Living as Outlaws

When have we been persecuted? We might have to dig a little to remember a time when we were put down for being a Christian. Perhaps you were made fun of at school for believing in God or your coworkers looked at you sideways because they knew you were a believer.

The Lord said we would face persecution, and some of us have seen it more than others, but for many Christians, persecution is not uncommon —it’s a lifestyle.

We are blessed here in America to still have the freedom to believe in God, go to church, and read our Bibles openly. But in many nations, being a Christian is against the law. It’s against the law, meaning if you’re found out to be a believer, you could be thrown in prison or worse.

There are what we call “underground Christians” who quite literally crawl through sewer lines to get to church because it’s unsafe to take the street. People sit in houses and sing songs in a whisper because they can’t be too loud. Torn pages of Scripture are hidden in the linings of jackets and in the soles of boots because being found carrying a Bible is a signed death warrant.

May we make no mistake. May we not be asleep. Persecution is real, and even in America, our religious freedoms are being threatened and our country’s Biblical principles are being stripped away while lies and deceit are being grafted in.

As we interpret the book of Revelation, let’s not assume that we’ll never know the fear of death because of our beliefs. Let’s not put on blinders, hoping against all prophecies that the Bride of Christ will not face hatred in every corner of the world. It’s not popular to follow Jesus, and not for the elementary reason that it’s simply not “cool.” No, following Jesus is not popular today because it’s dangerous. Even in America right now, it’s dangerous to be a Christian.

We’re not on earth to please. The louder we live for Jesus, the more the world will try to silence us. But we will die from criticism if we live for admiration.

May we be bold for Christ, willing, like our brothers and sisters in other nations, to give up everything for His name. May we not waste our lives and turn a blind eye, having soft backbones and attitudes of indifference. Take it as a compliment when Hell gets angry that you’re awake. May we understand that there’s a cost to this life.

Let’s not give up when it gets tough, but rather carry ourselves with purpose, knowing that we’ve been given a mission, and He’ll give us strength to press on.