Under Pressure

The ongoing events in Orissa give a context for the question I am posing:

If faced with a decision between renouncing Christ, and losing your home and livelihood, (perhaps also your freedom and life) what would you or I do? (This is exactly the choice some are faced with today.)

It is easy to be critical of the Apostle Peter's renunciation of Christ when we aren't in danger of ourselves being subject to the same pressures he faced.

But more than that, Jesus gave Peter a curious comfort, promising that he, Peter, would die as Jesus had, finishing his race, and being faithful to the end.

People sometimes put themselves in the hypothetical and give themselves the benefit of the doubt. As in: "Of course! Even if everyone else denies you, I never will." (Has a familiar ring, doesn't it?)

It would, however, go without saying that if we claim we would be ready to DIE for Him -- which is a choice we can make but once -- we must first LIVE for Him, that is to say, take up the Cross daily. Die to ourselves, and live to Him.

I myself pray for, and encourage anyone who may read this to pray for those around the world who are suffering in His Name.

Furthermore, I encourage anyone reading this to also take the mandate to LIVE for Him seriously. Conforming inwardly to His Word, and (following that) living outwardly in a way congruent with it.

I pray God will comfort those, who in their weakness turned away from the Cross, and ask that He will restore them, as He has restored others with a renewed energy and dependence on the sufficiency of Christ.

These two passages of scripture I leave for your consideration:

Matt 10:28-40

28And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. 34 "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Together with:

Hebrews 10:33-39

33sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. 35Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37For,

"Yet a little while,
and the coming one will come and will not delay;
38 but my righteous one shall live by faith,
and if he shrinks back,
my soul has no pleasure in him."

39But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

I include these to underscore the significance of the situation, the riches of Christ relative to the passing nature of this present age, and words given by God Himself to comfort us in times of trial.

Peace to you.