SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/3/2021 10:41 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
PT-2 “The Veneration of God.”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matthew
10:28
Message of the verse: “28 “And do not
fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear
Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
As we ended our SD from yesterday I promised to give
you a story that comes from John MacArthur’s commentary.
“When
Hugh Latimer was preaching one day in the presence of King Henry VII, he reports
that he said to himself, ‘Latimer! Latimer! Remember that the King of kings is
here; be careful what you do not say.’
For such unflinching faithfulness Latimer was eventually burned at the
stake. But he feared failing God more
than he feared offending men.”
MacArthur
goes on to write: “Over a period of some
three hundred years of terrible persecution, ten generations of Christians dug
nearly six hundred miles of catacombs beneath and around the city of Rome. Archaeologists estimate that perhaps a total
of four million bodies were buried there.
A common inscription found in the catacombs is the sign of the
fish. The Greek word for fish (ichthus) was used as an acrostic for ‘Jesus
Christ, God’s Son, Savior.’ Another
common inscription found there is ‘The Word of God is not bound.’ During the most prolonged period of
persecution in the history of the church, those believers revered God more than
they feared man.”
MacArthur
goes on to give some very difficult statistics:
“Since that day, many more millions have given their lives for the cause
of Christ. Perhaps as many as fifty
million believers were martyred during the Dark Ages, and millions more have
been martyred in our own century, largely by communists regimes in Europe,
Asia, and Africa.” (He wrote this in the 20th century.) “As is said to Lord Lawrence on his memorial
in Westminster Abby, they feared man so little because they feared God so
much. In many other countries, state
religions prohibit Christian missionary and evangelistic work and seriously
restrict worship by those who are already Christians.”
We
can learn from those who have given their lives for the Lord that they valued
their soul more than they valued their bodies, and they will gladly sacrifice
that which is only physical and corruptible for the sake of that which is
spiritual incorruptible. Many have heard
the story of Jim Elliot who said “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot
keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
It
is possible that Jesus’ warning in this verse 28 may have been specially directed
to Judas, as an early appeal for him to consider that the God he rejected was “able
to destroy both his soul and his body in hell.”
Beyond that, it stands as a continuing warning to the unbelieving
Judases of all time.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I believe that our country is drawing ever
more closely to a time of persecution.
In 1974 when I became a believer I listened to sermons about the end
times and learned that the United States is not going to be a major player in
the end time events and so I realized then that we as a nation would lose its dominance
on the world scene, which it is as we have the weakest President we have ever
had.
My Steps of Faith for Today: I desire to trust the Lord to give me the
strength to do whatever He calls me to do for the cause of Christ.
11/3/2021 11:03 AM
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