the Old Testament, or Jesus in the gospels, or the apostles of Jesus in the New Testament already teach something on this?  It it isn't there -- DON'T BELIEVE IT! Simple - right? Well, not really, after all there is a LOT of stuff in these 66 books. But the test demands that it match what is already there, if it is going to be considered the word of God. How does God speak to us today?  "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,  but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world." Heb.1:1,2

Now it is interesting, that when one believes this, that every corner, every instance, every breath contains the words of Jesus.  When you believe that God speaks through His Son, then when the Son speaks, you hear His voice (Jn.10:21). For the heart that believes, the Spirit literally "...he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.  (Jn.14:26)."  It is not hard for the believer to see Jesus and God everywhere and in literally everything. Why? Because what has changed within the person is their heart. It is no longer their own, but it is God's because of what God has done for them.  "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal.2:20)."  This does not make sense to someone who doesn't believe, because their heart has not changed. They do not see God because simply as Jesus stated it, "...these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.  And these are the ones sown on rocky ground...(Mk.4:15,16)."

People who hear the voice of Christ and the voice of God are often seen as nuts, fanatics, "religious folk," and generally off the wall kind of people who are not in touch with reality. And people who see Christians like this are generally found in the parable of the Sower.  No root because Satan has take the grasp of it from them, choked out by cares of the world - its philosophies and rhetoric. They do not hear God's voice because they either do not believe there is a God, or they don't care enough to care about what He says.

But - for those who believe? God is EVERYWHERE!

Jim