July 20, 2011 … Rejection Because of Your Faith

Passage of the Day: 1st John 3: 13 … Do not be surprised, my brothers [and sisters], if the world hates you.

My Journal for Today: The eleventh and final signpost discussed by the Apostle John in this epistle to give believers the assurance of their salvation is the obvious rejection of our Christianity by the world. Today’s verse is absolutely clear on this; and any Christian today would have to be blind, deaf, and frankly, dumb, to ignore the socio-political incorrectness of Christianity in today’s marketplace of ideas and ideals. No, Christians may not be tarred and burned by Nero’s evil empire as they were in the 1st Century at the time John penned his epistle; but there is great persecution of Christians around the world; and there is every attempt by worldly political influences, even in this great, free country, to erase the Name of “God” or “Christ” from any degree of political influence or stature.

In John’s day, the church was dealing with outside worldly influences and out-right liars about the faith. They were confronting false teachers and doctrines, dangerous heresies, and the forerunners of Gnosticism and dualism. Expressions of all of these are still found in today’s culture as well, though maybe more intensely than was experienced by John and the early church because of our era of lightning speed in information transfer. So, John’s letter to the church, helping them to establish confidence in their faith, is just a valid now as it was when he wrote it over two millennia ago.

Jesus certainly warned His disciples of such lies and false doctrines (see John 15: 18 – 19); and we know that from the beginning of human time, “the world” has been out to destroy those of faith in the One, True God. Cain killed Able for this reason (see Gen. 4 and 1st John 3: 12). Saul of Tarsus (who became the Apostle Paul) and his worldly religionists had the first Christian martyr, Stephen, stoned for his beliefs (see Acts 7). And, of course, … there was that business on the cross with Jesus, which is sort of significant to this context and discussion [and please forgive my ironic levity about such an important matter].

Again I return to today’s world, where the reality of worldly hatred of all things related to Christ and God is under attack, often blatantly and directly. Certainly seeing this, though most disquieting and challenging for the Christian, we should be uplifted by the reality it presents. Either the world is right or we, as Christians, are! And if we are right (and we are!); the challenges of the world should give us the same confidence in our faith as it did for those first century Christians who were literally torched and burned for their faith. But remember; … more Christians have been martyred for their faith in the 20th and 21st centuries than in all the combined previous centuries. So, we need to have the same “die-for-the-faith” attitude as did those first century martyrs.

Take heart, Christian! … We are IN the world; but we are not OF the world! And, … we have been saved FROM the world (see Rom. 10: 9 - 13).

My Prayer Today: Thank You, Lord … that I am saved FROM the world. Amen

2010 – November 22 – The Purpose of Prayer

Study from God’s Word… Acts 6: 8 – end of Chapter 7 … Passage for Reflection: Acts 7: 59 – 60 … NIV 59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”

My Journal for Today: Today, moving on in the reading of the accounts in the Acts of the Apostles in the early church, recounted by Dr. Luke, we come on the prayer prayed by Stephen, the first recorded martyr in Christianity, who prayed the prayer in our highlight text as he was being stoned to death. And any reader of Luke’s account of the passion (see Luke 23, verses 46 and 34) probably gets a sense of déjà vu in reading Stephen’s prayer; because it was essentially the same prayer that Jesus prayed on the cross for those who were carrying out the crucifixion of our Lord.

And this raises an age-old conundrum about prayer. Stephen, who was filled of God’s Spirit, prays for the forgiveness of his enemies [i.e., for their spiritual well-being], as Jesus had instructed His disciples to do in the Sermon on the Mount [see Matt. 4: 43-44]. Okay, understood! But does this mean that God, hearing the prayer of even the purest of hearts, like that of the Son of God Himself, is obligated to what is evoked from the heart and lips of the one praying the prayer.

And this is the conundrum; … that we are commanded to pray with a humble, thankful, and forgiving heart; yet God is not obliged to answer with a solid and responsive, “Yes” to our prayers. How many times have believers been frustrated in sincere and earnest and expectant prayers for the healing of a dying loved one only to see that one be ushered out of life into the next life? So, does that mean that our prayers are useless?

Absolutely not! So, … why pray for our enemies? Well, Dr. Smith answers his own rhetorical question at the end of his devotional for today as he writes, “Could it be that prayers for others [like the one uttered by Stephen as he was being stoned] are more for OUR soul’s good than for theirs?” And the answer to that one is a resounding “YES!” And therefore, I ask the self-evaluation question that Dr. Smith writes and says is DYING TO BE ASKED: ”Have I considered that I am spiritually shaped by the prayers that I pray (or don’t pray) on behalf of others?”

Well, that one has nailed me to the cross by Christ; and I’ll let you deal with it for your own relationship with Spirit-led shaping.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, I stand convicted by my prideful lethargy and willful selfishness in not praying often enough for those who willfully pursue and persecute me or my fellow Christians. Forgive them, Lord, (as I think of them here and now); and help them to come to know You as Lord and Savior. Amen

2009 – Day 178.June 28 – Consistent Heroism

2009 – Day 178.June 28 – Consistent Heroism

Passage of the Day: 2nd Kings 1 … Linked for study …

My Journal for Today: Chuck Swindoll in his devotional entry for today likens the courage displayed by Elijah in 2nd Kings 1 to that of Martin Luther when he went to the Diet of Worms in 1521, being commanded to recant. In both instances neither of these heroic Christians had any thought for their personal safety. They were “men of God;” and they stood in the gap for truth and their faith.

Now, we know from the Bible and history that the outcomes were different for these two stalwarts of the faith. Elijah’s life was spared by God and Luther was burned alive by the church leaders in Worms. But they both, with no regard for their earthly existence, knew that God was foremost and His truth must stand above all false gods or teachings.

And from the living examples of these men, in their moments of truth, we must ask ourselves, given threatening circumstances, would or could we follow these models of heroism? Are we deep enough in our faith to stand for our faith the way Cassie Bernall is reported to have done when a gunman at Columbine High School put a gun to her head and asked her if she believed in God? And when she said, “Yes,” the gunman is said to have shot her dead. Do we have this kind of faith?

Cassie Bernall and Martin Luther, as well as Elijah, are living examples of being totally surrendered to their faith in the face of personal danger. And the former did so while becoming martyrs for their faith. Oh how I desire to have that kind of faith. And to that end I pray …

My Prayer for Today: Lord, may my faith not waver in circumstances where worldly pressures seem overwhelming. May I stand for You whenever or wherever I’m called to do so. Amen