Hello and Welcome to Thursday. My name is Alan and I trust you have been able to find somewhere free from distraction to listen to today’s podcast. Wherever you are try to focus your full attention on what is being said, the bible reading and the worship song. Press in to God and he will speak to you. Distraction is the enemy of hearing God.

REFLECTION:

Today’s reading is from Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 10 verses 21-42. I will read them at the end of the reflection so do stay tuned!  Today I am going to focus on v21 but before I start do be warned that today’s reading is incredibly challenging: “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

He goes on to say in v28: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

And in v34: “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law…’ “

These are strong words. Jesus means business. This is the same Jesus who loves us so much that he will die for you and me; he will lay down his life for us. He gave everything that we might put our complete trust in him and really live. But his love for us – unconditional though it is – is costly. And because of his great love for us he is not going to shy away from confronting and challenging us. Because I love my kids I am going to have difficult conversations with them. If I were to see them embarking on a path that is going to lead them to harm I will speak out. I will challenge – and no, they might not like it.

I am willing to bet (not that I am a betting man, this is a figure of speech!!) that the people in your life who are happy to challenge you have nothing on Jesus.

Jesus says you will be hated.

Jesus says that you will be persecuted.

Jesus said that your family members will want you killed because of Jesus.

;But don’t be scared of them… be more scared of God… he can do far worse than kill you, he can utterly destroy you in hell.

Jesus means business! He is not messing about! He is deadly serious – well you would be if you were going to sacrifice your own life for those that come after you!

I wonder what our approach to our faith is? I wonder what our approach to Jesus is?

Do we mean business? Are we messing about? Are we deadly serious?

I did a quick internet search for news articles with the key words “Religious Symbols” thinking about the air stewardess a few years ago who was banned from wearing a cross… here is a little of what I found from the month of September 2018:

Christianity crackdown: Government destroys 7,000 CROSSES and BURNS Bibles

China’s shocking Christian CRACKDOWN: Attack ‘resembles Kim Jong un’s North Korea dictator

Do Christians in China mean business? Are they Deadly Serious?

Nun who survived Odisha pogroms saw persecution but is not afraid

Deepika Nayak is originally from Tiangia, a village that saw some of the most vicious violence by Hindu radicals. In 2008 she survived by escaping into the forest.

“I saw my people brutally killed for their faith in Christ,’ she said, “but persecution in Kandhamal did not deter me. On the contrary, it pushed me to accept God’s calling.”

In the west we may not face arrest, the attack on faith and religion may be more sophisticated but it is happening…

Christianity crackdown: 18 US schools ban prayer before football games after complaint

Appeals Court Says Pensacola Bayview Cross Must Come Down