God Is Love

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1 John 4:7-8 Living Bible

⁷ Dear friends, let us practice loving each other, for love comes from God and those who are loving and kind show that they are the children of God, and that they are getting to know him better.

⁸ But if a person isn’t loving and kind, it shows that he doesn’t know God—for God is love.

John 13:34-35 Modern English Version {Paraphrased}

³⁴ {And Jesus said} “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

³⁵ By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

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A False Prophet

Matthew 12:33-34

Modern English Version

A Tree and Its Fruit

³³ {And Jesus said} “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree corrupt and its fruit corrupt. For the tree is known by its fruit.

³⁴ O generation of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

A police officer said a man “doesn’t deserve to eat” because he no longer works, misquoting 2 Thessalonians 3:10. That claim is not of God, and it is not consistent with authentic Christian faith. When people misuse Scripture to shame, control, or harm someone—especially when their true motive is prejudice or resentment—they are not acting from Christlike love. They may claim the name “Christian,” but their conduct denies it (see 2 Timothy 3:5/ Matthew 7:33, 34).

If God were the kind of God who withholds food from people as punishment, then the church’s ministry to the poor would be meaningless. But Scripture teaches the opposite: God cares for the vulnerable, defends the oppressed, and provides for the hungry. God’s will is not that people be shamed or deprived, but that human dignity be protected and mercy be practiced.

Psalm 146:5–7 makes this plain: the Lord “executes justice for the oppressed” and “gives food to the hungry.” This is consistent with the heart of God throughout Scripture and with the church’s calling to feed those in need.

2 Thessalonians 3:10 is often quoted to justify harshness, but it was written to address a specific problem in that congregation—idleness that disrupted the community—rather than to authorize cruelty or the denial of basic necessities. It was a pastoral instruction for order and responsibility within that church, not a license to weaponize the Bible against someone or to treat hunger as a tool of control.

Anyone who uses Scripture to argue that a person “doesn’t deserve to eat” is not handling the Word of God faithfully. That is not biblical Christianity; it is distortion.

Psalm 146:5-7 Modern English Version

⁵ Blessed is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God,

⁶ who made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faithfulness forever,

⁷ who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The Lord releases the prisoners.

This situation is not about biblical values or genuine concern for a person’s well-being. It is about coercion: attempting to punish a man for his personal decision to stop working and enjoy the life he has earned. Threats of deprivation, intimidation, theft, violence, or death are not “discipline,” and they are not righteousness. They are evil.

God is love, and true Christians are recognized by love—love that protects human dignity, seeks justice, and refuses cruelty. Scripture calls believers to pray for their enemies and to do good even to those who oppose them (see Matthew 5:38-48). That does not mean treating enemies as trusted companions, or granting them the closeness reserved for the fellowship of the church. Christian fellowship (koinonia) is built on shared faith, mutual commitment, and reciprocal care. It is not the same as the duty to show mercy to those who hate us.

When we face hostility, we still choose active goodwill: we pray, we bless, and we help where it is wise and safe to do so. We do this not because the enemy has earned it, but because every person bears God-given dignity. This kind of love seeks an enemy’s objective good without requiring intimacy, trust, or ongoing association.

Those who try to control someone by threatening his basic needs are not courageous; they are attempting to avoid accountability while hiding behind religious language. The proper response is clear: pray for them, bless them, and do what is right—but do not join yourself to them. Keep your distance, set firm boundaries, and remove such people from your life and influence, especially when they use Scripture as a weapon.

Thus says the Lord: the Holy Spirit has Scripture for you to study, receive, and obey.

Loving your enemy does not mean building closeness with them or maintaining a relationship of trust. It means choosing mercy instead of revenge—praying for them, speaking truth, and doing what is right—while still using wisdom and setting firm boundaries.

God does not call you to remain connected to people who are harmful, manipulative, or committed to wrongdoing. In such cases, obedience may require separation: remove their access, end their influence, and refuse ongoing fellowship with them.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 Living Bible

¹⁴ Don’t be teamed with those who do not love the Lord, for what do the people of God have in common with the people of sin? How can light live with darkness?

¹⁵ And what harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a Christian be a partner with one who doesn’t believe?

¹⁶ And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For you are God’s temple, the home of the living God, and God has said of you, “I will live in them and walk among them, and I will be their God and they shall be my people.”

¹⁷ That is why the Lord has said, “Leave them; separate yourselves from them; don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you

¹⁸ and be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters.”

2 Timothy 3:1-5 {Paraphrased} Living Bible

1 You may as well know this too, Timothy, that in the last days it is going to be very difficult to be a Christian.

² For people will love only themselves and their money; they will be proud and boastful, sneering at God, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful to them, and thoroughly bad.

³ They will be hardheaded and never give in to others; they will be constant liars and troublemakers and will think nothing of immorality. They will be rough and cruel, and sneer at those who try to be good.

⁴ They will betray their friends; they will be hotheaded, puffed up with pride, and prefer good times to worshiping God.

⁵ They will go to church, yes, but they won’t really believe anything they hear. {Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away}.

1 Corinthians 5:9-13 Living Bible

⁹ When I wrote to you before I said not to mix with evil people.

¹⁰ But when I said that I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who live in sexual sin or are greedy cheats and thieves and idol worshipers. For you can’t live in this world without being with people like that.

¹¹ What I meant was that you are not to keep company with anyone who claims to be a brother Christian but indulges in sexual sins, or is greedy, or is a swindler, or worships idols, or is a drunkard, or abusive. Don’t even eat lunch with such a person.

¹² It isn’t our job to judge outsiders. But it certainly is our job to judge and deal strongly with those who are members of the church and who are sinning in these ways.

¹³ God alone is the Judge of those on the outside. But you yourselves must deal with this man and put him out of your church.

God's commands in the passages above are clear about people who use the Bible as a weapon on Christians: Don't be teamed up with them. Leave them. Separate yourselves from them. Turn away from them. Don't even eat lunch with them. Put this man out of your church.

Three Strikes and You're Out!

It’s usually best not to excommunicate someone for a first strike. Start with a private conversation to review church policies and biblical values. If the behavior continues after a second strike, then proceed with excommunication.

Titus 3:9-11 Living Bible

⁹ Don’t get involved in arguing over unanswerable questions and controversial theological ideas; keep out of arguments and quarrels about obedience to Jewish laws, for this kind of thing isn’t worthwhile; it only does harm.

¹⁰ If anyone is causing divisions among you, he should be given a first and second warning. After that have nothing more to do with him,

¹¹ for such a person has a wrong sense of values. He is sinning, and he knows it.

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Put the Law in its Place

Many churches have absorbed the world’s habit of treating police and the legal system as unquestionable authorities. That mindset can become a form of idolatry—placing human power where only God belongs—and it can be used to intimidate believers and control the church.

Human law is man-made. It may serve a civil purpose, but it is not the standard of righteousness, and it must never be treated as the voice of God. The church is governed first by Christ, by Scripture, and by the Holy Spirit—not by fear of human institutions.

To put the law in its proper place, read 1 Corinthians 6:1–11. Paul rebukes believers for taking their disputes before secular courts and reminds the church that God calls His people to spiritual discernment, integrity, and accountability within the household of faith. The point is not to glorify human authority, but to honor God’s authority and keep the church from being ruled by the world’s systems.

1 Corinthians 6:1-11 Modern English Version

Going to Law Before Unbelievers

1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to the law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?

² Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

³ Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more the things that pertain to this life? ⁴ If then you have judgments dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint as judges those who are least esteemed in the church?

⁵ I speak to your shame. Is it true that there is not even one wise man among you who shall be able to judge between his brothers?

⁶ But brother goes to the law against brother, and before unbelievers, at that.

⁷ Now therefore it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?

⁸ But you yourselves do wrong and defraud, and do this to your brothers.

⁹ Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals,

¹⁰ nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

¹¹ Such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, and you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus by the Spirit of our God.

Civil Authority, Church Authority, and Christian Discernment

Romans 13:1–4 teaches that civil authorities exist under God’s permission to restrain wrongdoing and preserve public order. Christians may respect lawful authority without treating it as infallible or allowing it to replace God’s Word.

At the same time, 1 Corinthians 6:1–11 warns the church against depending on unbelieving courts to resolve matters that should be handled with spiritual maturity and accountability within the Christian community. The church is called to be governed by Christ, shaped by Scripture, and guided by the Holy Spirit—not by fear, pressure, or the moral confusion of the world.

Many people seek help from pastors and medical professionals because they need care, counsel, and restoration—not punishment. Wise ministries and clinics often maintain strong privacy practices so people can ask for help without humiliation or unnecessary exposure. While confidentiality has limits, the principle remains: the church should be a place where people can seek help, be confronted with truth, and be guided toward repentance and healing.

Therefore, do not surrender your conscience to secular voices. Seek God, obey Scripture, and establish clear, biblical standards for your community. Handle church matters with integrity among believers, and do not allow unbelievers—or institutional policies—to dictate what God has already made plain.

Submitting to Human Laws That Protect Public Order Does Not Mean Allowing Those Laws to Control Church Policies

The church is not a police station. Police policies apply at the police station, not in a church or any other private business. Each church sets and enforces its own policies on its property.

Police officers enforce the law, but they do not control how a church or business is run. Some businesses even require officers to secure their firearms at the front desk while on the premises. This shows that officers do not operate under police-department rules on private property unless they are responding to a call for help or a specific incident.

This is what the following passage implies,

1 Peter 2:11-17 Modern English Version

¹¹ Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

¹² Live your lives honorably among the Gentiles, so that though they speak against you as evildoers, they shall see your good works and thereby glorify God in the day of visitation.

¹³ Submit yourselves to every human authority for the Lord’s sake, whether it be to the king, as supreme,

¹⁴ or to governors, as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and to praise those who do right.

¹⁵ For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

¹⁶ as free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. ¹⁷ Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

Hebrews 13:17 Modern English Version

¹⁷ Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch over your souls as those who must give an account. Let them do this with joy and not complaining, for that would not be profitable to you.

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The Roles of Government and the Police in the United States

The government and its police agencies exist to protect the personal freedom of Americans and the freedom of the church. Police officers are public servants—your servants under the law—not dictators.

I will use AI to quote the U.S. Constitution and the North Dakota Century Code to show these judicial tyrants and the “prejudiced police precinct” (PPP) that, when they use the Bible as a weapon against Christians, they are the ones acting unlawfully.

The Separation of Church and State

AI Overview

The phrase "separation of church and state" does not appear anywhere in the U.S. Constitution. 

Instead, the concept is derived from the First Amendment, which states:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."

This is known as the Establishment Clause. 

Origin of the Phrase

The phrase "wall of separation between church and state" was coined by President Thomas Jefferson in an 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptist Association. Jefferson used this metaphor to explain the intended effect of the First Amendment's religion clauses, which prohibit the government from supporting, controlling, or favoring any specific religion.

Legal Interpretation

While the exact words are not in the Constitution, the Supreme Court has frequently used Jefferson's metaphor to interpret the First Amendment, particularly in cases dealing with religious expression in public life, such as in schools:

• Everson v. Board of Education (1947): The Supreme Court formally invoked the "wall of separation" doctrine, applying the First Amendment's restrictions to both federal and state governments. 

• Purpose: The legal doctrine is designed to prevent government entanglement with religious institutions and to ensure religious freedom for all, whether they are believers or non-believers. 

  
  

Related Constitutional Provisions

• Article VI, Clause 3: Specifies that "no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States".

The Government and its Police Agencies Exist to Serve Your Personal Freedom

According to www.iAsk.Ai - Ask AI:

The Constitutional Framework of Personal Freedom and Religious Liberty

The United States Constitution does not contain a single, explicit clause stating that the government and its police agencies "serve the personal freedom of its jurisdictions and of the church." Instead, the protection of personal liberty and the autonomy of religious institutions is woven into the structural design of the Constitution, primarily through the Bill of Rights. The relationship between the state and the individual is governed by the principle of limited government, where the state possesses only those powers delegated to it, while the First and Fourth Amendments serve as primary bulwarks against state overreach into private life and religious practice.

The First Amendment and Religious Autonomy

The First Amendment provides that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." This dual protection—the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause—creates a "wall of separation" that prevents the government from interfering with the internal affairs of religious institutions or coercing individual conscience. Legal scholars emphasize that this was intended to ensure that the state remains neutral, thereby protecting the "personal freedom" of citizens to worship or abstain from worship without government intrusion.

The Fourth Amendment and Personal Security

The Fourth Amendment protects the "right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures." This amendment acts as a constitutional check on police power, requiring that government agents generally obtain a warrant based on probable cause before intruding upon an individual's private sphere. The Supreme Court has consistently held that the reasonableness of a search is determined by balancing the intrusion on individual rights against legitimate government interests, such as public safety. The home, in particular, is afforded the highest level of protection, and warrantless searches therein are presumptively unreasonable, subject only to narrow exceptions like consent or exigent circumstances.

The Concept of Ordered Liberty

The broader protection of "personal freedom" is often interpreted through the Due Process Clauses of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, which prohibit the government from depriving any person of "life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." Constitutional historians note that these provisions reflect the concept of "ordered liberty," a foundational principle that balances the state's duty to maintain order with the individual's right to be free from arbitrary government action. While the police are tasked with maintaining public safety, their authority is strictly bounded by these constitutional mandates, ensuring that the state serves the people rather than the people serving the state.

North Dakota Century Code Overview on Religious Freedom and the Role of the Police in Said Freedom

AI Overview

The North Dakota Century Code does not contain a single, specific statute explicitly stating that the government and police "serve the personal freedom of the people and of the church" in that exact phrasing.

However, the principles of personal freedom and religious protection are enshrined in the following areas of North Dakota law:

• Religious Freedom Protections (2023 Update): House Bill 1136 (effective 2023) prohibits government entities from substantially burdening a person’s exercise of religion, unless it furthers a compelling interest using the least-restrictive means. 

• Protection of Churches (2021 Update): Senate Bill 2181 (enacted 2021) added restrictions under NDCC § 37-17.1-03 prohibiting government officials from treating religious bodies worse than secular entities during emergencies, thereby protecting the freedom of assembly and worship. 

• Police Powers: NDCC § 40-20-05 states police shall serve and execute orders, and § 44-08-20 mandates they enforce state laws and respond to aid requests, which generally serves public safety. 

• Constitutional Rights: The foundational principle is found in the North Dakota Constitution (Article I, Section 1), which states, "All individuals are by nature equally free and independent and have certain inalienable rights, among which are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty".

  
  

The "police power" is legally defined in North Dakota as the authority to promote public health, morals, safety, and welfare (citing State v. Cromwell, 72 N.D. 565). 

Those Who Obey the Law Are Mentally Competent

Police should not enter a church with hidden personal motives—for example, to confront a church member over a private dispute—and then use the Bible as a weapon against them. That kind of conduct is improper and abusive. (NDAC 109-02-05): Prohibits police engaging in illegal, dishonest, or unethical behavior, including: Harassment: Engaging in illegal intimidation.

The law generally assumes that people who follow the law—whether public servants or private citizens—are mentally competent. What does it say, then, when law enforcement breaks the very laws they are sworn to uphold? Mental incompetence and treason.

Key Legal Consequences and Rules:

AI Overview

The North Dakota Century Code (NDCC) and related Administrative Rules (NDAC) establish that police officers who break the law are subject to criminal prosecution, civil liability, and the revocation of their law enforcement licensure. Specific consequences include potential Class A or B misdemeanors for misconduct, such as falsifying reports or using illegal force, and mandatory investigation by their agency for alleged violations.

• Criminal Liability: Officers are subject to the same criminal laws as citizens, with specific statutes addressing abuses of power. This includes laws against tampering with public records (Class C felony), false testimony, and excessive use of force.

• Licensure Revocation: The Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board can revoke or suspend an officer’s license for violations of the officer code of conduct, which includes engaging in illegal activity, corruption, and failure to report misconduct by other officers. 

• Mandatory Investigation: If a violation is reported, the law enforcement agency is required to investigate within 20 days and make a written determination within 45 days, sending the report to the POST Board. 

• Officer Code of Conduct (NDAC 109-02-05): Prohibits engaging in illegal, dishonest, or unethical behavior, including:

  • Drug Use: Using or possessing unauthorized substances.

  • Corruption: Engaging in bribery or corruption.

  • Perjury/Falsification: Lying in reports or falsifying information.

  • Harassment: Engaging in illegal intimidation.

  • Specific Officer Offenses:

  • Infractions: Sheriffs or deputies collecting illegal fees or unauthorized payments for services can be found to have committed an infraction.

  • Impersonation: Falsely pretending to be an officer is a Class A misdemeanor. 

    
    

Accountability and Reporting:

• Duty to Report: Officers are legally required to report the violation of any criminal law or POST Board rules by fellow officers.

• Investigation of Violations: Peace officers, including sheriffs, have a duty to investigate and report any known violations of state laws to the state’s attorney, facilitating the prosecution of such violators. 

Limitations on Authority:

• Use of Force: Individuals (including officers) are not justified in using more force than is necessary and appropriate.

• Civil Process: While having a person in custody, an officer cannot be arrested on civil process.

Constitutional Protections Against Misconduct

AI Overview

The United States Constitution does not explicitly list criminal penalties for law enforcement officials who break the law, but it provides foundational rights that create liability for misconduct. It prohibits unreasonable searches, excessive force, and deprivation of rights without due process. 

When officers violate these rights, they and their employers can be held accountable through constitutional, statutory, and judicial remedies.

The Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment establish the limits of police power:

• Fourth Amendment: Protects against unreasonable searches and seizures, which the Supreme Court has ruled applies to excessive force and wrongful arrests. 

• Fifth & Fourteenth Amendments: Prohibit the government (federal or state) from depriving any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. 

• Eighth Amendment: Protects against cruel and unusual punishment, covering misconduct against incarcerated individuals.

  
  

Legal Remedies for Violations

While the Constitution sets the standard, specific laws dictate how officers are held accountable:

• Criminal Charges (18 U.S.C. § 242): This federal law makes it a crime for a person acting under "color of law" to willfully deprive someone of their constitutional rights. This covers misconduct like assault, sexual assault, theft, or intentional fabrication of evidence. 

• Civil Lawsuits (42 U.S.C. § 1983): This statute allows individuals to sue state or local officials—including police—in federal court for violations of constitutional rights. 

• Pattern or Practice Investigations (34 U.S.C. § 12601): Allows the Department of Justice to investigate and sue law enforcement agencies that engage in a pattern of violating constitutional rights. 

• The Exclusionary Rule: Evidence obtained illegally by police in violation of the Fourth Amendment can be suppressed and excluded from criminal trials. 

  
  

Key Legal Challenges: Qualified Immunity

Although officers can be held liable, the Supreme Court created the doctrine of qualified immunity. 

• This protects government officials from civil liability unless they violated "clearly established" statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would have known.

• In practice, this means victims must often show a prior court decision with nearly identical facts to hold an officer accountable. 

  
  

Proposed Changes (as of 2026)

Legislation, such as the Accountability for Federal Law Enforcement Act, has been introduced to address these issues by enhancing liability for federal officers and attempting to limit or eliminate the defense of qualified immunity.

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The World and Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing

People like the officer who attacked the flock were written about by God long before they were born. Scripture describes them as wolves in sheep’s clothing—people who appear harmless, yet are hostile toward God’s people. Instead of showing the love believers are called to have for one another in the church, they oppose and harm the flock.

Wolves reflect the world’s system. The world rewards getting ahead at any cost—through manipulation, exploitation, and even crime. Its mindset can be summed up like this: “Get all you can, can all you get, and then sit on the can.” But Scripture says people “do not have because they do not ask God” (see James 4:1–10). So, like wolves, they savage on others to survive. A hungry wolf attacks a flock to stay alive.

This is the kind of danger Jesus speaks about in John 10. When the flock is threatened, the sheep need a pastor, or a shepherd. Pastors are given by the Lord to protect the flock and confront the wolf. They carry both a shepherd's staff and a shepherd's rod: the staff draws a wandering sheep back to safety, and the rod corrects and defends—used to drive away the predator. Pastors are wolf killers. In that sense, pastors are called to be protectors of the flock.

Do you see the connection between the wolf and the world? With that in mind, I will share scriptures about the world that lead into John 10, where Jesus speaks of the wolf scattering the sheep. But first, consider this picture: in the Spirit, this is what that officer represents—a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

The ravenousness of the world's members is hatred, violence, greed and murder. This is how they treat people in the world to get ahead. Such as reading murder books trying to stay hip. They take their ways into church.

Stark, raving mad lunatics ... the lunatic fringe ... it's like, "the wheel flew off into outer space" ... they enter the church to prey on them because as Jesus said in John 10:5 below, that the sheep run from wolves. Loving and non-violent Christians who need their Shepherd Jesus' protection from the evil world because they victimize the innocent and helpless. The benign and friendly.

The World

1 John 4

Modern English Version

Test the Spirits

1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

² This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,

³ and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and is already in the world.

⁴ You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

⁵ They are of the world, and therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.

⁶ We are of God, and whoever knows God listens to us. Whoever is not of God does not listen to us. This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

God Is Love

⁷ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

⁸ Anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

⁹ In this way the love of God was revealed to us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.

¹⁰ In this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we must also love one another.

¹² No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwells in us, and His love is perfected in us.

¹³ We know that we live in Him, and He in us, because He has given us His Spirit.

¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him, and he in God.

¹⁶ And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

¹⁷ In this way God’s love is perfected in us, so that we may have boldness on the Day of Judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world.

¹⁸ There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. Whoever fears is not perfect in love.

¹⁹ We love Him because He first loved us.

²⁰ If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar. For whoever does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?

²¹ We have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

John 15:18-25

Modern English Version {Paraphrased}

The World’s Hatred

¹⁸ {And Jesus said} “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.

¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, the world therefore hates you.

²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My words, they will keep yours also.

²¹ But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.

²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin.

²³ He who hates Me hates My Father also.

²⁴ If I had not performed among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin. But now have they seen and hated both My Father and Me.

²⁵ But that the word which is written in their law might be fulfilled, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’

John 14:16-17 Modern English Version {Paraphrased}

¹⁶ {And Jesus said} I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Counselor, that He may be with you forever:

¹⁷ the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, for it does not see Him, neither does it know Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you, and will be in you.

James 4:1-10

Modern English Version

Friendship With the World

1 Where do wars and fights among you come from? Do they not come from your lusts that war in your body?

² You lust and do not have, so you kill. You desire to have and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have, because you do not ask.

³ You ask, and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your passions.

⁴ You adulterers and adulteresses, do you not know that the friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

⁵ Do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “He yearns jealously for the spirit that lives in us”? ⁶ But He gives more grace. For this reason it says:

“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” {Psalm 82:6}.

⁷ Therefore submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

⁸ Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

⁹ Grieve and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to dejection. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

John 10:1-18

Modern English Version {Paraphrased}

The Parable of the Shepherd

1 {And Jesus said} “Truly, truly I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way, is a thief and a robber.

² But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

³ To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name, and he leads them out.

⁴ When he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them. And the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

⁵ Yet they will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him. For they do not know the voice of strangers.”

⁶ Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what He was telling them.

Jesus the Good Shepherd

⁷ Then Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

⁸ All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.

⁹ I am the door. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.

¹⁰ The thief does not come, except to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

¹² But he who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and runs away. So the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.

¹³ The hired hand runs away because he is a hired hand and does not care about the sheep {he's in it for the money not the love. False. Not a real Christian}.

¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and am known by My own.

¹⁵ Even as the Father knows Me, so I know the Father. And I lay down My life for the sheep.

¹⁶ I have other sheep who are not of this fold. I must also bring them, and they will hear My voice. There will be one flock and one shepherd.

¹⁷ Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it up again.

¹⁸ No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I received this command from My Father.”

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Conclusion,

In this post, the Holy Spirit is not focused on human writings about civil law as much as He is focused on God’s Word concerning public servants and the church. The Lord doesn't care as much about what people got to say about this cop, but about what He wants to tell His church about him. The central message is 2 Corinthians 6:17: “Come out from among them and be separate,” says the Lord.

2 Corinthians 6:17 Modern English Version

¹⁷ Therefore,

“Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.” {Isa 52:11; Eze 20:34, 41}.

The Lord wants Christians to stay away from officers who act that way. In Matthew 18:15–35, Jesus gives steps for addressing wrongdoing, but the main point of the passage is forgiveness—not winning a fight with an abusive person by going through the levels.

Matthew 18:15-35 Modern English Version {Paraphrased}

The Brother Who Sins

Level One

¹⁵{And Jesus said}  “Now if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.

Level Two

¹⁶ But if he does not listen, then take with you one or two others, that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every word may be established {Deuteronomy 18:15}.

Level Three

¹⁷ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church.

Level Four

But if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector {Excommunication and getting rid of evil people}.

Level Five

God Is There in Prayer

Turn The Person Over to Jesus Through Prayer Because He's There

Prayer Works on the Wicked Because Only God Can Save Someone, Not We

¹⁸ “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

¹⁹ “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.

²⁰ For where two or three are assembled in My name, there I am in their midst.”

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

²¹ Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

²³ “Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

²⁴ When he began to settle the accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.

²⁵ But since he was not able to pay, his master ordered that he be sold with his wife, their children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

²⁶ “So the servant fell on his knees, pleading with him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’

²⁷ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

²⁸ “But that same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe.’

²⁹ “So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and entreated him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’

³⁰ “But he would not and went and threw him in prison until he should pay the debt.

³¹ So when his fellow servants saw what took place, they were very sorry and went and told their master all that had taken place.

³² “Then his master, after he had summoned him, said to him, ‘O you wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.

³³ Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, even as I had pity on you?’ ³⁴ His master was angry and delivered him to the jailers until he should pay all his debt.

³⁵ “So also My heavenly Father will do to each of you, if from your heart you do not forgive your brother for his trespasses.”

The Lord also wants to witness to people who hate the police and want to “turn the tables” by using Scripture as a weapon against them. He wants to witness to them through 1 Peter 2:18–25: obey the law and show respect for authority, even when those in power act harshly or unfairly.

1 Peter 2:18-25

Modern English Version

The Example of Christ’s Suffering

¹⁸ Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.

¹⁹ For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God a person endures grief, suffering unjustly.

²⁰ For what credit is it if when you are being beaten for your sins you patiently endure? But if when doing good and suffering for it, you patiently endure, this is favorable before God.

²¹ For to this you were called, because Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:

²² “He committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth" {Isaiah 53:9}.

²³ When He was reviled, He did not revile back; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but He entrusted Himself to Him who judges righteously.

²⁴ He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness. “By His wounds you were healed" {Isaiah 53:5}.

²⁵ For you were as sheep going astray, but now have been returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

Child of God, the Lord says today that He does not want you to have trouble with the law. Conflict with people can hinder your fellowship with the Holy Spirit, and your anointing can suffer as a result.

In the situation where corrupt police are trying to attack a church by using scripture against them, submitting to a harsh authority does not mean approving of abuse or letting someone control your conscience. It means staying respectful and doing what is right, even when the person over you is unfair. God calls Christians to avoid revenge and to keep a clean witness, while still setting wise boundaries and seeking help when serious wrongdoing is happening.

When you stay in close fellowship with the Holy Spirit—through repentance, obedience, prayer, and a clean conscience—you stay sensitive to His voice and His peace. That closeness helps you walk in spiritual power, wisdom, and love. But when you live in ongoing conflict, bitterness, or disobedience, your heart can become hardened and distracted. You may still belong to God, but you can lose spiritual sharpness, peace, and boldness, and your ministry can feel “dry” or ineffective until fellowship is restored.

Bible-study explanation (1 Peter 2:18)

• What “submit” means here: A willing posture of respect and cooperation in what is lawful and right, even when the authority is unpleasant. It’s about conduct, not about agreeing that the master is good.

• What it does not mean: It does not command a believer to participate in sin, lie, enable abuse, or stay silent about serious wrongdoing. Scripture also recognizes limits (e.g., obey God rather than men when commands conflict).

• Why Peter says it: Peter is writing to believers with little social power. He calls them to live in a way that honors Christ under pressure, so their witness is not destroyed by retaliation, threats, or revenge.

• The focus is endurance, not approval: The passage praises enduring unjust suffering without returning evil for evil, following Jesus’ example (the surrounding verses point to Christ’s suffering and restraint).

• Practical boundaries: Submission can include respectful compliance, patience, and self-control—while still using wise, lawful steps for safety (seeking help, reporting crimes, leaving dangerous situations when possible).

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Check out my message in the Button below from 2025 about getting rid of false Christians,

"Get Rid of People Who Aren't Good for You"

Click Me to read, "Get Rid of People Who Aren't Good For You" (BY Darrin Pegram - 2025)

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"1 John 4:7-8" (Starla Quin - 2025)

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World without end. Amen.

DP

4/30/2026