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WHY THE MIGHTY EMPIRE?


    If it is true, (and it is), that Christendom is TOO BIG TO BE TRUE; and if the reason that Christendom got so big is because the "ranks" have been swelled by the infiltration of false brethren: WHY HASN'T GOD DONE ANYTHING TO STOP IT? This is a legitimate question; but falls short of the SHOCKING REALITY of the situation. God has NOT DONE ANYTHING TO STOP IT, and actually; GOD HAS ENCOURAGED IT.

"And John answered Him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in Thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in My name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us, is on our part." Mark 9:38-40

    Please don't suggest that Our Lord Jesus Christ, who said, There shall be one fold, and one shepherd (John 10:16) is justifying denominationalism in this verse. All the Lord says about this man is that he is not likely to speak evil of Our Lord after using the power of His name to work miracles. The words on our part, mean that this man, by broadcasting the name of Jesus, is helping the cause. The Lord Jesus knows that He is the Savior of the world, and because He would save as many as will cry to Him, He'll make use of all the publicity He gets. Besides, anyone who SAYS "Jesus is the Savior" is telling the truth, no matter what he thinks that really means. The Apostle Paul says the same thing:

"Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife, and some also of good will. The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds; But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel. What then, notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, and will rejoice." Phil. 1:15-18

   Paul says that some preach of Christ out of envy, strife, contention and pretence. In other words, some people are COMPETING with Paul as preachers of the gospel of Christ. They have their "own version" of the gospel, which they imagine to be superior to Paul's version. Others preach of Christ in pretence; that is, they are preaching to others what they are not fully convinced of themselves, and are using the gospel to advance some other agenda. Paul doesn't mind if they do this. Paul doesn't care if they disagree with him on "this or that" point of doctrine. Paul doesn't care if some of them have ulterior motives. If you believe that the New Testament was INSPIRED and PRESERVED by God for us, then this must also represent the mind of God in the matter. Let me explain.

    There are many different "versions" of Christianity being preached in our world. Everyone can name a DENOMINATION or a PERSON that preaches a "version" that they don't approve of. Maybe you don't like the Catholic version. Maybe you don't like the Jehovah's Witness version. Maybe you don't like the Pentecostal version. BUT REMEMBER, wherever these preachers of the various "versions" go, THEY BRING A BIBLE WITH THEM. And, wherever any "version" of Christianity is preached, the STORY OF JESUS is told. Many of you may have started out in one "version" of the faith, and later migrated to another. There is nothing to prevent anyone who has hoped in Christ for their salvation from sorting out the facts from the fables on their own. If they settle for a heretical version of the faith, then it is only because they lacked SINCERITY in the matter. There is a Holy Spirit you know; and He is there to attend, guide, and correct any who call upon God in truth. Our Lord said, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15), and He will have this done. It takes a LOT OF PEOPLE, and a LOT OF MONEY to evangelize the WHOLE WORLD, and THE MIGHTY EMPIRE of Christendom has been very effective to get this accomplished; even if, most of the work has been done by the HIRELINGS. And then, there is this other reason.

"Yea, and all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." 2Tim. 3:12

    This, and many other such statements of a similar nature, were made by Our Lord Himself and the Apostles. We are ASSURED, that if we live like real Christians, that the world will hate us (John 15:19). Now: HOW is a "little flock" that is HATED by the WHOLE WORLD going to survive? To this very day, in countries where professing Christians are a minority, there is persecution against them. In many cases, this persecution arises from cultural and racial conflicts rather than SPIRITUAL HATRED. But if there were less of them, and if they were all living Godly in Christ Jesus, they would be murdered out of existence. Most of you will acknowledge that there are SOME TRUE BELIEVERS in every "version" of Christianity. If these FEW TRUE BELIEVERS were not "surrounded" by a large mass of people who "call themselves Christians", they would be wiped out. Consider how weak and vulnerable a man is who will NOT LIE to defend himself, or, who will TURN THE OTHER CHEEK when struck. Our Gracious God takes this "weakness" into account; and protects us by surrounding us with a large number of people to protect us. You will remember, in the parable of the tares of the field, that the tares and the wheat are hard to distinguish. This works to our advantage; for we, as those few stalks of wheat, are hidden from the eyes of the world. The world knoweth us not (1 John 3:1), said the Apostle John. If they knew us, they would kill us.

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