You may look around and what is happening in our world, in our nation, in our state, within 100 miles of our city, and think “this feels personal”. It may feel that way.
Guess what? It is.
As a believer in Christ, as a follower of God, we are going to be persecuted.
The Bible tells us many times, just like Jesus had to remind the disciples many times about His coming trial, we have it written out for us in black and white, or red and white in some Bibles:
Matthew 5:10-12 NIV Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
John 15:20 NIV Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.
There are more; Corinthians 12:10, Romans 12:14,1 Peter 3:14, Luke 6:22, Philippians 1:29, Hebrews 11:25, and so on…
So does being warned about this persecution remove any of the horror of the actions? Not at all.
We grieve for these families of children who were sitting in a chapel at school, we grapple with the tragedy of children growing up without a Godly father and his direction, we hurt with a nation because of random, wickedly cruel acts that play out in our headlines. These all needless, unfathomable crimes strike us to our core, because they are wrong.
But most importantly, they are evil.
Do not doubt that the evil one wanders too and fro to seek whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8). And if you didn’t believe in the devil, in the evil he does – just look around. And that is not going to stop.
I’ve been asked if I feel we are in the end times, I am not an alarmist by nature, not one to panic – in fact, I usually get really calm and steely headed as things around me swirl. But I will say, I believe now is the time to get things in order. I believe that we have to wake up from our several decade slumber in Christianity and get going, shake a leg, WAKE UP!
If you don’t know where you are going if you were to die today – get straight, get it fixed, figure it out now! Come talk to me, myself and many around here a the church will be happy to walk and talk you right to the kingdom steps and then Jesus will take your hand.
But these things feel personal. Why?
Because they are. Because these are an affront to God, to our sense of peace in God, and it reminds us of the time. Again, I say, we have been asleep. I am not pointing fingers, or placing blame… although maybe that is exactly what we need… But I am saying we have to pick up the mantle.
A voice in the wilderness, a modern day John the Baptist was beheaded 2 weeks ago. Just like John was symbolically and literally shut up, Charlie Kirk was assassinated for standing up for God.
Now you will hear all sorts of stories about the motive, the movement, the motion of this side or that side… but frankly it doesn’t matter, doesn’t fit really. Those are all outcomes of human endeavors. We made all those up, this side of the aisle or that side… those are all of our doing. We created those chasms…
But the silencing of an apostle of God? That is a direct attack from evil. The shooting and killing of schoolchildren? Evil. The attacking of a young girl on a bus just riding to work? Evil.
Evil is an attack from the evil one. And He is working overtime, right now. Just ask my staff at this church. We have been in the hospital more times than I care to count over the past week or two and have been in the human being blender for the past couple of months. Do you know the saying “what can go wrong will go wrong?” It has been “It goes wrong”.
And we need to wake up and come out of it with power and strength. We need to allow to make us grow and trust in God even more! Please listen to me. I am not saying that this is anyone’s fault, or you asked for it, or you got what’s coming to you or anything like that.
But…
If you asked Jesus to come upon your life, if you experienced the Holy Spirit transform you, if you wanted to know the peace that passes all understanding and you want eternal life with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, then yes… you did ask for it.
And we need warriors. We need prayer warriors. We need gospel preaching warriors, we need out in front of people telling them that they need Jesus warriors.
And yes, maybe we are at fault for something that we need to hit our knees for, and ask for forgiveness from our heavenly Father. And the beautiful thing? He WILL forgive you. ALWAYS!
This feels personal because it is. Someone who was speaking for us was silenced. Guess what? That means that I need to say something. It’s time to not be quiet. It’s time to speak boldly for our God. Its time to make people listen to the gospel. Again, there are some, and it could be you, that were already doing what they could…
But let me speak for myself right now…. I WILL DO MORE. I will stand up for my Savior, I will speak His name boldly, I will proclaim the gospel, I will ask people to come to church, I will support HIS holy mission of reaching and teaching people for Christ. I will plead for energy and wisdom daily so that I can meet the challenge of the evil in this world, so that we can speak louder, bolder, and drown out the hate, and the unforgiveness. So that mercy and Grace will pour from our hearts, hands and feet. So we actually DO what we SAY!
This is hard, and this is scary. Maybe you have never been in a situation like this ever. Maybe there hasn’t been one, although I think the disciples when through it, didn’t they… up against the Sanhedrin and the pharisees? And aren’t we His disciples now?
We need to wake up. I’m so sorry that it took the martyring of someone to do it. I am so sorry that it takes the killing of innocence to accomplish it. I’m sorry that it takes something so tragic and unjust to get the ship turned around to head in the direction that you’ve always wanted us to go Lord….
But I will, your church will - hear you, listen to you, and stand up for you. Not even if we are persecuted, but when we are persecuted.
Amen.