Holy Boldness

and maybe even the loss of life. To stand for Christ in the face of death requires a supernatural impartation of boldness and faith. Seeing the Kingdom of God as the ultimate reality and Jesus as the king of that kingdom safeguards the believer from losing heart. Not Peace, but a Sword “ Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.” (Matt 10:34-36) Even though Jesus came to heal, forgive and share the good news, He was still aware that His message would pierce and separate like a sword. This was the real consequence of his mission. Following Him was and is an ultimate choice because Jesus always insists on the truth. Truth sets people free. This is the good news. But truth exposes lies and the power of lies is that they make people feel comfortable even while they hold them in bondage. Allegiance to Jesus means committing oneself to the truth and truth divides and separates. His word is as the book of Hebrews describes it, “a two-edged sword.” The book of Revelation depicts Jesus as having a sword coming out of His mouth. His word sep arates truth from error and exposes the deepest issues of the heart. Jesus brought deliverance and healing through the words He spoke however the depth of deception in people was not a small matter. It runs deep and when a truly profound message confronts mankind, everything gets tested and exposed. Motives are tested and secrets are laid bare. As Jesus was training and preparing His disciples for their mission, He warned them that the acceptance or rejection of the message might sever the closest of relationships. Because of the condition of the world, and the current condition of Israel, Jesus had to separate the precious from the vial. The nature of the case demanded a deep remedy that would profoundly affect everything. He did not come to bring peace for He was not and never will be reconciled to evil. His mission was warfare against the darkness. He came to destroy the works of the devil. Jesus was not innocuous but clear, cutting, and divisive. It is the nature of man to try to hide things from the light, things that are shameful and and embarrassing. The Gospel is a core message. And therefore it touches the deepest parts of mankind. The Gospel

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