A man was caught teaching a religion!
1. In America this was religious persecution!
2. In the land where he was caught, it was executing the law!
Their ordinance says, besides local people, anyone comes from other
place is prohibited to do religious teaching!
(Anyone think here I am talking about happenings in China, then he is wrong!
Please go to Malaysia and other places then you will know it happen there also!
By the grace of God I have personal experiences! Persecution for teaching religion is
happening in many places around the world today! Yes, it still happen in 21st century!
Just in case some do not know, you are prohibited to teach religion to a Malay person!
If you do, you will be arrested! I was invited to preach, all advertising have to specify
this event is not for Malay people! It is the law in that land!)
A. Who is right?
To avoid arguing, I have no comment!
But I want to know what does the Bible say about this?
1. Matt.10:23-->
Jesus said: When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another.
I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities
of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
According to what Jesus said here!
This man was an outlaw to the land where he was caught teaching!
Therefore, he cannot be a Christian!
If someone said, that was religious persecution!
Then they should listen to what Jesus said and flee to other place!
By not run away from the place where he was caught, he had violated
the instruction of the Lord Jesus! This clearly proved that this
person is not a follower of Jesus!
And if the person who was caught knowingly go to teach in that place
then he is willfully sinned against the will of God! …
2. Ro.13:1-5-->
Let every soul be in subjection to the higher powers: for there is
no power but of God; and the (powers) that be are ordained of God.
Therefore he that resist the power, withstand the ordinance of God:
and they that withstand shall receive to themselves judgment.
For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. And
would thou no fear of the power? do that which is good, and
thou shall have praise from the same: for he is a minister of God to
thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he
bear not the sword in vain: for he is a minister of God, an avenger
for wrath to him that doeth evil.
3. 1 Peter 2:13-14-->
Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether to
the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as sent by him for vengeance
on evil-doers and for praise to them that do well.
4. Titus 3:1--> Put them in mind to be in subjection to rulers, to
authorities, to be obedient, to be ready unto every good work,
B. People keep arguing:
But what about those in authority this and that!
The story in John 21:18-22 may put this argument to rest!
Jesus said, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, when thou was young,
thou gird thyself, and walk whither thou would; but when thou shall
be old, thou shall stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird
thee, and carry thee whither thou would not. How this he spoke,
signifying by what manner of death he should glorify God. And when
he had spoken this, he said unto him, follow me.
Peter, turning about, sees the disciple whom Jesus loved following;
who also leaned back on his breast at the supper,…
Peter therefore seeing him said to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this
man do? Jesus said unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come,
what (is that) to thee? Follow thou me.
When we read the instruction in the Bible, we ask what will I do
with it, not what will others do with it! we answer to God for what
we do and let others answer to God for what they do!
C. Yes, what about Acts 4:18-20 and 5:27-29?
Please read it and settle them with Acts 25:13-20!
One who is not able to do this, it is best that he stop teaching!
Preaching the Gospel is serious! It is about souls going to heaven
or going to hell! Not everyone can do it!
Yes, I know! Please don’t give me that God can make anyone become
wise enough to preach!
If God make you a teacher, God will give you the ability to settle
Acts 4:19 and Acts 5:29 with Acts 25:13-20.
If you are not able to do so, this can only mean that God did not
want you to be a preacher! You can come here to be a member!
D. Yes, people may argue about this phrase “rulers are not a terror to
the good work and he is a minister of God, an avenger for wrath to
him that does evil”!
Yes, they classified teaching a religion is good work! (WRONG!!!)
For thousands of years, people have this wrong conception!
Please read Matt.7:15-23 Jesus classified lots of people who teach
in his name, do miracles in his name, cast out demons in his name as
evil doers! As a servant of God, we classify good and evil according
to what God says in the Bible not what whoever say whatever!
May I say teaching a religion in Jesus' name has to be an evildoer!
First of all these people, according to what I know, claim they
teach according to what God said in the Bible! But when I tried to
verify what they taught in tapes, lots of their teachings were not
recorded the Bible! Therefore, their claim is false! This alone is
enough to make them evildoers!
2nd they disobey the law of the land and in turn they sin against
the teaching in Romans 13:1-5!
3rd by doing so they disobey the will of God!
This one would make them squarely as enemies of God!
When they claim that they suffer persecution for the cause of Jesus,
they misunderstand what Jesus said in Mark 16:15-16!
Jesus sent his disciples to preach the gospel, not religion, period!
When and how does preaching the gospel of Christ, become teaching a
religion? Is misrepresentation a sin?
If they can't even understand such simple instruction such as Mark
16:15-16 how can they teach anything right! It is best they stop!