Many years ago, I was attending second grade in Kinston, North Carolina. Things with Navy housing and the school district had not yet materialized satisfactorily in Virginia, so I would spend second grade with my grandmother and my dad’s two sisters. One day before my parents had returned to Virginia, I had come home crying. Being the new kid, I was being tested by a neighbor’s son who started picking on me and then punched me in the stomach. I went home crying. I was met at the front door by my dad, mom and grandmother. I was about to receive consoling from my mom and grandmother but my dad stopped it none too gently. He told me to go back and finish the fight or I would not be able to come in. My mom and grandmother started to protest but my dad gave them his notorious look and just said “no.” So, I went back. I was scared, but I was also scared to try and return home with my tail between my legs. So, I approached the boy who had a defiant look on his face as if daring me to come closer. I did and quickly mustered all my courage and strength and punched him in the stomach. The wind was knocked out of him and he then started to cry. I went home and my dad let me in. That boy and I later became good friends. I’m not advocating violence here, but there are times we must stand up against bullies, whether it be in the world or the church. And today more than ever.
Peter at one point was verbally full of conviction. He’d never desert or deny Jesus. When they came to arrest Jesus in John 18, Peter stepped in, drew his sword, and cut off the ear of Malchus, the servant of the high priest. But later Peter denied Jesus three times just as Jesus foretold. In fact, nearly all left Jesus for fear of reprisal by the Pharisees and being turned over to the Romans. The thousands who had been under His teachings and were fed by Him, all left. All those who had been healed by Him did the same. Peter went from being one on fire for the Lord to a by stander and then a true believer and apostle.
One of my favorite stories in the bible that speaks to not being a bystander and then going back to being one after seeing a great miracle is in John 9. A young man blind from birth was healed by Jesus and now had sight. And this was done on the Sabbath which the Pharisees said even this could not be done on the Sabbath. They said this this man, Jesus, was not from God because He did this on the Sabbath. The Pharisees had great power. The young man’s parents feared being put out of the synagogue. If that happened their very livelihood could be threatened. The parents at first answered the Pharisees and told them that their son was born blind but fear crept in and they told the Pharisees to ask their son themselves as he was of age. The Pharisees confronted the son saying Jesus was a sinner as Jesus had done this on the Sabbath. The son answers with one of the more important come backs in the Bible. Saying, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.” The Pharisees reviled the young man saying they were on higher plane as they were Moses’ disciples. They said they did not know where this man, Jesus, was from. But this young man was not just healed of blindness, he was now able to see and discern this Pharisaical spirit. He became bold and said, “Why this is a marvelous thing that you do not know where He is from: yet He has healed my eyes!” He went on to say that “Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one born blind. If this man was not from God, He could do nothing.” I think it was the constant repetition of the Pharisees asking the young man questions in verses 26-27 and being put in their place by the young man saying, “I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?” This young man had gone from blind to seeing and gaining spiritual sight and courage. He had no fear of the Pharisees. He had heard them all his life and they had done nothing for him. Now he saw them in the flesh and saw them for what they were. Always learning but never coming to the knowledge of the truth. He later went to Jesus who revealed Himself to the young man. Jesus said that for judgement He came into this world and those who don’t see would and those who see may be made blind. And his response to the Pharisees who asked if they were blind also should cause many to tremble. Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would have no sin: but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore, your sin remains.”
The church, as seen today, has lost its way. They’ve become spiritually blind. Things that even 20-30 years ago that would have been seen as blatant sin are swept under the rug. As long as your agenda remains intact. Those who walk in obvious sin are excused and even embraced as long as they help you achieve your goals. To quote 2 Corinthians 6:17, saying “Come out from among them and be separate” would just be shouted down. There are many that want what borders on revolution but even John Lennon said, “But if you want money for people with minds that hate, All I can tell you brother is you have to wait.” And yet those who spew evil are embraced because they are meeting some ungodly agenda you’ve aligned to. And much of it was at one time seen as the antithesis of what we said we espoused as bible believing Christians. Yet so many have fallen away from that faith and given heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies. (1 Timothy 4) Much of what I see today is a literal gut punch to those who profess Christ and those that love democracy. It is being dismantled before our eyes. Men that profess Christ and use that to gain followers basically worship a gospel of their own making. They worship nothing different than Baal. It is imperative that we not sit back as by standers. Our country is dependent on this for survival. Our spiritual walk is hanging in the balance. No compromise. We need to wash in the spiritual pool of Siloam, like that young man Jesus healed of blindness in John 9. Totally immerse ourselves. If we believe we have the mind of Christ then there is no other path for us but of true obedience to His ways. Sound doctrine is being ignored. We must be watchful, standing fast to what is true. We must stand up for spiritual truth and against that which does not align with the teaching of Christ. Test all things and abstain from every evil teaching. Pray without ceasing. Blessings.
Stand My Watch 