RARE COMPANY!

RARE COMPANY!

Luke 6:22-23

22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.

23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

          Leaping for joy is not our first or natural response to being hated and abused. Either God doesn’t understand our pain or we don’t understand His perspective. I think the latter might be the best guess. God does not think like we do and he doesn’t mark time the way that we do. Our frustration at His patience while we endure trials is due totally to our failed understanding. There is little hope of reconciling our thinking without a healthy dose of faith in the unseen.

          When, for our innocent attempts to serve the Lord and to serve people, we become the victims of rejection and harsh abuse, we find ourselves in some rare company. Jesus said: “for in like manner did they unto the prophets.” We do not feel worthy to sit with such a company but that is exactly where Jesus has placed those who suffer on His behalf. Paul suffered the equivalent of being run out of town. This was not the mega-church welcome that many of today’s servants have come to expect.

Acts 9:23-25

23 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:

24 But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.

25 Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.

          Since Christianity has been driven from the streets and forced to reside inside the walls of churches, that has now become the devil’s battle ground. Pretend Christians and real Christians sit together at worship and it is inevitable that conflict will be the result. When we try to redefine genuine Christianity to fit a personal or particular mold then we exclude anyone that doesn’t fit. It’s painful but it’s common.

          Paul urged young Timothy to “endure hardness” as a good soldier of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:3). That word “endure” speaks nothing of strategy or tactics. It simply points out that spiritual conflict will be cruel and uncomfortable. Brace yourself! Experience, hope and boldness are the products of pain. Read it for yourself in the following verses.

Rom 5:3-5

3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

5 And hope maketh not ashamed; [makes us bold and confident] because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Dear Lord, it seems we have been lied to when we have been led to believe that Christian service involves large adoring crowds, fancy clothes and big smiles. In reality we soon learn that we are battling a foe that is hell bent on destroying us. Let us brace ourselves for the conflict and sternly endure the trouble that comes with serving you. Only be our captain! AMEN