I had a conversation with some people the other night when we started talking about the trial of the Apostle Paul (the book of Acts). We read how the authorities could not find a valid reason to convict Paul but they wanted him dead nevertheless.
So I asked the question, "Are you living your life in such a way that you are offending the authorities at the heart of their corruption and evil doings?"
This sparked a massive debate.
The group made excuses of how and why they cannot make a difference against government, certain institutions and/or even in their work places. The familiar excuse was heard 'I am only one person, how can I go up against them. Its just the way it is.'
REALLY?!
Needless to say, these defeatist attitudes got me all 'passioned-up.' I could not comprehend how people who claim to follow Jesus - the one who initiated a movement that started with life threatening persecutions by the Roman Empire, to ultimately ending in the Roman Empire declaring Christianity as its official religion. Never mind Jesus' ultimate victory over Satan himself.
Jesus' movement, on Earth, strategically took on the evils of institutions and empires. Injustices, corruption and evils of all kinds were not tolerated by Jesus, nor where they tolerated by those who genuinely followed Jesus.
Their goal was to develop goodness and holiness at any cost.
Today, too many pseudo Christians accept evils with the excuse 'but I am only one person. I cannot do anything' and fail to understand that Jesus called people like the disciple Peter - an uneducated reckless twit of a fisherman - to build and help establish God Church, and change the world for good.
Jesus still calls the ordinary excuse-filled 'but I am only one person' people today to do extraordinary things. You are one of them.
You cannot claim to be a Christian and accept the evils you are confronted with.
You cannot claim that you have given your life to Jesus if you don't address the issues Jesus would have addressed.
You cannot claim the Holy Spirit lives within you when you don't find the courage to take on these evils and put yourself into Faith-Mode, knowing you cannot fight without the Holy Spirit because you are scared to death.
You cannot claim to love Jesus when you allow evils to rob Jesus' people of happiness, joy, security, safety, etc. because you're afraid of the big bad institutions.
Those who have come before you, those who have fought for goodness and holiness for our generation have made large sacrifices. Many of whom lost their lives so that we may sit in church, listen to sermons, read blogs like this, in the safety of our convenient christian lives and have the freedom of dismissing the challenges.
Take a look at the sacrifices made for us but those who fought for goodness and holiness against the evils of this world:
1) Jesus, tortured to death, 30 AD.
2) Andrew,brother of Peter,was crucified in Edessa.
3) Bartholomew was beaten and then crucified in India.
4) James the Great,older brother of John,was beheaded in 44 A.D. in Judea.
According to the period writer Clemens Alexandrinus, as James the Great was lead to his death his accuser was so moved by his courage and faith that he fell at his feet, accepted Christ, and requested a pardon for James or else martyrdom for himself. Both were beheaded.
John,brother of James the Great,was the only apostle who did not suffer a violent death. An attempt was made, however. After he survived boiling in oil without injury, a divine miracle, he was exiled to the Isle of Patmos where the book of Revelation was written.
5) James the Less was beaten,stoned,and then clubbed to death at age 94 in Jerusalem.
6) Jude,brother of James,was crucified in 72 A.D. in Edessa.
7) Luke was hanged on an olive tree in Greece.
8) Mark was dragged to death in Alexandria.
9) Matthew was killed with a weapon that had a blade and spike in 60 A.D. in Nadabah.
10) Matthias was stoned and then beheaded in Jerusalem.
11) Paul was beheaded with a sword in Rome.
12) Peter was crucified head down by request as unworthy to die the same as Christ, in Rome.
13) Philip was scourged,imprisoned,and then crucified in 54 A.D. in Heliopolis, Phrygia.
14) Simon was crucified in 74 A.D. in Britain.
15) Stephen was stoned to death in 34 A.D. in Jerusalem.
16) Thomas was thrust through with a spear in India.
[ http://www.ultimateriddles.com/death-of-apostles-disciples.html]
... and the list goes on till today.
These people stood up and were counted.
If you claim to be a Christian, you need to understand that you are carrying within you the Spirit of God. The One who wants to rid the world of festering evil.
So when you see an injustice, corruption, or evil of any kind, it is God whom revealed that to you because it is God who wants to destroy that evil. And God wants to strategically use you. Why else would you be affected by what you've experienced? It's God trying to tell you something is wrong and something needs to be done about it.
1 John 4:4 NIV "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."
Don't, for one second, believe Satan's lie by buying into the idea of the 'but I am only one person' rubbish. Rather believe the all mighty God who lives within you who says, "attack that evil".
Philippians 4:13 NIV "I can do all this through him (Christ) who gives me strength."
You, Christian, are not called to be comfortable. You, Christian, are called to be obedient and filled with the power of the God who defeats evils.
You are a Child of the Most High God, and it's time you start acting like it. Don't accept evils any more. Call like minded people together to fight with you. Be strategic and help Jesus overcome evil to make our world a better place. Get off you arses and do something.
You say, "I can't." Jesus says, "YOU CAN."
Romans 12:21 NIV "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Ask yourself this question;
Do you really serve Jesus and do whatever is required of you? Or; Is Jesus your little man servant who cleans up after you once a week?
So I asked the question, "Are you living your life in such a way that you are offending the authorities at the heart of their corruption and evil doings?"
This sparked a massive debate.
The group made excuses of how and why they cannot make a difference against government, certain institutions and/or even in their work places. The familiar excuse was heard 'I am only one person, how can I go up against them. Its just the way it is.'
REALLY?!
Needless to say, these defeatist attitudes got me all 'passioned-up.' I could not comprehend how people who claim to follow Jesus - the one who initiated a movement that started with life threatening persecutions by the Roman Empire, to ultimately ending in the Roman Empire declaring Christianity as its official religion. Never mind Jesus' ultimate victory over Satan himself.
Jesus' movement, on Earth, strategically took on the evils of institutions and empires. Injustices, corruption and evils of all kinds were not tolerated by Jesus, nor where they tolerated by those who genuinely followed Jesus.
Their goal was to develop goodness and holiness at any cost.
Today, too many pseudo Christians accept evils with the excuse 'but I am only one person. I cannot do anything' and fail to understand that Jesus called people like the disciple Peter - an uneducated reckless twit of a fisherman - to build and help establish God Church, and change the world for good.
Jesus still calls the ordinary excuse-filled 'but I am only one person' people today to do extraordinary things. You are one of them.
You cannot claim to be a Christian and accept the evils you are confronted with.
You cannot claim that you have given your life to Jesus if you don't address the issues Jesus would have addressed.
You cannot claim the Holy Spirit lives within you when you don't find the courage to take on these evils and put yourself into Faith-Mode, knowing you cannot fight without the Holy Spirit because you are scared to death.
You cannot claim to love Jesus when you allow evils to rob Jesus' people of happiness, joy, security, safety, etc. because you're afraid of the big bad institutions.
Those who have come before you, those who have fought for goodness and holiness for our generation have made large sacrifices. Many of whom lost their lives so that we may sit in church, listen to sermons, read blogs like this, in the safety of our convenient christian lives and have the freedom of dismissing the challenges.
Take a look at the sacrifices made for us but those who fought for goodness and holiness against the evils of this world:
1) Jesus, tortured to death, 30 AD.
2) Andrew,brother of Peter,was crucified in Edessa.
3) Bartholomew was beaten and then crucified in India.
4) James the Great,older brother of John,was beheaded in 44 A.D. in Judea.
According to the period writer Clemens Alexandrinus, as James the Great was lead to his death his accuser was so moved by his courage and faith that he fell at his feet, accepted Christ, and requested a pardon for James or else martyrdom for himself. Both were beheaded.
John,brother of James the Great,was the only apostle who did not suffer a violent death. An attempt was made, however. After he survived boiling in oil without injury, a divine miracle, he was exiled to the Isle of Patmos where the book of Revelation was written.
5) James the Less was beaten,stoned,and then clubbed to death at age 94 in Jerusalem.
6) Jude,brother of James,was crucified in 72 A.D. in Edessa.
7) Luke was hanged on an olive tree in Greece.
8) Mark was dragged to death in Alexandria.
9) Matthew was killed with a weapon that had a blade and spike in 60 A.D. in Nadabah.
10) Matthias was stoned and then beheaded in Jerusalem.
11) Paul was beheaded with a sword in Rome.
12) Peter was crucified head down by request as unworthy to die the same as Christ, in Rome.
13) Philip was scourged,imprisoned,and then crucified in 54 A.D. in Heliopolis, Phrygia.
14) Simon was crucified in 74 A.D. in Britain.
15) Stephen was stoned to death in 34 A.D. in Jerusalem.
16) Thomas was thrust through with a spear in India.
[ http://www.ultimateriddles.com/death-of-apostles-disciples.html]
... and the list goes on till today.
These people stood up and were counted.
If you claim to be a Christian, you need to understand that you are carrying within you the Spirit of God. The One who wants to rid the world of festering evil.
So when you see an injustice, corruption, or evil of any kind, it is God whom revealed that to you because it is God who wants to destroy that evil. And God wants to strategically use you. Why else would you be affected by what you've experienced? It's God trying to tell you something is wrong and something needs to be done about it.
1 John 4:4 NIV "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."
Don't, for one second, believe Satan's lie by buying into the idea of the 'but I am only one person' rubbish. Rather believe the all mighty God who lives within you who says, "attack that evil".
Philippians 4:13 NIV "I can do all this through him (Christ) who gives me strength."
You, Christian, are not called to be comfortable. You, Christian, are called to be obedient and filled with the power of the God who defeats evils.
You are a Child of the Most High God, and it's time you start acting like it. Don't accept evils any more. Call like minded people together to fight with you. Be strategic and help Jesus overcome evil to make our world a better place. Get off you arses and do something.
You say, "I can't." Jesus says, "YOU CAN."
Romans 12:21 NIV "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Ask yourself this question;
Do you really serve Jesus and do whatever is required of you? Or; Is Jesus your little man servant who cleans up after you once a week?
