You may submit your own question via the contact information on the “ABOUT” page. A link to the about page can be found at the top of any of the website pages.

Question Summary:

Does trouble in our lives always mean there is sin in our lives? My friend told me that where there is trouble there is sin.

Reply:

The first thing I would like to recommend dear reader is that you go back to you friend and ask for clarity about what he or she meant. People will often make statements that relate to one aspect of a circumstance or truth but it does not reflect a firm belief they have that can be applied across the board to all circumstance. It is hard to understand fully what a person believes based on one or two statements they make. Moreover, it can be detrimental to jump to assumptions about what they believe. This happens often to minister and teachers because typically when they are making a point they do not have the time to address a principle exhaustively.

Trouble in someone’s life does not always mean the person has sin in his or her life. Trouble can come into a person’s life due to persecution. Trouble can come upon a person because they are suffering from the sin of another. Trouble affects people’s lives because of the collective sin of our world, society, families, environment, et cetera. Trouble comes into our lives for many reasons not just our own sin nevertheless; trouble can come into our lives because of our own sin.

Richard Sibbes, a seventeenth-century Puritan, was known for saying, “you can read the sin in the cross.” He meant, we can often determine what sins we might have committed based on the affliction, trouble, or trial we find ourselves bearing – trial being what he referred to as a “cross” in his statement.

When we do find ourselves in the mist of trouble, in a trial, or suffering an affliction it should be our practice to look at ourselves first, and then look for a secondary source. In a society that loathes taking personal reasonability the first reaction is typically to look everywhere else and at everyone else to place blame first, before we embark on self-examination. However, even in the most difficult circumstances where we have been clearly wronged, where trouble is found at our door due to another, we should still examine ourselves before God to see if He would have had us do anything differently at that time or in the future, should we find ourselves in similar circumstance.

If we allow ourselves to live under constant stress, we abuse our bodies, or we neglect our personal care how can we then seek to blame another, God, or Satan when our bodies break down and we become afflicted with an illness that could have been prevented – as God’s Word tells us to care for our temples, our bodies. If we neglect our marriage or our friendships how can we blame our spouse or our friend when they lose interest in us and we are faced with the trial of being alone – as God’s Word tells us we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. How can we sin by stealing a man’s property then be angry because we find ourselves in trouble with a business owner or worse yet, the law – as God’s Word tells us not to steal. If we are poor stewards of the money and things that God gives us then we have no cause to moan because we do not have more or because we have financial problems – as God’s Word tells us to be good stewards. If we are cruel to people we know or to strangers why should we view the cruelty directed toward us as an unjust affliction – as God’s Word tells us we will reap what we have sown. If we take it upon ourselves to make a decision without seeking godly counsel that turns out to be a poor decision which brings trouble to our lives how can we then complain about our troubles – as God’s Word tells us there is safety in seeking godly counsel. Through these few examples, you should be able to understand my point about when trouble might be a result of our own actions or sin.

It is true that trouble is not always due to our sin but when trouble, affliction, or trial comes, let us let us first look inside our own selves, within our own lives, cleaning up the mess there that might be affecting us before we start chasing demons or blaming others.

Regarding worldviews:

Secular sources – self-help, advice, mass media – some of these resources can be useful in obtaining knowledge about what is going on in our world but they are not credible sources for a Believer when it comes to establishing beliefs, opinions, and directives for life. The gap between the two foundational platforms (biblical vs. secular) is too vast at this point in our present day society to bring reconciliation between the two. A Believer should seek out Christian lifestyle training, godly counsel, and Christian forms of mass media using those to shape their approach to life.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

¹¹And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹²for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— ¹⁶from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Christian’s you need to stand up while you still can.  You did not give up your rights to man, you gave up your rights to Christ. 

You may submit your own question via the contact information on the “ABOUT” page. A link to the about page can be found at the top of any of the website pages.

Question Summary:

I will be combining and summarizing several questions on the same topic into this one question summary. Additionally I have chosen to omit information that I believe too personal to the individual to make known publically or publish here.

This is a question that is asked frequently. Godly men and women wonder why their churches and ministries are small and yet, they see other pastors and leaders with large churches and large ministries, leaders whom they know are not dividing the Word of God properly and/or are allowing ungodly things to go on. These individual often want to know, if they are following God and serving Him with integrity and righteously why do they remain small in numbers while others fill stadiums, huge church building, civic centers, and coliseums.

Reply:

The answer while simple is difficult to accept.

Error will always have more followers than Truth.

You can search your Bible from cover to cover and find from Noah and Lot, to Jesus and John the beloved that sin and religion have always attracted more individuals than holiness and godly spirituality.

Syncretism has become the apostate church’s new politically correct thing to do. When they are called on the carpet about the ungodly practice, they sound the trumpet of loving people to Christ or bringing peace to the world as their defense for their practice of combining different belief, godly and ungodly, in order ultimately to reach people. Jesus never practiced compromising the Father to win a convert or to influence the religious community around Him. To infuse what is godly with what is ungodly in order to find middle ground is apostasy.

I will repeat something I wrote in an earlier piece, “Godly love will always tell people, and present people, with the Truth. Godly peace can only be found in the presence of Truth, of which Jesus is central.”

The Greek language defines the term “false prophets” as found in the Scriptures below, as a “religious imposters” and the church has been inundated with them. Many of which have become the societal face of Christianity, at least in America.

1 John 4:1 (NKJV)

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Matthew 24:11 (NKJV) – Jesus speaking

Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

As a whole people do not like hearing the truth and being presented with God’s Truth is definitely something they do not enjoy or embrace. People leave churches because they do not like the Truth being taught because it confronts their sin or attempts to move them to change. People leave study groups, friendships, and even family because they find Truth to be so offensive. Truth cuts through people and reaches into their spirits. If their spirits are filled with ungodliness then Truth is their enemy, thus, if Truth is their enemy the person speaking the Truth becomes their enemy.

Jesus is, and was, the literal embodiment of Truth and He is the Authority present when Truth is taught, preached, presented, or spoken. People, for the most part, have always rejected Truth and fought against Truth. This is not likely to stop in this world. Jesus, being Truth, made it clear He came not to bring peace but to bring a sword. Truth will always be a sword between you and the one who does not wish to hear Truth. Additionally, Truth sets people free. Jesus is, and was, the Truth that sets people free and through His Truths, He continues to set people free bit by bit throughout their walk with Him over the course of a lifetime, manifesting the freedom He bought for them on Calvary and imputed to them at conversion. Satan does not want anyone to be free, to find their freedom in or through Christ, and he will fight to keep them in bondage, blinded, and in error.

John 14:6 (NKJV) – Jesus speaking

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Matthew 10:34–39 (NKJV) – Jesus speaking

34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

John 8:32 (NKJV) – Jesus speaking

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

It is a world idea that bigger is better, when most of the time that is simply not true. The idea that a large church must be a right church is again something that is based in the idea that people are attracted to what is good. No, people are attracted to what they want, what meets their needs on their terms. Godly success is simple not based on size, worldly success is based on size. Jesus was successful on the cross of Calvary but as best as we can determine from history He only had a few Followers with Him at that point in His ministry.

Again, remember, error will always have more followers than Truth.

Regarding worldviews:

Secular sources – self-help, advice, mass media – some of these resources can be useful in obtaining knowledge about what is going on in our world but they are not credible sources for a Believer when it comes to establishing beliefs, opinions, and directives for life. The gap between the two foundational platforms (biblical vs. secular) is too vast at this point in our present day society to bring reconciliation between the two. A Believer should seek out Christian lifestyle training, godly counsel, and Christian forms of mass media using those to shape their approach to life.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

¹¹And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹²for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— ¹⁶from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

You may submit your own question via the contact information on the “ABOUT” page. A link to the about page can be found at the top of any of the website pages.

Question Summary:

I will be combining and summarizing several questions on the same topic into this one question summary. Additionally I have chosen to omit information that I believe too personal to the individual to make known publically or publish here.

There have been a number of questions regarding persecution. People who have seen an increase in injustice and mistreatment as they have grown in their walk with God and/or taken steps to follow God in a particular direction or action that He has requested of them. In each occurrence I read, they seem to be legitimate cases of persecution against the godly who are behaving in ways that honor God. One incident of which I will address more specifically in answering another question.

Overall, the general feeling these people express is a feeling of aloneness among their brothers and sisters in Christ as well as aloneness within their families and society. I am pleased to report that each individual indicates that although they are alone in the natural, they do sense God’s presence with them.

The primary question seems to be why the persecution is happening.

Reply:

I will answer this question in a general way. There are forces that attack specific people for a specific purpose, attacks that can be deemed persecution. However, addressing publically the possible reason for their specific persecution is not profitable to all. This is why I have chosen to limit my reply to generalities.

If an individual is truly walking with God, following the Holy Spirit, they can and should expect persecution from the people within the church who are the religious, those whose godly spirituality is shallow and is about form and practice more than lifestyle and relationship, as well as persecution from the world.

Jesus, the apostles, and Jesus’ disciples were persecuted by the religious community of their day, the government of their day, and the worldly people of their day. Sadly, we can expect no less. The frequency and degree of persecution will rise again as the end draws nearer and America (for those of you in America) strays further and further from God.

Some of the attitude I have read approach persecution as meaning something is wrong with them. Persecution comes to them as a surprise and they view it as a negative thing. Suffering persecution, when suffered because of godliness, is a good thing and in some ways should be considered a badge of honor for the faithful. For if you were not faithful, you would not be persecuted. The world and Satan does not bother with individual who are not going to make any impact on their environment for Christ. People with nothing to say, no examples to give, no cause, no compass of Christ, who take no stand, and who generally make no difference for the Kingdom of God are not going to be bothered or messed with. Therefore, if you are being bothered, if you are being messed with, or if you do find yourself in persecution rejoice someone deems you a godly threat to ungodliness.

Jesus during His Sermon on the Mount ends His teaching, which we call The Beatitudes, addressing the issue of persecution.

Matthew 5:10–12 (NKJV) – Jesus speaking

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Jesus made it clear persecution would be part of the environment for the faithful.

Matthew 24:9 (NKJV) – Jesus speaking about the signs of the end.

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.

Instead of asking why we are being persecuted we should be more concerned if we are not being persecuted.

That said we might also seek the comfort and encouragement of a more mature Christian who has gone through persecution themselves. Only someone who has been persecuted for their godliness can truly understand the complex feelings involved in being maltreated and/or falsely accused for doing what is right, for doing what is godly, or for doing God’s Will. We are human, it hurts at times, and we need God’s help and the help of those who understand persecution in order to ensure it does not damage our faith.

"You can never really possess the Kingdom of God until the cause of God becomes more important than your own life." Charles Allen

When God’s Will, God’s desires, God’s Ways, and God’s agenda becomes more important than anything else to in our lives, then we can truly experience God in ways beyond the ability to describe in words.

2 Corinthians 4:7–10 (NKJV)

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

Philippians 3:12–14 (NKJV)

12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

What choice does a devoted Follower of Christ have but to press on and go forward? We have none, because, if we take our focus off following God, we will lose our purpose for existing as individuals and as the Body of Christ.

Regarding worldviews:

Secular sources – self-help, advice, mass media – some of these resources can be useful in obtaining knowledge about what is going on in our world but they are not credible sources for a Believer when it comes to establishing beliefs, opinions, and directives for life. The gap between the two foundational platforms (biblical vs. secular) is too vast at this point in our present day society to bring reconciliation between the two. A Believer should seek out Christian lifestyle training, godly counsel, and Christian forms of mass media using those to shape their approach to life.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

¹¹And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹²for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— ¹⁶from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.