“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”

               -Romans 8:31

The moment you choose to follow Jesus is the moment you choose to head down a path of persecution and worldly opposition (2 Tim. 3:12). Of all the promises afforded us by the Scriptures, none guarantee our life will be easy or comfortable but instead assure of just the opposite: “If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you,” was the warning of Christ to His disciples, yet they counted the sufferings of this present time unworthy to be compared with what they knew their Lord could offer (John 15:20; Rom. 8:18). We are told from the beginning exactly what we’re getting ourselves into by becoming a Christian and it should be anything but surprising when trouble comes our way.

It’s helpful when we understand that, just as no man can serve two masters (Matt. 6:24), it is impossible for a person to feed their soul while indulging their flesh. How many of us actually faced persecution when our soul was being starved of truth? In most cases it’s not until a person embraces things of eternal importance that they begin to encounter opposition, and so rather than despairing when rejected for your faith, learn to “rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” (Matt 5:12)

“Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.”

               -1 Peter 4:16

Not only should we expect persecution, but should follow the example of the apostles by learning to rejoice in them (Acts 5:41). Certainly the trial itself gives us no reason whatsoever to be joyful, but the knowledge that we are living in obedience to the Scriptures and their Author in a noticeable way is reason enough to leap for joy (Luke 6:23). For each hardship, consider both the physical and mental sufferings of Christ which far surpassed what any of us are able to experience or imagine. Did He agonize and weep? Of course! That’s never the problem, as long as we can pray the same prayer He did in the garden of Gethsemane: “Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me: nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42) Nobody ever having prayed these words from their heart was given a heavier load than they were able to bare (1 Cor. 10:13).

 

“Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.”

               -II Timothy 2:9

Have you seen the newest poll on my sidebar? I put it up a while back hoping to get some feedback on a very important question that I myself have been pondering a lot lately: will the U.S. government ever ban the Word of God? Of course I’ll be one of the first to admit that it seems pretty unlikely right now since, after all, our country’s greatest pride is its establishment of religious freedom; but if you’ll remember, there was a time when we stood firmly on the individual rights of all humanity and now our congressmen and women are passing legislation which daily destroys innocent life by way of abortion. Our country is headed downhill both morally and spiritually, and I believe it would be a dangerous mistake to take anything for granted at this point.

So what were the results of my poll? 87% of my readers believe the Bible could one day become illegal. Yes, that’s right: 87%. That’s a huge majority, and yet would you believe that one study indicated more than a third of all verbally professed Christians (Titus 1:16) do not read this precious Book at all? The very Word of God, which most of us are apparently afraid of losing, would probably not even be missed by a large part of those who claim to love it so much! Too often, we find it more convenient to hide the Scriptures in our bookshelves than to hide it in our heart (Psalm 119:11), and to hang a verse or two on the wall than to read and apply It to our lives (James 1:21-25).

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.”

                 -II Timothy 3:1

Though we generally tend to think questions beginning with the words “What If” are dangerous, I believe they can sometimes be the most healthy questions one can ask. What if your Bible was taken away from you tomorrow? Would you know enough of it to live according to God’s will? What if you had to choose between your life and your faith? Would you waver or stand firm? What if you were arrested for being a Christian? Would there be enough evidence to convict you? These are questions we may one day have to live out our answer to, and it is time now for us to prepare ourselves for whatever the future may hold – no matter how unlikely we think it is.

 

 

“Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”

               -II Corinthians 1:4

Over the past several months, this has become one of my absolute favorite passages of Scripture. I quote it to myself when I’m going through a trial, to others I know who might be experiencing hardship, and even to those who simply have  friends that are discouraged. Though it’s not a verse you’ll find printed on many T-shirts, it does answer possibly the most common question among Christian’s today: why does God allow His people to suffer? While the trials we face do have a purpose in our own life, it’s just as Biblical to say that God sends these things our way in order that we may comfort others in similar situations. After all, how could we comfort those in pain if we never experienced it ourselves?

You see, God never promised us a life free of heartache. In fact, He promised us just the opposite in Matthew 5:11 when He said, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you…” It’s never been a question of if hardship will come; it’s simply been a matter of when. The amazing thing is that we can face each and every one of these valleys with the knowledge that we are not alone, for Christ has promised never to leave nor forsake His children regardless of the circumstances (Hebrews 13:5). As the old song beautifully reminds us, “He never promised that the cross would not get heavy, or that the hill would not be hard to climb. He never offered our victories without fighting, but He said help would always come in time.”*

Maybe the mountain you’re facing seems too high to climb, and the valley to wide to cross. Maybe logic is screaming at you to throw your hands up and give in, and you don’t know how much longer you can ignore its voice. If this is you, know today that God is on His way. He hasn’t forgotten you, and has promised never to burden us with more than we’re able to bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). If He brought you to it, He’s certainly able to take you through it.

 

*The Crabb Family in their song, “Through the Fire”

Imagine with me two men in an airplane flying 6,000 above the ground. All seems to be going well when, halfway through the flight, one man is approached by an attendant who offers him a parachute. She promises that wearing this parachute will dramatically enhance his flight. Though somewhat hesitant at first, not seeing how a parachute of this size could possibly “enhance one’s flight”,  he decides to give it a try after several minutes of persistent nagging by the woman.

A few hours pass and the man finds himself miserably uncomfortable. He looks around and sees dozens of other passengers who seem to be enjoying themselves quite nicely, yet none of them are wearing parachutes. What was supposed enhance his flight has done little more than remove his ability to sit upright and rub several terrible blisters on his shoulders. With a sore neck and aching back, he sees no reason to continue bearing this terrible burden and thus removes the parachute and tosses it to the floor.

Meanwhile, another flight attendant approached a man at the opposite end of the plane with an identical parachute as was offered to man #1. Rather than promising an enhanced flight, however, she informed the gentleman that, in just a few moments, he would be forced to jump from the plane and that wearing this parachute was his only hope of survival. No debating was necessary, for the man immediately recognized the impending danger and strapped himself to the parachute without a minute’s delay. He didn’t give a second thought to the weight he must carry while he waited to jump or the apparent happiness of  other passengers who were wearing no parachute; he rather thanked God for saving Him from a terrible death.

 

Think about this story. Man #1 represents every person who is told that becoming a Christian will “enhance their flight.” They are promised joy, peace, lasting happiness, and anything else they’ve been missing in life. Though somewhat hesitant at first, most decide to give Jesus a try and see what happens.

Not long afterward, however, they realize that serving Jesus doesn't always make you feel warm and cozy inside. They lose their friends at school, are ridiculed by those closest to them, and maybe even get put in jail. After a quick taste of the persecution promised to all who truly serve God (II Timothy 3:12), they want nothing to do with it and thus discard their faith in what they thought would give them a happier, more peaceful life (see Matthew 10:34).

Man #2, on the other hand, represents everyone who is confronted with the truth of the Gospel: man is a sinner in need of forgiveness, and God is a Savior willing to give it out. Instead of being led to salvation with the promise of joy and lasting happiness, they accept Christ fully aware of the wrath of God which will be revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men (Romans 1:18). They understand that Jesus Christ is the only way to avoid hell, and so any inconvenience they encounter is disregarded for the sheer joy of knowing they are saved.

 

We are doing a great disservice to both God and the world when we reduce Christianity to just another way of enhancing your life. We must confront people with the truth of sin, judgment, and hell if we hope for them to respond to the gospel is such a way that they will endure the tribulations of this life without losing the faith. Doing things the easy way might please more people, but it certainly won’t be pleasing God.

"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."

                            -Matthew 5:10, 11 

In the past, I've spend a lot of time focusing on how privileged American Christians are. But the fact is, even American Christian will face a degree of persecution (II Tim. 3:12), and we need to be prepared for when it comes.

If you have been serving the Lord very long, then you've probably faced persecution for it. No, I'm not talking about going to jail; I'm talking about being made fun of, criticized, and mistreated because of your faith. If you have ever experienced any of these things then, rest assured, great is your reward in heaven. By enduring persecution, you are taking part in Christ's suffering (I Pet 4:13), and we should rejoice when we face such trials (Acts 5:41). After all, if we're being mistreated because of our faith, that is an indication we are doing our job right: living out our faith for all the world to see.


In my life, I've heard many people say that they don't think America will ever become like other nations, and take away our Bibles, and our right to worship. Admittedly, I've probably said that a few times myself. But the truth is, we can't be sure. Who knows? It could be that next year being a Christian will be against the law. But what about today? If you were arrested on the charge of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? If they looked at the visited websites on your browser, would they conclude you are a Christian? If they looked at your DVD collection, your CD collection, and even the clothes in your closet, would they say, "Never mind. We see now that you are not a follower of Christ. You are just like everybody else."? If so, then be aware that God will probably say the same words to you on Judgment Day.


As a final thought, I heard once that life is like a never-ending downward escalator. Being a Christian requires turning around, and running full speed in the opposite direction. Naturally, you'll get a few awkward glances as you march your way up, but what else do you expect? If you don't bump any shoulders, it's probably because you're heading in the same direction as everybody else.

"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

                            -Matthew 5:10 

In a country where persecution is almost unheard of, it is hard for many of us to imagine the dangers that our brothers and sisters face in foreign lands. We think we have it rough when our friends make fun of us for going to church, when they go to jail for attending Sunday services. We feel tempted to give up on Christ after we get our feelings hurt, but they persevere despite physical torture. So why is it that they endure this type of treatment so willingly? It's because they accept it as part of the package when they become a Christian.

"...If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you..."

                            -John 15:20

Notice hear that Jesus didn't say, "...they will also persecute middle-easterners." He made an all-inclusive statement that every Christian will at some point face persecution. If we expect to be ridiculed, then we won't be surprised when we are. People in China, India, Columbia, etc., know that if they become a Christian they will most likely lose life or limb because of it. Thus, when trouble comes knocking, they are prepared to answer the door. Likewise, if we aren't expecting to face hardship, then when we do we won't be prepared to face it.

"Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." 

                            -II Corinthians 12:10

Though persecution isn't something any of us have a desire to experience, we should remember that it is during those times of affliction that we are drawn closer to God and His glory is displayed most brightly in our lives. In light of these things, we should welcome any persecution God allows us to endure, knowing that He has a purpose behind everything that He does.

"But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew..."

                            -Exodus 1:12

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

                            -Romans 12:1 

Just like the rest of Scripture's commands, we are here instructed to do nothing more than imitate Christ. Nearly everything the Bible tells us to do has already been done by Christ Himself. We are told to be holy because He is holy (Leviticus 11:45), to love Him because He loves us (I John 4:19) and, as this verse says, to present our bodies as living sacrifices because Jesus became one for us during His life on this earth (Hebrews 9:12).

But what exactly does it mean to be a living sacrifice? Does it mean going to church regularly? No, that is a weekly sacrifice. What about spending daily quiet time with God? No, that is a daily sacrifice. While these things are all very important, as Christians, we are called to be more than a weekly, or even a daily, sacrifice. Instead, we are to be  living sacrifices. This means our every word and deed should be aimed at bringing God glory. It means learning to say with the apostle Paul, "The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God." (Galatians 2:20)


We must learn to follow Paul's example and live our life entirely unto God. No, not our moments of convenience, but our entire existence. Then we will truly understand what it means to be a living sacrifice.

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

                            -I Corinthians 10:31

"And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple."

                           -Luke 14:27

Verses such as this completely defy what the world would have us believe as the true Gospel. Rather than teaching us to take up our cross, modern "Christianity" encourages us to take up our easy-chair and follow Christ. It portrays the Christian life as a bed of roses, completely ignoring the fact that even a bed of roses has thorns. They skim over such verses as, "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (II Timothy 3:12). Instead, they preach that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall enjoy relaxation. While I'm sure we all wish that were the case, it simply is not. Being a Christian will not always be easy, and we are lying if we try to convince people (or ourselves) otherwise.

"Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets."

                            -Luke 6:22-23

Jesus didn't try to hide the fact that following Him would bring persecution upon those who choose to do so. He said that we will be hated, rejected, and reproached just like He was (Isaiah 53:3), and that we must count the cost to see if we are willing to endure these things (see Luke 14:28). Of course the persecution and hardship is more than worth it, but we shouldn't pretend like it doesn't exist.

"But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended."

                            -Matthew 13:20-21 

The Scriptures concerning persecution aren't in fine print; they're in big red letters. Will we read them? Or better yet, will we heed them?

"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

                            -Matthew 5:10

For years, sinners and Christians alike have been troubled by the question, "Why does God allow suffering?" Those who do not know the Lord often cannot understand how a loving God could allow such terrible things to happen in the world, and those who do know the Lord are sometimes perplexed as to why God would allow His children to suffer. However, the Lord knew that we would have such questions, and the Scriptures give us many explanations for why God allows these things.

In Genesis 3, we read the story of man as he fell into sin, and as we see in Romans 6:23, "...the wages of sin is death..." Therefore, we know that when sin entered the world, likewise did suffering.

The Bible also promises suffering to those who do not serve the Lord in Job 15:20 when it says, "The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days..." and also in Proverbs 13:15 when it says, "...the way of transgressors is hard." This is because they are seeking lasting pleasure in the things of this world, but the Word of God lets us know that the pleasures of sin are only for a season (Hebrews 11:25). The only lasting joy comes from serving the Lord: "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." (John 15:11)

However, we must remember that suffering comes even unto those who are godly. In II Timothy 3:12 Paul says, "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." Other such verses such as James 5:10, I Peter 4:13, and II Thessalonians 1:6 also speak of the suffering that God's people must endure.

And while all of these verses help us to better understand the suffering of God's people, perhaps the greatest verse of all on the matter is II Corinthians 1:4 where Paul tells the Corinthians, "Who [God] comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." In other words, if we are a child of God, we have the promise that the Lord will comfort us in our tribulations and sufferings, in order that we may be able to comfort others.