YOU ARE A
FUNDIE BIBLE THUMPING MENTALLY RETARDED CRUTCH NEEDING HOLY
ROLLING HOMO-HATING DIRT IQ CLOSE-MINDED BACKWARDS THINKING IGNORAMOOSE GOD LOVING HYPOCRITE
1 PETER 4:12-19
You are a fundie Bible thumping mentally retarded crutch needing holy rolling homo-hating dirt IQ close-minded backwards thinking ignoramoose God loving hypocrite.
READ 1 Peter 4:12-19
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" 19 So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
YOU PEOPLE ARE RIDICULOUS PART 1 [put on hat with angry eyes]
You people are ridiculous. Do you want to know what is just awful about you Christians? You believe in something called “Absolute Truth.” “Absolute Truth” is the idea that there is one thing that is true and that all others things are not true. And where is this supposed source of “Absolute Truth?” It is found in the Bible. You Christians believe that the Bible is the Holy Spirit inspired Word of God which reveals the only Truth that people should believe in.
What about all the other holy books around the world?
What about the Koran and what all the Muslims believe? Is that not truth? You say no.
What about the Tripitaka and the Sutras and what all the Buddhists believe? Is that not the truth? You say no.
What about the Bhagavad-Gita and Upanishads and what all Hindus believe? Is that not the truth? You say no.
What about the Alkitab Alaqdas and what all the Bahai people believe? Is that not the truth? You say no.
What about the Book of Mormon and what all the Mormons believe? Is that not the truth? You say no.
One of those holy books must be Absolutely True because each of those roads has conflicting ideas and they cannot all be true. You state that “Absolute Truth” is only found in the Holy Bible. You believe wholeheartedly in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 which says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
EXPECT PERSECUTION FOR OUR FAITH… IT’S NORMAL
What the Apostle Peter writes to us in 1 Peter 4 is not something that we find only in 1 Peter. The idea that believers in Jesus Christ will not be accepted is not a new idea. The truth that people reject Jesus and His teachings is nothing new. Christian believers have often faced opposition to our faith and what we believe in.
Jesus already told us that being a believer meant a hard road at times. Matthew 5:10-12 says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Jesus tells us matter-of-factly that as we are living out our Christian faith in a real way that we should expect some not to like it. Some might persecute you. Some might lie against you. Some might treat you poorly. Some have rejected the light and embrace darkness and mistreat anyone they find in the light. Jesus uses the word “blessed” to describe those who are persecuted for believing in Him. Blessed!
The Apostle Paul told us that being a believer meant a hard road at times. 1 Corinthians 4:10-14 says, “We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! 11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 12 We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world. 14 I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children.” Paul uses interesting words to describe how he is treated because of his faith in Jesus Christ:
Dishonored
Brutally treated
Cursed
Persecuted
Slandered
YOU PEOPLE ARE RIDICULOUS PART 2 [put on hat with angry eyes]
You people are ridiculous. Do you want to know what is just awful about you Christians? You believe that Jesus is the only way to God. You Christians say that there is only one God. Just one! And not only that, you claim that this one God sent His one and only Son to earth to die for our sins. That one Son, Jesus Christ, died for sins and the only way to God is to accept Jesus. That’s it.
You claim that in John 14:6 when Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” that He actually meant it. You Christians believe that to have a relationship with God and to meaningfully interact with Him a person has to go through Jesus Christ. Christians believe that sin separates us and God and that must be taken care of in a particular way as prescribed by God. Christians actually believe that it is only through the blood of Jesus Christ that a person is forgiven and gains access to God in a relationship and ultimately into Heaven. You believe 1 Peter 3:18 “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” Christians believe that Heaven forever with God is not offered to everyone automatically. Christians believe that you cannot arrive in Heaven on accident or through some heavenly clerical error. You believe that Jesus said what He meant. You Christians believe that people cannot earn their way into Heaven by good deeds, but only through faith in Jesus Christ.
PERSECUTION FOR BEING A CHRISTIAN BRINGS BLESSING NOT SHAME
Not only does the Apostle Peter share with us in 1 Peter 4 that persecution for the Christian faith is normal, but he also shares with us that being persecuted is not a shameful thing.
Many times when someone dishonors us… who ends up apologizing?
Many times when someone treats us poorly… who sheds a tear because of the broken relationship?
Many times when someone curses our name… who feels bad?
Many times when someone slanders us… who is the one who ends up apologizing?
The Apostle Peter instructs us in 1 Peter 4 about suffering for being a Christian. He shares with us that suffering is normal and it should not be because we sin. Suffering happens because we are sinful. That is not the kind of suffering Peter is speaking of. If you are suffering in jail because you drove while drunk, then you have received justice. If you are suffering a divorce because you cheated on your spouse, you have reaped what you have sown. If you lost your job because you were lazy, that is 100% on you. If you have money problems because you shop on TV at 3:00am and can’t stop, that is an addiction that is ravaging you. When we suffer because of our sin, we are enduring the natural consequences or perhaps the divine consequences for what we have done. That has nothing to do with what Peter is talking about here and he tells us such in verse 15.
The Apostle Peter instructs us in 1 Peter 4 about suffering for being a Christian. He shares with us that suffering for our faith brings about blessing and not shame. If suffering happens because we are strong in our faith, then we have blessings poured on us from God in the midst of that suffering. If you are suffering in jail because you refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses, then I happen to believe you are blessed. If you are suffering in jail because you distributed Bibles in a communist country, you are blessed. If you are suffering a divorce because your spouse wants nothing to do with you because you are now a believer in Jesus Christ, then you will be blessed by God. If you lost your job because you refused to make the unethical deal for the company, then you will be blessed. If your workplace has tension because you offered to pray for a co-worker who was obviously having a bad season of life, you will be blessed by God. If you boss gives you a written warning because you wore the “Jesus is Risen” button to check people out at your station, you will be blessed.
Peter is trying to frame suffering for us in a proper perspective. He wants us to understand that when suffering happens because of our Christian faith, we should not feel shame because of that. Shame is feeling bad about ourselves. Shame is changing our behaviors. Shame is feeling guilty. The Apostle Peter encourages us not to feel bad, change our behaviors, or feel guilty in any way shape or form because we have stood up for our Christian beliefs.
YOU PEOPLE ARE RIDICULOUS PART 3 [put on hat with angry eyes]
You people are ridiculous. Do you want to know what is just awful about you Christians? You believe that morality is based solely on God’s Word and you state clearly that there is no wiggle room in that. No wiggle room! Something is morally good if God in His Word says it is good. Something is morally bad if God in His Word says it is bad.
For example, I have heard in the Bible it says stealing is wrong. That means all stealing is wrong. Well, what if I am homeless and I go into a grocery store because I am hungry and steal food to eat. Are you telling me that is morally wrong? You would say yes. Or, as another example, you go out to eat and pile many napkins, ketchup packets, straws, and salt and pepper packets and stock them up at your house. Are you telling me that taking extra from restaurants and stocking up at home with those things is stealing? That is morally wrong? It’s a business, they won’t miss it.
For example, I have heard in the Bible it says homosexuality is wrong. That means all homosexual behavior is wrong. Well, what if I know someone who says they were born homosexual. They are in a committed relationship with the same person for years and is a good person. Are you telling me that being in a loving relationship with a person of the same sex is always wrong? You would say yes. Sometimes it is hard to say something is wrong when it seems that there is no one harmed by it. Not only that, I have heard that Christians sometimes do not watch TV shows or movies that have homosexuals in it and shows that kind of lifestyle.
For example, I heard once about a drunk driver who killed the family of a lady. Most agree that killing is wrong and we all have been told drinking while driving is dangerous… plus it is against the law. This drunk driver took away her husband and children because he was drunk. That is definitely wrong. The problem that some have with this situation is what happened next… the lady forgave the drunk driver. Not pretend forgiveness, but actually asked the court for a lighter sentence. Are you telling me that forgiveness is always morally right even in the worst of circumstances? You would say yes.
VOICE OF THE MARTYRS EXAMPLES (accessed 03/31/2016)
http://www.prisoneralert.com/pprofiles/vp_prisoner_244_profile.html
This is Huang Quirui. He was arrested in China in June of 2014 and remains in prison because he is an elder at an underground church in China and runs a kindergarten which teaches morality based on the Bible. At his arrest he wrote to his church, “Certainly, suffering is beneficial to me! God is testing me and molding me through tribulation. He wants to mold me into a useful instrument.”
http://www.prisoneralert.com/pprofiles/vp_prisoner_241_profile.html
This is Mohammed Hegazy who was arrested in Egypt in 2014 and sentenced to 5 years and goes by the Christian name Bishoy Armeya Boulos. The reason for the extreme prison sentence most likely lies in Bishoy’s history. In 2007, Bishoy, then Mohammed Hegazy, petitioned the Egyptian government to change his official religious status, an unprecedented move in a thoroughly Islamic society. Bishoy converted to Christianity from Islam in 1999 at age 17. His public request to change his religious status generated death threats and forced Bishoy and his family into hiding.
http://www.prisoneralert.com/pprofiles/vp_prisoner_218_profile.html
This is Behnam Irani. He is a 41-year-old pastor from Karaj, Iran, was convicted of crimes against national security in January 2011 and sentenced to one year in prison. After voluntarily surrendering to authorities on May 31 to begin his sentence, he learned that he would be forced to serve five years in connection with a previous conviction.
http://www.prisoneralert.com/pprofiles/vp_prisoner_245_profile.html
This is Yklas Kabduaskov from Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan’s secret police arrested Yklas Kabduakasov, a 54-year-old new believer from Kazakhstan, on Aug. 14, 2015. Kabduakasov fearlessly shared the gospel with his family and friends after his conversion from Islam. He was arrested after secret police searched his home and confiscated Christian books. The church where Kabduakasov worships was searched the same day. On Aug. 15, a court in the capital city of Astana ordered him to be held for two months in pre-trial detention for spreading “religious discord.” Kabduakasov now faces a criminal case with a possible 5-10 year prison sentence.
TWO CHRISTIANITIES IN AMERICA
Christianity in the United States is NOT under attack. Believers in the United States are under attack. Now before you agree or disagree with me on this, I want you to understand what I mean by my complicated statement. You see, in the United States, a divide has occurred between Christian people and believers in Jesus Christ. I am not sure when it happened, but it has. I cannot put my finger on it, but I feel like it has happened over the past 10 years or so. I am not sure how to define the division, but I know it has occurred. There are people in the United States who consider themselves Christians (we’ll call them Christians) who have one set of values. There are people in the United States who consider themselves Christians (we’ll call them believers) who have a completely different set of values.
In the United States, “being a Christian” and “being a believer” are two very different things. The best way to understand the cultural scenario in the United States is to realize that there are two very different types of Christianity in America. The first group who call themselves Christians have inherited their moral code from previous generations, are pew sitters a few times a year, are addicted to political power, maybe have Christian beliefs that have influenced their lives, and often have no idea what the Bible actually says on any given issue. The second group who call themselves “believers” is a religion and movement of people who want to live and be like Jesus Christ. These people look at the Bible and make great effort to pattern their lives after Jesus and to live a moral life that reflects the God they love.
What do I mean by this? What are some examples?
You can be a Christian as long as it doesn’t come out in how you speak at work.
You can be a Christian as long as you don’t share your beliefs with your students.
You can be a Christian as long as you don’t pray for people in your office.
You can be a Christian as long as you don’t call the school district break “Christmas break.”
You can be a Christian as long as you don’t call it a Christmas tree or have a Nativity in your yard.
You can be a Christian as long as you also have bunnies and eggs at your church on Easter.
You can be a Christian as long as you vote a certain way on election day in favor of personal liberty.
You can be a Christian as long as you keep your mouth shut about homosexuality.
You can be a Christian as long as you keep your mouth shut about abortion and let women choose.
You can be a Christian as long as you don’t protest how Hollywood portrays God on TV and in movies.
You can be a Christian as long as you don’t want the 10 commandments displayed in the court house.
You can be a Christian as long as you agree some things in the faith are antiquated and old fashioned.
You can be a Christian as long as you celebrate men becoming women and women becoming men.
Please do not be surprised as we move forward in life in America that it becomes more and more difficult to be an actual believer in Jesus Christ because our culture is becoming more and more opposed to His message. The Apostle Peter tells us that such a thing will happen and we are to “praise God because we bear His name.” What are we supposed to do? What is our response to life being harder because we are believers? Peter says in verse 19, “commit [yourself] to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.”
READ 1 Peter 4:12-19
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" 19 So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
CONCLUSION
Listen to what I say, if this applies to you, I want you to stand:
You are a fundie Bible thumping mentally retarded crutch needing holy rolling homo-hating dirt IQ close-minded backwards thinking ignoramoose God loving hypocrite.
If that is you, may you please stand as I pray for you today.
