I've been thinking a lot about the persecution of the Church lately. Syria, Iraq, Pastor Saeed Abedini, reports out of North Korea and this book have all combined to illuminate my soul to the undeniable conclusion that evil, persecution of the Church and God's covering mercy are all alive and active in our physical world.
But that's where I keep getting tripped up: this physical world.
You see, there is more...so much more than we can ever see or imagine. There are very real spiritual forces of darkness and Light in this world and there is a very real war being waged for which team we will choose to align our souls with. In places I will never see, and in lives I will not know until I meet them in Heaven, there is daily suffering, persecution and death taking place.
All of this begs me to ask the question: Why not here?
Ripken (a pseudonym for the author) asks the same question. I don't want to spoil his conclusion, but I think if we search our hearts and our culture with the discernment of the Holy Spirit, we'll find the same answer.
Why would our Enemy mess with a good thing?
We in the West are asleep to the power of the Holy Spirit within us, and our Enemy knows it. The phrase that keeps coming to mind is waking a sleeping giant. Why would our Enemy, that is perfectly content with our complacency, awaken us to the resurrection power of Christ within us, when he (Satan) can accomplish much more by keep us pacified with our phones, activities, social media, dining out, shopping, and whatever else we spend our time and resources on instead of saving souls for the Kingdom of the One that saved us?
Scary thoughts, right?
Believe me. This book has not been a joy ride...but one I very much needed to remind me of exactly what is at stake. Is it easy to sacrifice? No. Is it comfortable to intercede for others? No. Is it tangibly rewarding to be vulnerable and "different" than others you know. No. Do I care what others think? Yes...far too much.
Here's what I just can not get around:
- I have too much stuff.
- I have too many gifts and talents not being used extensively.
- I have too many friends, neighbors and fellow church-goers that also have not awakened to the God who jealously wants His Holy Spirit to come alive in them.
When Chinese Christians will commit to arising an hour earlier to pray for their Middle Eastern brothers and sisters in Christ whose suffering they view to be even worse than their own imprisonments, how...how can I grimace at the mere thought of losing a little sleep to spend some time in prayer for those I know and love?
What I am about to pray is a very risky thing. I recognize exactly what I am asking and that the only way to achieve it is for trials and sufferings to come. As Ripken points out, "Suffering is one of God's ordained means for the growth of his church." He wisely adds later, "[Believers] know that following Jesus, in so many ways, actually increases suffering instead of lessening it. But they also know that Jesus is better than all the pleasures, possessions, and pursuits of this world put together."
Here is my prayer:
Wake the sleeping giant, Lord! Wake us up! May Your Holy Fire ignite our very souls and the possessions and pastimes with which we have numbed ourselves fall away and pale in comparison with the joy of abiding in Your Presence.
Do you long to be fully alive to the Spirit? Do you believe, as Augustine is credited with saying, "The glory of God is man fully alive"? Do you desire a closeness with the Spirit that is indescribable?
Awaken and arise to the One that is miraculously at work in our world. Embrace the sufferings of His servants as our own and delight in nothing more than Him.
I'm ready. I want so much more than this culture has convinced me I should be content with. Don't you?
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