Let not hate spoil the fruits of your labor
|
|
BY Jerry Barrett
As many of you know, our Pastor Emeritus, Texe Marrs, has completed his pilgrimage through this life and is now home with Jesus. Texe left a lasting mark on all of our lives, leading many to come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.
Shortly before his passing, Texe dictated a note to his loving wife Wanda. Texe stated:
| “I’ve tried very hard to stick by the Bible and not to divert from God’s Word. There have been many who believe and say that I am a hater. Please let it be known that I do not hate anyone, and I pray that all will come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ. I pray also that our Lord and Saviour will be so gracious as to take me into his loving arms in heaven.
“I pray too, that His love will extend to Jews and Gentiles and to people of all races and colors and nations. Again, I do not hate and have never hated anybody. “May God’s Love surround us all. “In Jesus’ Name, I pray.” |
|
A Watchman on the Wall
Texe was the preeminent watchman on the wall. He was not afraid to call out apostasy of any denomination, injustices towards Christians, and expose evildoers near and far.
Moreover, for more than thirty years Texe valiantly strode the rampart, warning all with ears to hear and eyes to see. Whether through his weekly radio programs or his monthly newsletter, Texe implored his friends to be good Bereans and continue learning more about the information which he presented.
|
However, there were many who refused to research what Texe was teaching. Instead, they chose to cast stones in his direction attempting to knock him down. For them, it was easier to claim Texe was a racist, anti-Semite who did not deserve to be heard. Sadly, many of these same people claim to be “Christians.”
Judge Not…
The number of emails and letters written were abundant and contained vile and hateful condemnations. These same people would claim the oft misused verse of Matthew 7:1: “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”
They never mentioned the following verses (2-3): “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?:” Ironically, in their quest to judge Texe for what he was teaching, they were completely unaware of their own rampant hypocrisy.
|
Even after reading the harsh words his detractors sent to him, Texe would proclaim, “We’ve got it made.” Texe was profoundly aware of what Jesus taught in Matthew 5:11: “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.”
Two Types of Hatred
There are two types of hatred. One can be positive, while the other is negative. It is acceptable to hate the things that Jesus hates. We are taught in Psalms 97:10: “Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.”
Does it upset you when people disparage God’s name in vain? Do you get angry when you see spiritual hypocrisy? What about blatant unbelief and godless behavior? The closer your walk with Jesus is, the more you will hate these things. These are examples of appropriate hate.
|
The other type of hatred is a poison that destroys. The bitterness it produces will eat away at the heart. Hatred also removes the personal witness of a Christian because they are no longer walking in fellowship with Jesus.
In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us to reconcile with our brother quickly before coming unto the Lord. Jesus said, “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment… Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift” (Matthew 5:22-24).
In 1 John 2:11 John writes: “But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.”
In 1 John 4:20, we learn again: “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”
There are many such instances in the Bible where lessons are repeated a multitude of times. Do you doubt that this is done to drive home a point? Humans constantly err in their ways. How many times does one make the same mistake before learning the proper way?
In our pilgrimage through this life, we will be faced with problems. If we take the full counsel of God through His Word, we will be better able to navigate the troubled waters. Surely one will still stumble occasionally for no man is perfect.
Those Who Hear His Voice Are the Chosen
|
One of the biggest obstacles that critics of Texe Marrs confronted was his teaching there is a peculiar people, a royal priesthood who are God’s Chosen, but it is not the Jews. The hue and outcry that Texe was an anti-Semite could be heard around the globe.
So-called Christians lambasted Texe over the claim of “Replacement Theology.” They claimed that Texe was replacing the Jews with Gentiles contrary to what they were taught about Abraham’s seed in the book of Genesis. God’s chosen people have always been those who hear His voice and follow him. Instead of asking the Holy Spirit to teach them, they turned to preachers more concerned with mammon than manna.
With seminaries and churches adopting the Zionist Scofield Bible, as well as the use of false bible versions, the die was cast many years ago. Preachers today will not touch Galatians 3:26-29, Hebrews 8:6-13, or Romans 10:12-13 from their pulpit. Many Christians are starving for the Truth because the pastorate has been compromised.
It must be said that Texe never wavered from his love of Jesus and His Word. Until his last days Texe continued to toil in the garden of love for his fellowman. Power of Prophecy will continue to plant the seeds of God’s love for all. The Bible says, “whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely (Revelation 22:18). 