dis·sen·sion
/dəˈsen(t)SH(ə)n/
noun
- disagreement that leads to discord.
“these issues caused bitter dissension in the party”
Oxford English Dictionary. https://www.google.com/search?q=dissension&oq=dissension&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i433i512j0i512l5j69i60.2899j1j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
To many people around the world, there is no doubt that we are living in the “End Days”. In the faith filled communities, that has becoming more apparent as the focus has shifted to “getting right with God”. If you remove yourself from your shoes and take a satellite view of the world, there is a whole bunch of weirdness going on. From often occurrences of natural disasters to wars and corruption. Granted, in the 20th century, the supply of information increased substantially due to better communication and technology, so, maybe it’s been this way for a long time. I don’t think so. I am a believer that things are in a downward spiral. Am I worried? No, not really. It has all been written about so it’s no surprise to me. Is it painful? A bit at times. There is an ebb and flow. Kind of like birth contractions. All is well until that first contraction hits. Then there is some relief for a bit until another one hits. As the clock ticks the hours and minutes away, those contractions get closer and closer together. Before you know it, BAM!!!! Baby time! That birth you’ve been waiting for has arrived. Smiles and handshakes all around. What’s funny is, the Bible references the same thing when it comes to “birth pains”. What does it mean when you read about birth pains in Matthew 24:8 where it says,
“All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.” (ESV)
Interesting? Read the verses leading up to that one. Wait, I’ll get that for you.
“4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.” (ESV)
Interesting, right? So, stop and think about our world and what is going on in it. I had a very good friend who explained this to me not long ago. He used contractions as the example. First of all, God’s time is different from ours. We don’t work on the same schedule simply because He works outside the boundaries of human science. Time, Space and Matter are not relevant to Him and how He works. So, for the past few hundreds of years, planet earth has been experiencing those contractions. You may or may not agree but I believe those contractions have gotten a LOT closer together. Which leads me to believe that we are indeed in the end days. Congrats!!! A birth is about to happen!!! Wait, what kind of birth?
“9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:9-14 (ESV)
Sounds fun!! Right?! Yeah, not really. What the heck does all that mean and what’s the point of this article? The subject matter of this article is dissension. The definition is above. What we’ve seen quite a bit of over the past 50 years are the splits in the denominations, teachings of the Bible and just plain ole perversions of the Gospel. The written Word has been twisted. I’m a rule bender. My wife doesn’t like it but I like to say that “Laws and rules are merely guidelines”. I get a kick out of myself when I say that to her and she gets testy. When we take a rule or law, or in this case the written Word (Bible) and twist it to make ourselves feel better about how we humanly think, that is called blasphemy. Some folks stick so closely to their newfound liberation of the rule that they, then, begin to try to influence others to believe the same. Think David Koresh. That is the dissension I’m referring to. The Bible is pretty clear yet is translated and taught different ways. How do you know what is the real meaning? If you try to make something written in the Bible work for something you are doing that can be questionable by analyzing it, more than likely you’re wrong in your ways. Furthermore, if you begin to spread your twisted beliefs to others, spread rumors, create lies you are creating dissension. Which is evil and heavily frowned upon by the creator of everything. Don’t get on His bad side. Don’t do that.
If you are a Christian who has been “Saved” and accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you know what’s right and may need to make some changes. If you see something going on in your church that you don’t agree with, question it. Don’t just get upset and stir others up through rumors and dissension. Question the leaders and elders at your place of worship. Seek understanding. You may find that you are wrong OR they may realize that maybe they could be clearer in their teaching of the topic in question. I’ve seen a lot of this in recent years. People don’t like what their pastor has said, they don’t like the way their church is moving, etc. Question it. Lastly, it’s important to “draw near” in the end days. Those who are “lukewarm” will be spit out. Either be hot or cold.
“So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:16 (ESV)
I’ll close with this. If you are a member of a congregation and don’t like what your pastor says, don’t go and blast your church. Maybe it’s you who doesn’t understand. Don’t let the Devil have a seat at your table. After seeking that understanding and you still don’t agree then do what you may. Don’t be a part of the problem in this world by adding more confusion or anger in it. We have enough already.
Thank you for reading this post. As I’ve stated in the beginning and over the years, the main reason for this blog site is for my own wellness management. Flannery O’Connor explains it best for me when she said, “I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.” If you’d like to comment I welcome all comments. Say what you mean, mean what you say, don’t say it mean.
BCH
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