PLUS

Acts 7:58-60 “And cast him out of the city, and stoned him:  and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.  And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.  And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”

Luke 23:34, 47 “Then said Jesus, Father forgive them; for they know not what they do.  And they parted his raiment, and cast lots … Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.”

Nicholas Ridley and Hugh Latimer were faithful 16^thCentury Christians in an England that was hostile to many believers.  Their faith caused both to be executed side-by-side by burning at the stake.  When questioned about whether he would stay faithful during the tortuous fire that would take his life, Ridley stated “So long as the breath is in my body, I will never deny my Lord Christ and His known truth.” Indeed, he stayed true to this statement with the help of his friend Latimer.

As the fire was lit beneath their feet, Latimer stated the following famous thought to his friend Ridley: “Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man.  We shall this day light such a candle by God’s grace in England as I trust shall never be put out.”  Their faith in the midst of a life-draining trial provided a template for the faithful who watched them burn and a thought-provoking example for those who were judging the validity of their gospel message.  The Sauls and the Centurions of England were watching and listening, judging and learning.  

The trials faced by Christians in today’s American society pale in comparison to those faced by the martyrs of the past, though there are places in this sin-stained world where current persecution comes in the form of medieval torture.  Yet, when Christians go through any challenges, trials, and persecutions, the world is watching.  Our faith provides a template for the faithful who watch us respond and a thought-provoking example for those who are judging the validity of our gospel message.  The Sauls and the Centurions of today are watching and listening, judging and learning.

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO FAITHFULLY ENDURE CHALLENGES, AND PLAY THE MAN IN OUR DAY. The Sauls and the Centurions around us are paying attention to the way we carry our flame of faith.

I Thessalonians 4:16-17 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:  and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:  and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

Titus 2:13 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.”

John 14:2-3 “In my Father’s house are many mansions:  if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

In March of 1942, General Douglas MacArthur and his family evacuated the Philippines on the order of President Roosevelt.  The Japanese were closing in on the strongholds of Bataan and Corregidor, and Roosevelt needed MacArthur to command the American troops in the Pacific from a position of safety.  General MacArthur reluctantly accepted the president’s orders, but promised the Filipino people that “I shall return.”  The people trusted him, were comforted by his words, and lived for the next two and half years ready for liberation.

On October 20^th, 1944, 75 years ago this weekend, General MacArthur fulfilled that promise as he set foot back on Filipino soil at Leyte, claiming the following: “People of the Philippines:  I have returned.  By the grace of Almighty God our forces stand again on Philippine soil – soil consecrated in the blood of our two peoples.”

The Lord’s return is inevitable.  He will come again to receive us unto Himself.  We are to trust Him, be comforted by His words, and live ready for his liberation.  In the meanwhile, we are to serve diligently with His promise firmly in our minds.

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO SERVE IN LIGHT OF THE IMMINENT RETURN OF CHRIST.  He will honor His promise and shall return!  Let us be ready.

Job 13:15 “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:  but I will maintain mine own ways before him.”

Daniel 3:16-18 “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.  If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.  But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”

Acts 5:29 “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”

Hebrews 13:6 “So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”

There is nothing more encouraging than a Christian who stands by their Bible-based convictions regardless of the consequences – those who honor God even though the immediate cost is significant.  The Christian role models who do demonstrate a true and practical faith, while truly prioritizing God as the preeminent element in their lives.  They boldly speak up and stay strong because they know they ought to obey God rather than men.

We see great examples of this type of faith in God’s Word that should provide a template of trust that we should follow today.  Job trusted God regardless of his challenging context.  The three Hebrew young men remained faithful in the face of the real threat of the fiery furnace.  Peter stared down the authorities of the day to obey the Lord.  None of them feared the temporal because they clung to the eternal. So must we!

PLEASE PRAY FOR A FAITH THAT IS STRONG REGARDLESS OF THE COST OR THE CONTEXT.  We must boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Admin Note:  I will not be able to publish a post next week, and will be back to post on the 19^thof October.

Hebrews 13:2 “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers:  for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

Matthew 25:35-40 “For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat:  I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink:  I was a stranger, and ye took me in:  Naked, and ye clothed me:  I was in prison, and ye came unto me.  Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?  When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in?  or naked, and clothed thee?  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?  And the King shall answer and say unto thee, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

II Corinthians 5:20 “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us:  we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

Our genuine concern for others, our kind spirit, and our welcoming hospitality are to be fundamental characteristics of our Christian testimony.  While the rest of the world around us tends to be consumed by the concerns of their own lives, we are to be sensitive to invest ourselves in the lives of those all around us.  People around us hunger.  They thirst. They are lonely.  They are naked.  They are imprisoned.  They need us to reflect the love of our God to them.  They need us to be ambassadors for Christ.

Maybe those we reach out to are angels that we entertain unaware.  Maybe they are just ordinary people.  Regardless, we should see our service to them as service to Christ.  We give them meat, drink, shelter, clothes, and fellowship as a service to the Lord Himself.

PLEASE PRAY THAT OUR SERVICE TO THOSE AROUND US WOULD GLORIFY CHRIST.  He cries out “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

Jeremiah 32:27 “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?”

Genesis 18:13-14 “And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child which am old?  Is any thing too hard for the LORD?  At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”

My family and I recently went on a vacation that included a long road trip.  Along the way, it reminded me of another road trip when our kids were much younger.  During that trip, we spent a portion of the drive listening to Christian songs and singing along, and noticed our oldest daughter getting agitated during one of the song selections.  In fact, she kept shouting “No!” from the backseat.  Assuming that it was a problem with her getting along with her brother and sister, we turned around to size up the situation.  There was no fighting going on, so we asked what was bothering her. The answer was an interesting one – it was the song’s fault.  

Not old enough to understand the nuance of a rhetorical question, our daughter was responding to the question in the song, Is Anything Too Hard for God?  It was truly bothering her, and her answer was spot on.  There is nothing too hard for God!

It’s out of your hands, you’ve done all you can do
You’ve given God the problem, it’s no longer up to you
You’ve prayed the prayer of faith, you’re standing on God’s truth
While you’re waiting on an answer He has a question for you

Is anything too hard for God?
Who’s got a problem beyond His pow’r to solve?
Are there situations He’s not the master of?
Is anything too hard for God?

Only believe trust His word, you’ll see
His plans are now unfolding, performing perfectly
It’s clear how much He loves you, look at all He’s done
For all your questions there is really only One

Is anything too hard for God?
Who’s got a problem beyond His pow’r to solve?
Are there situations He’s not the master of?
Is anything too hard for God?

Are there situations He’s not the master of?
Is anything too hard for God?

PLEASE FAITHFULLY PRAY FOR GOD’S INTERVENTION IN EVEN THE MOST HOPELESS SITUATIONS.  There is nothing too hard for God!