Robert & Kay Camenisch encouraging and equipping relationships

Preparation for Persecution

Have you ever been persecuted?Jesus on the cross

In His final moments with the disciples, Jesus said, “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20).

If you live in America, you probably haven’t given persecution much thought, because it hasn’t been a common experience in our sheltered world. After all, our constitution guarantees us freedom of religion.

However, in recent years, the winds have changed. Animosity and hostility toward those who take a stand on Christian convictions is rapidly becoming more acceptable, even approved by some. Those who don’t condone acts that are an abomination to God are increasingly targets, both socially and legally.

If change continues, we could soon see more and more American Christians openly persecuted for their faith.

We need to prepare for battle, lest we be caught unawares if, or when, the attack becomes personal. To learn how to prepare, let’s look at someone who has gone before us and remained faithful to God.

Job suffered personal attack from Satan and discouraging judgment from his friends, and yet he stood faithful. Like Job, our battle is also with Satan, against “spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places” (Eph 6:12).

Most people would give up on God if they suffered the loss and misery that Job did. They would decide that God wasn’t powerful or that He didn’t care. Where did Job find the strength to maintain his trust in God?

When it seblue_contact_by_claimyourself-d7sdd8qemed the onslaught against him would never end, Job said, “I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?” (Job 31:1). In the verses that follow, Job references many situations where he managed to walk with integrity in his daily life.

Consequently, I believe, “gaze at a virgin” is a conceptual term. It seems to refer to the idea, “How could I be unfaithful to God?” “How can I consider turning from Him to even consider something else?”

Job linked that with “I have made a covenant with my eyes.” In essence, Job said, “I made a binding covenant before God to be faithful to Him; how then could I be unfaithful?”

In the Bible, covenant is full of meaning that we often miss. A covenant is a two-way commitment, a reciprocal  giving of all that you have and are. He gave himself to God in covenant and was therefore confident that he could trust in God in return.

Job trusted God. He did not understand the trials or know when or how they would end, but he knew that God is faithful.

In today’s culture, we don’t think in terms of a total commitment which places complete trust in another. Independence is important to us. We value our own identities, ideas, strengths, freedoms, and rights. Consequently, when in crisis, rather than trusting in God, we tend to draw from deep within ourselves to meet the challenge.

And sometimes we aren’t strong enough for the challenge.

God has not changed. He will carry us just like He did Job. He promised to be our provider and protector too–if we place our trust in Him and obey Him, rather than leaning on our own strength and understanding.

If we want to be prepared for trials in life (persecution or life happenings), like Job, we need to make a covenant with our eyes now, before our faith is severely tested. We need to surrender ourselves to God, with a covenant commitment that He is our all.

The beautiful part is that God longs for that kind of commitment. He longs for a relationship with us where we depend on Him for every thing, every day. If we develop such an intimate relationship with Him today, when the crisis comes, we will know how to trust in Him.

Like Job, we will be able to stand firm in our faith. But it won’t be because we are so strong or so tough, it will be because we will know that we are cradled in the arms of the One whose love for us is perfect and who is sovereign over all.

He is faithful to the covenant. If we keep our eyes on Him, He will carry us through whatever life brings.

“For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.” (2 Chron. 16:9a)

There is no need to fear of trials or persecution. Instead, we need to draw near to our Savior and Lord. We need to covenant with Him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Replace Conflict and Strife with Grace and Peace

Is bickering, conflict and strife threatening to destroy your marriage? Your  family? Your job? A close relationship?

Don’t let strife tear apart important relationships.  You can make a difference toward positive change. “Turn away from evil and do good; …seek peace and pursue it” (1 Peter 3:11).

How? How do you turn from strife and seek peace when conflict erupts in your face?

For years we’ve heard that we need to count to ten before saying anything, but Jesus’ instructions are much more effective. He said, “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye”(Mt. 7:5).

It’s natural to focus on what others are doing wrong, but if we get angry at the other person before first searching our own hearts for unrighteousness, we are hypocrites. (Jesus said it, not me.)

When I ask God to show me if there is any unrighteousness in me, He’s always faithful!

Furthermore, I often find that the thing that upsets me about the other person is lurking in my heart as well.

Am I upset because it seems:

  • They are trying to control me? . . . I’m angry because I want to be in control.
  • They are being insensitive and only thinking of themselves? . . . So am I.
  • They are judging me.  . . . I’m guilty of the same.
  • They said something mean. . . . I didn’t say it, but I had mean thoughts too.

Look past your actions. What attitudes are in your heart? Do they reflect the mercy and grace of the Lord? Is your heart in line with the conditions of love listed in 1 Corinthians 13?

The log in your own eye may be ugly. You may find deep issues of unforgiveness, bitterness, and judgment. You may not like it.

But you’ll love the freedom, peace, and joy you get if you take those findings (logs) to the Lord and ask His forgiveness for your own shortcomings.

When you do that, amazing things happen in a relationship that was strained. Most of the time, strife will be avoided. Even if the conflict is not totally settled, you will have a measure of faith and peace in the midst of it. You will have more grace to deal with the other person and the situation.

After all, while taking the log out of your own eye, you’re dealing with unrighteousness in your heart. As you remove the hindrance in your relationship with God, you clear the way to receive more of His grace. As you receive more of His grace, all of life will be richer and sweeter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1 Peter 3:11).

How? How do you turn from strife and seek peace when conflict erupts in your face?

For years we’ve heard that we need to count to ten before saying anything, but Jesus’ instructions are much more effective. He said, “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye”(Mt. 7:5).

It’s natural to focus on what others are doing wrong, but if we get angry at the other person before first searching our own hearts for unrighteousness, we are hypocrites. (Jesus said it, not me.)

When I ask God to show me if there is any unrighteousness in me, He’s always faithful!

Furthermore, I often find that the thing that upsets me about the other person is lurking in my heart as well.

Am I upset because it seems:

They are trying to control me?  . . . I find I react in angry because I want to be in control.

They are being insensitive and only thinking of themselves? . . . So am I.

They are judging me.  . . . I’m guilty of the same.

They said something mean. . . . Maybe I didn’t say it, but I thought something mean too.

Look past your actions. What attitudes are in your heart? Do they reflect the mercy and grace of the Lord? Is your heart in line with the conditions of love listed in 1 Corinthians 13?

What you find when you identify the log in your own eye may be ugly. You may find deep issues of unforgiveness, bitterness, and judgment. You may not like it.

But you’ll love the freedom, peace, and joy you get if you take those findings to the Lord and ask His forgiveness for your own shortcomings.

When you do that, amazing things happen in a relationship that was strained. Most of the time, strife will be avoided. Even if the conflict is not totally settled, you will have a measure of faith and peace in the midst of it. You will have more grace to deal with the other person and the situation.

After all, by taking the log out of your own eye, you’re dealing with unrighteousness in your heart. As you remove the hindrance in your relationship with God, you clear the way to receive more of His grace. As you receive more of His grace and all of life will be richer and sweeter.