That is a strange title I know; let me set it up though. You go throughout your life and it seems that you get along with everyone in your family and in your circle of friends - for the most part. Everything is going well, then you do something weird and crazy like receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, or just really get serious with your relationship with Him and everything seems to change. The family that you used to hang around with seems to always have time for everything in their life, except you. The friends that seem to be so close seem so distant now. You try to keep up with contacting them, but it just seems that you are pushed further and further away. Why is this happening? Well the interesting thing is that Jesus Christ Himself said that this would happen. Let me show you some Scriptures from the Word of God that you may or may not know is even in there. These will pull some blinders off so we can understand what is happening. "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lost it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." Matthew 10:34-39 Woah! Those are some very strong words spoken from Jesus Himself. So what in the world is He saying? I mean I thought He was all about peace, While Jesus Christ is all about peace, He also knows human nature and He was just preparing them for what happens. When you receive Christ as your Lord and Savior or draw closer to Him, something truly happens in your life - you become more like Christ. His Spirit moves into you and you become the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19}. Realize it or not, those around you will pick up on it. Jesus Christ is saying that it divides people because to those who don't have Christ, being around you will remind them, down into their spirit, that they are not right with God and that they are spiritually dead. "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: to the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?" 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 Understand that as believers, we smell like life to other believers, because they sense Christ in us and He reminds them that life lives in them as well. On the contrary, for those that do not have Christ, it is strong reminder that life (Christ) does not dwell within them and it leaves them with death. So why don't many family and friends come around anymore? Well, the reason is that being around you reminds them that they are lost and they don't want to deal with it yet. It is also a constant reminder and brings conviction of their sin - if you ever mention it or not. It is more comfortable for these to just break ties with you - at least they won't feel guilty around you any more. At this point, some believers start to be attacked for their faith. One thing that is often said, even if the believer is never rude or acting like this, "You are being holier than thou." I love to break it to the unbelieving world, but any believer that has Christ in them is "holier than thou!" Christ in them sets them apart from the world and set toward God. This is none of their own doing though, it is simply that they received Christ into their hearts and lives. Many believers, at this point, do something detrimental to their faith and their witness. To make sure that they don't make people uncomfortable, they never speak up for Christ, never live for their convictions, and just try to blend in with the world around them. Oh believer, this is not the course you should take. First of all we have a very strong warning about this is Scripture. "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." Matthew 10:32-33 Let us then live in such a way that proclaims Christ instead. Let us rather realize what Paul realized - "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 So when family members and friends ignore you, leave you, and even persecute you for your faith - wear it as a badge of honor. Any hole that they leave will be filled by Jesus Christ Himself. Instead of allowing the enemy to keep you down - instead, rejoice.....rejoice....rejoice! "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for their's is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." Matthew 5:10-12 Keep being faithful believer, keep living and proclaiming Christ, for these will be the things that Christ will use to shine His light to those around you. So Rejoice! - Pastor Aaron
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AuthorPastor Aaron & Sheila Gravett Archives
August 2019
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