Before leaving the states I believed that I had a pretty good understanding of what living an Acts centered life looked like. I mean I have given up everything for 11 months; I am beating my flesh into submission, casting down vain imaginations, committing myself to Gods will for my life, and giving up all of my rights to prefer others around me and love them well. I THOUGHT I knew what living an Acts centered life looked like until last Sunday.
Last Sunday I got the privilege to go to a legal church in a closed country and listen to the Pastor talk about Fear. (A legal church means that the indigenous people are not allowed to be present and hear the gospel. To understand it better someone told us it would be like comparing the segregation of black and white people in America and that it was illegal to tell black people about Christ because it was against the law. This is a very interesting perspective because we are called to all the nations and to tell all people about Christ. So since it is against the law many “Christians” here don’t talk to the indigenous people about Christ because they are afraid of going to jail and potentially losing their life.) Before the Pastor spoke I looked around and it felt so comfortable and familiar. The nice padded seats fancy cool graphic designs and young adults felt like I was at home however the sermon had a much different undertone.
I am in a city that is pretty much like being in Hollywood or NYC with all the glitz, glamour, and money without religious freedom for everyone. I haven’t been hit with a first world reality with a third world mentality of martyrdom ever. As I listened to the Pastor talk about a familiar scripture in Ezekiel and Acts and sharing that you should not be afraid of sharing the gospel. It was then that it finally hit me; “I have no idea what it really means.” I can talk to whoever I want and not fear for my life. The Americans fear of persecution is ultimately a fear of peer pressure not death.
Even being on the world race I haven’t had to come across the fear of what would happen to me if I shared the gospel to anyone. I have never had the challenge of if you share the gospel you could die. I know that the Lord is protecting me ultimately and that His covering is stronger than anything however; I still have the mentality that “It’s ok they can throw me in jail it would be a cool story.” While in the back of my head I am still thinking “I am American you can’t touch me because my country would cause a riot about it.” Who am I to think that way? Do I really have any rights in this country? Why should I be excluded from the consequences which ultimately bring more glory to Christ?
As I sit and listen to this Pastor talk more about how Paul must have felt with true fear and he still was going out to all the nations and telling them about Christ. He encouraged his church to not allow fear to rule them. He taught that fear was a natural emotion but that it should not rule us because ultimately we need to Fear the Lord more than fear man. He talked about how God has called us to go and tell all the nations which mean the indigenous people which is against the law. This was a reality check to the entire congregation because that evening in their “legal” church there was an indigenous family that had come to church to hear the gospel and people were scared. If anyone from the police or government would have found out everyone in the church at that moment could have been sent to jail or killed just by allowing them into the service.
As I sat there knowing this information and seeing people around me have fear I still didn’t understand both worlds. As Christians this is what we are called to do take up our cross and share with the nations. We know that consequences may come with going against the law but that we have a God that is in control and is bigger than the law. However their consequences and American consequences are very different. When they accept Christ into their lives and go and share with the nation they are literally walking into death.
Once the Pastor was done preaching he prayed and asked for protection for them as they walked this out and for their brothers and sisters that were not at church because they had walked this calling out. He talked about how their parents or family members may have turned them in or had beat them so badly they couldn’t come to church that night. He prayed that even after this we would still keep fighting the good fight and stepping out even in fear to share to those that are lost because we are all called to the great commission. “Help us to be strong and courageous as well follow your word. “The harvest is plenty and the workers are few”…
Is someone else’s eternal life more important than your temporal life?
I believe that at a young age I dedicated my life to Christ with the understanding that being a Christian could come with many risks. I knew I would stand for the Lord without hesitation even if that meant dying for Him. I wanted to be the one that stood for Him even if that meant standing alone because I love Him that much. So I can honestly say that I believe that someone else’s eternal life is more important than my temporal life. However, I have not really been given the opportunity to walk it out on a daily basis like these people do. I admire their dedication and commitment to Christ the moment that they accept Him because they know the ultimate risk is just saying yes.
It is very interesting to me how the enemy has his claws in this country. There are mega churches here; there is religious freedom here, there is a “holy spirit” movement here, however it is only for those that are not indigenous to the country. If these things spread to the indigenous people all of these “great things” will stop. The indigenous people will ruin religious freedom for everyone else. It is complete perversion and the enemy has them right where he wants them. The enemy has them believing that they are doing good by keeping the indigenous people out and that reaching just their own kind is good enough. However the Lord does not segregate anyone He says to “Go until all the nations and proclaim my name.”
Please pray against preservation, perversion, confusion, false prophets, and false gods. I know the Lord has big plans for this country because if not the enemy wouldn’t care so much about secluding the indigenous people. The Lord’s presence is here and the Lord is moving in big ways.
Is someone else’s eternal life more important than your temporal life?
