November 27, 2022 Bible Reading
November 27, 2022
Ride or Die for God’s Word
By Wayne Schaffer, Pastor New Life Worship Center in Altoona, PA, Presbyter, South Central West Section PennDel Assembly of God
Redefine, reprogram, reeducate, redistribute— the “RE’s” are at it again. This isn’t the first, and it won't be the last time in human history that an attempt has been made to alter and cancel God’s truth and God’s people. Every time an attempt has been made, God’s Word has prevailed. God’s people persevered through it, and God’s purposes were fulfilled.
“If you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.” (Colossians 1:23, NIV)
Pharaoh wanted to kill the Hebrew children. (Exodus 1:15-22)
Herod wanted to kill the Hebrew boys. (Matt. 2:16-18)
Today we want to kill the unborn (abortion) and even the born with (gender identity). The world has always tried to silence those who proclaim God’s Word.
Jezebel set out to kill God’s prophets. (1 Kings 18:4)
The teachers of the law sought to kill Jesus. (Matt. 23:29-36)
All of the Apostles died a martyr's death.
Today, anyone who dares speak the truth is under attack, being canceled, put in Facebook jail, deleted from social media, mocked, and ridiculed. And yet, we are called upon as Christians not to respond with evil.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:17-21)
The world has tried to eliminate the Bible’s existence.
King Jehoiakim hated the Word of God. He ordered it to be cut, burned and ordered the arrest of Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 36)
Today, we find ourselves faced with those who are trying to redefine truth and silence the Gospel. They want to reduce the Bible to nothing more than a fictitious storybook. Freedom to preach God’s Word is under attack worldwide, and it’s starting to happen in the US and Canada.
There are calls to silence the Bible’s moral clarity on many topics (Marriage, LGBTQ, abortion, socialism, salvation). If you speak God’s truth, it is almost certain that it will be lampooned as “hate speech.”
So what will you do? Will you conform to the world, or will you contend for the faith?
“I…urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.” (Jude 3, NIV)
Revelation 12:17 tells us, “Those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus” are at war with Satan. He will use every force of this present age to battle against God’s Word and God’s people. While our current culture is attempting to silence the truth and brand its “lies” as the “new truth,” as Christians, we must hold fast to The Truth!
Though it may be hard, I find that 1 Peter 2:15 gives us a way to defeat those who are trying to silence us, “by doing good you put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.” (1 Pet. 2:15, NIV)
Truly the only “RE” that should be happening is the RENEWING of our mind, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)
Today’s Scripture: If you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. (Colossians 1:23, NIV)
New International Version (NIV)
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