Perspective
Perspective.
I am a victim of my circumstances. Just as many are here in this dark world. The difference between me and them? I’m a Christian. It’s a huge difference. And let’s be honest. My circumstances in almost all areas of my life are pretty good. See, perspective.I have shelter, food, healthy children, healthcare, an education, a husband who truly loves me and cares for me and our children and selflessly provides for us, parents that never abused me and are even still alive, brothers that even though we don’t always get along and want to strangle each other on a constant basis will still come to each others’ aid when it is necessary, AND a freedom to do whatever I truly want to do, including the right to shout JESUS from the rooftops an sing his praises in the streets, all while passing out Bibles and telling the good news! But I don’t do that. Not many in the western church do. It’s sad. Perspective.
Many of my readers know that I am a military wife. My husband has deployed to the “Middle East” several times. And for the longest time I hated his enemies. After 9/11, I truly hated Muslims, Islam, and all they stand for. A Christian…and I had a hatred so deep in my heart that I may have crossed that line to not walking in salvation. My perspective was skewed. It did not get any better when I married my husband who would eventually deploy to fight these “evil” people that wanted to cause this country of mine so much harm. Perspective.
Now, my world has been turned upside down. It’s funny that the author of the book that has drastically changed my world has aligned so much with our church’s #Blessed series on the Beatitudes.
The Beatitudes
Matthew 5:3-12
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.
Ouch. Wow. How many times have I read this and it NEVER sank in. Sometimes we read our Bibles in the luxury of wherever and what happens? We just read words. We are supposed to live by the Word, yet it goes in one ear and out the other. At least for most Christians it does. I am desperately trying to change that…to change my perspective.And my actions and attitudes.
So, back to where I was going with this. A few years ago, I went to the Immerse Conference in Nashville for worship artists. One of their guest speakers was a missionary/author who told an amazing story about a man he called “Dimitri”, that had me weeping. Afterwards, I went to Nik Ripken’s little table of books and talked with him and his wife. I mean, what a humbling experience. He was GIVING away his books, and I gladly took one and gave it to my husband. I just knew it would be right up his alley. My husband read it, and OUR LIFE CHANGED. Our PERSPECTIVEchanged. My husband immediately emailed Nik after he finished the book because he had questions. Apparently, Nik gets a lot of email from military members who want to know how they are supposed to love their enemies, especially when they have an up front and personal view into the atrocities of Islam. James and Nik ended up on the phone together and had a nice long chat.
Fast forward a few years to now. At our current church, we are in a small life group. We meet every two weeks and do a bible study and fellowship with one another. A several weeks ago we began to lead a study on The Insanity of God by Nik Ripken. We would read a few chapters and my husband and I would formulate questions based on the reading to foster discussion. And shift.My life had a total reality check, focus shift, perspective change. Why, you may ask. How could one book do that when the entire Bible has not done that? Well, sometimes God has to smack you hard in the face with other things before you get it. And oh, do I get it now. And I can’t even begin to tell you how ashamed I am. How much I regret. How much I wish I could go all the way back to when I was 16 and completely change the direction I went with my life. BUT…now I’m here. Now my perspective is aligned with Christ’s. At least I am praying it is. Am I being too vague on this PERSPECTIVE thing?
Let’s talk about some of the things I learned from Nik’s book. He was smuggled into a place in China where he met with a large group of Christians. Chinese Christians. They asked Nik if the gospel had made it to America yet, or if China was the only nation to have heard the gospel. Like, what? You know what they did when Nik told them that America had indeed heard the gospel? They celebrated, cried tears of joy for America. He went on to explain how we have religious freedom, that we can read the bible whenever we want, go to whatever church we desire, shout out the gospel on a street corner, and meet in public with no fear of persecution. This time they cried in sorrow and asked why God loves the American Christians more than the Chinese Christians. Big ouch. I was so ashamed when I read those words. We have freedom. They don’t. They see miracles and are persecuted. We have upwards of 7 bibles a piece, and when they get ONE they tear it apart so each house pastor can have at least part of the bible to preach on. They convert people every day and risk persecution, and we are silent.
Or let’s move our focus to the Middle East. A Western faith-based outreach clinic in a Muslim world. A Muslim man across the street torments and taunts the workers as they walk by his shop every day. No retaliation. Just go about their jobs. No yelling at him telling him to convert or go to hell. Then he is stricken with cancer. His Muslim patrons stop shopping there because of superstition, thinking they will “catch” what he has if they associate with him. The workers at the hospital begin to shop in their “enemy’s” shop to help support him and his family. They start to ask about his health and family. They begin to care for him when he can’t even clean himself because he is so sick. They showed him Jesus through their actions. Guess what happened. His heart of stone became a heart for Jesus before he passed. “Love your enemy” Jesus said. These workers were/are the embodiment of that command. His youngest wife also became a follower of Jesus. And became an outspoken witness of Christ, who was subsequently persecuted and arrested.
In Nik’s book, he recounts testimony after testimony of miracles, dreams, prayers answered in these other countries. Like Muslim men seeing Jesus in a dream, or a Bible just appearing at the right time in the back of a Quran shop. Bizarre, crazy things that we don’t get to see here in the western world. Because the Gospel is already here, already all around us, and taken for granted.
Mr. Ripken is often asked if he believes persecution will come to America. His answer: “Why would Satan want to wake us up when he has already shut us up?” “Why would Satan bother us when we are already accomplishing his goal? He will likely conclude that it is better to let us sleep.” pg 4167 of the Kindle E-book. He also states in his book on page 4157 of the e-book, “Believers who do not share their faith aid and abet Satan’s ultimate goal of denying others access to Jesus. Our silence makes us accomplices.” THIS is our enemy. The LOSTNESS of the world. Not Islam, not Hindi, not atheism. Lostness. Satan’s ultimate goal is to “deny the world access to Jesus.” Pg 4149 of e-book. To keep believers silent so that the world will not seek nor find Jesus.
So, are you part of that sleeping giant? Are you aiding and abetting? Are you complacent? Is Christmas even about Christ for you? Or are you consumed with giving the latest gifts, gadgets, and must haves to your family members? While everyone in our country is not a Christian, almost everyone in our country celebrates Christmas. Whether it is called Christmas or just the Holidays, it’s still centered around December 25th. Christmas. And we’ve made it into consumerism.
Please don’t mistake what we go through in the US as persecution. We are a sleeping giant. A sleeping church. Does that make you want to stay asleep? Keep Jesus to yourself to spare persecution? Shoot, you are only sparing yourself a little “embarrassment”! Embarrassment over sharing Jesus. Sounds a lot like Peter denying Jesus 3 times, except when the rooster crows for us, it will be too late. See, Perspective.
I know I’ve probably stepped on some toes. But I hope it was a wake-up call. Go tell someone about Jesus. Go show someone the love of Christ. Who knows if you will be that one person’s last hope before their step into eternity.
And please go get Nik's book.
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