Mark 13:9-13 “You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
Such passages as the above challenge us with the truth of the gospel: what it means to be a Christian. Sometimes we want to think the scripture that says all things will work together for good for those who follow Christ means that our lives will be stress free and secure. We want to believe the vicissitudes and hardships of life will not touch Christians. We want to believe, as sons and daughters of the Most High, only good and positive experiences will come our way. Why should sorrows, pain, and frustration be part of our lives? Why should floggings, arrests, trials, and death be part of following Christ? Such a life seems incongruous for a child of God, under the authority of the Creator himself. So much pain and sorrow sounds incompatible with the idea of Jesus saying we are the salt and light of the earth. We must go to the Word where many scriptures speak of trials and suffering. Paul reveals the truth of following Christ unreservedly: Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. (2 Corinthians 6:4-10) Paul recounts his personal journey, but many Christians throughout the ages have experienced such difficulties, and, concomitantly, the same successes Paul experienced. We are all susceptible to the reality of Christ's words on account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them; and all men will hate you because of me. Our journey might be a relatively easy one, never having to stand before magistrates, defending our allegiance to Christ. Though we might not be hated by the secular world as Paul was hated, whether we live a safe life or an endangered life, Christ's demands on us remain the same. As Paul told the Philippians: Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. (1:27-28)
The significant focus of the today's passage is not the troubles we might experience, but the reality that we have the indwelling Spirit of God to help us when we are exposed to great difficulties. When John writes about defeating the spirit of antichrist, he says, You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. (1John 4:4) The Spirit is always present with us to comfort support, and guide us through the struggles of life. When we need to defend ourselves against the lions that roar against us, He will protect us with his power and his words of life. God has given us words to express the truth of life. He has given us language so that He might communicate with us in an intimate way. He reveals himself through powerful words of truth. The Bible was written for our edification. The Spirit uses the inspired words of the Bible to talk to our hearts and to defeat the enemy. He also uses his still, small voice deep in our hearts, expressing in a direct manner his desires and love for us. This communication allows us to have a constant, ongoing, intimate relationship with him. We use words to petition him about our needs and the needs of others. We use this language to rejoice about God's goodness. We praise him with loud voices, using our god-given ability to exult him. God has given us words to express his wonderfulness to the world. Without words we would not know the intimacy that we can have with God. But God was good to us, He gave us words so that we might know him, appreciate him, love him, and understand that He will never leave us for we are made in his image. As the psalmist wrote: Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD. (Psalm 150:6)
Jesus tells us when we stand before our accusers do not worry beforehand about what to say. He is saying very explicitly that we have within us the Spirit of God who will provide us with the right words for our defense and for the glory of God. The courtroom will have a personality in it that no one will see, but this personality will be the most important person in the room, for He will speak truth to everyone in that courtroom. They will know that the man or woman standing before them is speaking words that supersede the person's natural ability and knowledge. We who are called Christians must believe in the viability of the Holy Spirit within us. We must be in contact with the Spirit of God daily. He should be an active voice in our minds. If He is not, if you cannot hear him, you must pray for that revelation. When Jesus was preparing for his death, He told his disciples that He had to go away, so the Holy Spirit could come. He said, But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:26) Jesus knew we needed this great teacher to prepare us for the world we would face. For in the time of trouble, you will need that still small voice speaking truth through you to the world. If you don't know him in an intimate way, you will merely speak from your own experiences, knowledge and wisdom. God wants to encourage every believer today with his voice. He wants to tell you that you are his son or daughter. He wants to express his love towards you, his kindness and mercy. And He wants you to know that He will never abandon you. Someday, when you die, your ears will be stopped to all other voices. Then you will hear the one, true voice, the eternal voice, that will say, "Welcome home, my beloved child." But please today, seek that voice inside of you. Let the voices of this world be less real than that quiet voice within you. He wants to encourage you, lead and bless you.
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