I came to divide.
There are more religions in the world today than ever. Many have sprung up in the last 35 years and a new one has just came upon the scene. Many of these religions are calling for a joint unity between all religions that will lead us all into one big happy family with world peace assured. The biggest thing that divides the world today is religion.
For those that call for unity of religions, Please answer this one question, Which religions are willing to adapt all religions as being true?
There are none, even between the peoples of many religions, there are variances between themselves. Let's take Islam for example. These people fight among themselves, having the same religion. They are known to kill others of the Same Religion for little or no cause. Islam, Hindi and other religions around the world accept Jesus as being a Man of God and a Prophet, but as Jesus told the Pharisees,
"You do not accept a prophet of God in His own country and have killed the others that God has sent unto you." If Jesus was a prophet of God, why didn't all these other religions listen to His message?
Jesus said, "I come not to send peace on the earth but a sword. I came to divide." The word that we preach also continues to divide, putting families and friends at odds with each other. Matthew 10:34, Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
(Mic-7:6) Christ being the prince of Peace was not going to do the Dividing but His message would set in motion the things covered by prophecy. His message caused wide hatred of Him and does us also. We are the most hated Religion by all peoples and even by some of our own.
The message of the Bible separates family's, friends, countries and nations. Jesus said that there would be lords many and Christ many, but go not unto them, for they are false. We either believe Jesus is Lord or we don't. Its that simple. Why are we so hated?
The message that we preach is controversial in all aspects. We balance Preaching Love and Preaching Fear. Jude 1:22-23; And of some have compassion, making a difference: (These are the tender hearted.)And others save with fear (These are the Hard Hearted.), pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
The message that Jesus left to us, rejects all other religions for there are none that can save the Soul of man except one. His message doesn't give any leeway for any occasion to sin nor to join forces with the darkness of unbelief.
There is one central theam that all religions have, except for Christianity, Refusal to Declare Jesus as, Lord, Christ and Son of God. All religions believe in a god, weather it be one or multiple.
They all believe in a here after and a punishment. They all believe that their religion is better than the rest but they all lack substance, they all lack insight and they all lack Spirit. God can not denigh His Son nor can He denigh Himself. Those that say, we will be reincarnated. If you can't get it right in this life how can you expect to get it right in the next?
There are three major religions in the world and all three say they worship the True God, "Jehovah". Worshiping God, "Jehovah", brings about a responsibility to man to believe in Gods Word, letter by letter, word by word and passage by passage. Only 1 religion actually does.
Mat 10:35 For I am come to set a man at variance (a conflict.) against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. The conflict spoken of here is not one of family ties or love but of religious differences, in other words, we hate what our children do but we still love the children.
Mat 10:36 And a man's foes (Enemies) shall be they of his own household. The Bible states very clearly that in the end of days that even the family will be at odds with each other and the children will have the parents put to death and the parents will also put their children to death.
Here are two verses that prove this; Matthew 10:21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. Zec 13:3 And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the LORD: and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through(Kill) when he prophesieth.
This is not a contradiction of Matthew 10:35, but a revelation on the state of mans' changing attitude toward his relationships within his own family.
Governmental regulations have almost destroyed the family unit by their interferences with the parental rights under God to correct their children and raise them up as called for by God.
Do you think that this can't come about? Well think again, today's' society has gone the way of family murders, children killing parents and parents killing entire households, and remember the Civil War? But what we are speaking of is religious differences that will cause this same type of behavior, it is inevitable. Everyone is preoccupied with the past and trying to make sense of what happened but very few are considering the future.
We must consider that tomorrow never comes, the future of mans' soul is today. Sometimes our own love, for our family and even our children, put us at odds with the Creator. Many times we will think of our family, wife, husband, daughter and son, before we even think about considering God. Jesus knew that this would take place even more in the times of the end. I have seen this myself in my life and in the lives of others.
Jesus told us in Matthew 10:37-39;
"He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: (This is not physical love, for God and Jesus are Spirit, but this is a spiritual love and arrangement of our spiritual priorities.) and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.(His demands for total regard and love is all inclusive.) And he that taketh not his cross (The word,"Cross" is speaking of responsibility and labors due to God.), and followeth after me (To follow Jesus is to follow His example of obedience to God and His will. Even prior to His Death, the thoughts of Jesus, were on only fulfilling the will of His Father.), is not worthy of me.
He that findeth his life shall lose it ( Refusing to follow after Jesus, and taking the easy way through this life may give you, Joy, Love, Pleasure and fulfillment in the flesh but in the end you will lose your everlasting soul.): and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." (Obedience unto death.) The last division I want to mention is within the Christian Community itself.
There are many different Churches that dislike and even hate other Christian Churches because they worship God in different ways and with different Names over the Door. Baptist, (Which do not accept the gifts of the Spirit for today's Church.)1St. Baptist, 2ND Baptist, Independent Baptist, Southern Baptist, Northern Baptist, Apostolic (Which does not accept a Trinity, Father, Son, Holy Ghost.) Pentecost(Which does accept the gifts of the Spirit for today's Church.) , Nazarene, Catholic (Believes that common man does not have the intelligence to read and interpret the Bible for themselves.), New Life Baptist, Church of God, etc, etc, etc. Each of these Churches must look at each other as fellow brothers in Christ, follow His Doctrine, as lined out in the Book of Acts, and accept each other as fellow workers in the search for lost souls.
What causes this division? Doctrine. Mans doctrine started to get a foot hold in the Church many years ago, starting with the separation of the Catholic Church (Which sought to control the minds of its followers, not allowing them to read the Bible for themselves.) and the Protestant Movement,(Which believed that the Gospel of Jesus should, be open to all men, to be able to read and interpret within themselves.)
If you would take the time and look at most Church Doctrines, you would see that it doesn't line up with the word of God and many are contrary to it. An evangelist, that is preaching the Gospel, should be able to go into any Christian Church and Preach Salvation, no matter what name is on the door. Just because a man of God is not affiliated with any specific Church that He enters, does mean that He is a wolf at the door. Its time the Church woke up. The End is near.
1 Co. 14:26; How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. We must either join hands and quit this division and bickering or we will have a hard time walking together. We must all walk together, hand in hand, or we might miss Heaven altogether. ars
Temple of Spirit & Truth Ministries A.R.Smith Ministries http://www.ourchurch.com/member/a/arsmithsermons/