I read an article this morning about a large (I believe one of if not the largest) church in China being ransacked and shut down with the pastors being thrown in prison. I am saddened but not surprised.
How can I not be surprised?
I am not surprised because this is exactly what Jesus said would happen and would continue to happen until His return.
I am saddened though. Not because I feel the Christians over there are being robbed, in fact I believe they are more blessed in a way then many in our current Western civilization can be. Those followers of Christ knew the cost and they knew the risks they would take when they chose to follow Jesus. Following Christ was not something they decided they would do on the side it was The one thing they were going to do.
I am saddened that my brothers and sisters in Christ are suffering but I think it may be something more then that. Maybe it is that I am saddened at myself that these people are wholeheartedly following Christ while I struggle with meaningless “sacrifices” that aren’t even really sacrifices.
I said that I was not surprised but I believe that many people were and are surprised at what is going on. Why? Because we have been indoctrinated in Christianity that isn’t a reality or we have been fed what Christianity is without really looking at what Jesus called us to be.
Wealth, success, affluence, health, freedom and a laundry list of other perks we feel we are to be endowed with by calling Jesus our own. Even if we don’t think we are entitled to these things we debate amongst ourselves on what we should do or what we need to give up, to follow Jesus.
We ask if we really should give God our first 10% then we debated whether that should be before or after taxes.
We ask if we can still follow Christ and hold onto a sin.
We wonder how far we can go to the edge without sinning.
We worship God on Sundays in our beautiful buildings without any fear of persecution and we say a prayer and then continue on with life as if God isn’t even there.
We listen to Christian music and let the words slip through us.
We listen to God’s Word and we don’t let it sink in, we don’t act on what we hear.
I am saddened that we don’t really know Jesus like those persecuted in the story.
I am saddened that we look at Jesus as a “buddy” 
someone who we want to get something from instead of seeing Him as a Holy, Loving, Majestic, Worthy of Praise, Redeemer, Great Judge, Lamb of God, King of Kings, Lord of Lords and GOD.
Maybe it is time to change our perspective on who Jesus is and how worthy He is to be praised and worshiped above everything. Jesus needs nothing from us and yet He gave up everything for us. We should be doing all we can just to be near Him and worship.
