Many people, even non-Christians, appreciate Jesus the teacher, Jesus the healer, Jesus the provider, even Jesus the Saviour. But Jesus the end-time prophet is another matter altogether. Jesus who heals, feeds, teaches beautiful Kingdom of God principles and who redeems by his death on the cross is attractive to many. But when he speaks about what is going to happen generally in the world, and specifically to his followers, it can be shocking.
Read More prophecy, prophet, persecutionBy the time Christ reached the cross, local authorities despised him. His friends had deserted him. Previously adoring crowds rejected him. Soldiers played dress-up with him, brutalized him, then knelt at his feet in mock worship. Even the louts hanging on the neighbouring crosses ridiculed him. As if that weren’t enough, Mark notes that, “People walking by insulted him (v 29).” That last bit brings me to a full stop.
Read More cross, persecution, walking by, stop
At first the psalms may bring to mind gentle brooks and rolling meadows, beautiful poetry extolling God’s magnificence and care. Some of them, however, are anything but. A number seethe with anger. There are bad people out there, doing horrendous, evil things, and the psalmist is fed up. He rails against them, getting downright explicit with the sort of punishment he hopes God doles out. In the end, he declares, good people will be glad to see the evildoers get their own.
Read More persecution, retribution, suffering, justiceIn this passage, Jesus breaks the news to us. We will be persecuted.
It broke news recently that the City of Toronto banned Christian events featuring songs that praise Jesus in public venues. Why? Because it is proselytizing. I’m stunned. Hundreds of groups shout their philosophies from public venues every year in Toronto, in parades, concerts, marathons, and fundraisers.
Read More Holy Spirit, helper, persecutionI have never been in prison, but before the sun sets today many more followers of Jesus will join millions who have been jailed, tortured, and killed because of their faith. This tragic reality hit home for me again when I produced an episode of CONTEXT called Believers Under Fire. We profiled the growing persecution of Christians around the world.
Read More suffering, prayer, blessing, persecution
Although they are fundamental Charter rights, the banners of Christian liberty are meeting stiff headwinds in our day in Canada. While multiculturalism is publicly affirmed, Christians often seem to be mocked in the media, and our social policies seem orchestrated to manufacture the slow death of a Christian society.
Read More persecutionWho needs a message of hope? We all do, of course, yet hope has special meaning for people living under adverse conditions. The earliest audiences for the letter of 1 Peter were small groups of Christians under attack, little bands of exiled believers huddling in scattered communities.
Read More hope, encouragement, persecution, community
At first the psalms may bring to mind gentle brooks and rolling meadows, beautiful poetry extolling God’s magnificence and care. Some of them, however, are anything but. A number seethe with anger. There are bad people out there, doing horrendous, evil things and the psalmist is fed up.
Read More retribution, suffering, justice, persecution