(Further reflections on “A Perfect Storm”—Sunday 11-June-2023)
A frequently asked but unspoken question is, “Can I just be an ordinary Christian who just go to church and fulfill my dream/plan like others?” The answer is, “You can.” But the other question you might want to ask is, “Is this what the Lord has for me/my family?”
Do you want to know a ’secret’ of being ‘spared’ from persecution? It’s simple! Don’t share God’s word and Jesus to anyone and keep it a private matter/faith, seriously. Try it. Well maybe some of us have been trying/living like this. But those who want to live a godly life will be persecuted (cf. 2 Timothy 3:12). It is guaranteed!
It is a fact that when people face troubles in their life, they will fervently pray or ask for prayers. There is nothing wrong with this. But it is quite terrible to treat our relationship with Jesus like that. For sure, He still loves us and waits for us. But as a good and loving Father, He loves to see His children growing up in relationship with Him and have faith that can move mountains- a kind of faith that prays unceasingly and fervently for the lost. This kind of faith knows and is ready to face resistance and various forms of persecution when sharing or preaching or speaking the Good News of Jesus Christ to those around them. It anticipates persecution even from within their home front, from their loved ones, relatives, friends, co-workers, communities, etc.
No persecution can seem to stop people with this kind of faith- people who “cannot but speak” boldly and publicly the name of Jesus. In fact, persecution even fuels them further in actively spreading the Gospel from where they live to the next communities/societies. History showed that the more they were oppressed, the more zealous they are in spreading the Gospel, as well as fervently praying for those who persecuted them. They practiced Christ’s forgiveness to the oppressors who do not know what they were doing. This kind of faith can be found among Christ’s followers who cannot deny their true identity in Christ. They are somewhat marked with the “3Ps”: Persecution, Preaching, and Praying. Imprisonment or trials of all kinds or even can not bring them on their knees, except when they pray for their ‘enemies’. They were, are, and will be undefeated, simply because their Christ is “invincible” (well, eternal). When this happens, it is almost ‘warranted’ a ‘perfect storm’ is on the horizon.
A Christian who resists or refuses being discipled tends to ‘slide’ into an ‘illusion’ - “I just want to have peace and be an ordinary Christian. And I will be alright. I won’t upset my surrounding by ‘privatizing’ my faith and eventually becoming ‘nominal’ or ‘religious’ or ‘lukewarm’ church-goer who might have a form of godliness but denies the power of the Gospel and the ‘urgency’ in telling others, the lost ones, those who have not yet heard about Jesus. Think about the story of Sodom & Gomorrah (cf. Genesis 19). The context seemed to suggest that Lot’s family (probably/likely) didn’t bother to ‘evangelize’—preach/share God’s law to the city, even to his own home first. So when Lot told his sons-in-law to run, they in a way ‘laughed’ at him or at least thought he was joking (cf. Genesis 19:14). His wife didn’t seem to take Lot’s warning seriously. She looked back and died instantly. The whole scene was catastrophic from family to city and regional level. Jesus reminded his disciples then and us now, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself (Luke 9:23-25 ESV).”
Okay! But how do I know if I’m “3Ps”-ready be part of God’s ‘perfect storm’? Hints:
1.) By listening to your prayers, you will know how close/intimate relationship you have with the Lord.
2.) By examining your own life, you will know how well you see and live according to the Gospel of Jesus.
3.) By hearing what you say or speak or share with others, you cannot help but notice how often you might have been reading, sharing, and living out God’s word. In Christ,
—
Pastor Lap
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