“But if Not”
Persecution comes in forms other than being thrown into the lion’s den to be eaten alive. You can be persecuted at home, work, and church. Justly and unjustly. Persecution can be physical or verbal. It can be natural or supernatural; when persecution comes, it’s hard to be spiritual, especially when it’s physically painful or mentally stressful. John the Baptist had been in prison for over a year and was battle weary. Im sure his conditions were much worse than prisons today. More than likely, he was tired, dirty, and hungry. I’m sure it was dark and cold, and over time that took its toll mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. John had baptized Jesus and told the disciples in (John 1:29, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! NASB95), and yet after mental and physical stress of persecution, even he began to question things that he had already known to be the truth. In (Luke 7:19 (NKJV), And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”). No matter the circumstances, you have to keep your eyes on Jesus. (Heb 11:1 ¶ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen). When Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den, I doubt he knew that an Angel would keep the lions from eating him (Da 6:22 “My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths so that they have not hurt me,). His heart was probably racing, and his blood pressure was through the roof, sweating profusely with thoughts of being ripped to shreds by the lions even though he knew God could deliver him. But I do believe that Daniel had the same confidence as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego as they were about to be tossed into the fire, who said in (Da 3:18, “But if not,”) Whether God delivered them or not, they were never going to bow to any other god or king. The people and prophets of the old testament were like us. They felt pain, discouragement, and fear. They got hungry, sweaty, and sleepy like you and me. It’s easy to think of these men and women as superhuman, but they weren’t. They had strengths and weaknesses. They went through the same emotional battles that we go through every day. Elijah was a prophet of God who performed miracles, yet fear gripped his heart, and he said in (1 Kings 19:4″It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.”) You cannot lie down in the middle of persecution. You cannot rise in the flesh and avenge yourself. You have to fight the good fight of faith (2Ti 4:7) and keep your eyes fixed on the promises of God (Isa 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You). You are not going to feel like reading the bible but READ. You are not going to feel like praising Him, but PRAISE HIM! You are not going to feel like praying but PRAY. We don’t live by our feelings. We live by faith. God is not responsive to a pity party. God responds to the prayer of faith and people of character who, in the face of persecution, will stand up and say, “But if not. “
Be Blessed and be BOLD,
Pastor Charlie
Persecution comes in forms other than being thrown into the lion’s den to be eaten alive. You can be persecuted at home, work, and church. Justly and unjustly. Persecution can be physical or verbal. It can be natural or supernatural; when persecution comes, it’s hard to be spiritual, especially when it’s physically painful or mentally stressful. John the Baptist had been in prison for over a year and was battle weary. Im sure his conditions were much worse than prisons today. More than likely, he was tired, dirty, and hungry. I’m sure it was dark and cold, and over time that took its toll mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. John had baptized Jesus and told the disciples in (John 1:29, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! NASB95), and yet after mental and physical stress of persecution, even he began to question things that he had already known to be the truth. In (Luke 7:19 (NKJV), And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”). No matter the circumstances, you have to keep your eyes on Jesus. (Heb 11:1 ¶ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen). When Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den, I doubt he knew that an Angel would keep the lions from eating him (Da 6:22 “My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths so that they have not hurt me,). His heart was probably racing, and his blood pressure was through the roof, sweating profusely with thoughts of being ripped to shreds by the lions even though he knew God could deliver him. But I do believe that Daniel had the same confidence as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego as they were about to be tossed into the fire, who said in (Da 3:18, “But if not,”) Whether God delivered them or not, they were never going to bow to any other god or king. The people and prophets of the old testament were like us. They felt pain, discouragement, and fear. They got hungry, sweaty, and sleepy like you and me. It’s easy to think of these men and women as superhuman, but they weren’t. They had strengths and weaknesses. They went through the same emotional battles that we go through every day. Elijah was a prophet of God who performed miracles, yet fear gripped his heart, and he said in (1 Kings 19:4″It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.”) You cannot lie down in the middle of persecution. You cannot rise in the flesh and avenge yourself. You have to fight the good fight of faith (2Ti 4:7) and keep your eyes fixed on the promises of God (Isa 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You). You are not going to feel like reading the bible but READ. You are not going to feel like praising Him, but PRAISE HIM! You are not going to feel like praying but PRAY. We don’t live by our feelings. We live by faith. God is not responsive to a pity party. God responds to the prayer of faith and people of character who, in the face of persecution, will stand up and say, “But if not. “
Be Blessed and be BOLD,
Pastor Charlie
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