Friends in Christ Message for August 14, 2004

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Friends in Christ Weekly Message
August 14, 2004

     I've come to start a fire on this earth - how I wish it were blazing right now! I've come to change everything, turn everything rightside up - how I long for it to be finished! Do you think I came to smooth things over and make everything nice? Not so. I've come to disrupt and confront! From now on, when you find five in a house, it will be -

     Three against two,
          and two against three;
     Father against son,
          and son against father;
     Mother against daughter,
          and daughter against mother;
     Mother-in-law against bride,
          and bride against mother-in-law.
Luke 12:49-53 (Message*)

Christ's mission is incendiary. His purpose is to change the ways of this world in order to turn everything rightside up.

If we stand with Christ, we are also likely to be seen as incendiary. Although we will not use the violent ways of this world, we will be perceived as disrupting and confronting - disrupting an evil and unjust order, and confronting the powers and principalities of this world.

Those around us may not take our fiery faith and where it leads us well. In fact, it may make them angry and they may turn against us. We will be tempted to back off in order to smooth things over. Then we need to recall these words of Christ and persevere in the way of faithfulness rather than compromise our faith in order to be accepted by others.

Is your faith blazing like Christ's? Are you following the leadings of Christ regardless of how family, friends and others around you react?

Bill Samuel