Hammer on Anvil '

"Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated. The world was not worthy of them" (Hebrews 11:36-38).

What a sobering passage -- and how starkly different we Christians in America live! Is our behavior as Christ followers so like our Lord's that people can truthfully say, "The world was not worthy of them"? For me personally, the answer is a resounding NO.

I much prefer to be surrounded by comfort. I have a precious family -- a wonderful husband, sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren, as well as extended family that is very dear to me. Can't I just focus on all the good things in my life and not think about suffering and persecution?

No, I can't. Hebrews 13:3 exhorts us: "Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering." I am to REMEMBER them -- not put it out of my mind because it's uncomfortable to think about.

Saeed Abedini is an American pastor who has been imprisoned in Iran since 2012. In September, he wrote a beautiful letter to his daughter on her eighth birthday. In it, he addresses questions we all have asked of God at one time or another:

God is in control of the whole world and everything that is happening in it is for His good purpose, for His glory, and will be worked out for our good (Romans 8:28). Jesus allows me to be kept here for His glory. He is doing something inside each of us and also outside in the world. People die and suffer for their Christian faith all over the world and some may wonder why? But you should know the answer of WHY is WHO. It is for Jesus. He is worth the price. And He has a plan to be glorified through our lives...The confusion of “WHY has all of this happened?” and “WHY your prayers are not answered yet” is resolved with understanding WHO is in control…LORD JESUS CHRIST, our GOD!

"The answer of why is WHO." Saeed stressed this more than once in his letter. I think the point he is trying to make is that our focus should not be on circumstances and why they are happening, but on Who is in control.

Our pastor is currently preaching a series of sermons on Revelation, and recently talked about the fifth seal:

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”

This is the cry of my heart as I pray for pastors like Saeed, who has a wife and two children. It is the cry of my heart for dear friends who are currently in one of the biggest battles of their lives, assailed by what Scripture calls "fiery darts" of the enemy -- but in their case those darts seem more like javelins piercing their hearts. They are waging a major spiritual battle, and my husband and I are in it with them. As our pastor asked, "How long, Sovereign Lord?", I suddenly began to weep. I had no control over it -- the Holy Spirit came upon me and I began to weep quietly for all those who are being tormented and harassed by the one who comes to steal, kill and destroy.

It is wonderful to have blessings -- and I have far too many to count. But as you gather with family and friends this Christmas, take time to pray for those less fortunate. Remember Pastor Saeed and his wife and kids. Remember Hannelie Groenewald, a physician whose husband and two children were killed just last week by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Werner Groenewald was a South African aid worker who had been helping Afghans through education and development projects since 2002. Remember men, women and children who are victims of human  trafficking. Remember the families left behind when their loved ones are senselessly killed, victims of police brutality.

I don't intend to be morbid, but it's so easy to get lost in the frivolity of the holiday season that we almost forget -- in my case I WANT to forget -- that fellow believers are dying out there. Take time to educate yourself by visiting Voice of the Martyrs or Open Doors. Dare to sign up for their e-mail updates, so you can be equipped to pray more intentionally and effectively. 

Our intercession may be the lifeline our brothers and sisters need to hang on and endure.

Listening to Christian radio, hearing testimonies of people touched by God, and sometimes even attending Sunday worship can leave the wrong impression on a person. As I drove in to my office today, I kept hearing the same message: your relationship with God cleanses you and takes away your troubles. While I believe that nothing in this world can cleanse you like God's forgiveness, I think the Christian world does a disservice to unbelievers by pushing the message that your sins go away and your life is filled with joy and happiness ever after.

I am a 15-year follower of God. I am a Sunday school teacher, a youth worker, and, I hope, a woman after God's heart. Despite all these things, I still have pain. I still suffer sorrow, hurt, and loss. I struggle with guilt over my sin, and laziness in my relationship with God. Some days, I still crawl out of bed desperately hoping I could just make it through the day. God's love, mercy and grace covers all this, but it doesn't take it away.

I heard part of a speech by Beth Moore this morning that went something like this: "Once you've experienced God's hand touching your life, making you someone you could never be on your own, nothing is important enough to risk that. Nothing illicit, nothing worldly is worth coming before Him." As I listened to this, I found myself thinking, "If that's the case, why do I keep finding things that seem to be able to do just that?" Toby Mac sang, "I was made to love You" this morning, and my inner response was, "If that's the case, why is it so hard to do?"

I think it's only fair to be truthful to people I want to see come to Jesus, and this is the hard truth. First, accepting God's gift of forgiveness and being adopted into His family does not fix you. Second, following Jesus is the most difficult thing you will ever do, if you do it right. It means removing things from your life that will trail behind you like toilet paper stuck to your foot. It means committing and re-committing your life to Him; sometimes with a, "Good morning, God...I need you this morning", and sometimes on your knees because you've wandered away again. Satan will use your past against you at every opportunity. It requires a passionate pursuit that takes up your whole self. A relationship with God demands surrender of your desires, your marriage, your family, your job...everything you are to His control. Anyone who believes that is easy will be in for a rude awakening.

Just as I was about to give up on the Christian radio this morning, I heard something a little different. God heard my questions, and He responded with exactly what I needed to hear. I want to share the song that God wrote for me just for this morning. Maybe He wrote it for you, too.

I have recently been reading two very similar, very thought-provoking books that have challenged how I look at my relationship with Christ. These authors have made me look at how my faith comes out in action, and evaluate areas of my life I'm withholding from Jesus. They have given me a different perspective on things such as tithing and devotion to the Lord.

One thing that disturbs me, however, is the area of suffering. Much is made of the concept of suffering for Christ in these pages. Each author, in his own way, asks the question, "What has loving Jesus cost you lately?" The question evokes images of continued suffering throughout the life of a Christian. In my estimation, it conjures up the idea that if I'm not in a bad way, I'm not in a true relationship with Christ.

I wholeheartedly agree with Luke 9:23 in which Jesus says, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me." Denying self is, to me, the crux of Christianity-we must be buried to our own desires and allow Jesus to live through us. I just don't believe that Jesus wants His disciples to experience lives of depression and pain. Let me tell you why:

Psalm 37:4-Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

John 10:10-The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Psalm 23:1-3-The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

There are numerous other references in the Bible to support the idea that Christ did not come to make us suffer.  Not that our lives would be continually happy and worry-free; that is an impossible goal for a sinful human living in a fallen world. Plus, the Lord spells out that relationship with Him does not equate a free pass: For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.-Galatians 5:13. God gives us balance. "Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning."

Perhaps I make too much of what these authors are saying. That being said, if my mind has gone to this place, surely others have as well. Maybe I'm not the only person who needs to be reminded that what these authors have spelled out for us are not the only words the Bible has to say. The love of Christ is deep enough that it covers us with peace and joy. Sometimes those elements will be forced to overshadow suffering, but as it comes from the Almighty, I'd say it's well up to the task.