Persecution

It has once been said to me that unless we are being persecuted for being Christians we are not doing something correct. Jesus promises troubles and persecutions, “you will be hated by all for my name’s sake” (Luke 21:17), but should the area of persecution be something we strive for, especially in light of Scripture when so much is spoken of by Jesus on those which the hand of offense will be laid? I think it does not bearn within us to seek to be persecuted, for rather this would place but another form of idolatry before our deceiving hearts, but instead continue striving and thirsting after what our Savior says the first and greatest commandment is: “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). I am convinced by Scripture, the Holy Spirit, and sheer logic that if they crucified my Christ for following this commandment perfectly, a redeemed sinner who, by God’s grace, attempts to follow it and falls imperfectly, shall also be persecuted as my Lord. Therefore, do not seek persecution or disruption amongst others to attempt to go through all of what hardships Christ spoke of, but rather love the Lord your God, walk diligently in His ways according to your calling as an heir to the throne, and there you shall find all of what Christ has prepared you for all along and has promised to remain faithful during. Do not worry about when but instead what you are doing to apart yourself from the world and the very flesh that drives you.

 

Praise God when persecutions arise on behalf of Christ’s name, but woe be to you O man, if you do anything less than love all, in order to seek your persecutions.

Meekness…(Part2)

Mahatma Gandhi expressed and displayed meekness in fasting and exhibiting humility through nonviolence in the movement for an independent and civil India, which had more impact than any argumentativeness or mutiny. He is now even referred to as the “Father of India.” Why did Gandhi use such a tactic, and how did it work? In the city of India where the Gandhi Memorial is, there is a museum. Right at the entrance to the museum, there is in an inscription by Berton Russell. It says, “It is doubtful whether the methodology Gandhi chose to use would have succeeded except in the context of a nation where the predominant ethic was still Christian.” Not only did the atmosphere of a moral standard help the outcome, it might have also helped light the candle to show the way there. Gandhi was greatly influenced by this Jesus of Nazareth. Gandhi said,”I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” (Brainey 1)

Another martyr of meekness was Martin Luther King, Jr. He used the power of meekness in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s in the United States of America. Dr. King is undoubtedly compared with Mahamta Gandhi in his humanitarian efforts and the ways he conducted himself. He was the first president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The conference was a collaboration of Christian leaders in the Southeast who encouraged one another and influenced the fight against racism in the Southeast and the United States of America. The leadership conference was born out of the Birmingham Bus Boycotts that Dr. King and another black minister organized (Wikipedia 1). Gandhi and Dr. King shared a common influence. They both lived this meekness out by their love of truth and the influence of Jesus of Nazareth.

Jesus of Nazareth, who was the example for both Gandhi and Dr. King, was not passive, but saw meekness as an active double-edged sword in the heart.

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life (ESV Bible John 12:24-25 ).

The central concept in meekness is the denying of one’s self, of selfish ambition, and not being frozen by the fear of man to shout a message that is bigger than just one man, whether it be Dr. King or Mahatma Gandhi.

What is meekness? (Part 1)

Meekness is not to be confused with weakness. It is the wisest attribute that one can hope to attain. Who has walked this road? The Catholic tradition has penned the path of meekness in the Latin, “via dolorosa,” or the way of suffering. It is choosing the narrow path and resisting pride and anger in the heart. It is the greatest weapon and requires force and violence in one’s own heart against his or her very nature. How is one to learn and follow in this path of suffering, of going the path less taken and resisting pride? One must follow those who have walked the path before him.

Who has walked this path? Who has gone before him and shown what meekness looks like? There is so much confusion on the subject, and little or no emphasis in hoping to attain this attribute today. In one’s attempt to attain meekness, one runs to the next leadership workshop and self-help gurus. One should instead learn from those who have wielded the sword of meekness to make social and moral change in the culture in which they lived.

People like Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, and Jesus of Nazareth all made a difference. The kind of impact and influence they achieved is almost unparalleled even today. When one evaluates the long run, is it going to be worthwhile to be meek? The answer still lingers in the impact that has been permanently etched by those who embraced meekness before us. One must take a deeper look at the blessed meek, the very people who embraced meekness and their own experience following the narrow path.

Confessions of a Madman

For many “intellectuals” now-a-days, the idea of believing in a god is simply irrational. In the academic circles atheism is the prevalent belief system. “Any other belief is simply foolishness,” they would argue.

Well I would like to propose…

Allegory of the Slave

And as I dozed off in class, I dreamed a dream…

I saw myself as a slave and my master was a cruel, ill-tempted man. But as it were, he has me in a trance in which whatever he beckoned me to do I did. I loved my master though he treated me foully. The more he beat and abused me the more I loved him, for this was a mighty trance which had been laid upon my eyes, and I could not perceive or understand my fettered state. Nor did I want to, for I seemed content. But one day as I sat in my cell alone, I grieved for my pain was great and I perceived no one was mighty enough to break my chains. So my master returned and assaulted me again and my heart was still devoted to him, for the trance kept me deceived. 

But behold, as I lay in my cell a great Light filled the room and I was blinded by its intesity. 

I heard a voice call me and it was not terrifying voice. As I walked I bumped into walls as this beautiful voice grew lounder and louder. It lead me to outside the cell in which I was kept and outside to a grove, for I felt the cool grass under my feet. And the voice lead me a little farther and beckoned me to stop and open my eyes and behold, I could see. And I looked and saw a reflection of myself in the still water of a pond and it terrifyed me, for it was the first time I had ever seen a reflection of myself, for my old master’s house had no mirrors. I was in great distress for I saw I was hideous and I sat in the grass and wept. 

The voice called me again and said, “Arise, O man.” 

And I arose and I saw a great man who shown like the Sun and whose countenance I could not directly look upon and He handed me a white robe which illuminate as He did and beckoned me to put it on, and I did. I then glanced at the pond again and I was greatly astonished, for I was beautiful and my heart rejoiced. And then the great Man told me,” I have ransomed you from your old master and bought you for myself and you are mine. Now you are free to serve me.”

And I was confounded, for how could service be free? And then my new Lord made a command of me and I followed and not only did I not feel bondage but I felt more joy to my heart than I thought possible and I was amazed at this and anxious to serve again that I might acquire this feeling once more. 

He freed me from bondage and I am His slave forevermore.

Jesus Calms a Storm – Meditation on Salvation

Matthew 8:23-27
And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.  And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

“And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him”

One may first look at this in light of salvation and say ‘of course! the disciples freely and willingly chose to follow Jesus!’ Let us not miss the true sense to this. FIRST: “he got into the boat” Jesus got into the boat. The disciples would not have known where to go or what direction to even turn an inch right from a left had Jesus not have directed them first. I think it is also necessary and essential to keep in mind that the disciples were already chosen by God, not according to anything they had done nor any works.

Sacrificial Sacrifice: what of worth does a Christian really give up?

What is sacrifice?

Giving something I desire,

So that I’ll avoid the fire,

but then one day I’ll just tire,

 of fighting off these desires?

What is sacrifice? 

Or is it taking something I don’t think is better,

 because it says to do so in the Letter,

since Romans tells me I’m a debtor, 

but my hearts still be bound by chain and fetter?

What is sacrifice? 

Giving something that defines me, 

so that He might realign me,

but can’t this really just disguise me,

and in the end He’ll just despise me?

Wimpy Theology Makes Wimpy Women

TRUE WOMANHOOD -John Piper @ 2008 True Woman Conference notes.

The opposite of a wimpy woman is not a brash, loud, pushy, sassy, arrogant, controlling, amazon woman. The opposite of a wimpy woman is 14 year old Marie Derront getting arrested for being a protestant and saying she refuses to recant Christ and thus spends 38 years in jail and until her death for it. It is Gladys Staines serving in India with husband Graham, finding out that her husband and children have been set on fire alive in their car, and after finding this out saying that she forgave the killers and had no bitterness towards them. It is Gladys’ daughter, Esther, praising the Lord for finding her father worthy of dying for Him. It is Joni Erickson Tada at 41 years old in a wheel chair praying, “Oh thank you thank you thank you for this wheel chair! By tasting hell in this life I have been driven to think seriously about what faces me in the next. This paralysis is my greatest mercy.” It is Suzy who 4 years ago whose husband at 59 was taken, a month later found out she had breast cancer, her mom died, and then a miracle happened: She wrote to Piper and said: “Now I see I have been crying for the wrong kind of help. I now see that my worse suffering is my sin, my sin of self-centeredness and self-pity. I know that with His grace, His loving kindness, and His merciful help, my thoughts can be reformed and my life conformed to be more like His Son.”

We and They: mediations on a God who loves us despite ourselves.

They wanted comfort,

But  Jesus offered them a cross.

They wanted comfort,

But Jesus gave them cannibalism.

They wanted comfort,

But Jesus promised persecutions.

They wanted comfort,

But Jesus promised them death.

They wanted comfort,

But Jesus gave them nothing.

But WE want Jesus,

And He has promised HIMSELF!

But WE want Jesus,

And we find our comfort in Him.

But WE want Jesus,

And HE has given us ALL!

BUT DEAR LORD MAY WE ALWAYS REMEMBER,

THAT APART FROM YOUR GRACE,

WE ARE THEY.

YHWH

You saved us. Not by us, but according to Your own mercy (Titus 3:5)
Having forgiven us and nailing our sins to the Cross, we are alive by You (Col. 2:13)
With the new heart You have given us we believe and are justified (Rom. 10:10)
Height nor depth nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from                  Your love (Rom. 8:38)