The Blessing We Wish To Avoid

Last year I had the opportunity to meet Tom while I was at the summer persecution conference, and I found him to be such and endearing man.  He was extremely funny, and yet at the same time very serious about what people of faith are enduring worldwide.  Tom has also suffered for his faith, and that made meeting him all the more a great experience for me.

So this month he writes about "The Blessing We Wish to Avoid" and I wanted to ask those of you who are also reading this month's newsletter what your thoughts are.  Please leave your comments below.

Here's what stood out to me - Tom wrote, "Twenty-seven-year-old Hossein, a new Christian convert from Islam, was charged with attending a home church, evangelizing, storing Bibles and converting to the Christian faith.  This was his second arrest.  This time he was temporarily released after placing his home on collateral.  If  he loses a house for Christ's sake, does heaven regard his sacrifice as a blessing or a curse?  Will he stop his activity?  Does he know that if everything is God's then he loses nothing?  I think he does.  Jesus promises him a mansion with many rooms someday."

After reading this I couldn't help but think of the pastor and his wife in San Diego who were recently told to stop holding a bible study in their home because of the "unlawful use of land".  And while it may not be quite putting their house of for collateral, what is interesting is that this is America where everyone is supposed to have freedom to assembly and free exercise of their religion.

Now is the time to lay aside every sin that so easily entangles us and to run the race with endurance, regardless of the cost.  As Tom reminds us in his article, Jesus promises a mansion with many rooms someday, and that will be nothing compared to what we may lose in this lifetime.

Starting today, let's embrace the blessings we choose to avoid.