In preparation for their becoming one with Him and the Father, Jesus warned His disciples and all who would obey their (His) Words, that the path to eternal life would not be easy to walk. In Matthew 10:34-36 He warned: “Do not think that I came to being peace to the earth. I came with a sword.” A sword divides things, splitting them into two or more parts, each part having no more contact with the other part(s).  The same applies to the “sword of the Spirit”–His Word–which, He warned would “… sets a man against his father, a daughter against her mother and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

JESUS CHRIST, THE KING OF PEACE, stated that for those who would sell out to Him, “… his (main) foes WILL be those of his own household (family). He that loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of Me. And he that does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.” If it comes down to either pleasing (obeying) the Lord or pleasing one’s family members, only those who choose him TO THE EXCLUSION OF FAMILY MEMBERS are worthy of Him. THOSE WHO ARE NOT WORTHY OF HIM WILL NOT SPEND ETERNITY WITH HIM.

The Word of God divides people. God’s Word divides the world into two parts–light and darkness. One either walks in God’s light OR in Satan’s darkness. Those who believe and obey God’s Word (not church doctrine) walk in light. ALL OTHERS, no matter how religious they may be, walk in darkness. God calls false Christianity “great darkness” because it passes itself off as God’s light. It is for this reason that I call Catholicism and Protestantism the “Counterfeit Church.” A counterfeit looks so much like the real that those who do not know the real INTIMANTLY will be deceived. The Apostle Paul warned the Church at Galatia that many of them had been led astray by a “perverted gospel” (1:6-9). The Galatian church was not alone, for as Jesus said in Revelation 12:9, “… Satan has deceived the whole world,” including the church world.

Satan’s ambassadors for peace will condemn the true believer for believing and obeying God. With the rarest of exceptions, the most ardent condemners will be those of the believer’s family. This is the “cost” the true believer must bear. With this in mind, how must Jesus have felt as He hung on that cross awaiting death which would end His incredible suffering. How deeply must He had to have suffered to be moved to ask, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” Considering this, our cost is relatively minor. L.J.