God (Sometimes) Creates Controversy & His Work Behind the Scenes
These are Holy Spirit thoughts in connection to Acts 25 written by Witness 2 in the name of Jesus Christ. This post will explore the cost of truth, which is sometimes controversy, as well why God often works behind the scenes. I thank Jesus Christ for always working behind the scenes in my life! Please check out Jake's relevant Bible study on truth, as well!
Introduction - Truth Often Comes with Controversy
In my reading of Acts, specifically Acts 25 today, it is clear that Paul is always at the center of controversy, and it is as if God allows it or even promotes it. In this chapter, Paul must appeal to Caesar and others, and it seems as though everything he does throughout Acts is surrounded by controversy. For a brief synopsis, you can watch the following informative video, and we will be on Acts 26 on 8/2/24. Please join us in our (almost) daily Bible study.
In fact, the early church always seemed to have some type of controversy up until modern times. Sure, we hear about LGBT controversy in the news (or similar issues), but other than that, churches are rarely at the center of controversy anymore. What happened, and why is that bad? Shouldn't we, as Christians, aim for peace?
Well, let's start with the first question. Why are churches so quiet now? Why is there so little controversy other than what appears to be manufactured? Why didn't most churches, for example, speak out during Covid? Why were they silent?
Covid was a great test to show the failure of churches - the failure of truth. Very few churches are preaching the full truth anymore, so there is nothing that is controversial, and they will not get involved in controversy, such as vaccines and Covid. They are more or less in line with the mainstream narrative, and they only speak out on issues that will not get them in too much trouble. As Witness 1 has often said, churches should be talking about 9/11, the Synagogue of Satan, vaccines, etc. but they don't. And there's a reason why. That is because they don't want to get involved in the truth and controversy.
So, let's think about why the truth is almost always controversial. Let's bring in some truth and controversy quotes for some fun:
No great advance has ever been made in science, politics, or religion, without controversy.
When a thing ceases to be a subject of controversy, it ceases to be a subject of interest.
And some from George Orwell:
- ’You are free to be a drunkard, an idler, a coward, a backbiter, a fornicator; but you are not free to think for yourself.’
- ‘If liberty means anything at all it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.’
- ‘Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four.’
From all these quotes we can gather a few things:
- 1) Truth is freedom.
- 2) Truth is often controversial.
- 3) We should protect the right to tell the truth.
Remember, Jesus Christ is the truth, and following Him TRULY is almost always controversial.
When you look at point two, the churches stopped producing controversy because they stopped telling the full truth. For example, I was going to a church for a while that spoke out against Covid measures and such, and then, out of nowhere, they just decided it wasn't worth the controversy. They had so much momentum going, and then it was like Satan just stepped in, and they stopped.
Now, our website is controversial, and that is because it is the truth in times of the greatest deception. What we say will likely offend people, make them uncomfortable, and even produce hatred. The Two Witnesses of Revelation are controversial figures. They are not here to just smile and say what all the other churches are saying. As I said before, they are here to shake things up.
In fact, going to the main theses of this post, God sometimes creates and even allows controversy for His mission to be fulfilled. The Book of Acts is all about controversy, with Paul and others constantly (though unintentionally) causing riots to form. What controversy were they causing? Well, at the time, it was extremely controversial to believe in Jesus:
19 Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.
Of course, on some level, in some parts of the world, it is still controversial to believe in Jesus, and there are different levels of persecution in various areas. In Pakistan and India, for instance, in our real life ministry, there seems to be great persecution, and we pray people support us in our efforts to help these people in Jesus's name.
However, in the end times, the false Jesus is celebrated and accepted by nearly all, and this Jesus causes no controversy. This is not the true Jesus but one without sacrifice, obedience, or discipline, which emphasizes the paradigm of "love with no boundaries" and "do what thou wilt."
The true Jesus Christ that we speak of on this site causes great controversy. This is evidenced in many ways, especially by some emails we receive. Women, especially, hate the message I have, and I am and will be a controversial figure amongst women. I am here, on some level, to call out women.
For men, my message of controversy is that if a woman like me can be brave, follow, and obey Jesus, shouldn't men be able to do this? If a woman can do it, well, you should be able to, too. If I can be courageous, you can be, too! My message of controversy is "Be a true man and follow and act like Jesus Christ."
Is it controversial? Well, maybe not to all readers, but it would be in a church. If I said any of this in a church, I'd be kicked out (and there is a reason we run our own ministry instead of going to church).
So, going back to God, I believe sometimes He allows and even creates controversy if needed to let the truth prosper. The truth cannot grow in a sea of stagnation, and that is what we see in the dead churches. The truth can only grow when it is stirred, when things are shaken a bit.
Now, I am not saying Christians should always be in controversy. Obviously, there are many verses about living in peace if possible.
We are in the end times, and I believe this is becoming less possible; therefore, some controversy is needed. We need to start saying controversial things like, "You have taken the mark and need to repent." "That Christian music sucks and doesn't represent God." "You are not following Jesus. You are following Satan in disguise."
Imagine saying these things to people in real life. Witness 1 will tell you I have. How have I gotten away with it? How did Paul get away with it?
I only do what God wills. God doesn't call me to cause controversy for the sake of controversy - that is a sin. He wants me to be controversial when it is needed, hence why many of my writings are somewhat controversial. From a woman's point of view, I may be the most controversial woman out there. Of course, the mainstream media would ensure I didn't have too much of a voice or exposure.
Until God allows it.
That time is coming, when The Two Witnesses will be known around the world, and they will not be known for being nice - no, it will be for controversy. Of course, we are loving people, but we are here to show that God is not happy with Christians and the dead church. We are trying to wake people up out of their spiritual comas.
So, like in the Book of Acts, the end times church will emulate many events that already happened. What is before, will be again. There is nothing new under the sun.
This leads to my next point. People often complain that they do not often see the face of God - that He seems to be distant or "behind the scenes", and I wanted to explain why it feels that way to readers. Certainly it may have felt that way for Paul at times. But I have an answer from the Holy Spirit tonight.
Good Leaders Work Behind the Scenes
This next part of my post is a testimony, in a sense. My whole life I have been trained as a leader, and I have been in many leadership positions. When I reflect, I think God was always shaping me and molding me, preparing me for the time I am in now - as a leader in an end times ministry.
Leadership is not fun, nor is it very often appreciated. A good leader is almost never thanked, and good leaders often have to make decisions people do not like for the sake of what is right. Unless you have been a leader, you probably will not understand leaders, and you may even dislike them.
Our Father in Heaven is the ultimate leader, who sent His son to manifest as an exemplar of perfect leadership to the world. Jesus Christ is the leader we should look to, and he was a good leader - no - He is the perfect leader. In fact, he was and is a "servant leader", which is the "prescribed" method of leadership for God's Kingdom. In God's perfect sense of humor and irony, the best leaders simply serve and sacrifice all of the time! Humility exalts.
True servant leaders like Jesus are not always popular, known, or liked. When you go to modern churches now, you do not generally see servant leader types. You see charismatic preachers whose faces shine on stage. They have many fans, and they are very busy.
While Jesus Christ was obviously well-known, He never was purposefully putting His face out there. He often told people not to talk about Him, and He hid away as needed. While He was always there, He was often working behind the scenes. Of course, there was times when He had to stand out, like when He cracked the whip in the temple and a made a point. He caused some much-needed controversy!
He was only on Earth for a short time, to model perfect leadership and servanthood, and now, while He is still alive, He works behind the scenes.
In perfect leadership, you will not necessarily even notice the leader. When things flow seamlessly, the leader serves more as a moderator, facilitator, or mentor. A good leader watches, evaluates, and comes in when needed - they do not need to show their face ALL of the time. In other words, the best leaders work behind the scenes, and it may seem they are not there, but they are. Often you may hear people say, "I never even see my boss", as if that indicates they are not doing anything. In reality, the boss is not always needed to be seen.
Now, there are bad leaders and bad bosses, and this post isn't about that. Surely we all have examples of bad leadership, and I am not here to ruminate on that. I am here to tell you that a good leader is often not seen as a good leader. A good leader is often misunderstood. A good leader is often working behind the scenes. A good leader is not always thanked. A good leader may be seen, but they do not always want to be the center of attention. A good leader, like God, is always there working, even if people do not notice.
People do not notice or acknowledge God in their lives, and they haven't for a long time. They do not attribute the small blessings in their lives to Him, and they only come to Him when something is wrong. When things are good, He is forgotten. When things are bad, He is blamed. This happens to good leaders often in real life!
People complain that God doesn't show His face, but He has shown it, and He came to Earth and was murdered by His own people when He did show it fully. People complain that God allows suffering, not acknowledging their own free will and disgusting sins that lead to suffering in their lives and others. People say God isn't there, but they never see the tiny inner workings of Him in their lives. They refuse to acknowledge Him.
So, today, I am acknowledging that God is working behind the scenes, right now, as I write this. The Holy Spirit, in fact, is helping me write this post, and it is pouring out of me. I will get some credit, of course, but let's not forget God working behind the scenes through me. Of course, I give all glory to Jesus Christ!
I ask readers to start acknowledging the way Jesus Christ, as the perfect leader, is working behind the scenes in your life. In Acts 25, it seems harsh that Paul is amidst such controversy, but God is always there protecting him, and Paul testifies often of this divine love and protection in his 14 books of the Bible.
So, think about how God was working behind the scenes in your life today. For me, I had smooth day at work, some sunshine and then light rain, and then time to relax and write this post. Thank you, God, for a beautiful day.
As always, come back for more writing. I'm sure many more prophecy updates are coming, as August thrives. What is this new phase of war we are entering? We will find out soon!
With love,
Elisha aka Witness 2
Thank you, Jake, for the memes, and please check out his bible study with the relevant topic of truth!
