trials and tribulations

I just finished reading an excellent work of fiction: The Last Disciple. The novel was written as a sort of "counterpoint" to The Left Behind series. The authors interpret The Book of Revelation and other Old Testaments prophecies as pertaining directly to the first century church (what they call the "fore future" as the events happen shortly after John pens his letter on Patmos). The book takes the stance that the great tribulation warned of in John's Revelation was not a far future event, but directly related to the persecution of Christians under Nero. Setting Nero up as the Beast from Revelation, the authors paint a thrilling and shocking picture of life under Nero.

The eschatology of the novel has certainly gotten me thinking, but even more so, the descriptions of Christians suffering in the arenas and in other manners became more "food for thought" than the more directly theological aspects.

In John 16:33 Jesus states "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Jesus outright proclaims that we will have troubles in this world, yet so many of us act that as Christians, our lives out to be easy. In the spirit of The Prayer of Jabez, we see God as the great big Santa Claus in the sky that should give us what we "deserve". And when someone simply sneers at our faith, we see ourselves as persecuted.

And we forget that there are others sitting in jail, starving, being raped, tortured, all for their faith. Yet we think God is a God that ought to give us our comforts.

Reading books like The Last Disciple with accounts and depictions of persecution such as being covered in tar and set on fire to provide street lights in the evening....it makes me wonder how strong my faith would be in the face of real persecution. I fail so many times in just the day to day matters, the exasperations of life, that I wonder if I could stand up to something much worse. I can only pray that if that ever happens, I could be strong in my faith and not deny my Lord.