“WOULD ANYONE ACTUALLY MISS US?”



As a Christian, I don't think that there's a more vitally important question to ask ourselves..."Would ANYONE actually miss us?"

Miss us "how"; or from what?  In the God ordained way that the Great Commission of the New Testament mandates that every believer "go into the world"!  Where 'literally", we choose too "be" salt and light for the purpose of God getting glory through our story, and using us to lead others to Him — Through our overcoming testimonies and unashamed representation of Him, to anyone/everyone that we meet.

WE CANNOT BE PITIFUL AND POWERFUL, SIMULTANEOUSLY

Too me — We ALL seem quite distracted by the popularity and trends surrounding "fulfilling our destinies" and "being discovered" (like opportunists) so that we rarely (if ever) allow ourselves to be used for the cause and for the sake of The Kingdom; without being deterred by our fleshly agendas and vain pursuits!  Ouch..But, you know its true!

As soon as we're inconvenienced a little ("they asked me to serve") or persecuted by one of the saints ("someone sat in my seat") we're ready to "do church at home", or quit church all together.  Yes, we're all pretty pitiful, but its associated with "growing weary in well doing", and then losing sight of the greater rewards that come according to His Will and timing; eventually..

Now, I KNOW what that's like (feeling lost, unloved and forgotten), because following several years of overwhelming loss with the associated grief that's a result — where the church felt distant and cold, the enemy tried to get me to "sideline my calling" and "just exist as a nominal Christian"; except for "the fire shut up in my bones", wouldn't just allow me to be still, be quiet, or simply "exist", but I'm glad that God is faithful!!

THE PERSECUTION IS REAL

The early Christians were the targets of repeated persecutions— some of unspeakable cruelty. But, what about "our generation"? I know that we're all aware (should be) of the ongoing persecution in China, towards both the "underground church movement" as well as some of the churches that have been sanctioned or approved by their government; but "how" does this affect you, if at all?!?

In China, they're closing churches, jailing pastors - and even "rewriting scripture". China's Communist Party is intensifying religious persecution, as Christianity's population grows. A new "state translation" of the Bible will establish a 'correct understanding' of the text. In late October, the pastor of one of China's best known underground churches asked this of his congregation: Had they successfully spread the gospel throughout their city? "If tomorrow morning the Early Rain Covenant Church suddenly disappeared from the City of Chengdu, if each of us vanished into thin air, would this city be any different? Would anyone miss us?, said Wang Yi, leaning over his pulpit and pausing to let the question weigh on his audience. I don't know."

LEADERSHIP IN THE 21ST CENTURY

I submit to you — THIS is what "leadership" in the 21st century looks like in Christ's Church! And, I'm "happy" to say that MY PASTOR (Pastor John Skipworth of Rochester Assembly) is truly "preaching the gospel", week in and week out..Hallelujah!!

Now, In early church history — for example, the emperor Nero blamed the Christians for the great fire that destroyed 10 of the 14 city wards at Rome in 64 A.D., a fire that Nero apparently had ordered himself. The historian Tacitus, not a Christian, said that Nero had the believers "torn by dogs, nailed to crosses, . . . even used as human torches to illumine his gar-dens at night." But Christians were not ALL under persecution everywhere, and all the time. The persecutions were sporadic, with peaceful intervals in between. They varied in their intensity, and were mostly "localized".

There were two, all-out empire-wide persecutions intended to utterly destroy the early church:

1. The first, under the emperor Decius, began in December, 249. Everyone in the empire had to get a certificate from a government officer verifying that he or she had offered a sacrifice to the gods—an act that most Christians in good conscience could not do.
2. The second, called "The Great Persecution," began on February 23, 303, under Emperor Diocletian. Galerius, the empire's second¬in-command, was behind this persecution policy and continued it after Diocletian's death. For eight long years, official decrees ordered Christians out of public office, scriptures confiscated, church buildings destroyed, leaders arrested, and pagan sacrifices required.

All the reliable methods of torture were mercilessly employed—wild beasts, burning, stabbing, crucifixion, the rack. But, they were all to no avail. The penetration of the faith across the empire, was so pervasive that the church could not be intimidated nor destroyed. In 311, the same Galerius, shortly before his death, weak and diseased, issued an "edict of toleration." This included the statement that it was the duty of Christians "to pray to their God for our good estate."

Doesn't THIS sound like what we've been seeing during the last ten years or so; and even before that?

TRUE DISCIPLES AND END-TIME SOLDIERS

So the question is — Are YOU determined to "be" a true disciple and end-time soldier in the Army of The Lord?

LET's SEE, if you are..

If YOU are, but don't know "how" too be, let's start by:

1. Recommitting to the local church. Pray, Give and Serve, consistently deliberately and "on purpose". Let's "have all things in common", like the "Acts church"..
2. Rededicating your life to Christ, as your first priority. If you've allowed your job, worldly pursuits, family members, friends, or romantic interests, to dictate "what" your commitment to Christ looks like, REPENT.
3. Restoring the family altar in your home. We can "shape" our families, communities, and workplaces through the New Testament Reality in Christ, where we intercede, "live, move and have our being" from a place of total victory!

The enemy (the devil) should be so overwhelmed by the militant disposition and graceful discipline of Christ's Remnant, that when the saints start to posture themselves in PRAYER — supernatural breakthroughs, open doors and humiliating defeat on the forces of darkness becomes common place amongst EVERYONE in the Believing Community of the Kingdom of God!

I have ONE QUESTION for YOU...

Are YOU prepared to fully shoulder the burden attached to your end-time assignment that's directly connected with the Inexhaustible Headship of Jesus Christ?

If you are, LIVE YOUR LIFE in such a way that IT WOULD MATTER, if you were no longer here any more!! WS-3l

Walter L Smith III (WS-3)

Founder, Pure In Heart Int'l Ministries, Inc. (PIHIM)/The Center For Kingdom Advancement (TCFKA)

1445 Valleyhigh Dr NW #7052

Rochester, MN 55901-9998

www.PIHIM.org

www.AskPastorWalter.com

Corporate Line: 424-333-4047

**Leadership Greater Rochester, Class of 2018!

**Gallup Strengths: Positivity, Learner, Connectedness, Responsibility, & Activator

**Member, Rochester Chamber of Commerce (2014)

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