Following His Steps… to Caesarea Maritime
Caesarea stood as the pride of
Rome. A symbol of strength on the
Mediterranian Sea raising its’ fist against the Jewish population they ruled
through brutal oppression. Here Herod
the Great sought to show the world his might and prove that the Jews would
forever be under his thumb.
From stadium seats surrounding the
amphitheater, Rome made sport of slaughtering Christians. If a Jew refused to bow the knee to Ceasar,
his punishment was sure. Lions would be
released into the arena and would feast on their flesh, serving as
entertainment to the foreigners of Israel.
While the beauty of this sea port
is still evident today, the ground still cries out with the blood of the
saints, persecuted and killed for refusing to deny the name of Jesus. Through their witness, faith in Christ lives
on. The faith I now possess is testament
of their dying love for the preservation of God’s truth.
Traveling with us is a persecuted
pastor, imprisoned in the countries of Bhutan and Nepal for preaching the
Gospel. In spite of regular beating and
torture, he refused to deny his Lord to secure his freedom. As the book of Hebrews so aptly described him
and those persecuted before him… “the world was not worthy of them”. How poignant to see John Monger stand on the
same soil where other heroes of the faith gave their lives for their unwavering
devotion to Christ.
I sat with John at lunch and asked
about his 15 month imprisonment in Nepal.
He was promised instant freedom in exchange for denying Christ. Was this a temptation hard to resist? I will never forget his answer… “There was no
temptation,” he said. “It is impossible to deny Christ as Lord when He is truly
Lord!”
When asked how he withstood the
constant torture and beatings, he responded with a quiet smile. “It is a great joy- a privilege- to receive a
beating for the Lord Jesus! Let me be
beat… let me be spit upon… but never let me deny Jesus!”
Later last night we sat together
again and chatted about his walk with Christ since his release from prison
almost 20 years ago. He told story after
story of the ways God reveals Himself to him daily. I walked away marveling at the blessed
intimacy he shares with the Lord. I long
for that too. But I am also keenly aware
that such intimacy comes most often through persecution and trial. I do not wish for these things. I pray that God would change my heart to
embrace those things most uncomfortable to me, that I would know some measure
of such intimacy with my Savior.
I am reminded how little my faith
costs me. Never have I sacrificed
anything of great value for my Lord Jesus.
Not once have I been placed in a position to choose life or death in His
name. I once heard a statement I will
not soon forget… "How can one expect to die for Christ, when he fails to live
for Him?”
I am given daily opportunities to
live for Christ; to take step after step in obedience to his quiet
promptings. Each time I step out in
faith I open the door for another opportunity to hear God’s voice and once
again obey. And so goes a life of faith…
step by step – obey once – obey again.
I have not yet been asked to
suffer physically for Christ. But I have
been nudged continually to step out in faith to do things I would rather leave
to someone else. I have heard God’s call
to tasks I know I cannot do in my own strength. He has drawn me in recent years far outside
my comfort zone, and I have learned that comfort is over-rated when compared to
the joy found in obedience. And with
each “Yes Lord”, I am discovering a deeper intimacy I have not known
before.
I likely have a long way to go to
know even a measure of the intimacy with Christ John has come to know through
his faithful witness. But God invites me
nearer still through every quiet call to obedience and the opportunity to say “yes”
with my choices that honor Him. As I do,
I too can discover the sweet intimacy and overflowing joy John knows. I rest tonight knowing that God has a
specific purpose for my life that might look vastly different than John’s, but through simple, daily obedience can both know a sweeter and sweeter
intimacy with the God who created us for that very purpose. What a sense of joy I already feel for the
promises of God guaranteeing a hope filled future for all of us who are called
as His children! While I still have breath, there is much work to be done in His name. May I glorify Him with each step of my journey...
