Stand Up!

It’s time to take a stand.

As Christians, myself included, we have become way too complacent. Living out our comfortable lives with our fish symbol stickers and our perfectly orchestrated worship hour. Trying hard not to rock the boat. Living an “abundantly” moderate life. Showing up just enough for church to be counted among the “good”.

 I don’t think respect for people and letting our beliefs be trampled all over have to go hand in hand! I can respect a person and still not compromise my convictions.

The Bible tells us the devil prowls about like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  We are to be vigilant and watchful. Resisting him steadfast in the faith. Knowing that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. (1 Peter 5:8-9 NIV)

The picture of the 21 brave men of the cross murdered on a beach by terrorists for refusing to denounce their faith will forever be etched in my mind. They were steadfast to the very end! They didn’t have faith in their fish stickers on their car. They were vigilant in the name of Jesus. 

Now don’t take this as an assault on any other faith.  It’s not! This is not a call to “arms” but a call to our knees. It is simply time as Christians that we stop hiding our heads and thinking that in an effort not to offend anyone, we are run down by the enemy.

Apathy is what the enemy is hoping for. If he can catch us off guard and not being watchful for his sly tactics he can shake our faith.

Satan is after our faith.

He will bring persecution against faithful people in an attempt to destroy their souls.

Matthew Henry’s commentary says, “You must moderate your affection to worldly things, or else Satan will soon overcome you.”

We can get so caught up in the comforts of our cushiony lives that we don’t even see Satan coming. He just wriggles in ever so camouflaged by the little lies we allow ourselves to believe. The lies that lethargy of faith has no consequences.

If any of you want to walk My path, you’re going to have to deny yourself. You’ll have to take up your cross every day and follow Me. If you try to avoid danger and risk, then you’ll lose everything. If you let go of your life and risk all for My sake, then your life will be rescued, healed, made whole and full. Luke 9:23-24 VOICE

I’m guilty of shirking back when the cross bumps into my comfort zone. God forgive me for that! Lord, help me brave and be willing to risk my easy life for YOUR sake.

I pray that the persecution our brothers and sisters in Christ are suffering all around the world will be a wakeup call to all of us! We can’t sit idly by and just hope our comfort zone is never touched by those same forces.

Our indifference to the evil in the world won’t make it go away. Our own strength won’t make it go away. There is only victory found in Jesus. Not some pie in the sky kind of victory either. Real, eternal victory!

Jesus promised struggles in this world but I honestly wasn’t prepared for the struggles I hear about every day. Not just in foreign, far away countries either. The evil that is encroaching into my own, safe, little world is heartbreaking at best and completely crippling at worst.

Even still, God is in control. He is still the God of promises. He promised Peter in Matthew 16:18 that He will build His church on the rock and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.

Evil may think it’s getting the upper hand but God has already won!

Lord, come quickly please! Rescue your people. Build us up in the faith so that we can proclaim with conviction that we too, are people of the cross! Amen