AUTHOR: TKN
THEME: IT’S OKAY TO HIDE
KEY VERSE:
John 7:1
After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in open, because the Jews sought to kill Him.
MESSAGE:
At this point in time, Jesus was a target, they wanted to kill Him. And what we hear in our verse is that Jesus started not to walk in public especially in areas where Jews were BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO KILL HIM.
You may ask: Why is Jesus hiding now, while before this time He would simply skip away when they were about to catch Him? Well, that’s what makes today’s theme so important; Jesus certainly new that He will die in the hands of the Jews but this time we still find Him doing things as if He would not want to die. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING in what Jesus does is that He shows us so many things about dying for the gospel. We may be willing to die for the gospel but we should also know that it doesn’t mean we should just give up easily. Just imagine if Jesus had died before His right time, THEN HE WOULD HAVE NOT DONE SOME OTHER THINGS HE DID. Many would say this was fear but IT WAS ABOUT TIMING because He surely understood that it wasn’t for Him to give up early. That reminds us of Paul the apostle, who knew that he would suffer a lot for Christ but many times he would be helped by other believers to escape death (it wasn’t time yet), but when it was time for him to die, he would not escape. Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 10:23 to run when there is persecution in a particular area: But when they persecute you in this city, flee into another: for verily I say unto you, You shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man come. So what?, what’s the lesson?, well, ITS OKAY TO HIDE OR RUN. There is a lot of persecution around the world because of the gospel, so if you are in such areas please when you have the ability to run DO SO as God leads you. But you don’t have to stop preaching AT ANY COST, preach everywhere you go. In Matthew 24: 20-21 it says: But pray you that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. Finally, follow Jesus and Paul and refuse premature deaths, Run until you can’t run anymore (ACCEPT TO DIE FOR CHRIST WHEN YOU HAVE REACHED YOUR END). If you are at peace, PRAY FOR THOSE IN TROUBLE FOR THE GOSPEL.
PRAYER:
Dear Jehovah God,
Help me be wise and know when to stay and when to walk away. In Jesus Christ I pray Amen.
JIFAN 