THE BENEFITS OF PERSECUTION

 

 Persecution is defined as a situation in which one is harassed or punished in a manner designed to injure, grieve, discourage, or afflict; to cause to suffer because of one’s belief.

The truth is, persecution is part of a Christian’s life because our Savior was persecuted, and He told us in advance: “Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you” (John 15:20). Philippians 1:29 also reminds us, “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him.” The early church was not exempt and neither will we be.

So, what are some of the reasons the early church was persecuted? They were persecuted because they were Jesus’ disciples! The Jewish people refused to accept Jesus’ claim that He is the Son of God-the Messiah; they wanted nothing to do with His teachings. Therefore, His followers became targets for persecution.

The Jews saw Jesus as someone who did not uphold their laws as given by Moses, and they wanted nothing to do with Him or His followers. Consequently, His followers were persecuted, and they fled from city to city. Anywhere they went, they faced issues like beatings, stoning, being falsely accused of things they hadn’t said or done, and being jailed. For instance, Stephen, one of the first seven selected deacons (see Acts 6:5-6) was stoned to death; the apostle Paul was beaten and jailed on many occasions. On his second missionary journey, he delivered a slave girl from demon-possession; that meant a financial loss for her masters, who made money through her fortune-telling (see Acts 16:16-19). These people started a riot that led to the city officials ordering Paul and Silas stripped, severely beaten, and thrown into prison (see Acts 16:22-24).

That was then, but how about now? How are we persecuted? Different forms of persecution take place in different parts of the world. But in general, there’s teasing, name-calling, false accusations, imprisonment, property confiscation, and even death. For a lot of these situations, there’s no justice for the Christians in the courts.

The Scriptures tell us: “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). It’s easy to be thankful when everything is going well and we feel no discomfort, emotionally or physically. But ‘all circumstances’ include persecution. Should we be thankful when we are hurting? Yes! Because it is God’s will for us, and again, “We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28). Believe it or not, being thankful in the face of pain is doable. For example, the apostles were flogged, threatened, and jailed for all the miraculous signs they were performing. When they were released from jail, they left rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus (see Acts 5:41).  

So, what good does suffering for Jesus do? We get the opportunity to prove to ourselves and others that He cares, provides, and sustains us. And that also leads us to trust Him even more. People around us are blessed with courage as they see our response to situations. Paul wrote to the Philippian church from prison expressing joy over the result of his imprisonment: “Everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News…. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear” (Philippians 1:12, 14). Wow!

Again, when we suffer persecution, unbelievers, even those involved in persecuting us, are convicted. An example is when a jailer was charged with keeping Paul and Silas under guard. The jailer almost killed himself in the night when there was a massive earthquake that shook the prison to its foundations, opening all the doors; he assumed the prisoners had escaped. But when he learned they were still there, he was surprised they did not seize that opportunity to escape. That proved to him that they were genuine men of God, and so he asked them: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30).

They told him what to do, and shared the gospel with him and his family. Paul and Silas baptized the jailer and his family that night (Acts 16:31-33). If these men had not been thrown into prison, the jailer and his family would not have come to salvation at the time they did; Paul and Silas’ persecution has led to the salvation of others. God works in amazing ways! So, let’s not frown on persecution, but seek strength to be faithful in the midst of it.  

Persecution is not fun by any means. In fact, it is painful and sometimes deadly. But being Christians, we can’t escape from it. Paul, knowing what following Christ entailed, frequently asked the churches to pray for him for protection and boldness to share the Word. Similarly, let’s pray for each other that we will each be filled with the fruit of our salvation, which is the righteous character produced in our lives by the Spirit (see Philippians 1:12), and strength and courage to remain faithful and be an encouragement to as many as possible. Many Christians all over the world are suffering, and it seems things are only going to get worse with time. But let’s remember, God has a plan for the church! Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! 

WHEN WE DISAGREE WITH GOD

Why would we disagree with God? Because our view of God is unrealistic; we like to think of Him as being someone other than who He really is. We want God to be powerful and strong, but also the God who sets no limits or boundaries for us; we want to be able to do whatever we want, and for Him to be okay with it.

Our disagreement with God is evidenced in our disobedience-doing what He’s asked us not to do and neglecting what He’s commanded us to do. Just like the Israelites, we repeatedly disobey Him.

In other words, we want God's protection, provision, blessings, and sustenance but not His reproof or correction. How many human parents would allow their children to live under their roof, would feed and clothe them, but set no boundaries for them? I am sure there’s not a single parent who would be okay with that sort of arrangement.

The kind of God we envision and think we have is not the God of the universe, and the sooner we understand that the better life will be for us going forward. Let's understand that God created us so He could have a relationship with us. Being the Creator, He gets to make the rules and we get to follow them. God is not a slave master; He is a loving God who has great plans for us. He tells us, “I know the plans I have for you. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). We will never be happy and content until we submit to His will and leading. We need to know who He really is!

God is the God of order; He is holy, loving, just, faithful, and long-suffering,  never going back on His Word. We cannot be in a meaningful relationship with God if we don’t accept and relate to Him as such. Because He’s holy, we cannot enjoy His company while living in sin. He says in His Word, “You must be holy because I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45). Although He is holy, and as a result demands accountability, He is patient and long-suffering and doesn’t rush to judgment. He is slow to anger and warns us repeatedly, with the hope that we will repent and not face His wrath. Since He’s faithful, He honors His promise to forgive when we repent: “If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (1 John 1:9). When we honestly repent, He does not only forgive our sins but also never brings them up again, “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12).

Do you disagree with God’s way of handling your affairs or the affairs of the world? I’m sorry you feel that way, but let me try to help you understand this. Who do you think God is? What do you expect of Him, and what do you think He expects of you? If you give God His proper place as Lord and take your place as servant or child, things will begin to change, and your disagreements will dissipate. 

God is complete: His role is set and does not need any changes. Your role, however, needs to change from a sinner to a child of God. As a sinner, God’s Spirit does not live in you and you don’t appreciate His commands. For that reason, you live in constant rebellion against Him and disagree with what He says. However, I assure you that if you allow your will to line up with His, you’ll begin to see things differently. And the way to do that is to admit that you are a sinner, repent, and ask God for forgiveness. He will forgive you, indwelling you through His Holy Spirit. This will give you a new beginning that allows you to see God differently than you did before. This process cannot be explained by the natural mind; it is a spiritual experience (see John 3:5-8). Jesus died in your place, making this possible: “This is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

When you become a child of God, you will understand His love for you and the reasons for the boundaries He has put in place for His children—the church. The Bible, which is the Word of God, together with the Holy Spirit, will teach you how to live to please Him. Staying in fellowship with the church will help you understand the Bible and be encouraged.

So, are you ready to replace your disagreement with love and allegiance to God? Please repent today and ask God for forgiveness through His Son, Jesus!     

 

THE TEST OF GENUINE FAITH

Talking about genuine faith implies there is fake faith. Paul, the apostle, lamented over the Corinthian church, because, according to him, “Many of you have not given up your old sins. You have not repented of your impurity, sexual immorality, and eagerness for lustful pleasures” (2 Corinthians 12:21).

Paul admonished the church to re-examine their position in the Lord by asking them to “Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5). So, Jesus Christ among us is the proof that our faith is genuine, but if He’s not, then our faith is fake. Although Paul was addressing the whole church, in a way he’s also addressing individuals because the church is made up of individuals with Christ as the head.

When the Holy Spirit comes to indwell us at conversion, we become new creatures (see 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 2:27). Based on that truth, Paul admonished the church in Ephesus: “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy” (Ephesians 4:21-24). If we don’t give up our former way of life, we’re saying, in essence, the Spirit doesn’t live in us, and therefore whatever faith we claim we have is not genuine, but fake!

If we have really been born again, let’s live our lives in a way that pleases and honors God, encourages other Christians, and draws unbelievers to Christ. Which sins were you delivered from when you came to Christ? Are those sins still plaguing you? We all have a role to play in allowing the beauty of Christ to be seen in us. We have to, as Paul says, “Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. … And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father” (Colossians 3:16-17). Being a representative or an ambassador of Christ should not be an off-and-on role; it should be who we are all the time. We should not make a practice of sinning, because Jesus holds us securely, and the devil cannot touch us (see 1 John 5:18).

As Christians, if we sin deliberately, we are blaspheming God (see 1 Timothy 1:20). We can’t be in Christ and live in sin at the same time. That’s why Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden; God cannot coexist with sin! So, if we claim to be Christians, let’s make up our minds to turn away from sin. John gave us another test of our faith: “Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God” (1 John 3:10). Ouch! And also, “Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is” (1 John 3:6). So, are you a Christian? How are you demonstrating that your faith is genuine?

Being human means, we have a sinful nature. We do mess up every now and then, but let’s confess and seek forgiveness as soon as we realize something has gone wrong. “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (see 1 John 1:8-9).

May God help us to meditate on His Word and obey it; be light and salt for His honor and glory. When He returns, may we have no reason to be ashamed! 

ALWAYS BE ON YOUR GUARD!

Recently, from my front screen door, I saw a bunny rabbit in my walkway. I decided to take a picture of it to send to my grandchildren. I took the picture while standing behind the screen door. I then decided to take another close-up, which meant I had to open the door. At the sound of the door opening, that thing hopped away so fast and it did not look back.  

I thought to myself, “That is how ready and sensitive Christians need to be.”  The Bible tells us, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). The devil works 24/7; he does not take breaks or vacations, and we shouldn’t either. Unlike God, he is not omnipresent, but he has demons working for him. For that reason, we need to be alert and watchful, so we do not fall prey to any of his schemes. The safest way to do that is to always be ready for fight or flight, just like that bunny. 

Knowing the devil could be coming after us any time is good, but we also need to arm ourselves with a plan of escape. How do we arm ourselves? By putting on the whole armor of God: salvation, faith, truth, the Word of God, prayer, and peace (see Ephesians 6:11-18). We should also keep the right company. Sometimes, we have to physically remove ourselves from places or situations to avoid different kinds of trouble waiting to happen. 

Jesus stressed the importance of readiness when He said to His disciples on the Mount of Olives, “Pray that you will not give in to temptation” (Luke 22:40). We need to be constantly praying for strength, wisdom, and courage so that we will be victorious when we face temptation and sin. Jesus said to Peter, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat” (Luke 22:31). Taking this seriously, praying to be equipped, and being watchful will defeat Satan in his attempt to sift us. 

Keeping the word of God in our hearts keeps us ready to fight back as Jesus did when He was tempted; He quoted Scripture! Each time, His response included: “The Scriptures say” (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10). Finally, realizing he was defeated, the devil left Jesus, and angels came and attended Him (Matthew 4:11). Like Jesus, we can make the devil go away, even if it’s only for a brief period. Of course, we have to remain vigilant; we shouldn’t let our guard down, because he will look for other opportunities to return. 

Being with the right crowd is a safety measure because if nobody is doing anything wrong around us, it is unlikely that we will be tempted to do wrong. Let’s surround ourselves, as much as is possible, with believers. Of course, we have to be around unbelievers long enough to share the gospel with them and encourage them. This safety measure is not suggesting in any way that we ignore the Great Commission! We just need to be wise and careful. 

Finally, in addition to staying vigilant, let’s continually claim Jesus’ prayer of protection for His followers, including us: “I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one” (John 17:15).

 

All quotes are from the New Living Translation (NLT).

STATUS CHANGE IS ESSENTIAL

 

There are numerous times in our lives when we need to change our existing status for another one. There are new responsibilities that accompany status change, and additionally, the change could bring better opportunities, gratification, or displeasure. For instance, we can change jobs, residence, marital status, and the like. By the same token, our relationship with God can and should change for the better.

Ordinarily, we humans are God’s enemies; although He has His commands written on our hearts, we live in sin, with no thought of Him at all. We obey our master, the devil, who instigates our disobedience to God. The devil, from the time of Adam and Eve, has been a liar; he deceived them to think disobeying God was to their advantage: that doing so would make them like God. What a lie! That changed their status from God’s friends to sinners, which then led to their descendants being born with a sinful nature. Their status changed drastically; they lost their good standing with God. They were kicked out of the beautiful garden to go and fend for themselves. The good news for us is this: we can change our current status back to what it was before the fall of Adam and Eve.

Everything I’ve shared so far shows that means you are a sinner at enmity with God, and that you can change your status from enemy to child and friend of God. You have to want to do this; God does not bully anybody into changing their status. However, He tells us what our current status means, and what the change will mean to us now and in the future. Your current status as God’s enemy means you are living the way you please, paying no attention to God’s commands. But in the end, He is going to judge and condemn you to hell, which is the place prepared for Satan and his demons, and for anyone who chooses to remain the enemy of God.

Yet, you don’t have to go to hell if you’d rather not. It’s your choice. In order to change your status to a child of God, you have to admit to Him (in prayer) that you are a sinner, repent of (feel sorry for) your sins, and ask Him to forgive you based on Jesus’ death in your place. He will forgive you, sending the Holy Spirit to live in your heart as confirmation that your status has changed from His enemy to His child; you are now an heir of heaven-a joint heir with Jesus and the other members of God’s family. “You received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, Abba, Father. For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory” (Romans 8:15-17).

Doesn’t this sound amazing? Would you take this step today to change your status? You will be glad you did! You will no longer have any fear of the future. Instead, you can eagerly look forward to spending eternity with God and your Savior, Jesus Christ. The Word of God (the Bible) will come alive as you read and study it, teaching you how to live for God until He calls you home. In addition, you can communicate with Him through prayer often, and seek out other members of God’s family to fellowship with and to grow in your knowledge of God.

It is also important to know how God sees us, His children, after our status change: “We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:10). In other words, God has made us new people by imparting His righteousness to us, to show others who God really is. We can do this by accomplishing the good things our faith prompts us to do (see 2 Thessalonians 1:11). We are saved to do good works in His strength, and for His glory.

Are you ready for a status change? I hope so! I’ve shown you what you need to do; please do it now, and don’t put it off. Tomorrow might not come, and it will be too late for you!  

YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN

       

If you’ve ever had a discussion with a Christian about faith, you most likely have heard the expression “born again.” Did you understand it? Being born again is a very important expression of how one becomes a Christian. Jesus was the first person to use and explain it (see John 3:3).

You might be wondering how a man can be born again. You are not alone in that quandary; Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader, had the same question for Jesus. These were Nicodemus’ exact words, “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” (John 3:4). Jesus responded and explained that being born again is a spiritual experience that results in spiritual life, and not in physical life (see John 3:5). It is an experience that makes one a child of God, being removed from the devil’s kingdom of darkness and placed in God’s kingdom of light. The process cannot be explained, but once it is experienced, the accompanying evidence is obvious, both to the individual and to on-lookers.

Jesus continued His explanation by saying, “Everyone who believes in him {Jesus} will have eternal life” (John 3:15 NLT). So, you see, believing in Jesus, the Son of God, who died in your place, is how to be born again, and that starts you on the path to eternal life. As Jesus stated, “This is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

The resulting change is from the inside out; the individual experiences peace and joy like never before. The assurance of sins forgiven and the hope of eternal life in heaven with God are liberating.

Being born again is the start of a new way of living, as prescribed by God, and found in His Word, the Bible. How do we know the Bible is the Word of God? First, we need to know how it came to be. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Second, we get to put the Word to the test ourselves, and I can assure you, it has never failed, and never will! When the Jews had trouble believing in Jesus, He said to them, “Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own” (John 7:17).

Communication is the key to thriving relationships. In your new-found relationship with the Father, you’ll need to communicate often, and it has to flow both ways. Talk to God through prayers and allow God to speak to you through the Bible. Obeying what you read brings about the renewal of your mind; that leads to your gradual transformation into the image of God, which is holiness. God says, “You must be holy because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). The only way to holiness is to allow the Word of God to change you.

In addition, look for a church where the gospel is preached in truth, and fellowship with other Christians to help you grow in your faith. The Scripture instructs us to do just that. “Let us not neglect our assembling together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25).

Dear reader, please take this issue seriously-you must be born again if you care what happens to you after you die!  

 

 

All quotes are from the New Living Translation (NLT).

YOU CAN WALK AWAY FREE TODAY

 

YOU CAN WALK AWAY FREE TODAY

Most responsible people who incur debts have the intention of paying them off, to the last penny, which is the responsible thing to do. Unfortunately, things don’t always work out the way they planned or intended.

Have you or someone, you know ever become unemployed for an extended period of time because of a layoff or prolonged ill-health? The answer I’m sure is “yes.” This means, sometimes, through no fault of an individual, their ability to earn a living in the face of debt and other responsibilities can be curtailed. This happens more often than society would like to admit. As a result, all good intentions regarding debts fall by the wayside, leaving the debtor open to harassment from creditors and debt collectors.

If you were ever in a similar situation, how would you like for someone to pay off your debt, and never hold it against you? If someone did that for you, how would you respond? You could respond in one of the following ways: No, thank you, I don’t take handouts; this is my debt and I intend to pay it myself; wow, I can’t believe it; or simply, THANK YOU!

All mankind is in debt to God for our sins. We sin because of the sin-nature passed on to us by our original parents, Adam and Eve, which makes each person a sinner: “Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23). The result of sin, according to the Word of God, is death, “All people will die for their own sins” (Jeremiah 31:30), meaning eternal separation from God after physical death, also known as hell. God sent His Son Jesus to die in our place, so we don’t have to pay the debt we owe Him. Again, the Bible addresses that this way, “This is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Also, “He was handed over to die because of our sins, and He was raised to life to make us right with God” (Romans 4:25).

How would you respond to God’s offer? Jesus has paid the penalty already; you don’t have to ever be responsible for it. Will you say that you intend to pay your own debt, which will mean you’d rather perish? Or would you say with gratitude, “Thank you; I believe in your Son, Jesus; please forgive me?” You’re in debt to God, but Jesus paid it all already; there’s no reason for you to perish. Think about it; you can walk away free today!

There’s always the temptation to postpone making decisions, but time does not belong to you. If you understand this message, please don’t postpone your day of salvation, because although you routinely make decisions and think you have control over your life, the truth is you don’t. Your circumstances could change at any time, and you could miss the opportunity to be saved. Please decide today, and walk away free, leaving your sins -no matter what they are-on Jesus. Tomorrow could be too late!   

 

All references are from the New Living Translation (NLT).