Tuesday, April 27, 2010

For My name's sake

Luke 21:10-13: “Then He said to them, ‘Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake.13 But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.”

Jesus was always concerned about His followers and preparing them for the future ahead. Jesus told them about the last days, what they should look for, and how to handle the dangerous times ahead. Jesus warned that in the last days there would be a greater escalation of wars and global strife. There will be an increase in natural phenomena, such as great earthquakes. He said there would be signs from the heavens that will be the cause of great fear and confusion. Finally, those who call themselves Christians will be persecuted for their beliefs. They will be arrested and brought before government officials because they preach the message of Jesus and the Gospel of Christ. Jesus did not want His followers to be deceived or ignorant of the fact that it will get bad in this world. It will get really bad for the Christ-follower. They will be hunted because they line up with Jesus.

Jesus makes mention that even through the great persecution of the saints there should be no worry for the Christ follower. The Christian should not worry about the persecution that will happen for the sake of Christ; in fact, Jesus said they should not even worry about what to say to the government officials. He through the Holy Spirit will give them words to say when they stand in front of people who wish to do them harm.

Jesus makes mention to His followers that when they are persecuted that it will be a chance for them to share their faith with those who are doing the persecuting. Upon reading these scriptures, we can see that many of the things that Jesus is warning His followers about are the very same things that this world is experiencing today. The one comfort we have is that Jesus told His disciples that He would never forsake them. No matter what trials and storms come against us He is there with us, and we are never alone.

Our mission as Christ followers is to be on the offensive for the cause of Christ. Being on mission, we open ourselves to spiritual attacks from the enemy. With the opportunity to come under some serious stress, we must never think that we are alone in this fight. Jesus is there with us through every storm that comes in our lives. The fog of trials may make it hard to see our comrades in the battle; however, we have a friend that is closer then a brother that will never forsake us; that friend is Jesus.

Tomorrows Readings:
Old Testament: 11 Sam 19-20 New Testament Luke 21:20-38

No comments:

Post a Comment