Don’t Be Afraid Of Their Threats (Just Keep On Keeping On)
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Yesterday, some people tried to inflict significant harm upon me and this blog.
I won’t go into all the details, but suffice it to say they didn’t like my message because:
- I talk about the goodness of God;
- I believe and write about the entire Bible, including how we must submit completely to God AND that He will bless us as we obey;
- I talk about my personal testimony; and
- I talk about how you can have the same personal testimony (in all the good ways, that is). 😉
And these people didn’t like that. So they did their thing and what happened happened.
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The whole circumstance makes me sad.
But I’ve been seeking the Lord about this situation. Of course I had the initial, gut-level reaction of “Smite ’em Bless ’em, Jesus” and all of that. The shock, the disbelief, the shaking my head, etc. I know you all have been there with different situations, so nobody’s judging. (Right?) 😉 And, I will have to say, I was in a fairly good humor throughout the day. Speechless, but good-humored about it. 🙂
And then I did the thing about praying for those who hate me, and all that jazz.
But I still needed to hear from the Lord, and this morning, I did. And I believe that the word He gave me is going to bless you too, if you’re dealing with some threats and attacks as well.
I was studying in the book of 1 Peter, and several verses jumped out at me. Check them out:
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ…” (1 Peter 1:6-7).
“And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.”
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed” (1 Peter 3:13-16).
And finally…
“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified” (1 Peter 4:12-14).
And basically, I felt like the Lord was using these Scriptures to tell me: “Don’t be afraid of their threats.”
I shouldn’t think this is odd or extraordinary that this should happen to me. Jesus suffered unjustly (I prayed my own prayer to reverse unjust situations, by the way) 😉 and it really shouldn’t be a shocker if I do too.
But you know what? God is greater than all of this. He’s more important than any outward circumstance, or anybody’s opinion, or any trap or trick of the enemy. He’s greater; He’s stronger; He knows it all; and He’s got it all under control.
God did not sit in His heaven and gasp in shock when this situation happened yesterday. He knew it would happen, and He’s got the answer. To be more precise, He IS the Answer. To everything.
And since God is in control, and He’s got it all figured out, I don’t have to figure it out.
But I do have to trust Him. And obey.
I have to obey His commands to love my enemies (help me, Jesus). I have to obey His commands to speak light and life into the situation.
And I also have to stick with the calling He has put on my life.
See, God has called me to write and preach the Word of God. He has called me to edify, encourage, and uplift the Body of Christ. He has called me to share the hope and beauty of the Gospel, and communicate the goodness of God that brings men to repentance.
He has called me to inspire people everywhere–everyone who will read, everyone who will come–to enter a lifelong, magnificent obsession with the beautiful Son of God, Jesus Christ, who loves us and gave His life for us.
Come what may, I have to keep doing that. God will keep me. He will protect and preserve me, and He will work with me to confirm His Word in the hearts of all my precious readers.
And God will get the glory.
What kind of trouble are you enduring? What kind of threats or attacks is the enemy sending your way? YOU don’t be afraid of their threats either.
God has called you to do what you do, too. No matter what that looks like. Maybe He’s called you…
- To be a mommy or a daddy;
- To write songs;
- To attend seminary;
- To preach, or minister to the homeless, or clothe the poor;
- To minister to the hurting and broken; or
- To disciple the people you work with inside your Fortune 500 company.
Related: Rolling Away The Shame Of Singing
I don’t know what your specific call is, but I do know that the enemy will try at some point to derail you from it.
- People may come against you.
- Situations may come against you.
- Discouragement may come against you.
But you know what? Don’t be afraid of their threats. Stick with your calling, your message, and your ministry.
Figure out what you’re called to to, and stick with it. Don’t let a little suffering get in your way. (After all, didn’t Jesus say, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets” (Luke 6:26)? Yeah. He did.) 😉
No matter what, you just keep on keeping on. Why? Because, beloved reader, YOU ARE IMPORTANT.
- No one else on earth can fill the spot God has called you to fill.
- No one else can say what you are called to say.
- No one else has your testimony, and no one else can release that testimony and see it bring change into other people’s lives too.
No one but you.
Regardless of what your specific calling looks like, God has called you. He has set you apart. Did you get that? GOD HIMSELF has separated you unto the work of your ministry.
And what you do is important.
So don’t be afraid of their threats. Know who you are, and know who your God is. Trust Him to keep you and your ministry safe and secure. Trust God to work with you and help you as you obey Him.
Trust Him to honor His Word and bless your socks off as you stay in the center of His perfect will for your life.
And He will.
Does this message encourage you today? If so, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you!
Image courtesy of Steffen Zahn on Flickr via Creative Commons license. Graphics have been added to the image. And I do love a nice Corvette. Click here to see the hot little 1981 Corvette God gave me once: A Black Corvette, Receiving God’s Love, and Loving Others.
Lifting you up in prayer dear sister!! “If God be for us….who can be against us?”
Amen! Thank you, Hilda, for reading and for the encouraging words!
The stronger the voice of God within you, the bigger the challenges will be. Keep your voice strong and true, Jamie. I draw strength from your faithfulness. Like on Monday when I most probably will see our son go to jail again for a crime he did not commit I will carry your strength as a prayer warrior with me. “For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee.” Isaiah 60:2. And have a great day!
Thank you so much, Laurna. I pray God would shine the light of His Spirit into your son’s situation and bring peace and mercy and justice.
Thank you for your encouraging words, as always. It means a lot. 🙂
I am so thankful I found your blog! I know that I seek God, He is showing me Godly I fluences and teachers, and leading me to His truth. So yes, keep on keeping on! Jesus told us we would be hated. I’ve said before, “If Satan isn’t giving you trouble, its because you aren’t giving him trouble.” So please keep teaching and sharing, and know that He is your rear guard, your sun and your shield.
Wow, amen and praise God, Jennifer. I receive that – and thank you for reading! I’m glad Papa brought you to my blog too! 🙂
First my prayers are with you and you already have the victory…. secondly once again you have allowed the Lord to use you to speak directly to me (it feels like, and i receive it… In Jesus name) lots of things are piling up on me, and its amazing because last night i had a dream that i was with a women i knew and giant lions kept trying to get us and scare us and there was a barrier surrounding us, one lion was able to crack the barrier just a bit to cause me to stumble and have fear but that barrier did not break and my friend and i were just fine, then i woke up. ( the friend in my dream, i dont actually know in my daily life) ….. but God confirmed i was going to be ok by first my dream then second by your article. KEEP FOLLOWING THE LORD !!!!! I THANK YOU GOD FOR USING YOU!!!!
Amen, and thank you, Kevynne. Yes, you will be all right! Our Papa will perfect all things that concern us! Thank you so much for reading and sharing. 🙂
Amen, Jamie! I was thinking as I read the first part, that I would be sure to leave a comment and encourage you that your blog is nothing but a God-sent blessing to me and I’m sure many others who are so hungry for the FULL gospel, but it looks like God himself has already given you the best encouragement you could possibly get: HIS! Don’t you love when he does things like that?
A few months ago, I made a couple of posts on FB calling for Christians to love people to Jesus, rather than alienate, judge and condemn them for their sins. I rarely post anything like that, but I felt led to do it in these cases. The backlash, argument, and even accusation that came publicly from some Christian friends was very distressing and hurtful to me (but at the same time, I received 4 messages from non-believers thanking me and telling me how much what I’d said was resonating in their hearts…even an atheist friend said I was the only person she’d ever known that had gotten her pondering God, because of the message of love I had been sharing!). God also led me to a scripture that was almost exactly what you got (sadly, I didn’t write it down and don’t remember it now! But it was about LOVE). It encouraged me, confirmed to me that I was indeed doing the right thing, and helped me to not feel condemned anymore for what I’d said….because yes, they had made me feel guilty and scared, like I’d possibly done the wrong thing with their backlash. But once I got that message from God, I KNEW that I’d done the right thing, and that I should continue speaking out about his radical love.
Your posts are so full of love, encouragement, and TRUTH. And so full of Good News! “…on your part He is glorified.” !!
Hi Nettie, wow, thank you. Praise God. Yes, Papa is so good. I’m sorry you experienced that backlash too. Sometimes it comes from the most unexpected places, doesn’t it? But I am grateful that Papa used your obedience. May He continue to use you to shine His light into the world around you!
Thank you, as always, for reading and sharing! And thank you for your encouragement. 🙂
Hi Jamie! Matthew 5:11 says: “Blessed are you when other revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets who were before you”
In this verse I could help but noticed the word REJOICE which you mentioned in 1 Peter 1 (In this you rejoice…) as well as in 1 Peter 4 (…but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings). And I’m glad this is how you took the whole incident by being ‘in a fairly good humor throughout the day’.
Just know that you are doing what God has called you to do and you are impacting the whole world with your gift, and of course the enemy won’t be happy about it. But God is in control and I know that you are trusting in Him, and obeying Him.
Continue the great work and may the Lord continue to bless you!
Sanku. South Africa
Sanku, that’s a great point. Thank you so much for the encouragement, and thank you for reading my blog!
Upholding you in prayer, Jamie. I recently discovered your blog and it has been a huge blessing. No doubt there are many of us who appreciate your willingness to share your personal experiences and all that the Lord teaches you. Thank you for all that you do. It’s very much appreciated here in New Zealand.
Thank you so much, Vilisi. I really appreciate your encouragement and prayers… and thank you so much for reading! I’m so glad Papa God is blessing you. 🙂
It’s through these trials and tests that we are strengthened in our faith and our love of God grows. I don’t know what happened to you this wk but I thank God you have come out stronger. I too have been tested this wk but due to ill health and at time I’ve let the self pity and irritability get to me. But through sharing with fellow Christians I have been encouraged and uplifted when not able to do so on my own. And this am as God woke me for our quiet time I was brought to this story in your blog. God is good and always on the ball. He allows us to be tested and brings us through it providing the help and guidance we need along the way. I love your blog and have been blessed many time by it. Thank you. Praise God for His goodness, Faithfulness and Love. X
Sorry typo! Praise God! Should proof read before posting. X
What a wonderful attitude and one born of the Spirit! Sadly, I think attacks against Jesus-followers are going to be more frequent as the days progress. As Believers, we just have to “take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.” (Ephesians 6:13).
Amen, Cathleen, Amen. I completely agree! We have to keep on hanging in there.
Thank you for reading!