Let’s Persevere Together!
by David Cross
There seems to be so much hostility these days against straightforward biblical Christian truth, not least in the areas of sexuality, marriage, and the uniqueness of Jesus Christ as the Saviour of humankind.
Those who challenge the plumb line of God’s word invariably make strong accusations of discrimination, bigotry, prejudice, or intolerance against bible-believing Christians. However, the quiet voice of God continues to respond, through His Word, that He loves every one of us beyond anything that we can imagine, and that He simply wants to tell us what is best for our present and our eternal wellbeing. God’s commanded boundaries for our lives are surely to liberate us not to imprison us.
It seems such a reasonable message, but followers of Jesus can sometimes feel like little fish swimming into a frenzy of sharks. Of course, this is not just a recent experience for believers. There has always been the need to push against the seemingly overwhelming tide of false religion, humanism, and sometimes the disheartening hostility which can come from those who apparently identify as fellow Christians.
Here’s an extract from the journal of John Wesley:
Sunday a.m., May 5: Preached in St. Ann's; was asked not to come back anymore.
Sunday p.m., May 5: Preached at St. John's; deacons said, 'Get out and stay out.'
Sunday a.m., May 12: Preached at St. Jude's; can't go back there either.
Sunday p.m., May 12: Preached at St. George's; kicked out again.
Sunday a.m., May 19: Preached at St. Somebody Else's; deacons called a special meeting and said I couldn't return.
Sunday p.m., May 19: Preached on the street; kicked off the street.
Sunday a.m., May 26: Preached out in a meadow; chased out of meadow when a bull was turned loose during the service.
Sunday a.m., June 2: Preached out at the edge of town; kicked off the highway.
Sunday p.m., June 2: Afternoon service, preached in the pasture;10,000 people came.
What a record of perseverance in the calling of God! The lesson from this extraordinary diary seems to be that each of us is required to simply stand firm and do what our Heavenly Father has instructed us to do. When we do this, we find, as many have experienced down through history, there will be times of such joy in miraculous encounters that all the pain of human hostility fades into insignificance.
David Cross David is part of the Executive Leadership of Ellel Ministries, with particular responsibility for the Ellel centres in Western Europe. He is married to Denise and they have three grown up children and eight grandchildren. David has been a civil engineer and ski-touring instructor in the Highlands of Scotland. He is passionate about the teaching and practice of the healing and deliverance ministry of Jesus and has written several books: Soul Ties, Trapped by Control, God’s Covering, The Dangers of Alternative Ways to Healing(co-authored with John Berry), an A to Z Guide to the Healing Ministry, What`s Wrong with Human Rights? and, most recently, God`s Way out of Depression. You can follow a daily thought from David on Twitter: @dmcross62
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