Jailed For our Stand in Christ

Jesus said, Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you? John 8:10. If He asked the adulterous woman that question today, her response might be, “No Lord. They’ve gone off to Kentucky, USA, to accuse Kim Davis instead.” Have you heard the accusing sodomites? “How many times have you been married, Kim?” How about the self-important journalists? How they have reviled everywhere in reporting of her four marriages and giving birth out of wedlock. Sodomite or journalist, if I was in the presence of this godless, accusing lot I would draw their attention to the woman of Samaria John 4:7-42. Kim is in good company!

We ought to obey God rather than men Acts 5:29. For generations Christians in the West have expressed an “Amen” to that Scripture without much threat from godless, Christ-despising men-pleasers, whether they be judges or politicians, or anyone else. But those days are gone now. Kim is not the only one of course, a few of God’s people in the US have been sorely persecuted and otherwise harmed for their Christian stand, it’s just that they haven’t been, “married four times” or given birth “out of wedlock” or been accused by sodomites and journalists as being homophobic. What an idiotic word ‘homophobic’ is! “Phobia” means ‘irrational fear of.’ We don’t fear them; we oppose their immorality and demonic efforts enforcing us to accept it as normal.

Apparently Kim Davis has been a Christian for only four years. It’s business as usual for new Christians in the West to face tests of some kind for their faith in Christ and their stand on the Word of God, but jail? Now that’s a whole new ball game! I quite often ask myself, what would I do if I were in such a position? One thing I would not do is begin to pray, I would continue to pray. In other words, I would do everything I could to know the mind of God in advance when threatened with jail, not seek the mind of God on my way there. Pray without ceasing 1 Thessalonians 5:17 is not in the Scriptures for no good reason. That doesn’t mean I have to be on my knees all day or expressing words all day, thought prayer or mental prayer is awesomely powerful too.

The promise for such prayer? You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You Isaiah 26:3. That will be Kim Davis’ testimony. How about her judge? Presently we can’t know, but this is God’s promise to him, For He brings down those who dwell on high Isaiah 26:5. He doesn’t believe that of course, but that doesn’t matter – God does! She was jailed for “breaking the law.”But that’s a lie. God has a grand truth in mind for this man; He’s going to break him for breaking the law – God’s Law! It is often later than sooner, but no matter when, all who tread on God’s Law and God’s people will be trodden on by God Himself. Some experience the terrors of that before they die, most experience it after they die Hebrews 10:31.

“I don’t pray as often as I should,” is a common admittance from Christians. Well top marks for honesty, but it’s better to tell God than tell others, for others can do nothing about it. God can and He will if we confess the matter to Him. He will put that desire in our heart. It will not be our Scripture knowledge alone that enables us to endure the godless and their persecutions. Scripture is the weapon of all weapons but prayer is the trigger of all triggers! No soldier would dare go into battle carrying a loaded weapon with a faulty trigger. Neither should a soldier of Jesus Christ. The great difference between personally winning or losing against our enemy and his crowd is always due to how disciplined we are in prayer.

“I lose concentration when praying,” is a common concern for many Christians, who then suffer guilt and condemnation because of it. Once again, it is wise to tell God. “Lord, it is Your will I seek, not my will.” If we pray something like that, God will take us at our word and put us back on track. We must remind ourselves God is not looking at our feelings, only our faith and that’s a faithful prayer! Such faith was God-given at the beginning of our walk with the Lord and it remains God-given to the end of our walk. Someone says, “But I need more faith.” Don’t we all! There’s only one sure way of getting it and that is to stay in the Scriptures. So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God Romans 10:17.

“I wish I had more time to pray,” is a common confession for some Christians – the genuine kind, not excuse-makers. Single parents, mothers with young children, shift workers – they’ll confess to that. And the last thing they need is a pious judgment tipped on them from someone who is blessed with time. One of the most glorious helps in overcoming guilt from this problem comes in the form of an instruction from Jesus, But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you Matthew 6:33. If God is first in our life Jesus will take care of the rest. One thing added to you will be peace. When peace governs, the Holy Spirit governs, so let Him take care of time.

To be led by the Holy Spirit in prayer is to know we are not only praying in the presence of God, but also we’re praying according to the will of God. And should I be in doubt on any of it I simply say, “Lord, if this prayer is not according to your leading and will, I want nothing to do with it.” But I don’t say that when seeking divine wisdom, insight,   understanding, knowledge and discernment, for all these are the will of God for us. One reason God wants us endowed with these, they give clear distinctions between people who are truly standing for Him and misguided people who only think they are. Right now in the Kim Davis saga, whilst there are plenty of the former, there are far too many of the latter!

Vilification is Kim Davis’ experience. Once again though, she’s in good company, the company of Jesus Himself this time. Vilification will be our experience too if we take the same stand. And just like her, it will not only be sodomites, judges and politicians doing the vilifying, Christians will be in on the act as well, for sure. Nevertheless, Jesus has the last word, Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My name’s sake Matthew 5:11. “How little do many persons think, that in opposing the doctrine of Christ as our Prophet, Priest, and King, they prove themselves ignorant of the one living and true God, whom they profess to worship!” – Matthew Henry. 

Whether we’re jailed for our stand in Christ and His word or simply persecuted and ostracized, the practice of unceasing prayer now, prepares us well for the vilification to come from Christians we presently believe to be one with us. Unprepared, the shock of discovering they’re not one with us will be devastating. But to experience them turning against us will be doubly so. Although he wrote prophetically of Jesus, it was also King David’s experience. Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread has lifted up his hand against me Psalm 41:9, cf. John 13:18. There are numerous benefits in preparing for vilification, not the least of them being our empowerment by the Holy Spirit to bless them, not curse them in that day.

Christians in the West choosing jail over compromising their faith in Jesus Christ and His Word will be spoken of by Satan’s crowd as fools. That’s the way of it – always has been. However, although they’ll speak of us as such, deep down they won’t believe it, they will envy us. They will envy our courage, our boldness and our faith, but better than that, they will envy our spiritual power and authority that we have over them. Yes they will; God will make sure of that. Satan never thought Jesus a fool, only a threat! We, His people are seen as no different! He fears us as much as he fears Jesus. Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, we are the voice of Jesus on this earth. My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth Isaiah 59:21.

Kim Davis will be out of jail by the time this post is published. No matter, changes to it will not be made. If it no longer applies to her situation it’ll apply to others soon enough. There’s no turn-back now for this godless, Christ-despising lot. But what we Christians must grasp hold of: these people don’t care about same-sex marriage licences, that’s simply a vehicle they’re riding in on to attack our stand for Jesus Christ and His word. The real attack is upon truth, holiness, righteousness and the forthcoming judgment. That’s why we must be people of unceasing prayer. They might jail us but they will not jail the Holy Spirit within us. We win! Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it Matthew 7:13. He who is not with Me is against Me Matthew 12:30.