Tuesday 6 October 2020

Beware of Hypocrisy

Moment of hypocrisy

Has anyone on earth not had at least a moment of hypocrisy? Sadly, many have lived a lifetime of it. Hypocrite originally had a neutral sense, “someone who answers,” and hypocrisy meant “answering.” Initially, these words were used for the normal flow of questions and answer in conversation or discussion. They later became connected with question-and-answer sections in plays, naturally followed by the idea of acting a part. Eventually, “hypocrite” came to describe one who is never genuine but always play-acting. The basis of hypocrisy is insincerity.

Hypocrites inhabit every walk of life, trying to impress others in an attempt to hide who they really are. In the Christian life, a hypocrite is someone who tries to appear more spiritual than he really is. Such a person knows that he is pretending, and he hopes he will not be found out. His Christianity is a shallow charade.

As the crowds following Him grew, Jesus decided to warn His disciples of this spiritual pitfall. They could easily surrender to human nature, giving in to the temptation either to gain popularity by pleasing the crowds or to avoid trouble by pleasing the Pharisees. Human nature drives us to want people to like and admire us, and it seems so easy to “act the part” that others want to see.


1. What causes hypocrisy? Luke 12:4-7

Jesus mentions “fear” five times in these verses, teaching that a basic cause of hypocrisy is the fear of men. People will do almost anything to avoid embarrassment or harm. When we are afraid of what others may say or do to us, we try to impress them to gain their approval, and our human nature will stoop to deception to accomplish its purposes. Sadly, many of the Pharisees were more concerned about reputation than character—what people thought about them than what God knew about them. The fear of men always brings a snare (Proverbs 29:25), and Jesus wants His disciples to avoid it and be stable in their faith. As Scottish novelist and poet, Sir Walter Scott, wrote, “Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice deceiving.”


2. How can we avoid the pitfall of hypocrisy? Luke 12:1-3

Jesus compares hypocrisy to leaven, which symbolizes sin (I Corinthians 5:6-8; Galatians 5:9). Like leaven, hypocrisy begins small but grows quickly and quietly. As it does, it infects the whole person and eventually the whole society. When a person is puffed up with pride, hypocrisy flourishes and character deteriorates (I Corinthians 4:6, 18-19; 5:2). Hypocrisy, like all sin, must be stopped before the underlying pride has an opportunity to spread (James 1:14-15). The longer he waits to deal with it, the worse it gets. Nothing can really be hidden (Mark 4:22), which makes hypocrisy foolish and futile. So why keep pretending?

Jesus was perhaps concerned that His disciples might be tempted to compromise the truth to avoid offending the crowds or the Pharisees (see Luke 8:16-18; 11:33). Many who profess to be God’s ministers do something like this to remain in their pulpits. God’s truth is like light, not leaven, and it must not be hidden.


3. What is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? Luke 12:8-10

Jesus appears to contradict Himself. In Luke 12:8-9, He demands that we openly confess Him without hypocrisy, but in verse 10, He says our speech against Him can be forgiven. Yet, God will not forgive speaking against the Spirit. Why? One who blasphemes God’s Spirit so thoroughly rejects its power to work in him that he refuses to submit to God. Too proud and rebellious to repent, he cannot be forgiven. A true Christian, though, constantly depends on the Spirit to reflect Christ’s life as much as possible.

Christ’s sacrifice for the overall forgiveness of sin and the receiving of God’s Holy Spirit applies only once for each person, and if an individual rejects God’s grace, it cannot be applied again (Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:26-27). This is why apostasy is so serious a matter and why the first-century apostles contended so fiercely against heresy. Eternal lives are at stake!

Sustained neglect can also lead to eternal death. The sinner may know he should repent of his sins, but through lethargy, he never bothers to overcome them. In his apathy, he may try to appear righteous, but he is not fooling God. In effect, he is blaspheming God’s Spirit by refusing to repent, so his sin is unpardonable.


4. How can we overcome hypocrisy? Luke 12:8-12

The remedy for hypocrisy is reverent fear of God, the fear that conquers all other fears because the person who truly fears God fears nothing else. The apostle John teaches that the love of God casts out fear (I John 4:18, 19). Thus, we can ignore the negative things people say and do. With God standing by us, why should we fear the criticism of others (Hebrews 13:6)? They can do no more than kill the body, but God can destroy both life and body (Matthew 10:28). Since Christ is the ultimate and eternal Judge, it is logical to put the fear of God ahead of everything else.

Fearing man often results in denying Christ, bringing severe consequences (Matthew 10:32-33). A Christian can avoid persecution by denying that he is Jesus’ disciple, but the eternal cost of doing so is far worse than the persecution that he sought to avoid. The opposite of denying Christ is to confess Him before others, that is, to be a true witness for Him by living God’s way. A Christian living any other way is a hypocrite.


There is no shame in suffering for being a Christian. If we suffer for righteousness, we should keep on doing what is right, trusting our lives to our Creator, because He will never fail us (I Peter 4:16-19).


by Martin G. Collins

Today's Prayer Requests

We Are Praying With You

 "Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me." Romans 15:30 

Elizabeth S Bennett | LORD, please bless my brother HILARIO DELLOSA SAGAYAP, who passed away July 11, 2020.

Sheila Wilson | Please bring Pauly back in your name I ask Jesus. Amen

KY |  I have backslidden away from God. I slowly fell away from God and got involved in porn and other lustful sins. I feel so bad and I just want to be back with God. I hate what I did and I don't want to go back, please pray for me. I thank you so much. God bless you all!

Melon | In Jesus name I am asking you to pray that I get housing to and that God fixes Sam heart to help me.

LA | please pray for my children to grow in the faith. One of my children is not attending Sunday worship with us even and I pray that he Holy spirit knock in his heart. Thank you

Ken Emmanuel Ghorpade | Prayer request for world . And my family hearth . Thank you

Dustin | Pray a healing prayer for our president trump and 1 st lady for a speedy recovery. That my relationship be guided by gods will and that me and my partner can escape the chains we carry and become the family we have wanted give us strength may we be a vessel for his will and he us us to spread the word more effectively

Alpha | pray for the nation USA as is heading to the national elections this year.

Ajie Joshua C. C | .Please pray for me, I really desire to love God sincerely and wholeheartedly, to never do or say or think about anything that would hurt his feelings.

Meary |  I would love for you all to pray that God will bless me with a large print King James Version Study Bible. I am on a fixed income and can't afford to buy myself one. I would love to have one that has the words of Christ in red with a concordance, a dictionary, and all the Self-help things in it that i could possibly get in it. Please Pray that God will provide me with one of the King James Version Study Bibles with everything in it that you can get in it with the large print. If i could afford to buy myself one i sure would, but i can't. I know that God answers prayers so please pray for me.

Adjar | Pray for financial breakthrough for my family and ministry.

SANDY QUINTANA | Please pray for my family and pray for me to recover from alcoholism. I've been clean since August 24th 2020. Amen.

Aggian | Prayers for me to be filled with the Holy Spirit and with evident of speaking in tongues. That I will grow spiritually and serve God with all my heart. Prayers for God to be merciful and heal all nations of the world from COVID. Blessings

Irma | Please pray my mother Maria for her health , anx get back her appetite Thanks

Chananvaj | I need an excellent idea for the first chapter of my novel. God, please write with me to grab readers by their hearts, from the get-go to never let go. Let me tell the story that entertains, inspires, and renews hope. Your wisdom and guidience are LOVE to my soul. Amen.

Maria J Gaspar | I need prayers for my mom , she needs prayers her name is margarita miguel Gaspar please help thank u God bless

Vijay | Plz pray for a financial miracle in my life immediately

Katrina Self | .Please pray for my first cousin Diane Sale and her son Michael Autry. Michael is in ICU with liver failure and not expected to live. Thank you

Pam G Chaffin | My mom has alzheimers an getting worst

The Rhoades | Missionaries in the Philippines

Tammy | I have been experiencing great fatigue from the recently diagnosed heart condition (3 leaky valves). Please pray it can be treated properly and I find an heart Dr that will explain in detail and what next steps will be in getting better. Struggling also with fear depression and PTSD from past issues. Thank you for your prayers.

Liraflor | please pray for my children to grow in the faith. One of my children is not attending Sunday worship with us even and I pray that he Holy spirit knock in his heart. Thank you

Lilaflor | please pray for my children to grow in the faith. One of my children is not attending Sunday worship with us even and I pray that he Holy spirit knock in his heart. Thank you

Vijay | Worried about debts heart squeezes plz pray for a financial miracle in my life immediately

Amanuel |  I need God's mercy on:1. my health (my all organs) 2. I need his blessing(spiritual blessing, health blessing, marriage blessing, financial blessing) IN JESUS NAME AMEN!!!

Michael | My niece's boyfriend is under going cancer treatment Please pray that God gives him the strength that he needs to go through this and beat this disease

Mike |  I may lose my home, on the verge. Please Pray that a miracle comes my way so I don't become homeless


If you have a prayer request, feel free to reach via the contact form or send an email: businessofchrist@gmail.com 

Monday 5 October 2020

American Family Association Prays for President and First Lady as They Battle COVID-19

US President, Donald J. Trump and first lady Melania Trump


As our nation continues to absorb the shock waves that President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump both have tested positive for the coronavirus, the American Family Association (AFA, afa.net) shares its deepest prayers and very best wishes for the first couple’s quick recovery.

The year of 2020 has already been one of enormous challenge for our country, yet the organization—which advocates from a biblical worldview for the constitutional rights of parents and children—knows that God will see the nation through its many trials.

Says AFA Vice President Ed Vitagliano, “Our prayers are with the president and first lady. We are asking God to protect them from the more serious symptoms of COVID-19 and for healing.”

Vitagliano adds, “AFA would like to remind Christians that we are commanded by Scripture to pray for all of our political leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-4)—and not just the ones we agree with. The church is especially told to pray for the salvation of those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus. We need to take this responsibility seriously.”

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said today that the president was showing mild symptoms of the virus. The first lady also said on Twitter that she was experiencing mild symptoms but is “overall feeling good.” Both are in quarantine. President Trump is planning to continue handling his duties as commander-in-chief and will do so at home—at the White House—for two weeks as doctors watch over him.

The news first broke after midnight this past Thursday night, when the president shared in a tweet,

“Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!”

Leaders from around the world, as well as Americans of all walks of life, have been sharing on social media their sincere wishes for the first couple’s good health and speedy recovery. President Trump, 74, becomes the most prominent of global leaders to have contracted the virus. But as the president himself has told the American people for months, the vast majority of those who contract COVID-19 recover completely.

For more than 40 years, AFA has operated within the mission to inform, equip, and activate individuals to strengthen the moral foundations of American culture and give aid to the church here and abroad in its task of fulfilling the Great Commission. Visit AFA Action Alerts

Trump's COVID-19 was made up to gain sympathy, avoid next Biden debate says Palestinian Authority


Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas 

"I’m certain that if [Joe] Biden or any other president rises ‎‎[to power], the first thing that person will do is to declare that the [Trump’s] ‎deal of the century is off the table."

In the official daily newspaper of the Palestinian Authority, Al-Hayat al-Jadida, Mahmoud Abbas ran on Sunday a front-page editorial with the headline “Trump's ‎corona - false claims and expectations,” claiming that the US President Donald Trump may have "fabricated" his coronavirus infection "to win sympathy, and to avoid ‎future debates with his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden."

The fact that Trump’s infection was announced shortly after his debate with ‎Biden “which Trump turned into the worst debate in history” makes it logical that Trump ‎wants to avoid future debates by feigning illness, said the PA newspaper.‎

Palestinian Media Watch published the translation of the piece and shared it with the Israeli press. 

The editorial added that if Trump happens to actually be sick, his illness "will cause ‎[him] to re-examine the erroneous and aggressive policies towards humanity... while he fuels racist extremist ideas, and sides with ‎falsehood against the truth, and with occupation against liberation and freedom."

The irony, PMW points out in its release, is that the PA daily also published on the same page a note coming from Saeb Erekat, the ‎Secretary of the PLO Executive Committee, who told CNN that "President ‎Mahmoud Abbas wishes US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania a speedy ‎and full recovery‏.‏‎”‎

While this editorial was more than insulting and outrageous towards the US President, PMW states, it ended in a more appealing way, saying that "whether or not the US president has caught coronavirus, [the PA] will not ‎analyze this news based on wishful thinking," where the quote “wishful thinking” might be a possible reference to the open hopes of the PA for a Biden election victory that will ‎completely change US policy and end the US peace proposal. 

This was position has been expressed earlier by Erekat 

A position that was made very clear earlier by Erekat, when he said: "I’m certain that if [Joe] Biden or any other president rises ‎‎[to power], the first thing that person will do is to declare that the [Trump’s] ‎deal of the century is off the table because they have issued statements."

Thursday 24 September 2020

China Censors Teachers from Mentioning God

Christian Persecution

A new report from the Center for Studies on New Religion's publication Bitter Winter reveals China is spying on and censoring any religious teacher to make sure they don't mention God.

The Center for Studies on New Religion, a human rights organization focusing on abuses by the Chinese Communist Party's regime, published the report in an effort to help end the crackdown.

According to the report, Chinese authorities will monitor teachers and make sure they refrain from mentioning anything about democracy, freedom, religion,
or God.

The report also says that religious teachers are already considered a threat to the Chinese Communist Party simply because they are religious, regardless of what they have taught. The report cites complaints from multiple teachers in both colleges and elementary schools. The teachers were kept anonymous so the Chinese Communist Party cannot find and persecute them for speaking out about the regime's treatment of its own citizens.

One teacher noted that they “were observed during every class." Bitter Winter goes on to summarize the rest of what she stated, writing, "She added that the Chinese Ministry of Education adopted Opinions on Building and Improving a Long-term Effective Mechanism for College Teachers’ Ethics Construction in 2016, demanding teachers 'not say or do anything against the Party line in their educational or teaching activities.' Student informants planted in classes by authorities help ensure that teachers implement this order."

Already, "numerous" educators have been punished for not emphatically teaching the Chinese Communist Party's propaganda, with no indications the persecution of free-thinking teachers will end.

This isn't the first time China has censored or attacked Christians. Christian Headlines recently reported that the Chinese Communist Party had shut down a 1500-member church after they refused to install surveillance cameras in their church. The authorities also confiscated what they called "illegal promotional material" which likely included mostly Bibles and church literature.

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