I gotta say, yesterday blew me away! Let me explain, or at least try to.
Preacher man and I went to a service yesterday at "That Church". If Sherwood were to have a mega church, this would be it. We decided on the middle service and from the minute we drove up in the peking lot, we could tell, this wasn't like any other church we had been to in a long time. You could feel the Spirt, even out in the parking lot. People were excited about being there.
A lovely lady walked us into the church, showed us where coffee was, and the entrance to the worship center and off we went. I could tell Preacher man was taking it all in, lights, sound, hospitality people, all of it. It's something that ends up happening to you when you've been trained like he has.
The lesson started and guess what it was about? Being persecuted! I haven't been able to talk about it freely yet, but just know that we are being persecuted and I will fill you in very soon.
The three points were accept it, endure it, and embrace it; persecution that is. Jesus told his disciples that If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. It's so true and I guess I had forgotten. I keep looking for something we did wrong. It's that we have Jesus in us and that flat out pisses folks off!
Jesus never said, IF they persecute you, He said WHEN. Paul tells us that when we are persecuted, we endure it. But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your heart honor Christ the Lord as holy… Have no fear of them. I have said it over and over, They don't hate us, they hate the Jesus in us!
Now the last part, embrace it, made me want to laugh. I don't want to embrace this suffering. I want to…yeah, you know. Peter tells us not to be surprised at the fiery ordeal, but to rejoice in the suffering of Christ. Rejoice and embrace.
The part that surprised me the most was this was the message both of us needed desperately to hear. We needed to know, beyond a shadow, that God sees us, knows what we are going through, and has us! It has given me reason to rejoice in this uncertain time.
As hard as it is, it's for Christ! I will continue to accept it and endure it. I am going to start to embrace it.
Preacher man and I went to a service yesterday at "That Church". If Sherwood were to have a mega church, this would be it. We decided on the middle service and from the minute we drove up in the peking lot, we could tell, this wasn't like any other church we had been to in a long time. You could feel the Spirt, even out in the parking lot. People were excited about being there.
A lovely lady walked us into the church, showed us where coffee was, and the entrance to the worship center and off we went. I could tell Preacher man was taking it all in, lights, sound, hospitality people, all of it. It's something that ends up happening to you when you've been trained like he has.
The three points were accept it, endure it, and embrace it; persecution that is. Jesus told his disciples that If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. It's so true and I guess I had forgotten. I keep looking for something we did wrong. It's that we have Jesus in us and that flat out pisses folks off!
Jesus never said, IF they persecute you, He said WHEN. Paul tells us that when we are persecuted, we endure it. But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your heart honor Christ the Lord as holy… Have no fear of them. I have said it over and over, They don't hate us, they hate the Jesus in us!
Now the last part, embrace it, made me want to laugh. I don't want to embrace this suffering. I want to…yeah, you know. Peter tells us not to be surprised at the fiery ordeal, but to rejoice in the suffering of Christ. Rejoice and embrace.
The part that surprised me the most was this was the message both of us needed desperately to hear. We needed to know, beyond a shadow, that God sees us, knows what we are going through, and has us! It has given me reason to rejoice in this uncertain time.
As hard as it is, it's for Christ! I will continue to accept it and endure it. I am going to start to embrace it.
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