V RaptureChrist Newsletter
October 1, 2015

Christians are being accused of hate now. This is because we have the courage to stand up against sin. Atheists claim that God does not exist and that by us not accepting their sinful ways, we are bigots that belong to a previous era.

At one time there was a lot less crime than now. Children respected parents, teachers and cops. Sadly, we are now in a period when teenagers are rebellious against authority figures. Few have jobs, and many turn to crime. America used to have a booming economy. Gradually we have become bankrupt morally and financially.

Let us face facts, most crimes are committed by young men.  Often they come from broken homes with no fathers, where they were not taught to respect parents or any other authority figures, neither were they taught about God and the consequences of sin.

Basically, crime rates exploded in the 1950's after God was kicked out of the public schools. People were told that we could have morality without God, but the result is the world in which we are living now.

Drug use in the 1950's was a tiny fraction of what it currently is, so was teenage pregnancy, creating a generation of illegitimate children with no moral guidance. Sadly, the result is an increase in crime.

Perhaps, you have witnessed our steady moral erosion. It seems that things get worse every year. Finally, we are at a historic moment when sinners have become the majority and moral people are a minority.

Why is it that most people do not like real Christians? That is because evildoers want to continue to live in sin, and they do not want you to remind them that their bad behavior will earn them a one way ticket to the lake of fire.

Basically, it is like a boy who does not study and he does not want to be told that he will flunk the final exam. Fact is, he enjoys playing video games. However, he rarely writes notes using a pencil or a pen. When the boy is told of the possible consequences-- for example, having to work in a restaurant making minimum wage, he gets angry. This is because he does not want to think about what is coming.

Much in the same way, sinners do not want to be told what their future is. People who dare speak out are called haters and accused of hate speech.

Question for you: Is challenging a person who is doing wrong, hate speech? Does it make you a bigot? What does the Bible say?

1 Timothy 5:20
But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning.

Matthew 5:15-16 
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

God wants us to confront people who disobey His commandments. In fact, He tells us to reprove sinners. That is the commission given to Christians. We are supposed to be the light of the world, so that sinners could see in our behavior the right way to live.

When we bring God's message to sinners, we need to do it with love, but when a person professes to be following God, and does not do it, then we are supposed to confront him with his sinful behavior.

One example given to us in the bible is a paralytic whom Jesus had miraculously healed, and who Jesus warned about sinning again. This shows that many diseases are caused by sin -- an example is venereal diseases, which are sexually transmitted.

Well, going back to our story of the paralytic, we see that later on that day, Jesus found him in the temple.

John 5:14 
Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, you are made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto you.

Unfortunately, the man Jesus had just healed did not follow His advice. We read later on in the book of John that the former cripple went to the Pharisees to tell them that Jesus was the one who had healed him on the Sabbath day, initiating a persecution for Jesus from the part of the Pharisees. We do not know what worse thing happened to the former paralytic, but it seems he died a sinner.

God has created many laws for us. He went as far as writing in stone the ten commandments using His own finger. This was so it was difficult for men to try to change these laws.

People who tell you that the ten commandments were done away with are trying to trick you. Often they will claim that we do not have to obey the law because it was nailed to the cross. They might also tell you that Jesus is a God of love, and therefore, He pardons sinners.

John 8
10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

What many preachers fail to say is that there are conditions for God's pardon. First the sinner needs to repent, second the advice is sin no more. When God talks about repentance we need to ask -- repent of what? Well, of breaking God's law.

Likewise, I say to you. God does not wish that we go on sinning. That is why He wrote words on stone tablets and gave the Ten Commandments to us. It is our wish that you repent and lead a righteous life to bring glory to our eternal God.