“Until He Has Mercy On Us” (Ps 123)

“Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He has mercy on us” (vs1-2).

We are dependent on God for salvation, so we LOOK to Him, “until He has mercy on us”. We can’t overcome in our strength, so we need His grace to be our sufficiency (2 Cor 12:7-9).  He didn’t save us to be anything less than dependent, and the believer’s life is continually casting ourselves upon Christ IN troubles and fears.

We need comfort, so we come to Him for grace, and He assures us that we’re saved, and therein we find relief. He is with us for Christ’s sake, has put away all of our sins, and God accepts us wholeheartedly without reservation.  Our pleadings and the answer that He gives teaches us that He will GRACIOUSLY enable us to overcome persecution and rejection, until we meet in heaven’s bliss.

We need power, so we come to Him weak and unable, getting grace to honoring Christ and continue believing.  Don’t be scared of your weakness and don’t handle it yourself by compromise of the gospel.  Trust Christ for salvation, and He will give it.

You are not alone.  Every saint depends on God, and only fools run around pretending they have no need.  Only those who surrender to sin are able to keep their knees from continually bowing in GREAT need before God.

Secondly, proud souls despises us, look upon us as overzealous, and even count us fools for giving up ourselves to God (vs3-4). This hurt David, as it hurts you and me.  He said, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us! For we are exceedingly filled with contempt [looked down upon].  Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorn [mockery and hatred] of those who are at ease, with the contempt of the proud.”  We’re looked down upon, avoided, and made to rely upon Christ because people reject us over the gospel, and it hurts! 

This inward struggle must be handled God’s way by faith in Christ. David didn’t try to minimize his zeal, but he called upon God to help, and you do the same.  Don’t cower, and never compromise Christ.  Instead, when you’re rejected and cold-shouldered over the gospel, turn to God and say, “Unto You I lift up my eyes”, and, “our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He has mercy on us”. He will be there for you, comfort you, and give you grace to continue.  Christ Himself suffered the pain of rejection, but He leaned on God, received assurance that He would never fail ultimately, and that the elect will be saved.  He said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; yet surely my just reward is with the Lord, and my work with my God”, and again, “But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.  For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but he will of Him who sent Me.  This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day” (Is 49:1-7; John 6:35-40). 

We are BLESSED to suffer for righteousness’ sake, because we could have been the enemies of Christ ourselves.  We’ll be rewarded for our allegiance while the wicked are punished. Christ said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God.  Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you”, and prayer amidst our pain bring this reality of reward unto us (Matt 5:10-12).

This is our lot in life: we call upon God, get comforted by Him, and then we overcome the world’s hatred of Christ by drawing nearer and nearer to Him ourselves.  They live as if there is no judgment.  You live believing that it’s the only thing that matters.

“Deliver My Soul” (Ps 120)

“In my distress I cried to the Lord, and He heard me.

Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips

And from a deceitful tongue.” (vs1-2)

We have great distresses and tribulations, but the Lord hears us.  The remedy for trouble over the gospel isn’t to hide or diminish it;it is to call upon the Lord, so that He can show Himself gracious and faithful.  We are not backing up because of the troubles.  We trust the Lord, call out to Him, and He gives us the strength to overcome, rewarding us in due time.

Don’t think it is easy being God’s child. You have wars without and wars within.  Internal sin is a lifelong struggle, and you are hated by the people that you seek to do good, both.  The Lord quoted from Micah 7, which says, “Do not trust in a friend; do not put your confidence in a companion; guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your bosom.  For son dishonors father, daughter rises against her mother, daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own household.  Therefore I will look to the Lord [not to compromise]; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me” (Micah 7:5-7; Matt 10:34-39).

We are not seeking peace on earth by compromise or hiding the gospel, but every chance that you get, honor God, let the chips fall where they may, and trust Him to save you.  Trust Him when your knees shake in fear, and put your faith in Christ when they despise you over the gospel, letting your conduct be as clean as possible.  

They are not of the Father, but of their father the devil, the father of lies (Ps 120:3-7).  He says, “Woe is me, that I dwell in Meshech, that I dwell among the tends of Kedar [hostile enemy land]!  My soul has dwelt too long with one who hates peace.  I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war”. They are of darkness, fools, blind to Christ, and they love sin, so when you come preaching and living righteously, they’re offended, “for everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light,lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:20). The light disturbs them like cockroaches, scurrying around in the middle of the night; it offends them, reveals their sinfulness, and they will do whatever they can to stop it and put it out.

Jesus came doing good and healing all that were oppressed, giving salvation and eternal life freely, laying down His own life for sinners, and yet men, because they’d lose their position and self-glory, thought to murder Him (John 11:48).  They even rejected Him after He was risen and came preaching grace in the apostle’s doctrine.  It is the same now with me and you.  You love people, want to see them saved, and seek NOTHING from them, except their own good.  We don’t say, “Give to support the gospel”, so that we can loaf, but so that they can bring fruit to the glory of God and have the best life by giving (2 Cor 8:10). We don’t tell people to repent because we’re hateful, but because God has eternal life and damnation, depending on what the sinner does with Christ.  Yet, you’re hated at the job, perhaps your own husband or wife despises your faithfulness, and you must patiently train your inherently evil children.  All of these things are against us.  Churches have members that hate the gospel, trouble the pastor, and cannot walk in love, despising the members of Christ’s body, but what are we to do?  Shall we return evil for evil (1 Pet 3:9)? Shall we keep quiet and “just get along” by refusing to preach what people don’t want to hear? Paul said, “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men?  For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ” (Gal 1:10).  No, we’ll put our faith in Christ.  Even if we must suffer, He’ll deliver us like He did His Son.  

I don’t promise an easy walk with Christ, and there is NO AVOIDING this affliction!  You can’t live holy enough to avoid it.  You can’t be tender enough, loving enough, or preach the gospel in a particular way as to avoid trouble.  In fact, the closer you get to truth, the more you may be hated, friends may turn to foes, and your good may be evil spoken of. But, it doesn’t matter.  Christ said, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake” (Matt 5:11).  Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world, and you and I conquer because He is in us, fighting off lies, depression, and cowardly fear (1 John 4:4).  Bless the Lord that He gives us internal strength.  He meets our needs Himself with God glorifying grace.  Don’t think that He’ll forsake you.

He says, “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me”, and I’ve had some of my sweetest fellowship when the world said “no”, and God took me into His bosom and said, “Yes” (Ps 27:10).  You have all that you need, if you have God on your side.  Use Him in your troubles, admit your sadness and fear, and receive the grace that He’s promised.  He says, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it”. The God who brings the trial will enable you to bear it, and He’ll bring you to heaven to be tried no more.

Be Wise When God's Reproached - Librae Jackson, Deacon

Proverbs 27:11, "My son, be wise, and make My heart glad, that I may answer him that reproaches Me."

The only Person I have to be concerned with pleasing is God Almighty. His approval means everything. Man’s approval means nothing. I want to live my life in such a way as to hear him say at the end: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

He says "you be wise, and make My heart glad." I want to do His will alone, and He will deal with those who are otherwise minded. He says that He will answer those who reproach Him. And He just might use my light to change them, and make them glorify Him aright. I'm reminded of Moses' meekness, and God's defense of Him against the reproach of his brother and sister, who believed. He will give the appropriate answer to those who reproach Him, in their reproach of us. He will answer them either in great mercy or great wrath. All we have to do is trust Him, and live our own lives exactly the way He tells us to, rather than displeasing Him ourselves. He's the only One we will have to answer to. We take our marching orders from Him. Any other path is dangerous. Following Christ is the sure path of freedom, rest, peace and joy (even in persecution). He was wise, and made The Father's heart glad. And God provided the answer to the opposition.

“Suffer Persecution” (2 Tim 3:12)

“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (vs12).

We will not live godly and escape rejection and persecution from men. We can't honor Christ, loving people openly in a way where they see Him, and men not reject us who reject the Savior. He said, “If they have called the master of the house [devil possessed], how much more will they call those of his household (Matt 10:25)?” You can't preach Christ in a way to avoid persecution, unless you change the doctrine or hold silence. But, to honor God, says God, requires that we endure the grief of sinners, as they BITE the helping hand they receive.

Don't be discouraged. You were this way, ruined in sin, and God got you the gospel. Don't be discouraged. The Lord will pull you from the fire, after you have suffered a while. Paul wrote faithfully, “But you have carefully followed my teaching, manner of life,, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra – what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me” (vs10-11). Like Jeremiah, He'll pull you from the pit, and you shall win ultimately. He told him, “And I will make you to this people as fortified bronze wall; and they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you; for I am with you to save you and deliver you, says the Lord” (Jer 15:20).

The remedy for man's hatred is not to HIDE or alter the gospel; it is NOT to lower the terms. The remedy is the comfort God gives to the afflicted. He says, “Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets” (Luke 6:22-23). You see the heavenly reward causes us JOY even now?

The hope of heaven, which is the truth of Christ's gospel, gets us through the day, not being cowardly before men. Many hate the offense of Christ's gospel, so they hold back the truth, proving their lack of faith, and reaping a low reward. But, those men and women... those godly laboring churches... that in spite of hatred, KEEP stretching forth Christ shall not only rejoice eternally, but we are comforted with joy, even now. We're blessed of God, though the world hates us, and His blessing TRIUMPHS over the misery of life, even as heaven conquers death, and doing God's will conquers the power of sin with pleasure. When the disciples were beaten for Christ, they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer, so that the SUFFERING believer has help from God that you couldn't experience without the need. Suffering for Christ is FOR our good; He uses it to increase our assurance, power, and love.

Be wise. You will be hated, so hold fast to Who loves you.

Christianity and the Czars, A Lesson on Persecution (H.C. Vedder)

CHRISTIANITY AND THE CZARS

BEFORE the end of the apostolic age the followers of Christ suffered severe persecution at the hands of the Roman emperors. The first great persecution, that of Nero, probably had no other origin than the capricious cruelty of that infamous ruler. The persecutions of his immediate successors were prompted by passion rather than by principle; it is not till the reign of Trajan that we find persecution for the first time adopted intelligently and deliberately as a fixed imperial policy. This emperor, in his letter to Pliny, governor of Bithynia from 109 to III, directed that Christians should not be sought out nor proceeded against on anonymous accusations; but when accused by a responsible person they should be tried, and on conviction should be put to death.

To understand these persecutions by the better of the Roman emperors—and, as a rule, the higher an emperor's character the more severely he persecuted the Christians—we must look at the Roman laws. Religion was from the earliest times a matter of statecraft in Rome. There was a State religion, and public worship of the State deities was conducted by the magistrates. The worship of foreign gods was prohibited on pain of death by the Twelve Tables, the earliest code of laws among the Romans, and for a time this prohibition seems to have been absolute; but as other nations were conquered and absorbed a liberal policy was shown toward the religions of the conquered peoples. By act of the Senate these national deities were given recognition; temples in their honor could be established in Rome, and their devotees had equal rights with Romans, but were forbidden to make proselytes. Until a religion was thus formally recognized, it was forbidden (religio licita), but on such recognition it became a tolerated religion (religio licita). Christianity was at first supposed to be a form of Judaism, which as a national religion was tolerated and even protected by the emperors; and accordingly it was at first treated as religio licita. Soon, however, its real nature came to be known. It was found to be exclusive of all other religions; it not only made proselytes, but by its rapid progress it threatened the overthrow of the State religion. It was, therefore, religio illicita, and to embrace it was a capital offense.

Moreover, Christians were suspected of disloyalty. They avoided military service. Their conscientious refusal to offer divine honors to the emperor—which was done by throwing a little incense on the fire burning before his statue, to the Roman an act like the taking of the oath of allegiance among us—was misconstrued into political hostility. There were severe laws in the empire against clubs, secret societies and the like; no association was lawful unless specially licensed, and the emperors were so jealous of these clubs, as affording opportunities for conspiracy, that Trajan actually refused to sanction a company of firemen in Nicomedia. The Christian church was constructively an illegal secret society, since it was an organization not sanctioned by the emperor, that held frequent private meetings; and in order to protect themselves, the Christians held these meetings with great secrecy.

It was not mere wanton cruelty, therefore, that led the emperors to persecute the Christians, but a fixed  State policy. But nevertheless, popular hatred at times waxed hot against the Christians, and emperors occasionally persecuted to gratify this hatred, based on ignorance and slander. Public opinion is not without influence, even in a despotic government. A saying that passed into a proverb was: Deus non pluit-duc ad Christianos (the heavens do not rain—lead us against the Christians). Tertullian probably exaggerates little when he says: "If the Tiber overflow its banks, if the Nile do not water the fields, if the clouds refuse rain, if the earth shake, if famine or storms prevail, the cry always is, "Throw the Christians to the lions!' "

Ten persecutions are mentioned by the Christians of this period and by many historians, of which three are specially remarkable for bitterness and general prevalence through the empire. In the second century persecution was spasmodic and unmethodical, nevertheless the reign of Marcus Aurelius is remembered as one of great suffering by the Christians. It is not certain that he ordered persecutions or sympathized with them, but thousands became martyrs. The first general and systematic persecution throughout the empire was that begun by Decius Trajan (249-251). The authorities were especially severe with the bishops, and Fabian of Rome, Alexander of Jerusalem, and Cyprian of Carthage, are some of those who perished in this persecution. Diocletian began the last great persecution, which raged during the years 303-311. His edicts required that all Christian churches should be destroyed; all copies of the Bible were to be burned; Christians were to be deprived of public office and civil rights, and must sacrifice to the gods on pain of death.

The Christian literature of the first three centuries records the heroic death of many devout believers, but no story is more touching than the martyrdom of Perpeuta and her companion Felicitas, as told by Tertullian, Vivia Perpetua was a matron of Carthage, about twentytwo years of age, and had an infant son. She was wellborn and well-educated, Of her husband the narrative tells us nothing, but we may infer that he was, like her father, a heathen. After being apprehended, her father and brother used all their arts of persuasion to induce her to recant, but in vain. When brought before the procurator, he besought her thus: "Spare the gray hairs of your father, spare the infancy of your boy, offer sacrifice for the well-being of the emperor." She replied: "I will not do so." The procurator said: "Are you a Christian?" She replied: "I am a Christian." The procurator then delivered judgment on the accused, Perpetua among them, and condemned them to the wild beasts. The story of the martyrdom, somewhat abridged, follows in Tertullian's words:

"The day of their victory shone forth, and they proceeded from the prison into the amphitheater, as if to an assembly, joyous and of brilliant countenances. For the young women the devil prepared a very fierce cow. Perpetua is first led in. She was tossed and fell on her loins; and when she saw her tunic torn she drew it over her as a veil, rather mindful of her modesty than her suffering. So she rose up; and when she saw Felicitas crushed, she approached and gave her her hand, and lifted her up; and the brutality of the populace being appeased, they were recalled to the gate. And when the populace called for them into the midst, they first kissed one another, that they might consummate their martyrdom with a kiss of peace. The rest indeed immovable and in silence received the sword-thrust; but Perpetua, being pierced between the ribs, cried out loudly, and she herself placed the wavering right hand of the youthful gladiator to her throat. Possibly such a woman could not have been slain unless she herself had willed it, because she was feared by the impure spirit. O most brave and blessed martyrs! O truly called and chosen unto the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ!"

Taken from, “A Short History of Baptist, Part III”, H.C. Vedder, The Reformed Reader

http://www.reformedreader.org/history/vedder/ch03.htm

“The World Has Hated Them” (John 17:13-16)

“And now come I to you; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” (vs13-16)

Don’t marvel at the hatred of the world, rather COURT it: it is BETTER to be hated for honoring God than to be laughed at and chastened for DISOBEDIENCE. It is better to obey than anything else I can do. I must court God’s favor and love, rather than man’s praise who hates God, hates me because of it, and must be my adversary until the end.

Don’t marvel that you’re tempted: what you were they are, and what they are, you have inside of you still: Christ ALONE can keep it down: (1) He is conquering and conquered (2) I get the salvation BECAUSE of Christ. This is the conviction of SIN, righteousness and judgment; it is the knowledge that Christ is why I win! This knowledge produces LOVE and obedience as miraculous power is given to DO His will. God enables us to obey, when we could not and would not, so that we can have joy, so that we can show ourselves saved, so that faith is not dead, and so that His work can be manifestly declared. He made us holy down here to give us the joy of obedience, the reward to come, and like the Master who SUFFERED before He could enter His reward, even so we SUFFER before we get ours.

But, embrace your commission as Christ EMBRACED His. Do not be ashamed. Weep and mourn, but do not draw back or hide the gospel to please people. Set forth Christ in love. Learn that you are SAVED by grace, so you can serve from love, rather than merit and deserving. God’s gospel destroys all boasting in man. This is why He CHOOSES whom He saves and damns the others on purpose and according to plan. He says, “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which you have given me” (John 17:9-10). This is why He prays for us and not the world, died for US and not everyone, and so loved US that He saves us INCONQUERABLY while the world is damned - “and none of them is lost, but the son of destruction; that the Scripture might be fulfilled” (John 17:12).

God’s GOODNESS to sinners, the pardon and power, is our message to mankind, that they MUST get this or die. And, children of Christ must ABOUND in clean conscience obedience for the joy of Christ to be in them (1 John 3:18-23). We cannot walk like the world and be happy, because we are new. If we were of the world, then we’d forget God and serve Satan. But, we are DELIVERED, therefore we WAR against darkness, saving people. We are not hiding Christ and enjoying self, but rather honoring Christ and receiving joy from God, rather than sin. This is the gospel in all that believe, and we pray you more and more to increase. Paul says, “To the end he may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints” (1 Thess 3:13). We preach, Paul says, so that you and I may enjoy Christ the ONLY way we can, which is following, honoring, and obeying Him. We must DO the will of God by the power of Christ who saves us. We must BELIEVE unto deeds and works, not just talk, speculation, and theory. We must DO well, if we will live well in Christ. We have to suffer like Christ did, but I’d rather suffer for righteousness sake than for sin. We have a great reward that’s worth fighting for, worth being hated about, and worth enduring unto the end.