Always remember, we are surrounded by intimidators.
Now that I have said that, who are you envisioning that I am speaking of? Do you think of Hollywood or Washington or Las Vegas? I would contend that the most dangerous of these intimidators are those from within the church herself.
Consider who plotted to murder Jesus. It was not the Romans. It was the religious hierarchy of the time. The full blown pagans were indifferent to the efforts of a Jewish Messiah. They saw no threat in His goals, as Pilate himself reveals. Now then, they would have killed Him just the same if they really understood all that Jesus proclaimed (exclusivity as the gate keeper to salvation, depravity of man and his desperate need for God’s forgiveness, just to rattle off a few things that might have gotten Him killed) but nonetheless, my point is the same: those who plotted to murder Jesus were from within the religious establishment. Now to us, and from the point of view of Scripture, they seem clearly smug and sanctimonious, complete with snobby nose reaching for the sky. But the general population of the time did not see them in such a light. They considered the Pharisees to be the pinnacle of spiritual achievement. They were the pious, the devout, the spiritual giants of their time. And here lies the danger of our time. We think of this as though it belongs in bygone days rather than in the hours in which we are living; as though this were a history that would not repeat itself. This is not a past tense issue but a present tense dilemma.
Don’t think that because a person goes to church, preaches in a fancy pulpit or even writes a book on Christian living that this confirms genuine sainthood. I would even go so far as to say that the worst of the enemies that we have to combat are those who are on the “inside.” They are the ones who will one day turn on us and chant “Crucify! Crucify!”
It is a troubling thing to sit and read “Foxes book of Martyrs” but is especially troubling when you come to Spanish Inquisition and find that the worst of the atrocities against the church came from the hand of the supposed church herself, the Roman Catholics.
To turn this around for a moment, I have heard a lot of bad things said about our President (who I trust you are praying for) by concerned Christian people. On the other hand, I hear some very polite and kind words said about many of the current heretical authors and church leaders. A lot of slack is given to those messing with our faith and very little slack given to those messing with our economy. How backward is that?
Listen, I am not all that concerned about government as compared to my faith. The matters of state are not my top priority, the treatment of my God and His word is. Come what may in the world of politics, be it oppression and pain, they cannot move my faith – but you alter my faith and all that’s left is a house of cards.
Our world that wants to entice you, lull you to sleep, or scare you into submission, this we know and are aware of . But we are prone to forget that the devices of Satan include the frightening talent to deceive by feigning brotherhood. Many have been tricked into conformity that were too strong to be beaten into conformity.
To our great peril, far too many good Christian saints are of the belief that our greatest threat is Main Street when really we ought to be looking in the pews and pulpits.
“For certain persons have crept in unnoticed…ungodly persons who turn the grace of God into licentiousness…hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear…clouds without water…autumn trees without fruit…wild waves of the sea…wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved.” – Jude 4,12,13
“for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.” 2Corinthians 11:14-15
