May 12, 2019 Fourth Sunday of Easter – Mother’s Day

“9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” 13 ¶ Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” 14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. 16 “They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 “for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”” (Revelation 7:9-17 NKJV)

When I first became a Christian some told me since I was a Christian I would no longer suffer. There are times I wanted to punch them! (I know that is a very unchristian thought but I must confess it.) But Jesus promises, and seeks to prepare us for the suffering and tribulation we will face when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior!

Take time to peruse (I love that word!) the Bible and over and over, cover to cover God reveals to us the suffering of His people who are ambassadors of God in a world that hates and despises God!!!

The prophets are murdered, the apostles are murdered and those who trust in God often become martyrs or die with the fallen people who cause their own judgment by arrogantly making themselves God!

(Many believe more Christians are being persecuted and martyred now then at any other time in history.)

One of the traditions of the early Church is that the book of Revelation was written to be smuggled into Christians who were to be tried and must choose to reject Jesus or to hold on to their faith in Jesus and accept that His suffering is worth our suffering for!

We do not like to think of this. Those who told me there is no suffering as a Christian desperately want to believe this is true! But to do so is to not prepare ourselves for destruction! To not be prepared for destruction is to invite destruction.

We see in the school shootings people are trained what to do when an active shooter situation (what is an inactive shooter?) Training is preparation so we will not fail.

Have you prepared for suffering and tribulation? Does reading this passage call you to be prepared to make the decision to trust in God and suffer for your faith in God? Are you prepared to walk in the footsteps of the cross bearing Jesus?

There is a saying “To fail to prepare is to prepare to fail.”