"You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)
The word for witness in the Greek is very close to the word for martyr. Church history tells us that at least ten of the twelve apostles were killed for their faith. They may not have known it at the time, but once Jesus commissioned his Church there would be a trail of blood from Calvary to the ends of the earth. True Christianity is not for the faint of heart. To be a witness for Christ in the early church meant putting it all on the line. Martyrdom was normal. Having your property confiscated was an every day possibility. Today when we think about being a witness, we often associate it with being a good example in the community or workplace. When we do something beneficial in the public eye we may casually remark, "It's such a good witness." That is certainly true, but there is much more depth to the concept than being nice Christians, especially in regions where Christ is not welcome. Today, on the frontlines of the Great Commission, hundreds of thousands of modern-day apostles are blazing trails for the gospel in countries hostile to Christianity. Many are martyred, imprisoned, beaten and shunned. In fact whenever the gospel goes into new territory it encounters stiff resistance. The Great Commission is a battle between light and darkness. It will always be that way. Even in lands considered free, where Christianity has an established presence, the battle still continues. There will always be a need for courageous faith in every generation, because in almost every case the majority choose not to follow the real Christ. So wherever you may find yourself, you may be assured, truly following Jesus will likely turn the heat up. And that's ok. Part of being a witness is representing who Jesus really is, and the real Jesus ignited a world of trouble wherever he could find it.
Heavenly Father, empower us to stand for you in every situation, whatever the cost may be.
#rocktheboat
The word for witness in the Greek is very close to the word for martyr. Church history tells us that at least ten of the twelve apostles were killed for their faith. They may not have known it at the time, but once Jesus commissioned his Church there would be a trail of blood from Calvary to the ends of the earth. True Christianity is not for the faint of heart. To be a witness for Christ in the early church meant putting it all on the line. Martyrdom was normal. Having your property confiscated was an every day possibility. Today when we think about being a witness, we often associate it with being a good example in the community or workplace. When we do something beneficial in the public eye we may casually remark, "It's such a good witness." That is certainly true, but there is much more depth to the concept than being nice Christians, especially in regions where Christ is not welcome. Today, on the frontlines of the Great Commission, hundreds of thousands of modern-day apostles are blazing trails for the gospel in countries hostile to Christianity. Many are martyred, imprisoned, beaten and shunned. In fact whenever the gospel goes into new territory it encounters stiff resistance. The Great Commission is a battle between light and darkness. It will always be that way. Even in lands considered free, where Christianity has an established presence, the battle still continues. There will always be a need for courageous faith in every generation, because in almost every case the majority choose not to follow the real Christ. So wherever you may find yourself, you may be assured, truly following Jesus will likely turn the heat up. And that's ok. Part of being a witness is representing who Jesus really is, and the real Jesus ignited a world of trouble wherever he could find it.
Heavenly Father, empower us to stand for you in every situation, whatever the cost may be.
#rocktheboat