Exodus 1
5 All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. 7 But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.
8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel.
In our calling to be Christlike we ought to remember that as much as Jesus is the Lamb of God, He is the Lion of Judah. When I look at the bomb blasts in the two Churches in Lahore – Pakistan, it seems that these Christians are calling for the world to sympathise with their circumstances but as such if a Church (body of believers) is truly from God then the world would hate that Church for bearing the righteousness of God, as over supporting and empathising with it.
John 15
19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
Today the circumstances are such that if we eliminate one threat of terror, many more arise, which is as though these favour God’s justice upon a world which has turned slothful in its faith in Christ. Take a look at the record of Exodus 1:5-12 and you will know that such multiplication of people is given by God, to meet His purpose (Prov16:4). Now we can either glorify God’s grace and mercy through genuine faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Jn14:1) or we can glorify God’s justice and wrath from heretic notions concerning God, which never defined true Christianity.
What Christians mostly perceive about God today is nothing but heresy, which for most part is because these do not know their Bibles from cover to cover. The plight of the Christian Church is such that if Christians were to go through the list of predefined heresies, they would realise that they do ascribe to some of them concerning what Christianity teaches, when in truth Christianity teaches none of these. Such is the spiritual sloth the Church is dealing with today. The truth is people are not bored about God, they are merely fed-up with the same old repetitive lies they fabricate concerning God. After all unlike the truth, lies cannot be enjoyed like they were an original.
Concerning the two blast in Lahore, which targeted Christians on Easter (Resurrection Sunday), I am sceptical about how many from these masses who were targeted, were living their lives for Jesus Christ as over merely living for themselves. In most cases of Christian heresy I have observed that these so called Christians are spineless and compromise their Christian lifestyle from unholy fear of godless fools. Yes, I know of Pakistan’s blasphemy law and it reminds me of how Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego defied the State in its apostasy by refusing to pay homage in any form to the golden image of Nebuchadnezzar (Dan3:1-18), which was initiated by political mischief.
For most part people are ashamed of the Gospel only because they are ashamed of the truth. It’s true that it takes an individual a whole lot of courage to speak out against the masses who err with great passion. Some of the famous passive thought trains among humanists are:
· if you can’t beat them, join them
· when in Rome, do as the Romans do
This is merely because people comprise on the reverence for God out of fear of the people. It happens even here in India that Christians receive/eat the sweets offered to Idols out of fear of the people but such fear estimates that these people are the ever present standard to these Christians as over God, whose good pleasure is set aside because these Christians fear the people as over fearing God.
Rom 13
Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behaviour, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.
To conclude, if the Christians in Pakistan start living out their Christianity as over cowering under the lies of Islam, while still trying to appease people around them, then they shall inherit the blessing of Ex1:12 by grace as over being made subject of God’s justice. The Christian code is a moral code and though the Pakistani government may ascribe to Islam, its function is to maintain Law and Order in the country, which is impossible under Islam because Islam lacks the idea of what defines a society, while its teachings promote anarchy and disestablishment of a nation. So if Christians were to exercise their faith in their nation, Pakistan will not only become more tolerant to the Gospel but would also flourish as a nation.
Ezek 36 (God’s promise to His elect)
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. 28 Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God. 29 I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you. 30 And I will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so that you need never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations.
Making known the Defeated Dragon 