GroshLink

It was a great joy to see Doris, one who has worked with Pricedale Union Church's Missionary Society through the years, this morning at our local assembly as she was visiting her daughter.  How fitting for her to hear Greg's challenge regarding witness from the example of Stephen. Pricedale's passion for mission was evident each time I spoke at their local assembly as I was reinvigorated not only by their support of our work, but also by the one wall of their sanctuary being covered by a map indicating the spread of the Gospel to the ends of the earth. God brought good out of evil as Stephen's witness and death led to the Word moving out from Jerusalem and later at least one answer to Stephen's prayer of forgiveness for his persecutors was recorded in the radical change in Saul's life mission by the power of the Spirit, which led to an extension of the rule and reign of Christ in the known world.

What was it like to be one
-who gave impressive signs leading to opposition by Jewish authorities
-who could not overcome
-who was a humble servant to the people filled with wisdom, the Holy Spirit, the fulness of God?

Stephen was not involved in the battle of wizards at Hogwarts, but instead a confrontation with the enemies of God which found people to bring false charges against him.  And the very likeness of Jesus/Presence of God the Father/power of the Spirit gave prophetic word to the stiff-necked people following in the tradition of their fathers and mothers. What was it like to see a vision of the Son of Man in heaven as one was dragged out of the city to be stoned and coats were laid at the feet of one who was to be forgiven, who would also see a vision of Jesus and come to know that He stands in authority at the right hand of God in support of Stephen's witness and with open arms of hospitality?

Have I truly entered the upside-down kingdom of God in which grace, peace, and suffering are, by the grace and Spirit of God transformative? Have I embraced, or been embraced by, the call to pick up my cross and follow Jesus over family and in spite of the various consequences which might be faced.

Greg reminded our local assembly, when Christianity began to be seen as a separate religion from Judaism, persecution rose and many such as Polycarp (69-156) and Perpetua (203 died) could not be separated from their Lord. Do we find such a work of God today or is the story of Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, only for history books?

Soldiers then grabbed Polycarp to nail him to a stake, but Polycarp stopped them: "Leave me as I am. For he who grants me to endure the fire will enable me also to remain on the pyre unmoved, without the security you desire from nails." He prayed aloud, the fire was lit, and his flesh was consumed. The chronicler of this martyrdom said it was "not as burning flesh but as bread baking or as gold and silver refined in a furnace."

No we have seen many, e.g., Richard & Sophia Wurbrand's story and the articulation of many others through The Voice of Martyrs reminds us of the cost of following Christ today in many part of the world. So how do those of us who are in the United States press on with the Gospel when persecution seems so distant:
1. Acknowledge following Jesus isn't safe, without trouble, but Jesus has overcome! Praise God!
2. Practice death daily by inviting the Holy Spirit to transform you, the people of God, into the likeness of Jesus
3. Follow God's lead into living in difficult areas (e.g., gang-infested inner city, cross-cultural mission/vocation in difficult parts of the world), supporting one's children in dangerous Kingdom of God vocational decisions (note:  In a conversation w/her Father, Perpetua asked her Father whether a vase could be called by any other name.  Her father responded, "No."  She concluded, "Well, neither can I be called anything other than what I am, a Christian."), cross to the other side of the street to help someone in need
4. Support those who are currently suffering, come to know them by name, not just as an issue
5. Pray for the people of God around the world as they are witnesses. Pray for discernment in your work place, neighborhood, local assembly, family, very life as you and the people of God, according to the purposes of God the Father and by the power of the Holy Spirit reproduce the likeness of Jesus this moment, this afternoon, this evening, tomorrow, this week, this month, this year.