[the word and fire]

i've swum the ocean of regret. in the midst of all my pleasure, i've felt the pain of remorse. though i cried unto God and my ears heard no response, i knew in my heart that He heard my voice and moved on my behalf.

it is in the difficult times that God forges our character. i think we all get that. that knowledge doesn't always keep us from getting frustrated over our circumstances. we get lost in ourselves, our plans and our goals and we forget to look for the One who is Wonderful.

when you place a log into a burning fire and watch it, the first thing you will see is the flames spread around the log. as it is cooler, the water on the surface sustains the log and keeps it from the burning flames. but as the heat overcomes the surface water, the flames dance closer. the flames begin to lick the surface. shortly, the flames are no longer content to stay on the surface. soon, you can hear the crackling, hissing and popping as the wood inside dries out. quickly discontented with the drying process, the flames leap to consume the wood. once the log breaks apart, it has become coals that are no longer ON fire, but rather, CONTAIN fire.

we must prepare ourselves for the hard place. that is not to say we must set up walls and and blockages to cushion the pain; but that we ought to prepare our hearts and spirits for the onslaught of the enemy allowed by God that enables us to be refined- and defined.

make no mistake, the attacks are coming if they have not yet begun. suffering is not a sign of God's displeasure, rather it is a symbol of our status. we are not to endure suffering, but (as john piper argues from romans 5) we are to rejoice in it. tribulation works patience. every pain we experience works out for His glory. our exposed weaknesses proves to expose His strengths.

all over the world, the price of being a christian is rising. the cost of being a christian is going up. it has always been high, but at this time in history, there is a form of spiritual inflation at work and we are being asked if we are willing to pay the price.

what do we do with 2 timothy 3:12? i once heard john piper preach a sermon in which he spoke of a renowned bible smuggler who was teaching a group of local pastors. at one point in the meeting, a well-respected romanian pastor entered the room who had spent the previous twelve years in prison for his faith. he asked the younger smuggler about the conditions of the gospel in his home nation. to which the smuggler replied, "we have none." the romanian pastor asked how this could be, and the smuggler thought for a moment and responded, "i think that perhaps it is because we do not take advantage of all the opportunities that we are presented with." and then the romanian pastor asked his final question: "brother, what do you do with 2 timothy 3:12?" at this point, the young smuggler, opened his bible and began to read aloud to the group of local pastors: "indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." the smuggler closed his bible, and said, "forgive me dear brother, but we do nothing with 2 timothy 3:12."

when we contain fire of a godly life in Christ Jesus, we will be persecuted, and we will stand as a light to others.

for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...