Christianity and Christians: Meek, Not Weak!
Jul 11, 2020 03:37:16 #
In this age, which envisions a Christianity of a “soft and pampered” ekklesia, - members of the body of Christ, i.e., "church members," the image given to Jesus the Christ is often sentimentally effeminate.
The Jesus who said “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them…” (Mark 10:14), is the same Jesus who “…entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the [dishonest] money- changers and the benches of those selling doves” (Matthew 21:12).
He is the same Jesus who delivered a stinging rebuke: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are” (Matthew 23:15).
And He is the same Jesus who“…entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And they (the religious leaders) watched Him, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath day; that they might accuse Him...
And He said unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? ... And when He had looked round about on them With Anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts…” (Mark 3:1-6).
Yes, our Jesus, who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, exhibited His displeasure when He confronted evil.
Because Jesus Had Enemies - We Will Also
Jesus’ Disciples were like their Lord - they were meek but not weak. John was called the apostle of “love,” friend of the Savior and of all men, and he was also the brother of James, and Jesus named them "Boanerges," which is Sons of Thunder! It was John who penned “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is begotten of God, and knoweth God ... and this commandment have we from Him, that he who loveth God loves his brother also” (1st John 4).
Same Truthful Apostle?
John is the same apostle that speaks truthfully of Satan’s possession of Judas and of his traitorous character. John also is that same apostle who speaks of the religious leader (member of the Sanhedrin) Nicodemus and his timidity, and who also writes this of those who betray Christ’s teachings, “If any one cometh unto you, and bringeth not this teaching, receive him not into your house, and give him no greeting: for he that giveth him greeting partaketh in his evil works” (2nd John 10:11).
Our Love And Fellowship
Our Love And Loyalty for Jesus our Lord is more important than fellowshipping with demons! If professing “Christians” are not committed to the Biblical Gospel of grace of Jesus Christ, they are not our Christian brother or sister. 2nd John 9 says, “Who-so-ever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God! He (or she) that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.”
All Who Are Haters Of Truth
There are those who claim to be “loving” and “Christian,” whose fruits belie their words. There is much in God’s Word on this subject for those who will read it.
John’s authoritative and cutting words, inspired by the Holy Spirit, were then, and are now, considered offensive, harsh, and unloving - to the wicked.
An Unloving Attitude
This has been heard for centuries. They said the same about Jesus and His apostles. Church leaders are accused of “splitting up churches and families.” Didn’t Jesus even say in Matthew 16:34-42 that there is a cost to discipleship - part of that is separation from others (read those Scriptures for yourself).
John’s inspired words and even those of Jesus too, seem wrong in this Politically Correct age. Only those who despise, yea, hate God’s Word have this problem. The “loving” Jesus, and His servant, John were meek, but not weak. They have tender hearts, but a hardened will against falsehoods, phony and hypocritical leaders and followers alike. They hate Satan's lies and His demonic liars.
Christianity — Is It Alive?
It is not what is commonly presented in this self serving and hell-bound generation. It is love, forgiveness, patience, endurance and all the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. True Biblical Christianity is a life of sacrifice, spiritual warfare, suffering, persecution, and even physical death in the resistance of evil and sin! It will not cry “peace and safety” when there is none. It will not seek rest when there is the work of spiritual warfare in which to engage.
Biblical Christianity valiantly and vigorously struggles to defend the truth of God's Word, as well as to overthrow lies and liars. We must not condone what God’s Word is not silent about. God loves men but hates sin! The very capacity for love in God involves the capacity to combat sin. Jesus hated and fought against the works of Satan, as strongly as He loved all mankind, which He exhibited to those who trusted in Him, and He was at peace in both activities, as should we be.
“Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness: Therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows” — Psalm 45:7.
Jesus Saw Their Sin, Yet Loved Them Anyway !
As fully God and fully man, Jesus the Christ of God, saw sin and sinners in all their destructive force. He saw sin in its infinite and sinister ravages in the very human nature He had assumed and was come to redeem - yet He loved them, but He hated and denounced their sin. He guarded the sheep and lambs as the good shepherd and drove away the wolves in sheep’s clothing. He took all the sins upon Himself, as if He had committed them, because He loved the Father and gave Himself on behalf of guilty mankind.
Jesus denounced the devil, i.e., Satan, who was called the father of lies. He defeated him through His death and resurrection, for you and for me, and for all who will believe. Yet Jesus spoke the truth when He told Nicodemus, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). In verse 5 He stated, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.”
Those who preach this today are referred to as messengers of hatred, intolerance and bigotry.
Jesus made the rules, “…whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). No one wants to hear about the dreadful reality of eternal punishment, for that doesn’t sound sufficiently “loving.” Matthew answers: “…fear Him (our Triune God) who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 16:28).
To confront Jesus Christ is to confront reality, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. (Revelation 1:8, 11; 21:6; and 22:13)
We accept Him or we reject Him, our choice, and we will live with that decision throughout eternity.
ESV Study Bible
Got Questions?
General James Green
The Jesus who said “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them…” (Mark 10:14), is the same Jesus who “…entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the [dishonest] money- changers and the benches of those selling doves” (Matthew 21:12).
He is the same Jesus who delivered a stinging rebuke: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are” (Matthew 23:15).
And He is the same Jesus who“…entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And they (the religious leaders) watched Him, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath day; that they might accuse Him...
And He said unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? ... And when He had looked round about on them With Anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts…” (Mark 3:1-6).
Yes, our Jesus, who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, exhibited His displeasure when He confronted evil.
Because Jesus Had Enemies - We Will Also
Jesus’ Disciples were like their Lord - they were meek but not weak. John was called the apostle of “love,” friend of the Savior and of all men, and he was also the brother of James, and Jesus named them "Boanerges," which is Sons of Thunder! It was John who penned “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is begotten of God, and knoweth God ... and this commandment have we from Him, that he who loveth God loves his brother also” (1st John 4).
Same Truthful Apostle?
John is the same apostle that speaks truthfully of Satan’s possession of Judas and of his traitorous character. John also is that same apostle who speaks of the religious leader (member of the Sanhedrin) Nicodemus and his timidity, and who also writes this of those who betray Christ’s teachings, “If any one cometh unto you, and bringeth not this teaching, receive him not into your house, and give him no greeting: for he that giveth him greeting partaketh in his evil works” (2nd John 10:11).
Our Love And Fellowship
Our Love And Loyalty for Jesus our Lord is more important than fellowshipping with demons! If professing “Christians” are not committed to the Biblical Gospel of grace of Jesus Christ, they are not our Christian brother or sister. 2nd John 9 says, “Who-so-ever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God! He (or she) that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.”
All Who Are Haters Of Truth
There are those who claim to be “loving” and “Christian,” whose fruits belie their words. There is much in God’s Word on this subject for those who will read it.
John’s authoritative and cutting words, inspired by the Holy Spirit, were then, and are now, considered offensive, harsh, and unloving - to the wicked.
An Unloving Attitude
This has been heard for centuries. They said the same about Jesus and His apostles. Church leaders are accused of “splitting up churches and families.” Didn’t Jesus even say in Matthew 16:34-42 that there is a cost to discipleship - part of that is separation from others (read those Scriptures for yourself).
John’s inspired words and even those of Jesus too, seem wrong in this Politically Correct age. Only those who despise, yea, hate God’s Word have this problem. The “loving” Jesus, and His servant, John were meek, but not weak. They have tender hearts, but a hardened will against falsehoods, phony and hypocritical leaders and followers alike. They hate Satan's lies and His demonic liars.
Christianity — Is It Alive?
It is not what is commonly presented in this self serving and hell-bound generation. It is love, forgiveness, patience, endurance and all the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. True Biblical Christianity is a life of sacrifice, spiritual warfare, suffering, persecution, and even physical death in the resistance of evil and sin! It will not cry “peace and safety” when there is none. It will not seek rest when there is the work of spiritual warfare in which to engage.
Biblical Christianity valiantly and vigorously struggles to defend the truth of God's Word, as well as to overthrow lies and liars. We must not condone what God’s Word is not silent about. God loves men but hates sin! The very capacity for love in God involves the capacity to combat sin. Jesus hated and fought against the works of Satan, as strongly as He loved all mankind, which He exhibited to those who trusted in Him, and He was at peace in both activities, as should we be.
“Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness: Therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows” — Psalm 45:7.
Jesus Saw Their Sin, Yet Loved Them Anyway !
As fully God and fully man, Jesus the Christ of God, saw sin and sinners in all their destructive force. He saw sin in its infinite and sinister ravages in the very human nature He had assumed and was come to redeem - yet He loved them, but He hated and denounced their sin. He guarded the sheep and lambs as the good shepherd and drove away the wolves in sheep’s clothing. He took all the sins upon Himself, as if He had committed them, because He loved the Father and gave Himself on behalf of guilty mankind.
Jesus denounced the devil, i.e., Satan, who was called the father of lies. He defeated him through His death and resurrection, for you and for me, and for all who will believe. Yet Jesus spoke the truth when He told Nicodemus, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). In verse 5 He stated, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.”
Those who preach this today are referred to as messengers of hatred, intolerance and bigotry.
Jesus made the rules, “…whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). No one wants to hear about the dreadful reality of eternal punishment, for that doesn’t sound sufficiently “loving.” Matthew answers: “…fear Him (our Triune God) who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 16:28).
To confront Jesus Christ is to confront reality, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. (Revelation 1:8, 11; 21:6; and 22:13)
We accept Him or we reject Him, our choice, and we will live with that decision throughout eternity.
ESV Study Bible
Got Questions?
General James Green
Jul 11, 2020 05:47:09 #
Zemirah wrote:
In this age, which envisions a Christianity of a “... (show quote)
So if you trust in Christ are you being meek or weak?
Jul 11, 2020 09:52:20 #
Zemirah wrote:
In this age, which envisions a Christianity of a “... (show quote)
Amen and Amen excellent study Zemirah thanks for this post it is so hard for the world to decerne the difference between meek and weak isn't it?
Jul 11, 2020 16:23:06 #
bahmer wrote:
Amen and Amen excellent study Zemirah thanks for this post it is so hard for the world to decerne the difference between meek and weak isn't it?
Meekness is power under control. When I first heard that years ago it made sense. I was one who equated meekness with weakness.
Thanks Zemirah.
Jul 11, 2020 16:56:53 #
manning5
Loc: Richmond, VA
Zemirah wrote:
In this age, which envisions a Christianity of a “... (show quote)
Excellent article! Yes, meek is most definitely not week! That is, enduring injury with patience and not resentment, as Webster says. Reserved, but ready and willing to defend life with Christianity, Christian values and Christian virtues.
Jul 11, 2020 18:38:48 #
Did you read the Topic, as posted, PeterS?
This paragraph is a direct quote from what you presumably just read:
"Jesus’ Disciples were like their Lord - they were meek but not weak. John was called the apostle of “love,” friend of the Savior and of all men, and he was also the brother of James, and Jesus named them "Boanerges," which is Sons of Thunder!"
This paragraph is a direct quote from what you presumably just read:
"Jesus’ Disciples were like their Lord - they were meek but not weak. John was called the apostle of “love,” friend of the Savior and of all men, and he was also the brother of James, and Jesus named them "Boanerges," which is Sons of Thunder!"
PeterS wrote:
So if you trust in Christ are you being meek or weak?
Jul 11, 2020 18:42:35 #
Most of our modern world, bahmer, admires only physical, brute strength.
bahmer wrote:
Amen and Amen excellent study Zemirah thanks for this post it is so hard for the world to decerne the difference between meek and weak isn't it?
Jul 11, 2020 18:56:15 #
I never confused the two, Rose. 
- for I experienced the difference.
From an early age, I understood that meekness was not weakness, i.e., one was definitively not the other, after I saw my beloved mother, a soft spoken, self contained, reticent and normally reserved Christian Minister's wife, in one of her rare moments of "righteous wrath" after I or one of my siblings seriously failed to toe the mark!
- for I experienced the difference.From an early age, I understood that meekness was not weakness, i.e., one was definitively not the other, after I saw my beloved mother, a soft spoken, self contained, reticent and normally reserved Christian Minister's wife, in one of her rare moments of "righteous wrath" after I or one of my siblings seriously failed to toe the mark!
Rose42 wrote:
Meekness is power under control. When I first heard that years ago it made sense. I was one who equated meekness with weakness.
Thanks Zemirah.
Thanks Zemirah.
Jul 11, 2020 19:08:56 #
You capture the essence of "meekness," manning, as the indwelling Holy Spirit enables us to display it before an unbelieving world, by strengthening our internal self discipline.
manning5 wrote:
Excellent article! Yes, meek is most definitely not week! That is, enduring injury with patience and not resentment, as Webster says. Reserved, but ready and willing to defend life with Christianity, Christian values and Christian virtues.
Jul 12, 2020 06:59:52 #
TexaCan
Loc: Homeward Bound!
Zemirah wrote:
You capture the essence of "meekness," manning, as the indwelling Holy Spirit enables us to display it before an unbelieving world, by strengthening our internal self discipline.
As I sit here on this beautiful morning out here in our screened in porch, my very favorite place, I’m watching the sun peek up from the East, waking the morning up! Our daughter and her husband, our #1 grandson and his wife and beautiful twin 3 yr. old girls, and our youngest grandson #4, are all still sleeping! Yep, their nicknames are #1 through #4!
This is a wonderful thread to read this morning. We are living in a very interesting time, watching prophecy fulfilled and patiently waiting for our blessed hope and the Rapture of all those who have accepted the free gift of Eternity with our Lord and Savior!
God Bless to all my Brothers and Sisters in Christ!
MARANATHA
Jul 12, 2020 09:20:51 #
Zemirah wrote:
I never confused the two, Rose. img src="https://... (show quote)
I experienced it but didn't recognize it until much later. I'm a slow learner sometimes. 
My mother was a quiet woman who never complained about anything but she was tough.
Jul 12, 2020 09:21:12 #
TexaCan wrote:
As I sit here on this beautiful morning out here i... (show quote)
The same to you TexaCan.👍👍👍👍👍
Jul 12, 2020 09:24:16 #
TexaCan wrote:
As I sit here on this beautiful morning out here i... (show quote)
A blessed Sunday morning to all.
Thank you Texacan.
Jul 12, 2020 16:06:04 #
manning5
Loc: Richmond, VA
Zemirah wrote:
You capture the essence of "meekness," manning, as the indwelling Holy Spirit enables us to display it before an unbelieving world, by strengthening our internal self discipline.
Joshua 1:9 says: Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee wherever thou goest.
This really does apply generally to the faithful!
Jul 13, 2020 02:36:12 #
Zemirah wrote:
In this age, which envisions a Christianity of a “... (show quote)
Amen. Jesus was a carpenter, in those days there were no chainsaws or lumber mills. When he and his earthly father wanted the wood to build something it was all by hand, from securing the wood to shaping it to size and fit to whatever they sought to construct. Jesus was not at all weak. However, he was ever meek or humble.
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