John and I had planned this little "getaway" trip to celebrate our anniversary some time ago. We had been looking forward to it so much, believing there would be lovely weather, a nice pool and hot tub to soak in, DVD player in the room to watch a few good movies. Escape! Pleasure! But God said, "No." He literally sequestered us in our small room, unable to go out because of cold and stormy weather. The hotel staff had lied; there were no DVD players and no way to play a movie. The pop machine stole my money twice, no soda for me. OK, perhaps we can at least relax in the hot tub, we thought. "Sorry," the desk clerk informed us, "it isn't working."
It didn't take rocket science to figure out the messages God was sending us: "Stop seeking your own pleasure and seek ME." Once He had my attention, I became grateful instead of bitter. I haven't had this kind of time at home in ages, to just sit with my Lord and listen; to journal His words and ponder His direction. The words have not been easy to hear, but I'm so blessed that He persevered with me and literally "forced" me into a place where I could no longer ignore or dismiss Him with all my busyness and distractions!
Twenty-one Christians were be-headed on a Mediterranean shore, and Father did not allow me to shrug it off as another news story. He made me face those images head-on, looking deeply into the countenances of those brave, faithful followers of Jesus, wondering at the pure shalom I saw there. Their lips were moving as their heads were severed, and someone who viewed it in the Middle East, and who could understand their language, said they were saying, "JESUS CHRIST IS LORD."
Just before I left on this little trip I had asked the Spirit to tell me if there was a book on my shelf that He desired for me to re-read. He caused my eyes to fall on Mark Buchanan's powerful book, "Your God is Too Safe." I've been reading it daily, avidly, knowing it was re-kindling a FIRE of the Holy Spirit in me that has been quenched, buried under ashes of daily routine. But this morning's chapter really astonished me, as it seemed to answer painful questions I'd been asking since seeing the images of these 21 martyrs. In this chapter Mr. Buchanan is asking many difficult questions about why life seems so unfair; why some children die young, why those who love and serve the Lord all their lives die in auto crashes or lose everything in a house fire, why the evil get rich and the good are poor. Fourteen years after this book was written, I ask WHY 21 FAITHFUL BELIEVERS AND SERVANTS OF YESHUA HAD TO DIE SUCH CRUEL, HORRIFIC DEATHS. Buchanan writes, "It's not about life being fair. It's about acceptance. It's about God accepting us as His own, the ones He loves. It's not about being spared from untimely or difficult death. It's about being spared the 'second death' - the death of unbridgeable separation, oblivion and torment, a writhing crowd of teeth-gnashers, and the desolation of unending aloneness. The right thing is to have faith! Faith in the One who doesn't always remedy life's unfairness, but who does far better: He redeems it - its unfairness, its brokenness, its disease and death. And He says to us: TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE!"
As if that answer was not enough to spur us on toward that kind of overcoming faith, I then received a post through the organization Tikun, with no author named. I hope this washes you in tears, as it did me, calling each one of us to crucify our flesh and tear down our worldly idols, so that we might be made worthy to be persecuted or even killed for our faith, only to fall into the embrace of the LIVING GOD! I hope it forever removes from me the desire
to have movies or treats or perfect weather to console my flesh. Here is part of the article from Tikun:
*Consider
the number of the martyrs … 21. That is 3 times 7. Three in Hebrew is
perfection. Seven is complete. 21 martyrs tells us something is
“perfectly complete” or “completed to perfection” … which indicates that
this is a work of YHVH. The Lord allowed this event, and He chose
those, whom He could trust for this assignment, so that the Kingdom of
YHVH could expand in the Middle East.
**Remember
that the blood of the martyrs flowed onto the sand and into the
seawater? Scripture tells us in Revelation 12 that we overcome by the
Blood of the Lamb, by the word of our testimony, and by surrendering our
lives unto death, rather than recanting our faith to keep on living.
Those 21 martyrs were ONE (echad) with the Messiah in the fellowship of
His suffering and death. As they were IN Him, and as He was IN them,
His blood was mingled with the holy blood of their own sacrifice. The
blood of the martyrs for Yeshua is holy, and it is powerful. Wherever
it touches, revival is released. Martyrs’ blood ALWAYS fertilizes
revival. Yeshua’s blood was mingled with theirs as it flowed onto the
land and into the sea. The currents and tides of the sea will carry and
is carrying that life-giving blood the full length of the Mediterranean
coastline, and to every country connected to it. Just think about that!
What a game changer that will be in the region!
Those
precious 21 men, whose heads were removed because they held to the
testimony of Yeshua, and because of His word, are now seated
victoriously in heaven. They are awaiting the time, when Yeshua will
return to the earth to defeat all the enemies, who stand against His
reality and sovereignty. These martyrs will return with Him to rule as
His governors across the face of the earth for 1,000 years. Even when
the final battle comes, when satan and all of his forces will finally be
cast in the lake of fire, these chosen ones will never taste
death again. They are living their eternal victory right now. They are
in the presence of the Lord NOW, and they will be perpetually in
fellowship with Him as He rules on the earth and then throughout
eternity. They were chosen for this honor, and they didn’t fail Him.
They presented Him with the BEST GIFT and with the greatest honor they
could give. Oh, that each of us would do the same!! This recent event of
martyrdom has hopefully changed all of us in the true Body of Messiah.
Hopefully it has opened our eyes to see our lives and our deaths in a
different life. Hopefully, it has inspired us to deeper a faith, and
caused us to let go of the fear that satan speaks to us constantly.
When Yeshua said that He would be with us TO THE END, He also indicated
by His words that He would be with us IN OUR END …
