Not Peace But a Sword

Jesus said this in Matthew 10:34-37:

“Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.

‘I have come to set a man against his father,

    a daughter against her mother,

and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

    Your enemies will be right in your own household!’

“If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.”

Is this a contradiction?  No, it is realty.  I have experienced this many times over the years.  I married a girl from a Catholic background, and being a Protestant, there was a lot of conflict from the Catholic’s as well as non-believers in our families.  I wasn’t raised in a Christian home and although I did have a couple experiences with the Lord over the years, I never seemed to get grounded; thank God He never gave up on me.  

This subject came to my mind last night and again this morning so I thought I would do a ‘Tidbit’ on it.  Jesus knew there would be all kinds of conflicts over religion in families, because He knew not all would be believers; even if they went to a church of some type.  I want to remind everyone who reads this that attending a church doesn’t make you a true believer; only being born-again makes you a true believer.  

Jesus made this real clear in the third chapter of the book of John. He made this statement to a Jewish ruler named Nicodemus in chapter 3 verse 3, “Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”  The man Jesus was talking to was a Pharisee and Jesus and John the Baptist often criticized the Pharisees for being hypocrites.  Here was a learned teacher that came to Jesus because he needed to be taught.  Most Pharisees would have nothing to do with Jesus, being very jealous of Him and His popularity, and most would not believe that He was sent by God.  This man was different; he knew that Jesus was sent from God and that He had the answers he was looking for.

This is my opinion; today there are people who go to church and listen to the person who preaches and takes their word to be truth, no matter what they say, and never study the Word for themselves to see if what was said is true or not.  Then when someone tries to explain the real truth they are so close-minded they will not listen and that is where most of the friction comes from.  Then, just like the Pharisees, some become jealous of what you know, but if you can reach just one with the Lord’s help it is worth all the friction you have to go through.  

I am typing this to encourage you not to give up on your family.  Keep praying and speaking the truth and leave the rest in the Lord’s hands, there is only so much you can do, so do your part and let the Lord do the rest.  And remember the Lord has to always be number one in your life, He needs to come before your family or anyone or anything else that you possess.  

When a person becomes born-again, Jesus will become their Lord and Savior and without this relationship it won’t matter which church you go to or how many times you go, you will never see, or enter, the kingdom of heaven.  Religion is not enough, you need to have a personal relationship and that will only happen when you put your trust in Him and ask Him to be your Lord and Savior.  I know some teach there is more than one way to get to God and to get to heaven but that is a lie.  It seems that many people want to pacify people by telling them half-truths when they need to hear the truth.  

Jesus said in John 14:6, “Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’”  This is one of the most basic, most important truths in the Word.  Jesus is the only way because He was both God and man.  Thank God He provided a way that we could get to Him and that is only through Jesus, and Jesus is the only way that we can find forgiveness for our sins and be saved.  The Word says this in Acts 4:10-12:

“For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says,

‘The stone that you builders rejected

    has now become the cornerstone.’

There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”

  

Now you know the truth and you are responsible for it.  Something to think about and may God bless you and yours and have a great day!!