The cited episode calls James 3:1 to mind: “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.” The speaker encourages Christians to live in fear rather than walk by faith. He repudiates the Lord’s Word teaching us to “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” He promotes setting one’s mind on things below rather than things above, that our citizenship is in America rather than in heaven, that to be present in the body is better than to be with the Lord, that we are God’s instruments of vengeance instead of His ambassadors, that the “lesson” we have to teach is how to bring death rather than a new birth to eternal life. Time will fail if every instance of the abject rejection of the teaching in God’s Word is cited.
These are times of testing, and our Lord told us they were coming, so why are so many distressed when the things of which our Lord warned us begin to appear? Does it not reveal that either 1) people are ignorant of God’s Word, or 2) they simply don’t believe – really believe – all that He has written? It is a choice between absolute faith and trust in God’ Word, or faith in our own wisdom and ways driven by fear.
“See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.” This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.” (Heb 12:25-29)
May we all set our hearts to be among those of whom it Scripture testifies: “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.” (Heb 11:13-16) Are we content to be saved by God’s grace, but live lives that make God ashamed to call us His own? Or have we so intensely set our hearts and upon that “city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” and by so doing honor to the Name of Jesus and receive His testimony that He is not ashamed to be called our God?
And should it be that we are among those called to suffer atrocities for His Name’s sake may we all set our hearts that we may be counted among the number of our brethren of whom it is written “…and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. (Heb 11:35-38)
“So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.” (Heb 13:13-14)
I can think of no higher commendation that a disciple could receive than to be regarded by the Lord of all creation as one His own “of whom the world was not worthy”.
THEY WERE STRANGERS 
The cited episode calls James 3:1 to mind: “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.” The speaker encourages Christians to live in fear rather than walk by faith. He repudiates the Lord’s Word teaching us to “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” He promotes setting one’s mind on things below rather than things above, that our citizenship is in America rather than in heaven, that to be present in the body is better than to be with the Lord, that we are God’s instruments of vengeance instead of His ambassadors, that the “lesson” we have to teach is how to bring death rather than a new birth to eternal life. Time will fail if every instance of the abject rejection of the teaching in God’s Word is cited.
These are times of testing, and our Lord told us they were coming, so why are so many distressed when the things of which our Lord warned us begin to appear? Does it not reveal that either 1) people are ignorant of God’s Word, or 2) they simply don’t believe – really believe – all that He has written? It is a choice between absolute faith and trust in God’ Word, or faith in our own wisdom and ways driven by fear.
“See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.” This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.” (Heb 12:25-29)
May we all set our hearts to be among those of whom it Scripture testifies: “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.” (Heb 11:13-16) Are we content to be saved by God’s grace, but live lives that make God ashamed to call us His own? Or have we so intensely set our hearts and upon that “city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” and by so doing honor to the Name of Jesus and receive His testimony that He is not ashamed to be called our God?
And should it be that we are among those called to suffer atrocities for His Name’s sake may we all set our hearts that we may be counted among the number of our brethren of whom it is written “…and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. (Heb 11:35-38)
“So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.” (Heb 13:13-14)
I can think of no higher commendation that a disciple could receive than to be regarded by the Lord of all creation as one His own “of whom the world was not worthy”.
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