After the Sifting, Pure Faith Remains
Greetings in the Lord!
One month ago, on October 25th, a 150-year old Baptist cathedral in Wakefield, Massachusetts burnt to the ground from a lightening strike. It had been an honored centerpiece for the city both for historical and religious reasons, even still being used daily to provide for worship, schooling, and daycare. Needless to say, for many people in this community, the cathedral felt like a member of their family and they were devastated by the tragedy. However, in the midst of their sadness a miracle emerged--a large painting of Jesus was recovered unscathed by the fire! Since very little else remained from the church building, the miracle painting made national headlines and was a reminder that Jesus Christ is more than a building, but our true Savior who lives.
After I saw the amazing incident, it reminded me of the fiery ordeal of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as told in Daniel chapter 3. In that story, the three Jewish exiles would not bow to worship the statue King Nebuchnadezzar had erected and commanded the people to worship. As a result, they were thrown into a fiery furnace, but amazingly, they survived and ended up being a powerful testimony of the saving grace of Jesus Christ in the midst of extreme persecution. As a kid, I used to wonder why God didn't choose to save everyone in such fashion, for surely He could. Then the Bible would be made up of 100% of God's saving power, story after story. I always thought that would be cool and much better than the reality -- sometimes God allows a seed to fall to the ground so that it can create a new plant, thereby producing thousands of new seeds! Both are miracles, to be sure, but the saving miracles are so much more fantastic!
Anyway, as I pondered these things, I discerned that like this fire incident, we have entered a season of increasing persecution in which there will be terrible tragedy and amazing deliverance. And since that time, there have been several events to take place in the news as confirmation: the shooting in the Jewish synagogue, the death of the missionary in the Pacific Islands, and the woman who was finally released from Pakistani prison for a false "blasphemy" charge, and others, I'm sure. Skeptics will say that things like this are always the case, but it is not so. For there are times when the enemy of our soul is allowed to sift and test our faith, even to cause great destruction and misery, but the eventual outcome will be renewed strength to believers in Jesus, appreciation to God for life eternal, and humility and perseverance in our souls which enables a growth in our faith in Jesus and results in boldness for leadership in the faith.
Today's word comes from Luke chapter 22. It is a sad chapter, overall, if you ask me, but illustrates the promises of God for new life and faithfulness. The teachers of the law plot to kill Jesus, Judas agrees to and eventually betrays Jesus; Peter declares that he will not deny Jesus, but is told he will and does; and Jesus agonizes over the will of God for himself, yet determines that he will do the will of God to the end -- while the disciples sleep the night away. They are told to pray that they don't fall into temptation, but fall asleep from grief and exhaustion anyway. So what is the temptation that they should be praying against? That the coming extreme trials do not cause them to doubt the truth of Jesus as Christ and throw their faith in him away. For that is the ultimate goal of extreme demonic testing -- that people will doubt and fall away from the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, we are left with several prophetic teaching points relevant for this season. First, the difficulties of this season are for sifting the wheat from the chaff -- from true faith in Jesus to those that put their faith in other things. Judas and many other followers of Jesus at that time fell away from Jesus when his persecution was serious. Realize too, that persecution can take form in many ways: natural disasters, violence, slander and lies, betrayals, false imprisonment, destruction to property, financial ruin, and sickness and mental duress, which is supernatural torment. But no matter by what form the persecution manifests, our reaction to these trials becomes a testimony of what is in our heart and who / what we put our hope in. So, whereas Judas betrayed and fell away completely, Peter, though faltering in his faith by denying Jesus, never stopped believing in him. Once he repented, he was healed and made a strong leader in the Body of Christ. Therefore, we can understand that seasons of sifting the wheat from the chaff have a purifying and strengthening effect on those who trust in God, the Perfecter of our faith, and eternal life for those "seeds" that fall to the earth and whose life becomes a plant that produces thousands of new seeds. For surely where there was death in the natural for the testimony of Jesus, there will be breakthrough and the production of many new seeds. It is God's promise and the very nature of the Resurrection found in Jesus Christ.
The next thing we can learn from a sifting season is perseverance and the Mystery of persecution. Are we resolute in our will to serve God no matter our circumstances? In verse 42 we read that even Jesus asked that the cup of suffering be taken from him, but resigns to do God's will even if the cup is not removed. He knows he will die, but the promise is that he will be resurrected by God -- new life. The Mystery of persecution is that New Life and flourishing will happen; the Dunamis power of God will cause Jesus be resurrected and many will flock to him, not away! This new life is seen again and again by missionaries and others who have been martyred and killed for their faith -- God causes New Life (even new spiritual life) to spring from the fallen seed and people coming to faith or growing more bold in theirs. Praise God! Mercy always triumphs over judgment.
The last prophetic gem we can glean from a sifting season is to be prepared and stand firm in our faith, watching and taking up spiritual arms like the sword of the Word and being resolute.
Then Jesus asked them, "When I sent you out to preach the Good News and you did not have money, a traveler's bag, or an extra pair of sandals, did you need anything?"
"No," they replied.
"But now," he said, "take your money and a traveler's bag. And if you don't have a sword, then buy one! For the time has come for this prophecy about me to be fulfilled: 'He was counted among the rebels.' Yes, everything written about me from the prophets will come true." Luke 22:35-37.
Likewise, we must pray and speak the Word of God in our circumstances (Sword) and be determined in our faith and boldly give a reason for the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. Being prepared and aware of the coming hatred and persecution ends up taking much of the sting and surprise away. It is easier to stand your ground and fight when you are ready for an attack, even an attack on your faith. And make no mistake about it, godless people will accuse the righteous of being the ungodly ones! They will twist their idea of "love" to persecute and distort God's love, and God's truth becomes a lie to those that are perishing. The wicked will try to elevate their evil understandings to the same platform as the Word of God, but their "truth" is a lie and will never stand in the counsel of the wise.
This is the prophetic word for today. Get ready, people of God! Persecution and great trials are on the on way for those who cling to the purposes and plans of God, who call themselves Christian and put their trust in the saving power of Jesus Christ -- but be sure of this, we are over-comers in Christ! He will make a way where there is none and surprise us with His deliverance. When all seems lost and we are ready to throw in the towel, when we have suffered unexpected loss, God will work for good what was meant for evil. A divine turnaround! We will see more intense trials coming to the Trump administration tempting people to lose support. Fear not! God will bring redemption and the truth will be seen by all. Also, there will be a shaking to come to the financial markets that will tempt people to be preoccupied with money worries, and more planned violence to stir up social unrest and to use as ammunition against national policies as they stand now, but those agendas will not accomplish what the wicked had intended. This is a season of sifting the wheat from the chaff. Determine in advance to stand firm in your faith and convictions and you will not lose your shalom. God is a Defender of the righteous and Protector of the just. The Mystery of persecution is this: We will see divine turnarounds that will dry the tears of the righteous and fill their mouths with rejoicing and laughter. In the face of tough persecution, more people will come to God -- not shy away, and take up His purposes with devoted confidence of victory in Him. "Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." John 12:24 God is always good!
~Be blessed and be a blessing.
One month ago, on October 25th, a 150-year old Baptist cathedral in Wakefield, Massachusetts burnt to the ground from a lightening strike. It had been an honored centerpiece for the city both for historical and religious reasons, even still being used daily to provide for worship, schooling, and daycare. Needless to say, for many people in this community, the cathedral felt like a member of their family and they were devastated by the tragedy. However, in the midst of their sadness a miracle emerged--a large painting of Jesus was recovered unscathed by the fire! Since very little else remained from the church building, the miracle painting made national headlines and was a reminder that Jesus Christ is more than a building, but our true Savior who lives.
After I saw the amazing incident, it reminded me of the fiery ordeal of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as told in Daniel chapter 3. In that story, the three Jewish exiles would not bow to worship the statue King Nebuchnadezzar had erected and commanded the people to worship. As a result, they were thrown into a fiery furnace, but amazingly, they survived and ended up being a powerful testimony of the saving grace of Jesus Christ in the midst of extreme persecution. As a kid, I used to wonder why God didn't choose to save everyone in such fashion, for surely He could. Then the Bible would be made up of 100% of God's saving power, story after story. I always thought that would be cool and much better than the reality -- sometimes God allows a seed to fall to the ground so that it can create a new plant, thereby producing thousands of new seeds! Both are miracles, to be sure, but the saving miracles are so much more fantastic!
Anyway, as I pondered these things, I discerned that like this fire incident, we have entered a season of increasing persecution in which there will be terrible tragedy and amazing deliverance. And since that time, there have been several events to take place in the news as confirmation: the shooting in the Jewish synagogue, the death of the missionary in the Pacific Islands, and the woman who was finally released from Pakistani prison for a false "blasphemy" charge, and others, I'm sure. Skeptics will say that things like this are always the case, but it is not so. For there are times when the enemy of our soul is allowed to sift and test our faith, even to cause great destruction and misery, but the eventual outcome will be renewed strength to believers in Jesus, appreciation to God for life eternal, and humility and perseverance in our souls which enables a growth in our faith in Jesus and results in boldness for leadership in the faith.
Today's word comes from Luke chapter 22. It is a sad chapter, overall, if you ask me, but illustrates the promises of God for new life and faithfulness. The teachers of the law plot to kill Jesus, Judas agrees to and eventually betrays Jesus; Peter declares that he will not deny Jesus, but is told he will and does; and Jesus agonizes over the will of God for himself, yet determines that he will do the will of God to the end -- while the disciples sleep the night away. They are told to pray that they don't fall into temptation, but fall asleep from grief and exhaustion anyway. So what is the temptation that they should be praying against? That the coming extreme trials do not cause them to doubt the truth of Jesus as Christ and throw their faith in him away. For that is the ultimate goal of extreme demonic testing -- that people will doubt and fall away from the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, we are left with several prophetic teaching points relevant for this season. First, the difficulties of this season are for sifting the wheat from the chaff -- from true faith in Jesus to those that put their faith in other things. Judas and many other followers of Jesus at that time fell away from Jesus when his persecution was serious. Realize too, that persecution can take form in many ways: natural disasters, violence, slander and lies, betrayals, false imprisonment, destruction to property, financial ruin, and sickness and mental duress, which is supernatural torment. But no matter by what form the persecution manifests, our reaction to these trials becomes a testimony of what is in our heart and who / what we put our hope in. So, whereas Judas betrayed and fell away completely, Peter, though faltering in his faith by denying Jesus, never stopped believing in him. Once he repented, he was healed and made a strong leader in the Body of Christ. Therefore, we can understand that seasons of sifting the wheat from the chaff have a purifying and strengthening effect on those who trust in God, the Perfecter of our faith, and eternal life for those "seeds" that fall to the earth and whose life becomes a plant that produces thousands of new seeds. For surely where there was death in the natural for the testimony of Jesus, there will be breakthrough and the production of many new seeds. It is God's promise and the very nature of the Resurrection found in Jesus Christ.
The next thing we can learn from a sifting season is perseverance and the Mystery of persecution. Are we resolute in our will to serve God no matter our circumstances? In verse 42 we read that even Jesus asked that the cup of suffering be taken from him, but resigns to do God's will even if the cup is not removed. He knows he will die, but the promise is that he will be resurrected by God -- new life. The Mystery of persecution is that New Life and flourishing will happen; the Dunamis power of God will cause Jesus be resurrected and many will flock to him, not away! This new life is seen again and again by missionaries and others who have been martyred and killed for their faith -- God causes New Life (even new spiritual life) to spring from the fallen seed and people coming to faith or growing more bold in theirs. Praise God! Mercy always triumphs over judgment.
The last prophetic gem we can glean from a sifting season is to be prepared and stand firm in our faith, watching and taking up spiritual arms like the sword of the Word and being resolute.
Then Jesus asked them, "When I sent you out to preach the Good News and you did not have money, a traveler's bag, or an extra pair of sandals, did you need anything?"
"No," they replied.
"But now," he said, "take your money and a traveler's bag. And if you don't have a sword, then buy one! For the time has come for this prophecy about me to be fulfilled: 'He was counted among the rebels.' Yes, everything written about me from the prophets will come true." Luke 22:35-37.
Likewise, we must pray and speak the Word of God in our circumstances (Sword) and be determined in our faith and boldly give a reason for the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. Being prepared and aware of the coming hatred and persecution ends up taking much of the sting and surprise away. It is easier to stand your ground and fight when you are ready for an attack, even an attack on your faith. And make no mistake about it, godless people will accuse the righteous of being the ungodly ones! They will twist their idea of "love" to persecute and distort God's love, and God's truth becomes a lie to those that are perishing. The wicked will try to elevate their evil understandings to the same platform as the Word of God, but their "truth" is a lie and will never stand in the counsel of the wise.
This is the prophetic word for today. Get ready, people of God! Persecution and great trials are on the on way for those who cling to the purposes and plans of God, who call themselves Christian and put their trust in the saving power of Jesus Christ -- but be sure of this, we are over-comers in Christ! He will make a way where there is none and surprise us with His deliverance. When all seems lost and we are ready to throw in the towel, when we have suffered unexpected loss, God will work for good what was meant for evil. A divine turnaround! We will see more intense trials coming to the Trump administration tempting people to lose support. Fear not! God will bring redemption and the truth will be seen by all. Also, there will be a shaking to come to the financial markets that will tempt people to be preoccupied with money worries, and more planned violence to stir up social unrest and to use as ammunition against national policies as they stand now, but those agendas will not accomplish what the wicked had intended. This is a season of sifting the wheat from the chaff. Determine in advance to stand firm in your faith and convictions and you will not lose your shalom. God is a Defender of the righteous and Protector of the just. The Mystery of persecution is this: We will see divine turnarounds that will dry the tears of the righteous and fill their mouths with rejoicing and laughter. In the face of tough persecution, more people will come to God -- not shy away, and take up His purposes with devoted confidence of victory in Him. "Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." John 12:24 God is always good!
~Be blessed and be a blessing.
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