Book of Jeremiah
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- Nov 3, 2012
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This is a timely message. It is addressed to believers abiding in Jesus Christ. Recently we have seen freedom of speech coming under vicious attack and those who have already bowed down to the enemy are now asking others to cease from speaking the truth about anything that is controversial and offensive to certain people groups.
Yesterday I was watching Steve Malzberg interview a representative from the Catholic Press in Australia suggesting that there should be a line drawn on freedom of speech (even when it is truth). Malzberg replied, once the line is drawn it will be open to being redrawn. The representative of the Catholic Press shrugged his shoulders as if to say, oh well. Let them redraw it then. We are willing to sacrifice speaking truth for a measure of peace. (had he ever known the truth he could not have even considered such a thing)
For myself, I believe there are Muslims who want freedom of speech - just not for those of us who are non-Muslims and therein lies a problem. Christians must speak the truth even if it becomes illegal to do so.
I realize there is an alliance between ISNA (Islamic Society of North America) and the Vatican ( Imam Majid and Cardinal Dolan have been working on the alliance for past two decades) but the Vatican does not speak for the Christians of the world or for Americans. The Vatican speaks for itself and whoever adheres to its own error and false doctrine. We cannot afford these blind guides to lead us into a ditch.
Here is the message Professing the Truth in the Face of Danger by William Gurnall:
We have the truth at a cheap rate now: how soon the market may rise we do not know. Truth is not always available at the same price. We must buy it at any cost but sell it on no terms.
There has always been, and there always will be to the end of the world, a spirit of persecution in wicked hearts. And even as Satan researched Job before he laid his hands on him, persecution is working now in the hearts of the ungodly. Engines of death continually grind out the thoughts of Satan against professing believers of truth. They already know exactly what they will do if power and opportunity are provided for them to carry our their sinister desires.
Satan comes first with the spirit of error and then of persecution, he poisons men's minds with error and then fills their hearts with anger against believers. It is impossible for error to bring any kind of peace. It is a brat of hell that must favor it's father. Whatever comes from below can be neither pure nor peaceable. God has let this sulferous spirit of error remain but he has given us the girdle of truth for protection.
But not everyone who applauds truth will follow it when it leads him to prison. And not everyone who preaches it is willing to suffer for it. Arguments are harmless things - blunt weapons which bring no blood. But when we suffer we are called to fight the enemies of truth. And this requires more than a sharp tongue and a logical brain. Where will disputes be then?
They will appear like cowardly soldiers, who, in basic training when no enemy was in sight, seemed to be as brave as decorated heroes. To be on the side of the truth's side then meant only recognition and reward, not danger and death. But God has chosen the foolish to confound the wise in this service - the humble believer in God, by his faith, patience and love for the truth - to shame men of high standing and no grace.
-William Gurnall (1616-1679)
William Gurnall -- The Christian in Complete Armour
Yesterday I was watching Steve Malzberg interview a representative from the Catholic Press in Australia suggesting that there should be a line drawn on freedom of speech (even when it is truth). Malzberg replied, once the line is drawn it will be open to being redrawn. The representative of the Catholic Press shrugged his shoulders as if to say, oh well. Let them redraw it then. We are willing to sacrifice speaking truth for a measure of peace. (had he ever known the truth he could not have even considered such a thing)
For myself, I believe there are Muslims who want freedom of speech - just not for those of us who are non-Muslims and therein lies a problem. Christians must speak the truth even if it becomes illegal to do so.
I realize there is an alliance between ISNA (Islamic Society of North America) and the Vatican ( Imam Majid and Cardinal Dolan have been working on the alliance for past two decades) but the Vatican does not speak for the Christians of the world or for Americans. The Vatican speaks for itself and whoever adheres to its own error and false doctrine. We cannot afford these blind guides to lead us into a ditch.
Here is the message Professing the Truth in the Face of Danger by William Gurnall:
We have the truth at a cheap rate now: how soon the market may rise we do not know. Truth is not always available at the same price. We must buy it at any cost but sell it on no terms.
There has always been, and there always will be to the end of the world, a spirit of persecution in wicked hearts. And even as Satan researched Job before he laid his hands on him, persecution is working now in the hearts of the ungodly. Engines of death continually grind out the thoughts of Satan against professing believers of truth. They already know exactly what they will do if power and opportunity are provided for them to carry our their sinister desires.
Satan comes first with the spirit of error and then of persecution, he poisons men's minds with error and then fills their hearts with anger against believers. It is impossible for error to bring any kind of peace. It is a brat of hell that must favor it's father. Whatever comes from below can be neither pure nor peaceable. God has let this sulferous spirit of error remain but he has given us the girdle of truth for protection.
But not everyone who applauds truth will follow it when it leads him to prison. And not everyone who preaches it is willing to suffer for it. Arguments are harmless things - blunt weapons which bring no blood. But when we suffer we are called to fight the enemies of truth. And this requires more than a sharp tongue and a logical brain. Where will disputes be then?
They will appear like cowardly soldiers, who, in basic training when no enemy was in sight, seemed to be as brave as decorated heroes. To be on the side of the truth's side then meant only recognition and reward, not danger and death. But God has chosen the foolish to confound the wise in this service - the humble believer in God, by his faith, patience and love for the truth - to shame men of high standing and no grace.
-William Gurnall (1616-1679)
William Gurnall -- The Christian in Complete Armour
