God has enemies—the enemies of the cross. We have enemies. Those who have aligned with our adversary, the devil who comes to kill, steal, and destroy all that God created for good.

Some Christians have bought into Christian pacifism, where we bring no correction to a wrong idea out of a false love that has no degree of judgment or truth. God sets before us life and death and tells us to choose life. The devil sets before us death and death and doesn't care what we choose. Most don't realize the option of life in Christ and choose from the lesser of the two options the devil gives: death.

Once we become born-again, we are drafted into a new war of the ages. The war is all around us and even in us. Our new spirit is at war with our soul, that is to be renewed and transformed to the kingdom of God and his ways. The war and the enemies I am discussing today are the enemies in and of the world.

We are told to cast down every lofty idea that exalts itself against God. We are called to judge ideas, principles, thoughts, concepts, opinions, and anything that exalts itself over the truth of God. We are not told to cast down people. But we must remember we are in a war of words that significantly impact our world of flesh and blood. So, people sometimes need to be removed from among us or vice versa.

We do have enemies of the gospel. We are to respond to these enemies with patience and kindness, remembering that we were once enemies of God. We are told to feed and give drink to our enemies. Our light must shine before our enemies. We also need to know our enemy and his allies in the flesh. Too often, friendly fire kills the person and leaves the lofty ideas of the world in power. The letter kills, but the spirit brings life.

We are commanded not to judge until the time comes when everyone's works will be revealed, whether good or evil. However, if we rightly divide the word of God as good stewards, we must also contrast the command to know them by their fruit.

We do well when we judge words and actions and do not make conclusions to final judgment and destination. Cast down the wrong idea of God and his kingdom, not the person. The government is given the authority to cast out the person who does evil. But the church's duty is casting down ungodly thoughts.

Jesus said we are to know them by their fruit. What type of fruit? We need to keep several areas of fruit in mind to cast down ideas, not people.

A segment of our society wants to hold gun manufacturers culpable for what people do with their products after a sale. Whether the gun was purchased legally or stolen, these people want the gun manufacturers to be held unreasonably responsible for what is out of their control.

Now, this newsletter is not about guns and who is responsible. It is about blaming God for what people have done with their free will and not by our manufacturer, God.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth in six days. At the end of each day, he deemed it good. And all the days of the week would have remained good if not for misusing the manufacturer's guidelines. Adam misused the day, and by evening, it was not good.

So, who do you blame when a good product is used wrong? Well, Adam blamed both God and the woman he gave him. Paraphrased, it is not my fault it is this woman you gave me.

After six thousand years of mankind, we have not evolved one bit. We have been the same flesh and blood from the beginning, blaming the manufacturer for our fault for not following the guidelines.

God made the days for good, and man turned the day upside down for evil. Something will go wrong whenever we use a product outside its intended purpose.

Guns and weapons were made for self-defense, hunting, and recreation, but the evil heart of man has used the gun to kill, steal, and destroy what God created for good.

Blaming gun manufacturers for what people do outside of the purpose and guidelines is ridiculous. And so is blaming God for what others choose to do. I have been ridiculous on more than a few occasions.

There is a reason so many people have left church or church hop. Fifty percent of them will reason they left because of Church hurt. The Church transgressed them. And I'm not going to dismiss Church hurt. As I often say, the Church is not a safe place. Everyone who attends will get Church hurt. It is, by nature, part of the fall and recovery. Everyone in the Church should know they are there because they need a Lord and Savior to heal them of sin and its long-term consequences.

What I don't hear often is people reasoning they left the Church because they got offended at God. It is easier to blame the messengers than the message. Church hurt is real, but so is taking offense at God for delivering truth. And more people leave the Church through offense at God than Church hurt, but who wants to acknowledge that we have fallen short of the glory of God and don't want to hear it anymore?

Some may say God has never offended me, and I'm still in Church. I'm glad you are in Church, but I don't think you have lived a life for Christ without taking offense a time or two. It is part of the nature of God to confront sin and the heart and wake us out of our slumber.

God chastises those he loves. If you have never been chastised, you may not be a legitimate son or daughter of God. The greatest sin is pride in that we don't want to submit to a higher authority. We want to decide what is evil and what is good.

But before we continue into what offended by God is. Let's take a quick look at real Church hurt.

Who hasn't been hurt by a religious person? A pharisee? Or an overzealous Christian who thinks they are Holy Spirit junior and are called to overthrow change tables, dividing sheep from the goats and the tares from the wheat.