Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. - Romans 12:9-13 (ESV)
It seems within the tumult of this political season; Christians keep forgetting what it is supposed to mean to be a follower of Jesus Christ. We have a responsibility to the gospel, which is the only way anyone gets saved. This is not a private club we belong to. But for the grace of God go I beloved. We have fallen for the NAR lies of dominionism too easily. Paul once lamented the Galatian church as so easily abandoning the Christ they were taught and we see in today's American church, the past is indeed prologue. The Galatians allowed a subversive false doctrine into their faith by an outside group known as the Judaizers, who wanted to mix Mosaic law with the grace of God. Today, dominionism wants to mix carnal politics into our faith. Charisma has platformed theological lunatics who insist that saving faith in Christ is not enough and that we will stand before Christ and answer for our voting record. While the Judaizers were the outsiders infiltrating the church, today it is political whores disguised as Christian leaders. People who would be wildly false to begin with, but now take it to new NAR levels. People like Steeven Strang, Mario Murillo, Greg Locke, Jack Hibbs, and Dr. Michael Brown. They spend their days not defending the cause of Christ or trying to win souls by preaching the gospel but rather by threatening followers to vote as they have deemed or face the fires of hell.
This is all bad enough but because Strang takes his orders from his political masters, he is forced to try and defend the absolutely indefensible and present utter untruths every single day because it benefits his candidate for president. These untruths are then reposted and regurgitated by Christians throughout social media and everyone who sees it, sees the lies and hypocrisies. Why would anyone ever believe us about the gospel if we cannot tell the truth about obviously, glaringly false stories. Why would they think we care about them at all, if we seemingly do not care about the world's marginalized people? The key verses today, are under the header in the bible of, "Marks of a True Christian." We are to let our love be genuine. Realize that genuine love loves everyone, not just people we think are in our tribe. Consider these verses from Jesus Himself:
"If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. - Luke 6:32-36 (ESV)
The apostate church leaders such as the ones on Charisma News are always selling hatred towards anyone else. Anyone different. It is a never-ending onslaught of political grievances. Even if the lost are somehow our enemies, which they are not, we are called to love them. Not fear them. Not loathe them. There is no mercy taught to Christians anymore. This is despite the fact that we are recipients of unending mercy when we most certainly did not deserve it. We received our mercy and now withhold it from so many we should be representing Jesus to. According to the key verses we are supposed to outdo one another in showing honor. But we do not. There is no honor in repeating political lies that besmirch people we never met. People that Jesus also died for. There is no honor in repeating slurs so horrifically stupid they damage the cause of the gospel. It is not showing hospitality to fear, hate and lie about others just because we are too lazy to do real research and see if stories are true before we damage our witness for Christ. By the way, seeking out sources we know will tell us what we want to hear is not "research." It is in fact, confirmation bias. On this part of the key verse, regarding hospitality, let us turn to the Barnes commentary:
"Given to hospitality; or, as it may be rendered, "pursuing", or "following after love to strangers"; which is properly hospitality: respect is to be shown not to such only who are members of the same community with us, but also to such of the people of God, that may be of another country, or of some distant parts of our own, not before known by us; who by persecution, and distress of some sort or another, or by some providence or another, are obliged to remove from their native place. These we are to love, and show our love to, not only by directing and advising, but, if need be, by giving them food and raiment, and lodging them: this is a duty incumbent on ministers of the Gospel, and on private members, and on all who are in any capacity to perform it; and which should be done cheerfully, and without grudging; and what persons should use, inure, and give themselves to, yea, should seek after, and call to objects of it; as Abraham and Lot did, who thereby entertained angels unawares, and is what the apostle here means by pursuing and following after it." - Barnes Notes for the Entire Bible
Following after love to strangers. People who may be of another country or from distant parts of our own country, as well as those within our own communities. People who because of persecution or distress of some sort are obliged to remove themselves from their native place. The duty incumbent on ministers of the gospel, Christians, is not only to advise such people in need but provide food, clothing, and lodging. These things should all be done cheerfully. Without grudging, because we may not even know when we are entertaining angels! With this as our understanding I want to take you back to 2010, when a 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated the country of Haiti. Within 12 days, no less than 52 aftershocks with magnitudes greater than 4.5 further destroyed the country. The death toll was around 200,000. There were 250,000 residences and 30,000 businesses razed to rubble. In response to this suffering the United States granted what is known as Temporary Protected Status to Haitians. If you want to argue that it should be left to expire that is fine but Haiti has not been given some extraordinary status. Somalia has had TPS, for example, since 1991. Now, in 2018 Haitians started moving to Springfield Ohio because of affordable housing and job opportunities. They were welcomed by the community and they revitalized what was a depressed economy in what used to be a manufacturing town. They became part of the community. They work jobs there and employers speak highly of their contributions at work and in the city. The joined local churches and became part of the congregations.
I shouldn't have to say this, but Haitians are not eating pets in Ohio.
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