Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Audio Link: http://bit.ly/ThoughtsinWorship

This is devotional thought number 60 in our devotional series titled, “The Faith I Live By”

“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28).

Reprisals. Retribution. Revenge. Censorship. Fearmongering. Alarm. Those who hate love, whether they be individuals or institutions use all sorts of tactics to manipulate you. They use these tactics in attempts to silence you or cause you to alter your message. However, if your message is worthy, nothing will silence it. Is your message worthy?

Jesus’ disciples had a small problem (clearly I am saying it this way for effect). They were aligned with the One whom so many people loved, but so many others hated. Jesus (more accurately, Yehoshua), came here on a miraculous mission of mercy. He came at a time that the Roman government was in power, and the people of God were on a very short leash. Unfortunately, some who were supposed to be God’s people, although they were not in love with Rome, they had also lost focus of their mission. Instead of forwarding the message the Father had given them, and embracing the Messiah’s work, they worked at cross purposes with them. SInce Jesus’ identity, life, message, and mission did not agree with their prescription of how God would love and save humanity, those rabble rousers became enemies of the One person who could have delivered them from the yoke of Roman rule forever. I speak of the yoke of Roman rule as a proxy for the devil’s attempt to bind them all to sin. While Jesus never intended to subvert Caesar’s government, He fully intended to break the status quo, and become the fulfillment of the dream God gave Nebuchadnezzar, to replace all human rule, with the kingdom of glory.

Here’s part of the problem: Now the disciples had two enemies. One of them was clearly secular. It was hostile and paranoid, because God’s message was so powerful. Rome clearly did not understand that God’s people were instructed to do all they could to cause their civil society to prosper, for the good of all. The second was pseudo-religious. I say it was pseudo-religious because God told us that there is a religion (this is not a bad word) that is good for all of us; but more certainly to maligned, disenfranchised, forgotten, disrespected, and needy. It is the true and undefiled religion that makes a difference in this world, but never becomes tainted by it (James 1:27). Both of these enemies would become unlikely cohorts at times against God’s people; but the second one was more insidious. They used the aforementioned tactics in attempts to destroy God’s people and destroy His message. His message, I said.

If you are a voice for the message God has given His people, you have no need to fear those who seek your demise. Some of them will be like the second enemy who is self-deceived into believing it is doing God’s will by oppressing you. But, when God positions you to be in the spotlight, the cameras are rolling, reporters are reporting, social media content creators are quoting, and the world is watching, open your mouth and speak. Speak the truth! Speak it to power. Stand up! Do not be afraid of their faces. Stand up! Speak the words that our loving heavenly Father puts into your mouth, at just the right time.

Humanity is flawed. It uses all sorts of tactics to quiet godly voices, but if we maintain our composure, allow Him to speak through us, and hold fast until our work is done, His message will always come through.

By God’s grace, this is the faith I live by, let this be the same for you, in Jesus’ name.—L. David Harris (