Pretty day out today. I was sitting here writing and looked out the
window to see Mt. Hood in all its glory with a fresh coat of snow – not much,
but just enough to let us know the weather, she is a changin’.
Lots of changes going on. Deed is going to Operations at the John Day
Dam and Teresa is going to the same job at The Dalles Dam. Wish them well.
I thought Ken’s patrol schedule
was convoluted – the Operator’s schedules are even more so. We will have to sit down once they are
settled in and try and arrange a get together or two. Not sure how Thanksgiving is going to go,
will have to wait and see how the schedules mesh.
Mathew 5:10-11 Blessed are they
which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men
shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against
you falsely, for my sake.
“Helen Berhane
was severely persecuted in Eritrea’s prison system because she would not deny
her faith. No matter what they did, she refused to give in. She
explains:
“I told the
chief, “I cannot abandon my faith. If you puncture a sack of grain, the only
thing that pours out is the type of grain that was in the sack. It is the same
with me. I can only say what is inside me; everything that is in my heart must
come out of my mouth…The more you punish me, the stronger I will be. If you keep
hammering on a nail’s head it just becomes harder to pull out of the
wall…
I could not
understand how they expected me to stop believing; it was impossible for me. In
fact, the guards were making their own situation worse, because people began to
ask what was so special about this religion that Christians refused to give it
up, and they also believed. Our suffering became a glory for our faith…I am
convinced that the number of Christians has doubled or tripled since they closed
the churches. So perhaps God is using this terrible situation for his
glory.” Helen Berhane, Song of the Nightingale (Colorado
Springs: Authentic Media, 2009), pp. 70-71.
Copied from Open Doors post on BibleGateway.
When was the last time we did or
said anything that condemned us by man, but glorified our Lord and Savior?
I am not talking about going out
and getting in people’s faces in a confrontational manner that deliberately
generates anger rather than thoughtful contemplation by the person to whom we
are talking. There are times for that
kind of an approach by a Christian, but there are so many other times that we
have the opportunity to stand for Our Lord and we don’t.
Whether it be fear of
retribution, fear of ridicule, fear of ostracizing, or anything else we need to
evaluate why we felt that not speaking up for Christ was not appropriate.
There are many ways to reach
people, and most of those require a dedicated ear to God, a listening to the
Holy Spirit and following His leading.
We don’t have to shake a fist in their face to show them who Christ is,
we but have to develop an honest relationship that reveals Christ within us.
There are times when we are or
will be ‘punished’ by the world for our faith in Christ. People like Berhane are suffering around the
world because they will not renounce Christ.
We need to read about them, we need to pray for them, we need to capture
that same love of Christ, that same following of the Holy Spirit into whatever
cavern He leads us. We need to
understand that as the Holy Spirit works in the life of these people, so too can
He work in ours.
There is an undeniable spirit
running amuck in America today that hates God, hates Christ, His Word and His
rightful place in the lives and hearts of Americans. People are being used by satan to try and
destroy history and destroy all signs of the blessings of God in the past.
They are not only denying the
existence of God but they are persecuting and prosecuting those that proclaim
Him to be the Creator and the rightful ruler of this world. The slightest variance from their beliefs
will be met with violent derision and attacks on the Christians’ livelihood and
right to speak for Christ.
We must be prayed up, we must be
studying God’s Word, we must be willing to obey the Holy Spirit in whatever
endeavor He may lead us – because the persecution, in America, is going to get
far worse that it is now – and we too may find ourselves incarcerated for our
refusal to deny the living Christ within us.
An athlete works hard to improve
his performance, he eats right, he works out, helps his team mates, learns the
play book, he practices his sport – and then puts it all on the line in the
game. So too must we work hard by
reading God’s Word, by communing with the Holy Spirit, by helping others grow in
Christ, by practicing with fellow Christians and then go out into the world and
demonstrate our love of God; following His plan for us.
No matter what happens in this
world, we have the assurance that Christ is with us and will never forsake
us. We never know what impact we may
have on others, but He does and He will use our faith to encourage others to
find their salvation in Him.
But first WE must submit to
Him.
Mathew
28:20 Teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto
the end of the world. Amen.
Later, Art :-)
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