Matthew 5:44-45: But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may prove yourselves to be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 

There is an obvious application to this verse, loving our enemies, but also a deeper understanding that is required: “for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous…” 

We tend to have this idea that to be well-off and have things is some sort of blessing. But then why do so many “evil people” have as much or more? Is God blessing them as well? Heaven’s no! In fact, wealth is actually often a curse. In Matthew 19:21-24, We read: Jesus said to him, “If you want to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property. And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 

Folks, American Christianity has grown soft. Where is our willingness to bear the burden of persecution? Where is our willingness to truly show ourselves set apart from the world? Even when you are reading this, many of you are sitting comfortably in your designer clothes, with your expensive smart phone, drinking your expensive coffee,in your large house, thinking to yourself: “He is right, and DEFINITELY not talking to me!” 

Today we are criticized for “shaming” others if we point out sin. So we don’t. After all we don’t wish to be considered judgmental. There is a difference between pointing out sin and judging. But our lack of scriptural knowledge and understanding prevents Christians from knowing that difference. And so we are looked down upon and seen as mean. 
What do you fear? Losing your wealth, your things, your reputation, for the sake of Christ’s true work and His commandments? This fear has lead to dangerous compromises and re-interpretations of scripture such as once-saved always-saved with no accountability. We overlook the “inconvenient” portions of scripture. We atrophy in our faith and our works. We evaluate what the Christ said through the lens of the apostles instead of evaluating what the apostles said through the lens of Christ! 

Pastor Brian you are rocking the boat! You can’t say these things! Where is your authority to question the seminary teachers and big churches? Why should we listen to you rather than the majority? 

I am not called to preach to itching ears. I am not called to pander. I am called to teach, I am called to preach, I am called to teach truth and confront falsehood, I am called NOT to be a false prophet but to preach the TRUTH of scripture, to BUILD UP the Body by convicting falsehood and helping truth prevail. 

We have changed the meanings of the original authors to make things convenient for US. Don’t take my word for it. (Acts 17:11) That is the whole problem! God wrote to YOU the ENTIRETY OF SCRIPTURE. Christ is the God of the OLD Testament as much as the New, He told us Himself! (Luke 24:27). 

Christian, you must overcome the world (Revelation 2 and 3, stated repeatedly). We must not rest in our comfort zone. Society has deteriorated too much and it is too close to the end to turn a blind eye, and Christ is clear about this! He doesn’t allow us to say, “it is up to someone else. It is someone else’s problem.” It is Christ’s problem which, as His hands and feet, makes it OUR problem. So what are you doing with your “blessings?” If you knew you could do something that truly pleases God, why would you sit idle and not?