In View of This

[Christsfreeservant]

“Neither in the temple, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city itself did they find me carrying on a discussion with anyone or causing a riot. Nor can they prove to you the charges of which they now accuse me. But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets; having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men.” (Acts 24:12-16 NASB1995)​

Lately the Lord has been having me repost some writings from May of 2023, which are on the subject of Church abuse, and which collectively are combined together in a short book titled, “The Church Under Fire.”

These writings are based off Acts chapters 23-27, with regard to the kinds of persecutions which Paul faced from religious people. And the Lord has used some of my church experiences, as well, to illustrate how church abuse is being carried out in the church today against those who are serving Jesus Christ with their lives, who are walking in the ways of the Lord, and who are seeking to follow the Lord in obedience to his commands in holy living.

And Paul is not the only biblical example of being a recipient of such abuses, either. Jesus was continually harassed and plotted against, and he was the target of false accusations against his character. And his opponents looked for ways to accuse him on a consistent basis. And Job and the prophets of the Old Testament faced such abuse, too, as well as did the other New Testament apostles, plus the deacon Stephen, and many other Christians.

But abuse of this kind, where people are being falsely accused of what they did not say, or of what they did not do, or of what they did not experience, is not limited to just the area of the church, but it expands to all areas of life. And sometimes it is to keep an honest person from exposing the lies or from calling out sin for what it is, or from exposing corruption going on within the church, in the government, in the media, and in the corporate world, too.

And sometimes it is just pure arrogance on the part of the accusers who think because they are “so and so,” or because they carry a particular title in front of their name, that somehow they are always right and that anyone who disagrees with them, or who challenges them, is wrong. But even the experts are still human beings, and they make mistakes, and so we should never look to other humans to be our gods, no matter who they are.

And let me give you some personal examples from my life in a different area other than the church. Lately I have been faced with some medical issues, and God has chosen, this time, to have me be seen by multiple experts in many different fields of medicine, for he has a plan and a purpose for it all. My primary physician, who is the one ordering these tests for me, has been very kind and gracious, so far. He has listened to me as I have shared with him my sufferings, and he ordered the tests for me, to try to help me.

Some of the experts in the medicine field were not so kind and gracious, though some were. When I went to the hospital with sharp pains in my chest, with chest pressure, and with difficulty breathing, they ran some tests. The tests did show my lung nodule had grown since 2016, but they minimized the amount of growth. And the doctor told me my heart was fine, and then she mocked me and said my suffering was all from my emotions. Another doctor minimized the lung nodule, too, calling it a “tiny spot.”

Then I had the tests. The lung nodule had nearly doubled in size, so it is called a lung mass now. That is significant. And it showed up as suspect for cancer. My breathing is now at 44% out of 100% breathing capacity. That is also significant. My heart is not working properly and is borderline for heart failure, so that is a serious issue, as well. And there is concern for cancer in my brain and my left breast, too. So, the point here is that doctors are not gods, and they don’t get everything right, so we should not bow to them.

And the overall point here is that we are not to let other humans be our gods, and we are not to bow to them and to do everything they say we should do just because of the title before their names. And we should also not let them and their opinions of us dishearten or threaten us or make us feel as though we have to do what they say. Many people die at the hands of doctors who make errors in judgment. And many people are dying in their sins because they are listening to pastors who teach them lies, not truth.

Stand up for what is right, like Paul did, and like Jesus did. And take all the counsel that you get, from whoever you receive it, to the Lord, in prayer, seeking his guidance and counsel, before you make any decisions, especially ones which could cost you your life. And before you accept any drug prescriptions, or medical procedures, look them up online, and especially look at even the rare side effects or possible dangers to your body before you just do whatever the doctor or pastor or whoever tells you to do.

But all in all, trust the Lord with your life, follow his leading, and pray for wisdom to make certain that you are hearing from the Lord, and that this is the direction that he wants you to go, before making any serious decisions in your life. And don’t let others’ opinions of you dishearten you. But take what they say to the Lord in prayer and seek God’s counsel. He will show you the way that you should go, and then follow his lead. The others could be right, but they could be wrong. So get your counsel from the Lord and follow him.

As the Deer

By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1

As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

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In View of This
An Original Work / November 10, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love