blog-maryBlog - Joyful Curmudgeon - Blog
A Mary T. Hoffman Commentary from All-Creatures.org

 

"Joyful Curmudgeon" An oxymoron?
No! I see all the beauty of God's creation and I'm joyful.  At the same time, I see all the suffering and corruption going on in the world, and feel called to help expose and end it so that we may have true peace and compassion.

 


Fear Makes the World Go ’Round (continued) – 2 March 2007
By Mary T. Hoffman

This morning I was thinking about many professing Christians who should know better but who allow themselves to be duped by Satan. On one hand they support and proselytize for their denomination, viewing all others with suspicion; and on the other hand they take part in activities, whether directly or indirectly, that are not of God. If anything, many of their choices glorify Satan.

Why am I “picking on” Christians this morning instead of the unbelievers? The answer: Christians, who should know better, bear much responsibility since they claim to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God and to be followers of Jesus.

I am convinced that those who profess to be Christians and are not trying to live up to and even beyond what Jesus taught while on earth (1), are directly contributing to the corruption of the world instead of bringing an example of “heaven on earth.” (2) In my opinion, by their preaching of “cheap grace” they are responsible for slowing down the conversion of the world’s population to a higher spiritual plane.

As the Bible says, Christians are in the world but are not to be of the world (3). There’s a big difference. “Cheap grace” keeps standards low by discouraging those who have the sensitivity and intelligence to discern the things of God. I’ve written about my experience many years ago of having a “professing Christian” try to convert me with “cheap grace” tactics: just say the words and your sins are forgiven – past, present, and future. Wow! Isn’t that great! Praise the Lord!

I’ve also noticed that many “professing Christians” flaunt their cruelty while using the Bible to shut up anyone who questions their choices. Blood sports and the wholesale torture of billions of animals that is spreading around the world cannot be excused by pointing to out-of-context Bible scriptures.

How can anyone claiming to be a follower of Jesus participate in any way in the horrendous cruelties that are commonplace – much of it hidden in factory farms and laboratories? Yes, I mean participate! Those who pay others to do the dirty work are supporting the factory farms, slaughterhouses, the skinning alive of dogs and cats for fur trim that is seen everywhere, etcetera.

If Christians do nothing to expose and end this ungodliness, are they really followers of God the Creator? If they hide the truth (4), pretend that the cruelties do not exist, and participate directly or indirectly in them, are they following Jesus or are they following Satan?

(1) In John 14:12, Jesus says:

12. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father.” ~ New American Standard Bible

(2) In Matthew 6:9 and following, Jesus gives us an example of how we should pray. Here is a part of the Lord’s Prayer. I wonder how many people really think about “Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.”? Is killing in His will? Is there killing in heaven? Of course not!

9. "Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.

10. 'Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
~ New American Standard Bible

(3) In John 17:14-18, Jesus says to God the Father:

14. "I have given them Thy word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

15. "I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.

16. "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

17. "Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth.

18. "As Thou didst send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
~ New American Standard Bible

(4) The word “truth” is used 202 times in the Bible. In this passage in John 3:20-21, Jesus says –

20. "For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

21. "But he who practices the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."
~ New American Standard Bible

Go on to: There Ought to Be a Holiday… – 3 March 2007
Return to: Fear Makes the World Go ’Round (continued) – 1 March 2007
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