UNPOPULAR UNAPOLOGETIC PROMISES
Jesus did not say, “Sorry about your problems.”
Or, “What’s your problem that you’ve got trouble?”
He said, “In this world you will have trouble; but be of good cheer, because I have overcome the world.”
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”
We resist when things go against us.
We want God to fix them.
Or we want to fix them ourselves.
Can we “rejoice in our sufferings”?
Can we “count it all joy”?
Paul did.
He “learned in whatever state to be content”.
Persecuted Christians today thank God for a closer, sweeter walk with Jesus through their severe persecutions.
How much of that is available for us today ?
How much of that do we want today ?
Lord, what do I have to lose, to gain the perspective of Paul, writing letters of encouragement to joy, from prison ?
Paul—world traveling troublemaker for Jesus.
John Bunyan—during his years in prison, wrote Pilgrim’s Progress about the real Christian life, second best seller after the Bible.
Bunyan—in prison for preaching about Jesus.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer—powerful theology studied today, written in Nazi prisons.
Bonhoeffer—hanged for plotting to kill Hitler.
Richard and Sabina Wurmbrandt—in communist prisons, taking uncompromising stand for Jesus.
Wurmbrandts—founders of Voice of the Martyrs seven decades ago, remembering and helping persecuted Christians and their families today.
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