If you are dealing with PTSD, your spiritual needs being filled can add to your healing but with all the exposure of those who claim to follow Jesus, yet hate everyone else, you may be feeling as if that is the last thing you want to deal with. That is only because you have not heard there are far more people in this world living by what Jesus actually did stand for.
He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
The Beatitudes
Here is something that is going on that will help you understand that those with getting the attention because they hate, are not the ones who actually follow Jesus!
I was talking to a Pastor earlier today because after preaching about love, compassion, and everything else Jesus taught His followers to be, she was confronted by a self-claimed “christian” who apparently neglected to follow any of the conditions of fellowship Jesus emulated.
A woman turned to her and said that she was being shut out by what I call deli-Christians, avoiding anything that would hard to digest for them because they were so filled with hatred and judgment. The Pastor told her there was a place where she did not have to feel alone or abandoned and welcomed her.
The reason many true followers of Jesus are mistreated by others is because we have managed to allow all the others to gain attention for their hatred, bigotry, racism and condemning people for telling the truth because they found more value in lies that conform to what they already think.
I told the Pastor that I had been dealing with people just like that most of my life, just as she faced. For me, it was a larger group because I do not attend church anymore. The thing is, it is great if you found a church where you feel as if you belong. The sad truth is, more feel as if the church has no room for them unless they surrender everything their souls are calling them to be.
For those of us who ask “What would Jesus do?” before we decide to do something, this is for you!
We know what Jesus said about everything we are faced with, including how to deal with this generation of Pharisees and Sadducees.
“The other large difference between the Pharisees and the Sadducees was one of status or standing. Most of the Sadducees were aristocratic. They came from families of noble birth who were very well connected in the political landscape of their day. We might call them “old money” in modern terminology. Because of this, the Sadducees were typically well connected with the ruling authorities among the Roman Government. They held a great deal of political power.
The Pharisees, on the other hand, were more closely connected with the common people of the Jewish culture. They were typically merchants or business owners who had become wealthy enough to turn their attention to studying and interpreting the Scriptures — “new money,” in other words. Whereas the Sadducees had a lot of political power because of their connections with Rome, the Pharisees had a lot of power because of their influence over the masses of people in Jerusalem and the surrounding areas.“
Learn Religions
Jesus knew their treachery was brewing and confronted them for teaching “falsehoods” equal to what we now call lies. When non-believers hear the new generation of these folks preaching about how much they hate other people, Jesus is trying to get us to call them out and show the true fellowship we have with Him.
It is almost as if they have been trying to Crucify His Life all over again by taking Him out of their hearts.
Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.
Matthew 12:14
Much like today, they accused Jesus of being in line with Satan himself because He did what was good and righteous.
But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
Matthew 12:24
And He gave them a warning.
30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
Matthew 12:30-36
So, no, don’t let them get away with it. Speak out on what Jesus said and know that just because they claim to be the “moral right” they are totally wrong. They misunderstood what Jesus said about who shall be on His left side and who shall be on His right side.
A King, or speaker faces his subjects, so those on His right side are on the left side of the room. Those on his left are on the right side of the room.
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Matthew 25:37-46
When we refuse to speak out because they are so loud, understand they are only loud because we have whispered instead of roared. They have attacked others because they cannot defend themselves when everything they do goes against what Jesus taught,
This is yet one more reason why I wrote The Lost Son series so that God and Jesus, and all He said would get more attention than what Satan says through those who are actually in fellowship with him while claiming to follow Jesus.
We know what Jesus would do and it is about time we did it so that others will begin to see they may not find a place in a church but have a place with God and can speak to Him anytime they want to.
One more thing, when people pray for miracles, some things God can do on His own but other times, He speaks to our souls and asks us to fill the need. If we refuse, we are not only failing the person in need, we are failing to honor a request from God!
You can also find the comfort in Christian music until you find the right church. I have traveled 1300 miles away from OCC Oviedo City Church but I still tighe on a weekly basis because I think WWJD so in the meantime go to Pandora and select Modern Day Christian Worship.
Thank you Kathy on your dedication to others on this important topic.