As we read the news of Christians being killed in Iraqi churches and a mass exodus of believers from the middle east, we might think that this is the normal environment for those who take up residence in these areas.
Jesus said that persecution would be a normal part of life for those who live in close proximity to His return to Earth. If that person who is persecuted does not have their roots down deep into the Word of God and remain in close fellowship with Jesus, they will not be able to endure it.
Matthew 13:20-21 “But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.”
We can expect greater trouble from those in the world, towards us, if our commitment to Jesus is true and we are in fact visibly living for the Lord every day. Jesus spoke of the fact that “In this world we would have tribulation…” He told us that we should not be offended when people hate us because we love Him, because in essence they hated Him before the hated us.
John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
John 15:18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.”
Jesus went on to encourage us that because they have persecuted Him, they will also persecute us who follow Jesus. Then Jesus makes the qualifying statement for that persecution: “If you keep My word”.
John 15:20 “Remember the word that I said to you, “A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.”
To keep Jesus Word is to do those things that Jesus said to do in His Word. The most important of which is to Love other Christians with as much love as you can muster. One of the things that I have observed in Jesus church as I have traveled around the world, but is more prevalent in the United States, is that Believers do not love each other the way that they formerly did when I first began to follow Jesus back in the middle 70′s.
Today those who follow Jesus have many more distractions than they did during the “Jesus People Movement” when I was saved, when all we cared about was knowing Jesus and loving each other.
Jesus said that “Abiding in Him” or staying in close fellowship with Him was the way that we would insure that we also abided in our Love for each other.
John 15:5-10 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”
The question for Jesus church today is how much are we “Abiding in Jesus” on a daily basis? How much time do we take everyday to just sit with the Lord, think of Him, talk to Him, spend quality time with Him, read His Word? I suspect that most of our schedules have prevented us from doing this consistently on a daily basis.
Then we wonder why we feel so dry and unsatisfied. Why we no longer have that fire and love inside that we once had. It all comes down to simply spending more time with Jesus and falling more and more in love with Him each day.
The other benefit of Abiding in Jesus is that He said that when we are in that place of close fellowship with Him, “We can ask whatever we desire and it shall be done for us…“
It all comes down to one simple principle: Keep Jesus first in everything, and all the other things in life will just fall into place as they should. This is because the Lord takes notice when our focus is on honoring Him and keeping Him first, and He responds to us by taking care of all our needs.
Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
As the day of Jesus return for us nears, we can expect that if we are abiding in Jesus and growing in our love for Him, that we will also feel increased persecution from the world, for this closeness we are living out in our life.
Jesus said that when we are persecuted for living for Him we should rejoice because great is our reward in heaven…
Matthew 5:11-12 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
All those in the past who lived a Godly life in order to follow Jesus more closely, have suffered for that life. It is important to remember that Jesus never told us that this was going to be easy, but He did say that it would be worth it. When Jesus was Himself suffering for us on the Cross, it was the Glory that was ahead of Him that helped Him endure the shame that He felt on the Cross.
Hebrews 12:2 “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
2 Timothy 3:12 “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
We should strive in these Last Days to live so closely to Jesus that it is obvious to others that we are in Love with Him. Our lifestyle and manner of speech should reflect one who not only knows who Jesus is, but is seeking to model their life after His.
We have not long for this world, and we have only one life to offer to Jesus. When the day comes when Jesus calls our name before His throne and gives to us rewards for the life we have lived for Him on the earth, it should be a day of great rejoicing because we know that we lived everyday to it’s full potential for Jesus. Let us not fail in our goal of living so that we can obtain the reward, instead of feeling regret that we did not take seriously the calling that we had on our life to fully live for Jesus, even when it brings us persecution.
Rob Robinson
