BYM ONLINE DESK Blessing English May 2017 | Page 10

Aren't these things shameful to hear? Why do people rush
home from church before the benediction? Isn't it to avoid
meeting a particular person? Isn't our peace of mind
disturbed by one particular person? What a tragedy! How
can people who cannot live in harmony on earth live together
in heaven? (if they get there!) “See to it that no one falls
short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to
cause trouble and defile many.” (Heb 12:15).
Hostility within the church is it's greatest enemy.
When will we come out of sins like enmity, anger and ill will
? The Holy Spirit was poured out when the believers
gathered together and were of one accord (Acts 2:1). The
Lord taught us the importance of being united, when He said,
“Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there
am I in the midst of them” (Matt 18 : 20). Mahatma Gandhi
remarked that he was surprised how, in this short life, people
have time to hate others! “Be kind and compassionate to
one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God
forgave you” (Eph 4:32). Isn't this the right time to imbibe
these words?
“For if you forgive other people when they sin against
you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do
not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive
your sins.” (Matt 6:14-15). I cannot get along with that
person… I cannot live with him… I don't like that
missionary… I don't prefer this preacher… Give me any
work to do alone...I can't work with a team…How long are
we going to say like this? Did not the early disciples function
in small groups? Did they not stir up the world? One-man-
show is not in the purview of our Heavenly Father. May we
get rid of bitterness and banish hostility.
Love should be present among believers. Unity alone
will bring victory in the dark days that will soon come upon
us. Our Lord Jesus said, “But I tell you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt 5:44). If we are
unable to love our fellow believers, how can we love
sinners?
4.Falsehood
The next charge the Lord brings against us is that we
are not truthful (Hos 4:1). When the Lord commended the
servants who multiplied the five and the two talents, He did
not say, “Well done, efficient and shrewd servant!” He said,
“good and faithful servant” (Matt 25: 21,23). This
faithfulness is expected of us today. But sadly, this is now a
forgotten virtue.
The Lord said, “My servant Moses is
faithful in all my house”(Num 12:7)
A faithful man will be richly blessed (Prov 28:20). Let
us not forget this fact! Christendom today is full of lies and
falsehood. Wrong routes and short-cuts have totally erased
the true ancient paths.
5. Lack of Compassion
A person without compassion is not a human being.
“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger,
abounding in love” (Ps 103:8). If it is not for this great mercy
of our Lord, we would have been consumed long ago.
However, why do we fall back when we need to show this
mercy to others? Why are we not compassionate to
strangers, the destitute, widows and orphans ? Have we
forgotten our Lord's command to “love your neighbour as
yourself”?
Did the master who forgave his servant of 10,000
talents not hold him to account when he refused to show
mercy to his fellow servant who owed him 100 denarii? He
said, “Should you not also have had compassion on your
fellow servants, just as I had pity on you?” (Matt 18:23-34).
Not only that, he handed him over to the torturers.
Why have God's people denigrated into hard-hearted
individuals? When will mercy and compassion become a
part of our being? When we look at the miracles of our Lord
Jesus, we see that He did them because He was moved with
compassion. Jesus did not perform any miracle to glorify
Himself or to be praised. They were only a revelation of His
compassionate spirit.
6.Ignorance of God
This is the final charge that the Lord brings against
His people, that there is no knowledge of God (Hos 4:1).
Having faith in the Lord is the first step and knowing Him is
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