Day 44  Not Playing it Safe

Wednesday September 5

As John walked to the store his heart was singing with joy. Life was an amazing journey with God!  A few years before the Lord had unexpectedly asked him to lay down his successful career to enter full time ministry.  At first it was tough – his family and friends thought he had lost his mind – his fiancée even broke off their engagement.  But he was determined to be obedient to the voice of the Lord no matter what.  Soon God had began moving miraculously, speaking clearly to His parents and his fiancée, who was reconciled to him.  The vision the Lord had given him began to flourish and now thousands were being impacted as signs, wonders and miracles were happening.  They were on the verge of being a veritable move of God in the nation.

“John,” the voice of the Lord broke into his happy thoughts.  “How many did I have walking closely with Me during my time on the earth?”

What a strange question!  “Well, Lord, 12”.

“And how many do you have walking with you that are close?” 

He had to think for a second.  “Uh….. 20?”

“John how many of the 12 disciples betrayed or denied me?” 

Where were these questions going?  John was getting uncomfortable.

“Well all of them, I guess, Lord. There was Judas and Peter, but also the others abandoned you when you went to the cross”.

“So John, how many of your friends do you think are going to betray and abandon you?” 

Betray? Abandon?   The faces of his friends flashed before his eyes in this mental roll call. Sarah, Chris, Kari, Matt….. They were such an incredibly close group – more like family than friends.   They practically lived together – eating meals together, spending hours talking and sharing and praying.  Ministering every night in revival meetings. Those who had money provided for those who didn’t.  If this wasn’t like the book of Acts, then John didn’t know what was. 

“None Lord!” he answered.  “It’s not possible for us to betray each other.  We love each so much and each one of us knows beyond a shadow of a doubt You have called us together.  We’ve covenanted to walk with each other until the nation is changed and we see what You have promised us. 

The Lord was silent.  Troubled, John tried to put the conversation out of his mind as he picked up some groceries for the team and headed home.

A few days later, as they were all talking and sharing together, he was reminded of this conversation with the Lord.  He shared it with the group.

 “Us, betray one another? Abandon you?”,  Randy said.  “That’s ridiculous!”  And they all laughed as they talked long into the night.

+++++

Two months later, John lay in his bed, unable to rise.  He had been weeping for three days and he didn’t think he could take much more

”Lord please,  I don’t want to be in ministry - take me out. I just want to die.” 

“What happened John?”

“What do you mean, what happened? You know what happened.  Mark betrayed me!”

Mark was John’s best friend.  They had known each other since they were altar boys together in the traditional church in which they were raised.  They had grown up together as spiritual brothers.  If there was one thing you could be sure of it was this: wherever one of them was the other wasn’t far behind. 

“What happened John?”  the voice of the Holy Spirit gently prompted him again.

“He went to all these people and said these horrible, vicious lies about me.  He told people that I am a dictator, trying to control him and the others. He said that the only reason I started in the ministry is because I have a desire for power and fame.

How could he DO this to me?  How could he say those things?  He knows me better than anyone else in the world. He knows my true heart.

I was stupid, stupid. I never even saw it coming!  Some great prophetic gift I have – I get stabbed in the back by my best friend and I had no clue.”

“John,” the spirit spoke tenderly again.  “How good is My discernment?”

“What? What do you mean?  Your discernment is perfect – you know the thoughts of all men, Lord.”

“But still I was betrayed and denied and abandoned by my closest friends right?  It had nothing to do with my discernment or wisdom.”

 

“Well then WHY did this happen to me, Lord?’

“Because John, no matter how gifted you are, how much you are loved, you can’t play it safer than I did”. 

And Jesus said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."  Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.  Luke 9:22-24

For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him.  Philippians 1:29

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  Galatians 2:20

Jesus learned obedience by what He suffered and no servant is greater than His master.

So how then did Jesus, who was all wisdom and knew the betrayal that would happen to him before He even chose the 12, endure the pain of it? 

He was focused on the prize. Suffering precedes glory and Jesus knew that His sufferings would lead to the redemption of all mankind and the release of the glory the Father had given Him to His body, the church.  So He was able to focus His heart on the joy and not the pain that the suffering would bring.  And so it is for us.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.   Hebrews 12:2-3

As we focus on the joy of giving the Lord the pleasure of seeing His kingdom come and His will be done on this earth as it is in heaven, we too can let go of our rights, our own hurts and wounds and offenses, to embrace the cross that His glory might be revealed

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.  I Peter 4:12

Being crucified with Christ doesn’t mean that we won’t get hurt. It means we refuse to elevate our hurts to a higher place of lordship than Christ in dictating our actions and attitudes of our lives.  It’s saying the voice of pain will not speak louder than the voice of Jesus in my life.

… even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened."  But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,  keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.  It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.   1 Peter 3:14-17

As God prepares His Kingdom to be established in a greater measure by His church in the earth, He is asserting His lordship over every area of our lives – even over the area of hurts and wounds and offenses.  If you would like to commit to embrace the sufferings of the Lord let’s pray this prayer together:

Lord, I thank you for Your willingness to lay down Your life and Your rights  to embrace the sufferings of the cross that Your body might live glorified.  Father, I want that same commitment to be the governing rule of my life.  Lord, I want to embrace the fullness of the revelation of what it means to be crucified with Christ.  Father I renounce any voice of pain, any voice of fear, any voice of wounds or offenses that is seeking to take control of my life, my attitudes, my thoughts, or my actions.  I declare that these voices are unfamiliar to me and I commit by an act of my free will to choose to listen to and follow only the voice of the Good Shepherd, who lays down His life for the sheep.  Thank you God for the power of Your cross working in my life today. In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen!!!!

For further meditation:  Philippians 3:10-11, I Peter 4:1-2, Romans 5:3-5, Mark 8:31-33, Romans 8:16-18