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Last week, I had the privilege of sitting in on Discipleship Training at YWAM in Kona, Hawaii. Without knowing exactly what to expect, I was very interested in learning more about God and how to serve Him properly. To my surprise, the instructor of the class was someone who had been persecuted for his faith in God. He began to tell us about going to prison for 9 weeks, being beaten, and sentenced to death in a prison in Iran.
I was truly inspired by his testimony of faith. I couldn’t help but compare what he went through to everyone that I read about in the Bible. As if going to prison and being beaten wasn’t enough, once he was released he came out and continued to serve God, traveling around the world and telling everyone the good news of the Gospel.
The interesting thing about Christianity is that we don’t actually believe in giving our life to Christ. We believe in giving Him some of our self-allotted time. A majority of the time, when we hear of persecution we say, "Well, we are able to serve God freely, here." But why aren’t we actually serving Him?
Do you think it's fair that someone who lives in North Korea has to spend their entire life in hard labor camps for their decision to serve God, but we get to do whatever we want because we aren’t born there? Why would God expect so much from people all around the world but expect so little from the people that aren’t being persecuted? Perhaps the reason we aren't being persecuted is because the devil thinks we are actually on his team.
"12 Indeed all who delight in piety and are determined to live a devoted and godly life in Christ Jesus will meet with persecution [will be made to suffer because of their religious stand]." - 2 Timothy 3:12 AMPC
The reality is that most people who claim to be Christians haven’t actually given God their lives, but have simply given Him priority over a few days. In the Bible, following Jesus meant giving up everything and possibly everyone.
"33 So then, any of you who does not forsake (renounce, surrender claim to, give up, say good-bye to) all that he has cannot be My disciple. 34 Salt is good [an excellent thing], but if salt has lost its strength and has become saltless (insipid, flat), how shall its saltness be restored?" - Luke 14:33-34 AMPC
But today, following Jesus means keeping everything and praying for more. We have turned God, the Creator of the Universe, into a genie in a bottle that only exists to serve us. How can we sit idle while christians are being beaten and tortured and claim to love Jesus with the same passion as they do?
"36 Others had to suffer the trial of mocking and scourging and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned to death; they were lured with tempting offers [to renounce their faith]; they were sawn asunder; they were slaughtered by the sword; [while they were alive] they had to go about wrapped in the skins of sheep and goats, utterly destitute, oppressed, cruelly treated—38 [Men] of whom the world was not worthy—roaming over the desolate places and the mountains, and [living] in caves and caverns and holes of the earth." - Hebrews 11:36-38 AMPC
When Jesus walked the earth, there were many people that didn’t have what it took to follow Him. Have we increased in faith since then? Or has the Gospel decreased in truth since then?
"64 But [still] some of you fail to believe and trust and have faith. For Jesus knew from the first who did not believe and had no faith and who would betray Him and be false to Him. 65 And He said, This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless it is granted him [unless he is enabled to do so] by the Father. 66 After this, many of His disciples drew back (returned to their old associations) and no longer accompanied Him." - John 6:64-66 AMPC
The reality is that just as those who are in prison for God, missing their family, missing out on special events, God expects the same from those who are free.
"22 For he who was a slave when he was called in the Lord is a freedman of the Lord, likewise he who was free when he was called is a slave of Christ." - 1 Corinthians 7:22 AMPC
How can we say we love God if we must be forced into submission to Him through demonic institutions? We have changed the standard of full obedience to God to a wrestling match that we think God should be pleased to be a part of.
15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth." - Revelation 3:15-16 AMPC
A shocking truth is that places like North Korea and Iran actually produce Christians while places that are not being persecuted actually produce people that only have forms of godliness. Perhaps other countries aren't being persecuted because the god they have made up in their minds doesn't pose a threat to a demonic society.
We know that without pressure and intense heat diamonds cannot be made. Perhaps this is why most of us have cubic zirconia faith that produces the same type of anxiety and depression as that of the world. And if we come even close to needing faith, we can be found taking pills for crippling anxiety. How can we believe in healing for the lame and crippled, if fear has crippled us, ourselves?
"6 But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out]." - Hebrews 11:6 AMPC
Question of the Day: Do you think Jesus offers freedom from sin or freedom from obedience?