Sometimes no matter what

Sometimes no matter what
Jesus said,
He who has ears, let him hear.
“To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: 
“ ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’  
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’  
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.” ’ But wisdom is proved right by her actions.”Matthew 11:15-19.
Jesus here speaking to the criticism of the religious leaders of the day compares himself with John the Baptist. John and Jesus were quite different in their styles of preaching.
John wore clothing made of camel hair with a leather belt, and ate locust and wild honey. He called people to repent and be baptized.
By contrast Jesus was the norm for the day. He dressed normally, attended parties and weddings. Jesus also called people to repentance while at the same time sitting down with anyone who would listen to him.
Both men were doing the will of God but it was a no win situation with respect to the religious authorities of the day. As Jesus put it,
“For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.”“.
From this example it is clear that sometimes no matter how you present the message of salvation you will be criticized.
The same is true today as it was in the day of Jesus and John.
Today we have a myriad of churches with different styles and ways of presenting the gospel yet people will not even consider the message of Christ.
The key for the believer in Christ however is this. To do what Jesus said,
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20.
We are to present the gospel of Christ in love. In whatever way we can. It is then up to the believer to do with it as he or she wishes.
Are you?
Please think about it.

Sometimes

Sometimes
I believe it was Harper Lee in her book to Kill a Mockingbird who said,
“Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of another...”― Harper Lee.
As a Christian now for over forty years living in North America, I believe she is right. There may well be many people directed down the pathway to Hell because of what someone with a Bible in their hand has said.
A man with a bottle of whisky at worst gets himself drunk and in trouble. A man with a Bible in his hand using it wrongly can have eternal consequences for both the person and others he associates with.
The apostle Paul writes,

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, 

a workman who does not need to be ashamed 

and who correctly handles the word of truth.  

Avoid godless chatter, 

because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 

2 Timothy 2:15,16

Sadly many calling themselves Christians do not follow what Paul says. Nor do they follow the words of Jesus who said,

“So in everything, do to others 

what you would have them do to you, 

for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” 

Matthew 7:12

These people who claim to be Christian are in the streets, in the media and in church congregations. They are known particularly by those outside the church for their judgmental attitudes.
They from their perches in the media preach against those with different lifestyles, and beliefs. They condemn everyone who does not agree with them including Christians.
The apostle Paul wrote,

“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church?

 Are you not to judge those inside?  

God will judge those outside. 

“Expel the wicked man from among you.”

                                                                                   1 Corinthians 5:12,13.
Jesus said,

Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  

For in the same way you judge others,

 you will be judged, 

and with the measure you use, 

it will be measured to you.”

                                   Matthew 7:1,2.

I like what Billy Graham the great American evangelist said,

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God’s job to judge 

and my job to love, 

                      Billy Graham

This is something anyone who claims to be a Christian needs to remember.
As Christians we should be known for what we are for not for what we are against. We should be presenting the message of God’s love through Christ Jesus. The disciples and the first century church did this. Billy Graham said of these men and women,
“The men who followed Him (Christ), were unique in their generation. They turned the world upside down because their hearts had been turned right side up. The world has never been the same.” Billy Graham.
These early followers were in a society that was at least if not more diverse than our society here in North America in the twenty-first century.
It was filled with god’s of all descriptions including emperor worship. Men and women died in the arena’s for the entertainment of others. Yet the men and women of the early church did not speak out against them. Nowhere in the New Testament do we here of Jesus or the apostles speak against the secular Roman government.
True they spoke against the Jewish religious leaders but at the time they were a sect of Judaism and thus had that right.
In the first century Christians were known for what they were for Pliny the Younger Roman governor of Bithynia in Asia minor wrote to the Emperor Trajan wanting to know what to do about Christians.  It is one of the earliest known references to Christians and he describes them this way,
"They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft or adultery, never to falsify their word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up; after which it was their custom to separate, and then reassemble to partake of food--but food of an ordinary and innocent kind...”Pliny the younger.
Essentially their actions seemed harmless. Never-the-less the decision was made to persecute them and to put them to death simply because they were Christians.
The important thing here to note is from Pliny’s report they were doing nothing against the Emperor or Rome in general. They were simply put to death because of who they were.
As Christians to day people who have Bibles in our hands it is important that we present what is in it correctly to those around us.
It is important that our words and our deeds reflect that of Jesus.
The Apostle Peter writes,
Dear friends,
 I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:11,12.
The writer of Hebrews telling us,
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14
Please think about it.