A Perspective Shifted

I have begun reading the first account of a Christian man's testimony in the book, Tortured for Christ ... He is a Romanian man who grew up during WWI, and was a "church leader" during WWII while the Communist party in Russia overtook and enslaved all Romanians. I say "church leader" because of the positions he held that provided to be looked upon with favor from communist authorities ... while Lord was using him in these positions to secretly minister to and evangelize among Russia soldiers (who were completely brainwashed by their communist superiors) as well as the enslaved Romanian people.

I am only a quarter of the way through this man's testimony ... and I am already laid low and staggering at the lack of passion, fervor, and zeal among the free Church in America. We are a lazy example of Christ to a lost and dying world, to lost and dying souls, bound for hell!!! (And believe you me, I am including myself in that statement, so very unfortunately.)

Not to excuse our cold-hearted, nearly dead zeal for evangelizing the lost and dying, hurting and lonely to the glory of God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ, but history does declare that persecution awakens the Church, ignites a flame of fierceness for the proclamation of Christ crucified and risen as Lord of all, as well as a boldness and unrelenting determination to see the lost saved.

Maybe what we need here in the great US-of-A, is a wave of persecution to redirect our hearts, affections, and glories unto Christ Jesus, rather than soft, warm and cuddly sermons of God's intentions to bless us ... because THAT IS NOT, HAS NEVER BEEN NOR EVER WILL BE, HIS INTENTION ... GOD'S GREATEST GOAL IS HIS GLORY!!!

I pray for myself and our American Christian church that we will be awakened to the great deal of apathy and deception amongst us. I say deception because we have believed false gospels, gospel-lite (taking something away from the sufficiency of Christ's work), or gospel-plus messages (those that say you must believe in Christ and do x, y, z for salvation), and because we have robbed God of his due glory by believing that everything is about us, rather than He.

Oh, to boast in Christ Jesus, and in Him alone; to have all my affections and love captured in His radiance and glory!!!

Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord