Be Strong And Courageous

Ready To Stand

"Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you" (Deuteronomy 31:6).

When Trish's and my children were Youth Group age they would often sing songs like "Be Strong And Courageous" and "Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war".

We all understood even then that being Christian was counter-cultural and that some of our friends or workmates may think that we were a bit weird.

Our kids were learning that sometimes they may be called on to "stand" for Jesus and their faith (Matthew 12:25; Romans 5:2; Romans 11:20; Galatians 5:1; Ephesians 6:11,13,14; Revelation 6:17).

What Jesus Says

"Be Strong And Courageous" appears in the Old Testament as a call to those who were about to embark on great exploits; works requiring physical strength, endurance and often creativity (1 Joshua 1:6; 1 Chronicles 28:20; 2 Chronicles 32:7).

The same thought, (but not in the same phrasing), is expressed again and again the New Testament too, but, rather than preparing for big projects, its sense is to do with being encouraged, and standing in our faith for Jesus and His Gospel, just as our children were singing.

God may be a God of grace and love but He wants us never to forget that we are with Him in a battle against His fierce, persistent and unscrupulous enemy (Matthew 13:25; Luke 10:19; John 10:10).

Jesus wants us to stick with Him regardless of our circumstances. Back in the Youth Group days the only Christians we knew who faced real opposition, or even persecution, were far away overseas in countries where the majority followed other faiths or religions.

But now, just a few years later, that anger and opposition towards Jesus, His Gospel and His people, has spread all over the world and is very present even to us in the West.

Our Reality And Expectations

At a recent church meeting the preacher noticed a friend, Darren, in the congregation and asked him if he had something to share. Darren considered for a minute then stepped up and said these few words: "If ever there was a time for God's people to stand and hold fast to the truth and speak up, it is now". He then returned to his seat.

To me this seemingly small incident, which was unplanned and tacked on towards the end of the meeting, reinforces the words from Scripture that have been coming into my mind for the past few weeks: "Be strong and courageous .."

We know that people are losing their jobs, and some their businesses, because they hold to Biblical truths. Persecution of Christians is at the highest level in all of recorded history and can be seen in a great many countries, including the Western democracies. (Some people still speak of these as "Christian countries" and regard freedoms of religion, speech and association as absolute and unchanged, though this is now far from true as the Australian rugby champion Israel Folau and many others can attest ..)

Our children talk about their work and how it has been affected by the coronavirus and other present-day influences, and it is clear that their bosses are trying hard to ensure continuity and resilience. This is very welcome news. I am sure too that the 1%, (of whom we now hear so much) who own the great majority of the world's assets, want the world to continue to be their playground, so they want continuity too.

But it is not the billionaires or the different world leaders who bring my peace, I look to Jesus (Hebrews 12:2): "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you .. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:27).

Recently a song played on my radio, the announcer seemed to think it reflected pretty cool thoughts for our times:

  "I believe there comes a time

  when everything just falls in line".

But really, isn't this nothing more than wishful thinking? (Radio 6IX, 19 July 2020).

So very sad. Also very scary!

           

"So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober" (1 Thessalonians 5:6).

So How Shall We Be?

Paul, when writing to Timothy, makes it plain that we are to show courage in times like ours (2 Timothy 1:7), to be encouraged and not discouraged (Romans 1:12), and to be ready to seek God's will for us (Romans 12:2), and to follow His leading (Mark 8:34):

"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power and love and self-control" (2 Timothy 1:7).

The Book of Revelation includes a letter from Jesus to the church in Smyrna. They were suffering persecution and appear to have had no resources left. Jesus told them, "I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich)" (Revelation 2:9); He considers them rich because they have Jesus securely in their hearts and their lives. He strengthened and comforted them but the persecution, and the lying about them, continued; Jesus did not take it away at the time of that letter which was written in the very "last days", some time in our future. All today's claims and declarations of triumph and victory and success being made by some in the church will be in their past; there is no mention of these claims or declarations in this letter.

Is there something very timely for us here?

Some suggest that the best way to go on from here is to keep our heads down, be careful who we have as friends, and live the best life we can. But this is how people responded in Germany in the 1930s. Hitler, the brownshirts and other Nazis did not go away; indeed they were emboldened by their apparent successes and the terror they created; they escalated their activities and their levels of violence. They even set out to re-write the Bible by removing all references to Jewish-ness. Life in Germany, and then in many other places, became very frightening and restricted. My Dad was in WWII and it damaged him on his inside, he never recovered from it; this is very personal to me. WWII was long and brutal, millions and millions of people, and families and nations were devastated by it.

I now understand my Christian-ness to mean that I belong to Jesus Christ (Psalm 100:3; 1 Corinthians 6:20), and that I am to have an unshakeable allegiance to Him (Romans 1:6), and He to me. He wants me to stand with Him and with others of His ecclesia, His gathered ones, His church.

For Christians to "stand" is Biblical. From my reading of Scripture I see that we are required and expected to "stand" (Mark 13:9; Romans 5:2-5; Romans 11:20; 1 Corinthians 16:13-14; Ephesians 6:13; Philippians 3:20-4:1 (and many more)).

Jesus wants us to be totally available to Him, and be ready to be radically obedient.

Christian history is full of people who have stood for Jesus, sometimes for years and years, often with little or no visible reward. But they knew and were prepared to stand so they would ultimately see God's glory in "the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God" (Hebrews 11:10)(It is always good to read from verse 1 to 10!).

At Bible College we had to do two biographical studies; ever since then I have been blessed that I was given William Carey as one of mine; he went to India in the late 1700s. I have been to India a number of times and love that country and its people (and its food); I welcomed William as my subject. Well, what a life he had .. he was totally committed to Jesus and to his mission there, and praise Jesus for that. Everything went wrong for William, and for decades he seemed to make no headway in bringing people to Jesus though he did many great, creative and lasting works. He stood. And stood. And stood! I see William as having been very strong and courageous over many years. He is known and loved and honoured in India to this day, but his life was very hard.

Paul stood. He was also strong and courageous. Paul's New Testament letters are full of his work, his sufferings and his love and commitment to Jesus and the people he encountered; he wrote about the hard life he often had to live (1 Thessalonians 1:5; Acts 14:19; Romans 8:36; 1 Corinthians 4:10; 2 Corinthians 6:5-10; 2 Corinthians 11:23-31; Galatians 2:4; Philippians 2:17; Colossians 1:29; Ephesians 6:10-18).

Paul also wrote, in the most delightful way, about the love and joy and life that he experienced as Jesus' ambassador and evangelist (Ephesians 6:20). But he was equally clear in his readiness to stand, and to always press onwards (Philippians 3:12).

I believe that this is the kind of thing Jesus is asking of us in this present time.

People who hold to a Biblical worldview will become more and more estranged from the "social norm" as set by the ideologically bound minority who seem to be running things and "trending" today. Persecution and isolation will increase, particularly in social (and other) media, in the marketplace, (and in the church).

Yes, we will have to "be careful who we have as friends", and where and when we speak out. Ultimately many of us may have to be ready to suffer for our faith. I am very saddened to have reached this conclusion.

I am of the generations who allowed the build-up of the ideologies which infect so many of our institutions, and now our lives. I can remember in my time at university being revolted by the candidates standing for student union positions. I felt that no "normal" person would get involved in their far-left kind of politics. We all knew that Stalin and Lenin had killed many millions of their own countrymen and countrywomen, and that every attempt at establishing a communist government anywhere in the world turned a country into a tyrannical one-party police state and an economic basket case.

Now look where we all are! The same kinds of people ran the Student Unions in my day, and now are pursuing state and national totalitarian goals and wrecking countries. Venezuela is a typical, and recent, example.

Faith

Fortunately God builds our faith. The word "gospel" means "good news" and Jesus is the One who brings the best "good news" (Acts 13:32-33). We can be redeemed from our sinful life, our disobedience and sin can be forgiven because Jesus died for us, each one. He was buried then rose from the dead and now sits at God's right hand in Heaven where He will rule and reign, with us, for eternity! Good news indeed.

"How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace And brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'" (Isaiah 52:7). 

We are the "new Jerusalem" (Revelation 21:2), Jesus is still proclaiming "good news" to us today; we are to share in His work on the Earth with our Christian brothers and sisters and to share our "good news" testimonies of how our God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is healing many and bringing "life to the full" (John 10:10, Jesus' words) to our neighbours.

"Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world" (John 17:24 (Jesus’ words)).

Trish and I have been on Christian Marriage courses and found them to be wonderfully helpful as we work to grow together. There are things we all can do, (and other things we can undo), which help.

Likewise, we can actively and intentionally grow our own relationship with Jesus, we can talk with Him, conversationally sharing our day, our work and play, successes and failures, our dreams and worries, and our joy, and especially our gratitude. We can ask Him anything, and listen to what He says to us. Paul says to:

•  "Rejoice always" (1 Thessalonians 5:16)

•  "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

•  "In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

These sweet things may come to be the highlights of our days if things get tough, but they will be highlights because Jesus will be at their centre.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9).

"Go in peace to love and serve the Lord".

Amen.

Favourite Scriptures

"David said to Saul, 'Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock,  I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.  Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.  The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine'. Saul said to David, 'Go, and the Lord be with you'" (1 Samuel 17:34-37).

"Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,  to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen" (Jude 1:24-25).

Yes, amen.

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Praise Jesus.