Are You Seeking the Approval of Men, or the Approval of God?
When Jesus Christ walked on this earth in the First Century, he claimed to be "the way, the truth, and the life." (John 14:6) In his teaching to his disciples during those days, he also made it very clear that the cost to follow Jesus, and to stand for the Truth, was a costly one, and that in order to follow him as the source of all truth would require one to be willing to give up everything this life has to offer, including relationships with friends and loved ones. Jesus also made it very clear that those who did follow him and stand for the Truth, would be very few, and always the minority. Some of the most miserable people of society are those who understand the Truth intellectually, but are not willing to follow the Truth, because the cost is too high. It's very difficult to always be in the minority, with everyone opposing you, because you do not follow the crowd. Today, if you live in the United States, Zionism dominates our culture, especially Evangelical Christian teaching. To dare to question one's belief that the modern day Israeli government is the leader of "God's chosen people," is to go against the crowd and become the object of ridicule and hatred. One of our readers named Kevin emailed me this week and wrote: "My own wife and entire family left me due to the fact that she believes the tribulation is for Zionist Political state of Israel. My only purpose in life now is to bring others to Jesus. I know the false teachers and the deceptions being preached on Fox News, pulpits everywhere, etc." Kevin has counted the cost to follow Jesus and the Truth, and he continues to do so even after losing his wife and family. It's a very lonely life. Trust me, I know. But we can take courage in the fact that the disciples who followed Jesus when he still walked this earth, and shortly after he left, all faced the same opposition and isolation. Will you take a stand for the Truth and count the cost as the minority people of God as you seek to please him? Or will you cower in fear, and seek the approval of men and go along with the crowd and the Zionists?