Count the Costs Part I
WRITING TO GIVE ENCOURAGEMENT:
I noticed some of my brothers and sisters are being persecuted throughout the world. Through the Christians Alliance, I want to let you know that we are praying for you here in the United States. We don’t take our freedom lightly.
I want to encourage all of you today to pray for us here also. The United States carries weight around the world and its influence goes far beyond the world things. Spiritually, my country is at a fork on the road. Things are getting worse here when it comes to the rights of its citizens to worship freely, speak and protest freely.
THE LINES HAVE BEEN DRAWN:
The lines have been drawn where good as evil and evil good, we are Christians are being told not to worship or try to convert anyone to Christianity. God has brought in a President and cabinet that are for human rights and freedom of worship. Our President is by no means perfect. Nor is he a politician. He comes from New York, where people have directness that for some across the country, is called rude. I have been to New York lots of times. My last trip was on mission to some of the areas that most New Yorkers will not go into. I love New York. I love its people. Some of these people are extremely anti-Christian. They want religion to disappear. That’s okay with me. Some of the greatest in the faith have been so anti-Christian, that they were willing to have Christians killed in order to quench this Judaean off shoot. New York is ripe for a harvest. So is California. But the forces of evil are at work here. They want to quench the rude and antiquated thinking Christians who think that the non-Christian population are evil.
WHAT THE UNBELIEVERS DON”T KNOW:
The non-Christians are wrong about us. Even in your countries, because people are afraid of what they don’t know. They are also afraid of who the God of the Bible is.
I know that some of you come from countries that are even more anti-christians where being a disciple of Christ can kill you.
WHAT WE BELIEVERS KNOW:
Know this, no matter what the situation is here on earth we have a home in heaven that is infinitely better in every respect.
If you are poor in this world you’re rich in spirit.
If you are being persecuted wherever you are, do not allow this temporary thing to keep you from your ultimate price. This ultimate price is having an eternal place in God’s kingdom.
KEEP RUNNING THE RACE
Keep preaching the Good News of Jesus, because those hurting you are ignorant. Their eyes have been shut from the truth. This truth frightens them because of the misconception of their religion. Most religions come from doing good deeds in order to have a chance of attaining a celestial entrance.
You who know Christ in a personal way, are assured of this. Not by doing anything to get there. But by doing the only thing, the one things that God asks—To come to to Him humbly with a contrite heart. To ask His Son Jesus, who died on the cross for all of us, that are sins would die on the cross with Him. Because through Jesus dying and taking our transgressions with Him to the cross, He by His blood sacrifice, has cleansed us spiritually and by His resurrection, has made us pure. So pure, that we are now sons of Light.
ON OUR SALVATION:
We did not have to get on our knees and make a pilgrimage to an earthly holy site to do it. We did not have to make a yearly pilgrimage anywhere. We did not have to buy our way there. We did not have to do more good works in order to get a ticket there. We just had to come in with a broken heart asking Jesus into our lives. To forgive us of our transgressions. To have Jesus help us learn how to become more like Him. There was nothing that we could have done for this salvation because it is only through His grace, mercy, and love that we can have Heavenly peace. Such peace, that those who don’t know Him, will never understand, until they personally encounter the Jesus of the Bible.
UNPRECEDENTED TIME WE LIVE IN:
I want to tell you all this because, at this moment in time, 2020 has been a horrendous year so far. The global virus grips all of our lives. The News and social media outlets inundate us with hopelessness. But they don’t know what we know. That our hope is not in earthly leaders or health workers. Our hope is in Jesu. Our blessed hope is to one day be with God, with our loved ones who made the same commitment that we have. This is our destination.
But we are living in unprecedented times. With unprecedented politic upheavals. Some of our brethren have lost their homes, churches and lives for Christ. What does this mean?
IS THIS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR?
Are we awaiting the final pieces to God’s prophetic puzzles?
Or must we wait a bit longer?
Do we concentrate only on sharing the gospel?
Or do we continue living and working and sharing the gospel?
Do we listen to authorities picked by God, even when they are keeping us form worshipping and coming together in fellowship?
When will it be more important to obey God rather than men, like Peter and the rest of the early Christian church did?
Am I ready to die for the gospel?
Or does God want us to live for the gospel?
Is there a difference?
Why is there such division within Christian circles, some adamantly telling people to obey the governments blindlY?
While others saying not to allow government to intervene on our God given rights of free speech, freedom of religion and to peaceably to assemble?
These last questions will be answered one by one….
Next Post, edification of the modern church compared to edification of God in early church. Is it the same here in America versus in other parts of the world. Did our church fathers obey governing authorities blindly?
PleaseBeStillMoments by Oscar Roca 