God measures the progress of our civilization by making Himself known to
us as a society of persons, existing eternally in mutual love and deference.
Knowing God rests in His love. In America today, we are living in a toxic
political climate that is the product of a very dangerous combination: a
backwards civilization of unthinking leaders and frenzied citizens.
Hate, as the bible says, stirs up strife. It is a toxic energy that wears many
different masks, and behind them all, dwells the same thing: self-hatred, fear,
cruelty, thoughtlessness, and selfishness. Hate is a heavy subject of attitude
and sentiment whose behavioral outcome will be death…death most
certainly to the hater, and may be also to the hated. Hate is gravely different
than dislike or contempt. It is the deadliest of all venom. In this country
particularly, too many are too comfortable with hate. There are isolated
groups in this country that experience the dimensions of hate of such
intensity and duration until their very existence must be a constant alert to
aggression. This is because in this land the truth of annihilating one people –
and enslaving another is a consistent theme in the history of our country. In
the book of the devolution of humanity, will be written this clause concerning
the people who constitute hatred: these were taught hate as a way of life.
This kind of hate is born in the fertile womb of fear, which showed up as a
sense of superiority, intolerance, bigotry, ignorance, and arrogance.
Malicious hatred did not originate with humans. It started when an angel in
heaven, who came to be called Satan the Devil, rebelled against God. He
has continued to instigate hatred and aggression among countless human
beings. Hatred thrives in intolerance. The world we live in, feeds hatred by
promoting harmful attitudes and behavior. Intolerance, prejudice, insulting
speech, bullying, thrive because the whole world is lying in the power of the
wicked one. The wisdom, the knowledge and understanding that is learned
in reasoning with God cannot release me from the awareness of the
devastating narrative that transcends history and geography. Humanity’s
existence today reminds us all of the veracity of hate. There is so much hate
in the world, I reasoned, because hate is hard-wired in the brain. Hate
commonly fills the void of a lesser intellect. Hatred has its origins in personal
stories that characterize one who has life frustrations. Hatred is based on the
perception of the other, but also has a strong relationship with ourselves, with
our personal history, and its effects on our personality, feelings, ideas,
beliefs, and especially our identity. Certain adversity in our lives can trigger
and intensify hatred such as jealousy or failure. These are often under-
achievers in the real matters of life. This leads to a deep-rooted inferiority
complex and frustration. In an effort to salvage some of their sagging self-
esteem, they try to compensate for it by latching on to something, which, in
their perception, is visibly, tangibly an ‘achiever’ – such as a political party or
some well-known organization. By associating themselves with that
organization, they feel that the prestige, recognition of the organization will ‘rub
off’ onto them and compensate for what they could not achieve individually. It is
a learned and practiced emotion. We are witnessing the time of a troubling
story of coercion, victimization, and devastating violence. We are
experiencing an ancient narrative of a politically motivated education in hate,
sanctioned by America’s political order, and enacted by a frightened and
rageful people. A certain people that regards hate as an extension of the
human tendency to form groups and for those groups to become the “us”,
who focus their hatred on the “them”. Characterized by blind adherence
and uncritical thinking, dilutes empathy, awareness of others’ suffering,
and feelings of guilt towards the object of hatred. Haters thus acquire
the ability to morally disengage from their actions and create excuses
for the hatred they feel, or the suffering that they consciously cause. The
facade of religion is used to conceal their conscience. Society is fueled with
such malignant divisiveness that it is seriously affecting the nation, besides
debasing our sense of humanity itself. God’s truth is the only source of hope.
During the last days of this world, there will be times of great trouble. People
will be cruel and they will hate anything that is good. People will turn against
their friends. They will do foolish things. They will boast that they are very
important. They will not love God, but instead they will only want to revel in
a false privilege, purposefully constructed. This they hold to themselves
believing to be privileged from conception. Being ignorant that privilege is
not something you are born with, it is something society gives one that is not
based upon equal intentions. These people will think to be serving God. But
really, they refuse to accept God's power to help them. We must be spiritually
discerning of such people. These are people who speak against God's true
message. Human conduct, unrestrained by the law of God, will bring this
earth to the point of almost complete destruction. But there will be some
people—a very small group—who will not embrace lawlessness. In fact,
these people will be defined by the opposite, lawfulness. They will govern
their lives by God’s law, which will make them stand in stark contrast to the
world around them. These will be delivered up to tribulation and all nations
will hate them. There will be a great apostasy during the end times. A
rebellion, an abandonment of the truth. The end times will include a
wholesale rejection of God’s revelation, a further “falling away” of an already
fallen world. God is not yet done. Mankind has not yet been sufficiently
warned. Bible prophecies will come to be. The world merits God’s
disapproval.
Hate will be grounded in the realm of racism and prejudiceness, fear and
ignorances. It is the upsurge of self, the mind of the flesh over God. Threats,
confiscation of property, beatings, murder will be advanced in evilness. All
who reject biblical values, who reject that we are created by an all wise God
in His image, who reject God’s framework of the family unit, who reject
absolute truth, who reject morality, who reject the claims of Jesus, yet are
accepting of lies and false claims by supposedly leaders - it appears that
these are becoming bolder, louder, more powerful, and more willing to
silence those who disagree with them. Be warned that we will be hated
because of our faith and true adherence to Jesus’ teachings. Hatred is more
than just an emotion. It is a negative behavior with severe consequences.
America has always been fertile ground that breeds hate, persecution, and
silencing toward certain peoples. And now it is for those who proclaim hope
in Jesus and His word. Be strengthened to testify of Him no matter what the
result. Treading water is over. In the currents ahead of us we will have to be
stronger than ever to swim in the Jordan or we will drown.
Our hope is not in circumstances changing, nor is it in political figures.
Don’t allow your voice to be silenced. Don’t allow for you to be forced into isolation.
Don’t allow your mind to be tarnished by news and social culture. Hate and
persecution will increase, we will need the counsel, input, and
encouragement of each other more than ever. Be wise, aspire to live quietly,
and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your mind and hands, so that
you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. But
please don’t make a habit of spiritual distancing. We need each other
spiritually. Love one another as Jesus commands and then persevere
through being loved or hated in return. Bestowed prenatally upon God’s
people is His grace. And that, in His sufficiency. The bible always perfectly
corresponds to reality; whatever the bible says is in accord with reality;
whatever it says about God is in accord with reality; whatever it says about
man is in accord with reality; whatever it says about history is the way it really
is, and it cannot be denied. Humanity is getting worse and worse and worse
- and at the end, the explosion of things will reach epic proportions…the
worst of time ever that could be known. We’ve already faced the hostility
borne by this country. We’ve already seen their hatred and animosity. Jesus
was hated because of his inclusion and tolerance. The most intense,
murderous fury of hatred directed toward Jesus was because he proclaimed
“I am the Christ, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of
Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” They simply did not have the
eyes to see or the faith to believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the
living God. They hated Jesus without a cause. Not knowing that in Christ the
world hates God Himself. What do we proclaim of ourselves? And as did he,
we will upset their traditions and their scruples about the law. He was from
above. We are one from beyond.
Hate knows no bounds. It is in motion at every level. We are living in a world
that hates. We have seen violence prompted by hatred. Hatred will be carried
out against those who desire more than anything to preach the love of the
Lord Jesus Christ and demonstrate compassion for those who suffer. Hatred
gnaws at the vitals of people. It threatens the freedom of worshiping Jesus
Christ as witnessed on every continent. Hatred is rampant—a sign of the
depravity of the human race. The bible teaches hatred is sin. There is much
to be said for the contagion of hate. Fear and deception are reflections of it.
Love, as critical as it is, must possess a deep understanding of hatred.
Hatred begins its epicycle with human contact as devoid of warmth and
genuine fellowship, subsequently devolving into a stage of “unsympathetic
understanding,” by which “the first step along the road of bitterness and
hatred is assured,” and eventually reaches a crucial point at which this
“penetrating, incisive, cold understanding…tends to express itself in the
active functioning of ill will. Hate is the great insulator, making it possible for
one man to deny the existence of another, or, will the other’s nonexistence,
that violence is the act through which such a will is implemented, and hate is
its dynamic. Periods of national crisis make it seemingly necessary to
discipline men in hatred of other human beings. Hate corrodes unity as it
presents an illusion of righteousness while it remains essentially and
ultimately destructive. It guarantees a final isolation from one’s fellows. It
blinds the individual to all values of worth, even as they apply to themself
and their fellows. Hatred bears deadly and bitter fruit. It must be borne in
mind that hatred tends to dry up the springs of creative thought. Hatred
means death to the mind, death to the spirit, death to communion with
the Father. Hatred indulges deception and dishonesty. Americans hate in
such unprecedented proportions based on race, religion, gender, culture,
caste, country, or nation. This selectively perpetrated by fear. They hate not
just a specific individual but the entire category whom they have positioned
themselves against based upon artificial differences. The differences, if any,
arise because of our cultures and not our genes. Every person, first and
foremost, is a human being. Our common humanity and unique individuality
must be shared from the perspective of cultural understanding and
inclusivity. The thing that the enemies of God continues to use, is hatred, in
the attempts that God’s people will hate in return. In their ignorance they
know not that this turns to be a great asset and blessing to us. For they know
not that we love our enemies and are made stronger than ever in Christ, for
love expresses our faith in God. We come to a complete and unqualified love
for every single person everywhere, no exceptions. Not just a momentary
love, but a sincere, honest, heartfelt, substantial love. This does not require
us to accept the things people do that are hateful and selfish. We strive to
love as God loves us, knowing that, through the unchallengeable,
incontestable power of God’s love, anyone can ultimately be cleansed of sin
with finality. There is a peculiar people of God who has been spiritually
revived to come to Him to reason with His purposes for all things. The souls
of these have no color, no national allegiance, no loyalty to ungodliness.
These know that love conquers every act of hate. No matter the barrage of
hate, love will prevail. There are too many herstories and histories that arc
the truth of love as the only light that drives out darkness. God’s truth
heightens our own spiritual purity by welcoming the cleansing presence of
God’s love within. We can then affirm that love is in authority everywhere,
and is operating effectively and inevitably, not only within us, but even within
those whom we could suffer for. We take refuge in the love of God illumining
the way for others to do the same. God’s people are born of the spirit and
borne by the spirit having always the propensity for faith in God. This land
thinks itself to have been predisposed to greatness. Thinking itself to be
exceptional. There is a just spanking that is coming. And with it no
forgiveness. Hatred will boomerang in the end.
God’s people understand the purpose and power of love. We are familiar
with biblical prophecy foreshadowing the end of time. And we hear this
sounded from the mouth of Christ…and because iniquity shall abound, the
love of many shall wax cold. Because of hate, many people will stop loving
each other. We who live in the last days witness, and may even be affected by,
these huge social movements in which we have absolutely no control.
Yet what follows is a sign and implied expectation that is totally within our
control…we hold fast to our love. Because of sin we are limited creatures
here. But God fashions us after His likeness, transmittable to us, His image-
bearers, to reflect the attributes of our Creator. When we consider love,
whether a human or divine attribute, we must always do so in correlation with
God’s full character. We must first ponder God’s love as integral to His moral
perfections and then consider the exercise of His love. There is no distortion
to God’s love. God’s love obligates reciprocation. His redeeming love for us
is conditioned on obedience. It means that God set His love upon every
human without exception. But God has those whom He calls His elect ones.
God’s unconditional, electing love establishes His covenantal relationship
with these, which stipulates conditions concerning how His people are to
come to Him. God requires our belief, our obedience, and our steadfast
faithfulness. This obligates us to apply these truths thoughtfully and carefully
to ourselves and our relationships.
We hear the truth that “God so loved the world” and picture the vastness of
God’s love. We hear the magnitude of His love. But do we consider the “so
loved” to mean “of manner, or how”? Read this…“God loved the people of
this world so much that He gave His only Son”. Now read it this way… “God
loved the world in this way, namely, that He gave His only Son.” What is the
way God shows His love toward the world of sinful humans? Now that
stipulates a reciprocal response of love. God knew of the hatred that would
inflict destruction upon humanity. He sent His Son into a world that hated him
so that wicked humans would indict His righteous Son, condemn him to
death, and execute him. They did not realize that they were carrying out
God’s purpose and design by which He would redeem everyone who heeds
the call of the gospel’s command to acknowledge His risen Son as the only
savior of the world.
Hate distorts God’s implanted image. Knowledge of God restrains human
wickedness. Excepting for God’s purpose, hatred would utterly expunge
humanity as did wickedness to the antediluvian society. The world indulges
in hate today, and with all determination is setting itself against God by hating
His people. Because of hatred, many who are not of color have become
irrational people – inhumane people – indeed “crazy” people. These people
are suffering from amnesia and anesthesia. But they are also unaware of
God’s justice and equity. This is a state of being that involves choices,
behaviors, and thoughts. The further away from God the world strays, the
more hate will motivate decisions. This will only lead to violence and
prejudice. While there is truth to this idea, it will also manifest in hating truth
for lies, hating godly wisdom for man’s foolishness, and hating God’s justice
for man’s injustice. Hate is dangerous, because when taken to its logical
conclusion, it is the desire to eliminate the humanity of another. It is the most
destructive affective phenomenon in the history of human nature.
Jesus makes the love-ethic central in the lives of his people. His people
never hate their haters. Only by a right understanding of the cross can we
truly love God and love others, and to that end we must labor as long as we
are on this earth to save a soul.
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