Obey God, Not Men

There have always been pressures on those who preach the gospel to twist or change it in some way to make it more palatable for the world. Some go as far as simply remaining silent where the Bible is not silent. The recent advent of "Hate Speech" laws have been used by some to silence the preaching of the Bible. In Canada, it is no longer "legal" to call homosexuality a sin. A lawmaker in Oregon recently tried to pass a similar law for that state. Australia's "hate speech" laws were used to stop two denominational preachers from quoting the Quran when they were lecturing on Islam . However, the two are now allowed to quote the Quran once again.

Preaching is not always an easy thing to do. God told the prophet, Ezekiel, "Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; do not be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house" (Ezekiel 3:9). John the Immerser (Baptist), lost his head for speaking out against the sin of Herod and Herodias (Mark 6:16-18). Of course, the apostles were often warned against preaching Jesus, but their response was, “We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).

These examples may seem far removed by either distance or time, but this still happens anywhere the gospel is preached. It may be extremely subtle, but it happens. May we all, as Christians, lovingly and bravely stand unflinchingly on the Word of God.