Holiness
Speckled birds stand out, because rare. Yet holiness for some is a form of elitism that would ever break the bruised reed and quench the smoking flax depriving true children of free grace gospel bread. Over reaction and building of unwarranted straw men will only take from ditch on the right to ditch on the left. Those who have never endorsed transgression in life or lip are labeled antinomian i.e. Martin Luther, Robert Hawker, John Gill, Tobias Crisp, Gadsby, Philpot, Huntington, Romaine . . .
Again, the dogs that troubled Paul the most were Nascar-like, ever turning to the left, back to Moses zealots, hungering and thirsting for a list well beyond the just 2 of inscripturated Acts 15. The “afflictions of the gospel” involves enemies, and enemies of the household more dangerous than those without. Jesus did not come to send peace, but a sword. A sword does not heal, join, it divides—even to those of one’s own kin and even more pointedly—those of professing faith household. Heresies and afflictions hurt, are not pleasant, but must needs come according to sovereign all-wise design. And Elijah’s complex of myopic thought, thinking himself solitary, actually off by thousands! There will be shocks as who is sure enough in heaven as well as to shock as to those eternally out. The LORD’s “the first shall be last” (Matthew 19:30) became the “last shall be first” in Matthew 20:16 and for good reason because of the intervening parable that definitely fits, “Many called, few chosen”. And an Arminian could not read a passive voice as passive, even if they got up before breakfast and really tried!
– Bill Bryant
Jesus is LORD! 
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