God had chosen the nation of Israel to be the people through whom He would bring the promised Messiah. But He also wanted them to be a nation of priests and prophets who pointed others to the one true God. They were to be His missionary nation.
They not only failed to be His light to the world but instead followed the pagan nations around them into darkness. Now they were faced with His judgment.
Today it’s us, the church, who are to be salt and light. It won’t always be easy. Salt sometimes stings and darkness doesn’t like the light, but both are desperately needed. Will we be children of light or be swallowed up by the darkness?
Ezekiel was called to speak truth to a hard-hearted and rebellious people, but God gave him the strength he needed and told him, “Do not be afraid of them!”
We live in a time when people have similar attitudes and responses to the truth. Sometimes we will suffer persecution, not just for what we say or do, but for who we are because darkness hates the light. And sometimes, our persecutors can be people close to us, even our own family members.
Also, what can we learn from Jesus about persecution? And what did Peter, who once denied his Lord, learn that can help us trust God and have the strength to do what He’s called us to do?
In the first century, a small army of believers turned the known world upside down in a matter of a few years without TV, radio, or mass media. They simply believed in the power of the gospel to change lives and the Holy Spirit working through them. And they did it in the face of intense opposition.
Today our world is being turned upside down but not by the gospel. How should we respond? What can we do? What is the ultimate answer? These are questions that haunt many of us.
In today’s post, you’ll also read about:
One of the greatest evils in our nation and our accountability before God.
And finally, we’ll look at one of the greatest prayers ever recorded. It was prayed by a man who fell short like us, but who understood where to turn for help.
Through the centuries, Christians have been burned at the stake, sawed in two, and crucified. They have been shot, fed to lions, and forced to choose between their faith and their freedom. Many were gassed along with the Jews for harboring their Jewish neighbors. These were people who were committed to their faith.
But according to Voice of the Martyrs, “More men and women are being persecuted today for Jesus than at any other time in human history. Millions of Christians face intense persecution and risk their lives for the sake of the Gospel.”
The Bible teaches that in the last days, evil, including every kind of persecution will continue to grow. But here in the US, we often feel somewhat insulated from all this. Most of us, probably, can’t imagine beheadings or people being burned alive here. But what if we were faced with the choice to stand up or betray Christ in the face of intense persecution? Would we be as committed to our faith as other believers around the world or as Christians in times past?
And I wonder, are we as committed to our faith as many of our Muslim neighbors are to theirs?
Today we hear a lot about tolerance and accepting people as they are. But in light of eternity is tolerance always loving? And what if we try to speak the truth and are told we need to be more like Jesus and just love everyone? Could they be right? Or could that be a misunderstanding of what is truly loving?
Today’s Featured Post is one I hope everyone will read and consider prayerfully. In it I ask the question, “Are we as committed to our faith and it’s spread as our Muslim Neighbors?”
