To Encourage You

Revelation 2:10-11 “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.”

I was reading a book the other day that made reference to the Pony Express.  This service made it possible to move the mail from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California, a distance of 1,900 miles, in about 10 days.   According to Wikipedia, there were about 190 stations along this route. At each station riders would change horses. Each rider would ride about 75 miles each day. It was an extremely dangerous job, with riders facing difficult terrain, sometimes terrible weather conditions, and the threat of attacks by Indians and bandits.  Job advertisements posted for this unique occupation read as follows: “WANTED. YOUNG, SKINNY, WIRY FELLOWS. NOT OVER 18. MUST BE EXPERT RIDERS. WILLING TO RISK DEATH DAILY. ORPHANS PREFERRED.” Yet, there were over 6,000 riders employed by this enterprise at the height of its operation. Apparently, this life of adventure appealed to many, despite the dangers that could come with it. 

But did you know that the Pony Express only operated from April 1, 1860 to October 26, 1861, a period of just under 19 months.  It went bankrupt with the advent of the telegraph on October 24, 1861.  In any event, as I thought about this, my thoughts turned to the Christian life.  There is a rather prominent segment of “Christianity,” if you can even call it that, that promises nothing but blessings if you choose to follow Jesus.  Their preachers promise untold health, wealth, and prosperity of every kind if you will just believe (and send your “seed” money as a down payment on these blessings).  How at odds this is with the life that Jesus spoke about.  Listen to this “advertisement,” if you will, from His lips: “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles . . . Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death,and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake” (Matthew 10:16-22).  Sounds like fun, doesn’t it?  Almost reads like that ad for the Pony Express! 

So, who would want to do this? Who would want to follow someone when that new way of life could result in untold hardship and even death? Why did the apostles follow a leader who was tortured mercilessly and left to die on a cross?  Why would someone in North Korea follow Christ when to do so might mean arrest, torture, imprisonment, and death? 

Well, it’s because the true believers know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus didn’t just die on the cross. They realize that on the third day He rose again. They know that the suffering of every Christian has a limit, just as the words above from Jesus to the first century church in Smyrna in Asia Minor promised.  Believers may be tested for a relatively short time, and in that suffering we may even die, but know this: those who follow Jesus will never experience the second death! It is this death which is the experience of suffering apart from the presence of God and all His blessings that will last forever.  Jesus explained this very thing in the account of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16, where it says, “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’”

What about you? Will you “sign up” for this life of following Jesus, an adventure that could, nevertheless, result in short- term pain for eternal gain, or will you pass on Jesus’ offer, only to find yourself lost forever in the end.  It’s the offer that Jesus has made to us.  It’s a path on which He led. But it’s a path that leads to an end to all suffering at the end of our short time here on earth.  As we are told in Hebrews 12:1-2, believers are those who are encouraged with these words: “let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” It’s a race that is worth running, despite the difficulties that may come with it. It’s a life of eternal blessing at God’s right hand in the end.