Christ is risen! Truly He is risen!

If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.  1 Corinthians 12:26

Thirty of our brothers have been martyred on the shores of Libya.  May God rest their souls and give them crowns in His heavenly kingdom and comfort their families.   Many more are hiding in Libya.   Thousands of Ethiopians and fellow Africans are in fear in South Africa after Xenophobic attacks.  Thousands are stranded in Yemen.  Many of our sisters are being abused throughout the Middle East.  The body of Christ in Iraq, Syria, Libya and throughout the Middle East are being slaughtered, burned, crucified and buried alive.

Many ask, What shall we do?  Some say let’s send money to help out. It is noble to help out in this way but we can only help so much.  Some say let’s pray.  Yes, we need to pray for those already with the Lord and for the protection of all those in fear.  Will our prayers by itself be effective?  Did the people in Nineveh through the warning of Jonah only prayed or did they do something else?

There is one thing we always miss and that Christ calls each one of us to do.  The cry is the same today.  Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand!!!   More than anything else, He wants our confession and repentance.  Let’s us not think for one moment that, we will be safe here in the West.  It is only a matter of time.  The only safety we have is in Jesus Christ.  How?  By sharing the fellowship of His suffering.  Let’s experience our shame before our brothers and sisters.   Christ bore His shame and looked horrible before the world on the Cross to teach us.  Do we ever learn to expose ourselves so that we find our resurrection in Him? Or do we hide in the bushes and cover ourselves with Fig leaves just like our Father Adam?   David the Psalmist says in Psalm 19: 12 “Who can understand his errors (sins)? Cleanse me from secret faults (sins).  If we cover our sins, we will not find healing.  If we are struggling, let’s ask Him for grace.  He will be more than happy to give us His grace so we can repent.  It is high time, we take action and go to the person we offended to confess and ask for forgiveness.  And for those that have been hurt to forgive.  Let’s do it before time runs out.

When we confess and repent, we help our brothers and sisters who are in harm’s way.  Because through our repentance, the Spirit of God moves in and strengthens the Body of Christ, for we are all one body in Christ Jesus.  God help us and have mercy on us.

Matthew 11: 28 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”