For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV)
This morning I first heard about then read about newly elected Alabama Governor Robert Bentley's speech.
Ala. governor apologizes - but not for his faith
Now, not being from Alabama, I really didn't know much about him. I learned that he was sworn in on Monday then gave a speech at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church which is Martin Luther King Jr's first church. In the context of his speech he said: “Anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, I’m telling you, you’re not my brother and you’re not my sister, and I want to be your brother.”
He apologized on Wednesday, not so much for what he said, but for offending anyone. “If anyone from other religions felt disenfranchised by the language, I want to say I am sorry. I am sorry if I offended anyone in any way,”
He apologized for his remarks, but not for being a Christian. He later said: “I will never deny being a born-again Christian. I do have core beliefs and I will die with those core beliefs,” Bentley said. “But I do not want to be harmful to others. And I will die if I have to to defend someone else’s right to worship as they choose.”
Needless to say, Robert Bentley has been attacked for his statement. He did apologize for offending anyone. Now I'm not going to go into the matter of whether he should have apologized or not. Let’s just say that those of us who claim Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour are all human. Most of us, in our human nature, try to get along with one another and we really don’t like offending anyone. There is a part of us who really wants to get along. On the other hand, we are also called to speak the truth and not compromise our beliefs.
Remember, Jesus did not call everyone His brother or His sister.
For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother. Matthew 12:50 (NKJV)
So then, who are the brothers and sisters? Those who believe in Jesus Christ as Saviour.
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: John 1:12 (NKJV)
On that note, if you speak God's truth, people will be offended; you will be attacked; you will lose friends because the world doesn't understand the truth. They do not have the ability to discern the truth.
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18 (NKJV)
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14 (NKJV)
The days are coming my brothers and sisters in Christ when it will be more and more difficult to speak the truth. The false prophets and teachers can speak, people of other religions can speak, agnostics and atheists can speak. They are in the dark and darkness doesn't like the light.
And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. John 3:19 (NKJV)
So if you speak the truth, just be prepared.
"And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me." Matthew 5:6 (NKJV)
9 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another." Matthew 24:9-10 (NKJV)
Are you my brother or my sister? If you're not, I pray that you will consider Jesus to be your Saviour and be freed from the darkness and come into the light. Believe me, you will see the world in a whole different way. But please decide soon, because I feel that time is short and you might not have tomorrow.
Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. James 4:14 (NKJV)
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (NKJV)
I will close as ask that you please pray for Governor Robert Bentley. He will be attacked viciously and politically he will suffer. We need to pray that God gives him strength and wisdom to endure and that he remembers that his blessed hope and final glory is not of this world but is coming soon.
God willing, until next time
Maranatha
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