To Be Faithful Amidst Persecution in a hostile world

Christ sent his people into the world to make disciples Mt28:19 "You will be my witnesses," he said.." to the ends of the earth" Acts 1:8 But, in response, the world was often hostile. The good news of a crucified and risen Lord and Savior often met forceful resistance. Yet the news needed to be spread, and God's New People needed to share his love no matter what. The challenge was to remain faithful regardless of the cost.

There were a number of reasons for hostility and persecution. From the beginning, many people detected something revolutionary and disturbing about Christians (Acts 17:6) Unlike so many of the religions of the day, Christianity was not characterized by an easygoing tolerance toward other faiths. The call of Christ to life-changing discipleship led to division (Mathew 10:34-36) Christians were not able merely to "live and let live" when it came to what other people believed, because Christ commanded that the faith be spread (Matthew 28: 16-20). Also while the Roman Empire allowed Jews to practice their religion more or less freely, Christians were making it clear that they were not simply a sect of Judaism. So they came out from under the umbrella of Rome's protection. Frequent charges against Christians included that of atheism (because of refusing to worship pagan gods) and anarchy (lack of patriotism, Christian attacks on traditional family values, etc.) Most importantly, the Roman Empire demanded total loyal to Casar and the Empire. This is something that faithful Christians could not give, because their unqualified loyalty was to Christ alone.

The extent of actual persecution was not as great as is often thought. The vast majority of Christians were never confronted directly by it. However, many of them lived under the threat of it. Relatively large persecutions were those under three different emperors: Domitian (A.D. 95), Decius (250) and Diocletian (303)

These Christians had to decide how to respond to this threat. As and example, consider the first Empire-Wide persecution (A.D. 250). The government required all citizens to present certificates showing that they had worshiped a statue of the statue of the emperor, who was officially considered to be a god. If they didn't, penalties could include degradation, the confiscation of property and torture.

What wee Christians' options as they faced this challenge? Key possibilities were:actively seek martyrdom by openly declaring one's Christianity and one's refusal to participate in Emperor worship; 2 simply not get a certificate, thereby quietly but firmly taking a stand; 3 get a certificate through someone Else's help, bribery, etc.; 4 worship the emperor's image, even though this meant making a break with the Church.

What did Christians actually do when faced with these options? Someone has estimated that perhaps one-third of all Christians obtained certificates. Others broke down under torture and consented to sacrifice to Caesar. Ultimately the choice for many came down to death or deserting Christianity. Many did choose the latter. Those that succumbed to the temptation to back away from Christianity under were bitterly divided , some groups, like the Novatians and Donatists, urged rigorous condemation. Others took the gentler stance of restoring those who had yielded to temptation.

The ultimate effect pf persecution was that the church, instead of being wiped out, was actually strengthened.The blood of the martyrs became the seed of the church also, the martyrs had an effect on the devotional life of many Christians, as popular admiration of them mushroomed through the years. Around A.D 313 when Constantine became emperor. He issued a number of edicts which led to the cessation of harassment and the eventual establishment of Christianity as the state religion. Thus the very empire that once attacked the faith now officially espoused it!

My thoughts:
Christians need to take a stand.
Christians need to deal with the weak who succumb
Christians need to deal with division
The Holy Spirit can bring great good even under highly adverse conditions
God Bless You and This Ministry!

Revelation

" 'Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.' Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. Outside the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie. 'I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I am the bright morning star.' " (Revelation 22:12-16 - New Living Translation)

Jesus reminds us that when He comes, He will judge and He will reward. We should be prepared for His return.

Those who obey God, those who repent and believe, will enter into the New Jerusalem. They will spend eternity in joy and happiness.

Those who refuse to accept Jesus will not enter into the New Jerusalem. Those who continue in their sin in this life will endure torment in the next.

Jesus is the One who sent the angel to tell John and us this prophecy. Jesus is the root of David; the one who gave David life. Jesus is the offspring of David; born into his family. Jesus is the bright and morning star who will announce the coming of a new and perfect dawn. The dawning of the new heaven, new earth and New Jerusalem.

Just as Genesis is the book of beginning, Revelation is the book of the end. It is God’s final statement about the return of Jesus Christ to earth. John writes, “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. All the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him. Even so, Amen”. Thus to me the key word is prophecy. The predictions that have been prophesied in the Old Testament and by Jesus are fulfilled here in the book of Revelation. Even though many books have prophetic messages, the book of revelations deals with it in a prophetic manner and it’s fulfillment. My final thoughts today is that the key verse in Revelation is “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Rev. 1:3).

God Bless You and This Ministry!

Thoughts about Revelation

May 23,2010
First of many thoughts about Revelation

Well, after one year, I have finished going through the Book of Revelation. Like every time I have read through this Book, I have had to re-examine some of my ideas, and even discovered I have conflicting opinions of this book, My first questions I have about Revelation is, What is the main focus? To me Revelation is not primarily a focus on prophetic events, but on Jesus Christ. The first verse indicates it is” Revelation of Jesus Christ”. This word revelation means an unveiling or disclosure and thus it is the final disclosure of who Jesus Christ is. This book is a self revelation because Jesus Chrit is giving these revelations to John therevelator to write down.

"And the Spirit and the bride say, come. And let him that hearth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He, who testified these things, saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is with you all. Amen." (Revelation 22:17-21 - King James Version)

There are two views regarding verse 17. Some believe that the Spirit, the bride and him that hears call for Jesus to come. Others that they are calling for the lost to come to Jesus. Both are true.

The Spirit calls upon all people to come to Jesus for salvation. The redeemed who are now with God call upon others to trust the Lord. Those who read and believe God's Word today call upon others to believe it as well.

Whoever will hear the call to come may drink of the water of life freely. There is no charge for salvation. All that a person must do is come to Christ.

John adds a warning to his writing. Before the invention of the printing press, there was the danger that a copyist would change the wording, add to or take away from what he was copying. This warning should be taken as applying to not only such actions but also to doing the same through teaching. Any who deliberately distorts and misuses the Word of God is in danger of great judgment.

One last time Jesus reminds us that He is coming again, and that it will be quickly. John adds his own prayer to this statement. Every born again believer should have the same desire. We should pray, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."

This final prophecy and book of the Bible contains both great tragedy and great glory. It tells us of the throne room of God, and of stubborn rebellion against God. It tells us of the horrors of the Tribulation and the wonders of the New Jerusalem. It is meant to encourage, to warn and to inform us.

More than anything else, studying this book should make us more committed to the Lord, and more faithful in reaching those who are yet without Him. God Bless You and this Ministry!
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Our Bird House

It seems to me that much of church is about relationships, trust, leadership, prayer and teaching especially in the moment. The hard part is when we build those relationships we begin to bump into one another with our differences. The organizational part of church is not most of my concern here but the people. Let me explain, we do because of the “Blood of Jesus Christ”. I became a Christian at the dinner table of one of my relatives. I did not know at the time that's what was happening. I can't point to one decisive moment when intellectual assent turned to trust. But it was at the dinner table that Christianity became real to me. Each evening as my relatives ate together, we would process the day's events. "How was school today?" "Who's going to take my cousin to basketball practice?" But as the events were being processed, we also had to decide what to do about difficult issues. As I watched my relatives work through the difficult issues of life, I saw that their faith made a difference in how they acted. They often prayed before they made big decisions; they often looked to Scripture for guidance, "what does the Bible say?" they would ask; they sometimes even chose the more difficult option simply because they believed that was the Christian thing to do. That is when I learned that faith mattered. I learned that I needed to see my own life in light of God's love; I needed to ask how spiritual resources like prayer and Scripture could help me make sense of life; and I needed to choose to act faithfully - even if that meant taking a more difficult path. I became a Christian by following the decision-making models I saw at the dinner table of my second family. This was unlike a healthy church committee, aligned in one accord.
Relationships through leadership can have the greatest impact for people by having that interconnection that bonds people together. My question is are we on the same page aligned, helping people to the fullness of life in Jesus Christ? Showing how even the most mundane issues must be seen in light of God's presence with us. Finding someone to salt the icy winter sidewalks, for example, is not just a liability issue; it's a matter of hospitality. It is in committee meetings that church leaders offer not just perspective but spiritual resources. There is a deep Biblical tradition, for example, demanding that God's people practice hospitality. And it is in committee meetings that church folks see the church choosing to live up to its belief, even if it is inconvenient. The elder in charge of facilities, to finish the example, may say that she will salt the sidewalks herself if she cannot locate someone else to do it. Just as I learned Christianity by watching my parents at the dinner table, so congregations learn to see faith in action by watching their leaders in committee meetings.
This emphasis on teaching in the moment points to an odd contradiction inherent in Christian ministry. Ministers spend most of their time doing tasks, but doing tasks is not the essence of ministry. In this way, a pastor's situation is not unlike the time spent by a stay-at-home mom. I know of friends, for example, who are stay home mothers that spends two days a week home with school-aged girls (the other three work-days each week, she is a computer programmer). She stays home with her daughters because she wants to have a direct influence in shaping their personalities and forming their characters. Yet she spends most of the time on those days doing chores - running errands, washing clothes, and wiping noses. The surprising thing about this experience, however, is that she is accomplishing just the goal she hoped to achieve. As the girls spend time with their mother, they learn how to relate to the world - they absorb her values (kindness, sharing, patience, diligence) and imbibe her practices (caring for strangers, putting others first, listening to others) - even as they go through the routine of daily life. As those children accompany her through the day, they learn what it means to embody faith. She may spend her time doing tasks, but she is really forming her children.
A pastor shapes his congregation in just the way a mother molds her children. In committee meetings and chance encounters, in hallways and the parking lot - that is where the pastor embodies his beliefs and models faith-in-action. That is where the pastor gives his congregation an example of what it means to see the world through Christian eyes, to care for the world with a Christian heart. Theology and biblical studies are not distinct from administration any more than me being separated from my wife. Theologically formed faith and biblically informed trust, animate administration; they make it alive. Enveloping the daily routine of a pastor is an ether of theological substance and a cloud of biblical meaning. You will spend a lot of time doing mundane tasks. But in this course you will learn to see how to relate those tasks to the beliefs, values, and ultimate purpose that make those tasks worth doing. Ministry cannot be summed up in the daily-duties of a minister any more than parenting can be reduced to washing clothes and wiping noses.
How, then, does one teach church leadership that is all about teaching in the moment? I believe you have already begun to learn it through the gospel of Jesus Christ. The very preaching, teaching and counseling skills it takes to be a good pastor (we all are pastors) are the skills it takes to be a good administrator or leader of the faith. This often amounts to little more than teaching on the fly - i.e. showing how faith, theology and Scripture apply in a specific situation. So the best way to be connected is to do what my relatives did with me at the dinner table: exegete situations and describe how we might think theologically about then, pray and model for you the skills I hope you will carry into the settings where it can bring all into the Fullness of Life through Jesus Christ.
God Bless You and This Ministry!