Overcoming Prejudice - The Hated

I am continuing in my series concerning prejudice and the Kingdom of God. We are examining Father's heart in relationship to lifting up one group of people over another. I have been doing this by looking at Jesus' actions. My attitude in this is as Moses had requested of Yahweh, show me your ways that I may know you. By his actions Jesus demonstrated the Father's heart and the priorities of the Kingdom.

If you have confessed Jesus as Saviour and Lord then you have confessed him as King. You have, by invitation, become citizens of the Kingdom. This Kingdom and her people are reflections of our glorious King, although not all of us have been taught or are living by these greater standards. It is important for us to look to our King for the example he has set so we know how to live by this new nature. 

Jesus spent all his time overcoming the prejudices of his day. He demonstrated how important it is for Kingdom people to bring the "unseen" of this world into the "seen". The strong are to carry the weak. The privileged to lift up the disadvantaged. The acceptable to include the outcasts. And this not in a "looking down" attitude but a equalizing heart.

We have already looked at the touch of the leper, the choosing of Jesus' looked-down on friends and the "seeing" of women but one of the strangest encounters is that of Zacchaeus.

Jesus already demonstrated his view of the outcasts in this society when he chose Matthew, the tax collector, traitor to Israel, as his close companion and future leader. Jesus, God, has always been attracted to these unloved, rejected, hated, people of this society. This culture showed no value in these people which should warn us to be careful with the attitudes of our own culture.

We tend to place value on people similar to ourselves, who have something to offer, contributors, producers of something. We place value on a friendly and kind neighbour, on a caring and sacrificial nurse, on an understanding politician, on a powerful and rich person, on the successful people in our community. We de-value those who are different from us, who live contrary to acceptability, the welfare recipient, the single mom, the mentally ill, the complaining neighbour. As far as our society goes these are the non-contributors who are a drain on our society, so they have no value and are ill treated.

Here we have Zacchaeus, the chief of tax collectors, traitor to Israel, outcast, rejected, hated, whose heart is drawn to this man Jesus. He is curious. And short. The crowd is huge and no one is going to show kindness to the traitor. No one will make way so that he can see. So Zacchaeus climbs a tree so he can look and evaluate this man, Jesus.

I find it amazing, in that entire crowd Jesus singles out one man to honour, one man to bring into the light, one man to "see". He calls out to this man and invites himself to his house. That man had one desire, to be "seen". Jesus placed value on him and Zacchaeus' heart exploded in gratitude, generosity and repentance. What a friend we have in Jesus.

Of course the "seen" people of society did not agree. I am sure they had thoughts about this situation as Simon had about Mary : "If he knew what kind of man this is Jesus would have nothing to do with him." But Jesus did know. He knew and still he lift him up and showed him his value. The Kingdom's value system is far superior to this world's.

Prejudice exists well beyond skin colour, even though skin colour is the issue being addressed today. The real problem is with value. How do we measure a person? How do we determine value? The Kingdom values people simply because they are created by Father and are the objects of his love. Even if they reject him it does not change his love or his focus.

The Kingdom is about people, relationships, love and all its manifestations. It is about reconciliation and the relationship of creation and Creator. Those who accept the invitation of salvation are invited into the Kingdom and into the mission of our King. It is our purpose to live out the Royal Law, "Love and value your neighbourhood as you love and value yourself." Even if your neighbour is different from you, belongs to a different culture, hates you, considers you an enemy, is a non-contributer. Those things do not add or take away value. Value is determined by Father's love. There is no room for prejudice in love.

Responding To Hate

Belgium has been attacked today, as France was attacked, as Russia was attacked, as many countries have been attacked in the past. It is a good illustration of how Jesus has transformed us to live by a different code than this world, to have different values and to live by a different perspective. It is vital that, as his followers, we die to the desires of our first nature and live in the Spirit, with our new nature.

Jesus called us to be something different, a new people, a new nation, to live in a new way so that the world would look in and Father would receive the glory for what they see. It is more than a love that we put on; it is a love that permeates everything that makes us unique. Let me remind you how it is suppose to look, as Jesus taught it. Remember, this cannot be achieved by our effort but instead in cooperation with the Holy Spirit:

 “But I say to you who are willing to hear: Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on the cheek, offer the other one as well. If someone takes your coat, don’t withhold your shirt either. Give to everyone who asks and don’t demand your things back from those who take them. Treat people in the same way that you want them to treat you." (Luke 6:27-31)

Unfortunately too many of us call on the name Jesus without submitting to Jesus. We think it is okay to sing his praises and curse people. We think it is okay to react to the world in our flesh while fellowshipping with God in our spirit. We think this and use the excuse that we are human. But we aren't human. We are a new creation and we have been empowered to cooperate with the Holy Spirit to live differently than the rest of creation so Father will receive glory. Stop making excuses, we are going to be held accountable. Don't hate those who want to see you dead, and don't fear them; pray for them.

“If you love those who love you, why should you be commended? Even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, why should you be commended? Even sinners do that. If you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, why should you be commended? Even sinners lend to sinners expecting to be paid back in full. Instead, love your enemies, do good, and lend expecting nothing in return. If you do, you will have a great reward. You will be acting the way children of the Most High act, for he is kind to ungrateful and wicked people. Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate." (Luke 6:32-36)

There is no creature on this planet that should compare to the forgiving and generous character of a follower of Jesus. We are possessed by his Spirit and thus live by his character. When we fail we are corrected but we are never permitted to excuse the failure. When we fail we should understand that we have weakness in our relationship with Jesus. When we are intimate with him we are strong in his character, sensitive to the Holy Spirit's guidance.

“Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you. A good portion—packed down, firmly shaken, and overflowing—will fall into your lap. The portion you give will determine the portion you receive in return.” (Luke 6:37-38)

Why do we fail to know this is how we live, react, respond? When we fail why do we think it is okay? Why do we not understand the need to reject our error, to confess and repent of it, to ask Jesus for greater intimacy to live in the manner that pleases him? If Jesus is our Master we can't just ignore his words, they were given to enable life in us. 

We are different than all the rest because we have the character of Jesus. Hate is never justified. If Jesus could ask forgiveness for those who crucified him certainly we can ask for and give forgiveness to those who do harm to us. Our calling is a higher calling of sacrificial love. So let us love those who see themselves as our enemies, those who persecute us, those who want to do harm to us; just like Jesus.

Be Careful Little Tongue What You Say

Last week I wrote that we need to be careful about the words that we allow to be spoken into our lives. When destructive words are allowed to take root they can undermine Yahweh's glorious purpose for us. In the same sense, we need to be careful of the words we speak. The easiest thing for us to do is complain. It is the most natural thing for our flesh to do and it does it often.

Our Father hates complaining.

That statement alone should cause us to sit up and take notice. Few of us would want to be engaged in any activity that our Father hates and yet every day we find ourselves complaining about people, situations, our perceived lack or the many great injustices in the world. Consider this one simple example from God's Word:

"When the people complained intensely in the Lord's hearing, the Lord heard and became angry. Then the Lord's fire burned them and consumed the edges of the camp." (Numbers 11:1)

Obviously we live in the age of grace, an age in which we are covered by the grace of our Lord as we grow into maturity. But just because the Lord does not punish us for the things we do does not mean they do not hurt him. Our God takes our complaints personally. That should mean something to us.

What really hurts is when we complain against his goodness. Our flesh has selective memory. It remembers the slavery of sin so much differently than the reality of it. It remembers the pleasure of it and forgets the consequences. It even exaggerates the pleasure so that we will complain about where  we are in freedom in Jesus and long to go back to slavery. Remember this:

"The riffraff among them had a strong craving. Even the Israelites cried again and said, 'Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish we ate in Egypt for free, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. Now our lives are wasting away. There is nothing but manna in front of us." (Numbers 11:4-6)

Funny how these complainers forgot about their lack of freedom, forgot the chains, forgot the whips, forgot the hard labour, forgot the thousands of dead. We need to take warning from this moment in Israel's relationship with the Lord. Complaining goes beyond our Lord hating it; these words also have an effect on our trust relationship with the Lord. Every word of complaint is a testimony against the goodness of our God. We hold on to enough of these words and it will erode our trust in Jesus and his promises. We will begin to believe that there is something better for us elsewhere. When we get into a crisis we will try to find help from another source. And when it comes to the good gifts of our Lord, we will reject them.

This complaining generation of Israel is the generation that failed to enter into the land of "milk and honey" that Yahweh had promised them. Because of their complaining attitude they could only see the giants, the fortified cities and the great armies that they faced. Their complaints turned their eyes away from the LORD God Almighty to the things of this world that, in themselves, they had no hope of overcoming. No wander our God hates a complaining tongue; he knows the effect it has on the heart.

If we are to remain his children we need to follow the example we find in the Word and fill our mouths with praise and thanksgiving. We need to put effort into this relationship and cultivate a heart of gratitude in all things. Whether in the desert or the land of plenty, our Lord remains the same, his love remains the same, his promises remain the same, his provision remains the same and all praise is due him. We can trust him. Today, let us sing with the psalmist:

Shout triumphantly to the Lord, all the earth!
2     Serve the Lord with celebration!
    Come before him with shouts of joy!
3 Know that the Lord is God—
    he made us; we belong to him.
    We are his people,
    the sheep of his own pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanks;
    enter his courtyards with praise!
    Thank him! Bless his name!
5 Because the Lord is good,
    his loyal love lasts forever;    his faithfulness lasts generation after generation.  (Psalm 100)

The Discouragement The Morning After

Do we not understand that everything in this world is bent on our destruction? Not that we need to be concerned about it because Jesus is our protector, but we need to at least be aware that we live and breathe in a hostile environment. When we walk in the light, any brush with darkness has the potential to discourage us. This is the reason why the day after great spiritual breakthroughs it can seem to be filled with so much discouragement.That's when it is good to remember Jesus' promise:

I have told you this, so that you might have peace in your hearts because of me. While you are in the world, you will have to suffer. But cheer up! I have defeated the world. (John 16:33)

The darkness may be bent on our destruction but that's because it has already been defeated by Jesus. It is too bad that we can so easily be distracted from the truth of who we are in Jesus and what Jesus has made possible through him. Yes, each day is a great challenge but the challenge is to keep our focus on the source of all things; the source of joy, hope, peace, and power. Paul asked:

If God is on our side, can anyone be against us? God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won’t he freely give us everything else? (Romans 8:31-32)

We are deep in the Spirit, surrounded by Jesus Christ and every promise he has given. Don't philosophy about it. The promises were given to us to act on every single day of our life. Because our Father has given us the Son, he also freely gives us everything else, including joy in the midst of the darkness. Paul continues to ask:

If God says his chosen ones are acceptable to him, can anyone bring charges against them? Or can anyone condemn them? No indeed! Christ died and was raised to life, and now he is at God’s right side, speaking to him for us. Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death? (vv. 33-35)

When we come away from an incredible spiritual experience with Jesus Christ, we are not coming away from Jesus. We are simply walking through the darkness where it is easier to be distracted by its limited attractions. We still walk in the Spirit, are still surrounded by the promises, are still under Jesus' protection, are still blessed and partake in all the benefits of a relationship with Jesus. Despite the challenges you may face because of the darkness today, remember:

In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us. (v. 37)

I know the dark can provoke fear and anxiety but when you turn the light on you see there is nothing to fear. Let Jesus be that light today, so the emptiness offered by the darkness will be revealed and all those fears and anxieties will flee:

I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, 39 and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord! (vv. 38-39)

And that's all we need today as we walk in the Spirit in a world that is hostile toward us. Yes, be aware that everything is bent on your destruction but don't fear it. Just be aware of it so you will never desire to leave the protection of the Spirit; be aware of it so you know why you should always have a thankful heart. This is an excellent day because we get to spend it with Jesus. It is excellent because we get to see his promises in action. It is excellent because we have an opportunity to serve him so the darkness can see that the Light is alive and well.

The World Hates Me. And?

Have you noticed the great falling away yet? Have you noticed that those who profess Jesus as Lord are now moving into a minority? Have you noticed the morality that has governed the western world for hundreds of years is being thrown off and the true heart of man is being revealed? It's because the facade is being removed and everything is being exposed.

There is no good thing in a man or woman who are without Christ. Those who are without Christ are governed by their sinful nature so they end up doing things that they may not even want to do. And the depravity is increasing. Well, maybe not so much increasing as the fear of letting it be exposed is being removed. I tell you now, watch how quickly things begin to decline in the next year.

So you as a Christian are beginning to find yourself in a hostile place. People don't like you because of Jesus and some will even hate you. You could be the nicest person, do the greatest good works, be the friendliest person but they will still hate you because of Jesus. It will become more dangerous to point out the depravity of their thinking and actions. They will try to do everything in their power to shut you up.

It's funny though how the Spirit is encouraging the followers of Jesus, the warriors of the only legitimate Kingdom. As I scrolled through the social networking sites this morning there is one verse that kept showing up:

If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

This is not saying that no one will be against us but instead, no one of any significance will be against us. In other words, who is there compared to God? This is important and encouraging and we will need to remember it over the next little while as things get uglier, but there is something even more important to hold on to in all of this mess.

This world will de-value you. People will make you feel stupid, ignorant, uneducated, and useless. You will be accused of being a blight on the peace of this world and you will be blamed for all the wrong things in society. It is as this world tries to make you feel like garbage that you need to remember something fundamentally important:

Yet some people accepted him
    and put their faith in him.
So he gave them the right
    to be the children of God.
13 They were not God’s children
by nature
or because
    of any human desires.
God himself was the one
    who made them his children. (John 1:12-13)

Above anything else, you are a child of God. You are not a child of God because you willed it but because God made you his child. Now, understand the depth of the previous verse; If our Father is for us, who can be against us?

Everything this world values is going to come to an end. These poor, sad people really think that in the end they are achieving something. They think they are captains of their own destiny. They think that by sheer will they can transform this hate-filled planet. They are not to be feared, they are to be pitied, prayed for, and rescued from themselves.

We don't have time to be worried about how the world sees us or feels about us. Community churches need to stop trying to win the world over by being user friendly. It's not about numbers, programs, or entertainment value. It's not about "feeling". It's about seeing the power of the Spirit released in every believer to do the will of the Father. We need to dig in and fight for the lost like never before. We need to stand united in the Spirit, encouraging one another as long as it is called "today". The only way to help this world now is by the Truth and his name is Jesus; no greater name in all of time. So, make sure your armour is in place mighty warrior-child of God, and stand your ground.

Who Does God Hate?

Who does God hate?

No one!

But that doesn't mean he will not judge those who are in rebellion to him. That is the tragedy in this whole thing: God's love is so great it has produced a grace that will cover any sin, but most people reject this love. Listen to these words and understand the depth of the love from which they come:

‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die?' (Ezekiel 33:11)

Who does God hate?

No one!

Is there a day of judgement for those who chose themselves over God?

Sadly, yes.

And God's heart will break on that day as it breaks every day we choose wickedness over life. But there will be judgement. And, listen to these words that came from the most beautiful lips, words that speak of grace and death in the same breath:

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:17-18)

Those who stand and preach that there will be no hell because in the end God's love will win out are calling Jesus a liar. Oh, it can be our desire that everyone on the face of this planet will realize the brilliance of God and his great love for us and will make the right decision, but the decision over heaven and hell is entirely ours.

Who does God hate?

Absolutely no one!

He went to the cross for us. He spilt his blood for us. His love drove him to pay the ultimate price for us. But even that wasn't enough because he has planned more for us. The grave is empty for a reason. He has called us to him for eternity. He has even given us a taste of that by sending us his Holy Spirit; a deposit guaranteeing what is to come. But there is still a choice to be made.

Understand fully what it means to make that choice. It means being crucified on the cross with Jesus. It means dying to yourself. It means rejecting anything that is not from God. It means not pursuing your selfish desires but the will of God. Too often we use the love and grace of God to mask our selfish desires and sins, but it is still rebellion and a decision against Jesus. Those who advocate the acceptance of sin, the rebellious acts of the unsaved, calling the holy common and the common holy, need to wake up to this fact. God's judgement is as real as his love and grace.

Who does God hate?

No one.

Now the decision is ours.