Further reflections on "Inputs & Outputs" (Sunday, 7-July) and "Steadfast Purpose" (Sunday, 14-July-2024)
Is there a possible linkage between persecution and wisdom? Possibly, there is.
Have you ever wondered why people respond to the good news of Jesus Christ differently? My observation is that people's "inputs" are different. They see/perceive and hear/understand/obey God's word differently due to the "resistance" level of each individual. But why? The short answer is sin. The long answer is, only God knows. However, God's wisdom (Proverbs 12:15-28) gives us some hints regarding the "inputs." The eyes of the fool are right in his own vision and the ears of the wise listen/heed advice. The former is the posture of the arrogant and the latter the humble. The arrogant wants to be king and worship his/her own self-generated or worldly guru wisdom. The humble wants to make Jesus king in his/her life and worship Him only. And as a result, God's wisdom is birthed out from God-fearing life's posture. His wisdom is being acquired as the humble/wise heeds His instructions/advice.
Have you noticed that the fool seems to seek temporary pleasure or comfort and the wise seems to seek the Lord whether or not it is pleasurable or comfortable. Persecution in any form (Acts 11:19-26) does not bring any of what the fool/arrogant looks for because it points people back to Jesus and drives them to spread out His good news in the midst of all the bad news. The beauty is that those who seek the Lord have always been experiencing God's presence and power in any trials or form of persecution as they learn to consider all things joy (cf. James 1:2-4) and receive wisdom from God through circumstances that they face in life. The outcome was recorded and proven through the ages. People believed and turned to the Lord.
Persecution called God's people into mission fields and mobilized Christ's followers to look outwardly and pray for others instead of looking inwardly (though nothing wrong to pray for oneself) and making self-comfort/pleasure-seeking prayers. It gelled true believers together as they are to exhort one another to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose.
Persecution separates the "religious/cultural" Christians (by name) from the true disciples of Jesus who are made (not born) through life's challenging times as well as God's "faith-testing" moments of persecution.
Persecution exposes what one truly believes. It shows what their convictions are. It contrasts what one says/thinks in comfort/pleasure with how one actually lives in adverse situations.
Persecution's outcome is seemingly consistent throughout history, that is, people (unbelievers and unchurched) are added into the Body of Christ--the local church because of the character, the Holy Spirit's empowerment, and faith in Jesus of those who proclaim Jesus in the midst of persecution.
Finally, the persecuted ones are those who boldly speak the name of Jesus and live out the gospel in their daily lives regardless of life's unpredictably adverse events. Around the first century (Acts 11:26), they were known as disciples of Jesus Christ and honorably called Christians ("little Christ").
In the above light, how have your Christian life been characterized and demonstrated in your work place, communities, and societies at large? And how have your "outputs" been like? Do they have the godly ones listed in Proverbs 12:16-28?
May the wise learn from and live through persecution. Amen.
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Pastor Lap
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