Wednesday October 12, 2011

Read:  Acts 14

 

Would you join the local soccer club that advertised that it was guaranteed to lose again this season? Would you join the local choir that guaranteed itself to come last in the local eisteddfod? It sounds ridiculous but in the eyes of the world, Christians and Christianity are losers. Unfortunately, Paul, in Acts 14, doesn’t help our reputation.

 

Paul had been to Lystra and after healing a man, was barely able to stop the crowds from offering sacrifices to himself and Barnabas as gods. Having succeeded they were persecuted and stoned! Many thought that Paul was dead. But having been revived, he continued to teach. It’s here that we read those incredible words ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God’. These words should not surprise us, but in reality they do, don’t they? Jesus himself said that if the world hated Him and persecuted Him, then they will treat us the same! We should expect hardship as a believer but all too often we expect comfort, blessing and easiness.

 

Think of Jesus as our example and forerunner. To bring the Kingdom of God He had to endure life in our world. But more than that, He had to endure the unjust accusation by one of His 12 disciples. He endured the unjust trial in which false witnesses sought to bring His demise. He endured the brutal treatment by the soldiers - the mocking, the spitting, the beating. Our King endured the nailing to the cross and the crown of thorns. He endured separation from the Father and He gave Himself over to death. Jesus endured hardship so that you and I can enter the Kingdom of God and be adopted as Sons of the living God! What He tells us is that because He Himself endured we too will endure. But, He will walk with us as we endure! More on that later.

 

Prayer Points:

> Thank God for the Committee of Management we've had this year! Please pray for them as they will be handing over the reigns soon to our new committee team for 2012. Praise God for the 2011 team’s willingness to serve in this area next year, and for the amazing job done by the team this year.