In His Name

Because we belong to Jesus, that will place us at odds with those who do not know Him, who do not claim Him, and who are offended by Him.  But, this is not unexpected; Paul wrote in 2nd Timothy
chapter 3:
12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them...

We are facing tough terrain for the Kingdom of God these days.  If we want to cling to Christ and uphold His teachings, then we can expect to be chided, maybe ridiculed; we may face an argument. But the good news is that God gives us strength in the face of opposition, and we can appropriate His joy when we run up against it.  And, we can never forget that people are won to the Lord as they encounter His love, as well as the truth of the gospel...so we have the responsibility to live in love, to show compassion, to be willing to listen and build relationships with others, so that, as Jesus taught, they may see our good works and glorify our Father.

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In 1st Peter 4, we are reminded that in the name of Jesus, we may face opposition because of Who we belong to and for Whom we stand:
14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters.
16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.

Maybe you've been hearing about town hall meetings across the country which are drawing some impressive crowds, numbers-wise, but where you do have some people that appear to have been placed there merely to disrupt.  It's a healthy thing in a democracy to communicate with and petition our elected representatives, but it's clearly something else, something not productive, when the intent is to disrupt.

That apparently was the case at a recent town hall meeting in Metairie, Louisiana, hosted by U.S. Representative Bill Cassidy.  Todd Starnes of Fox News reports that chaplain Michael Sprague was opening the meeting in prayer when the hecklers began to shout: “Pray on your own time. This is our time,” someone shouted. “Amen. Let’s get on with it.”

He relates that, "Others chanted, 'Separation of church and state' and so on and so forth. Someone filmed the prayer and words do not do justice to the amount of hate directed at the chaplain."

Sprague told Starnes: “I’ve never been shouted down throughout a time of prayer like that,” adding, "I’ve never been in a situation like that. It’s sad there wasn’t honor and respect for God."

Starnes continued:

But they became absolutely unhinged when he concluded his prayer in the name of Jesus.

“Wow, they booed the name of Jesus,” Cassidy said in remarks reported by the Times Picayune.

And, Todd related:

I thought several of the agitators were going to spontaneously combust.

The chaplain said the overwhelming majority of people in the room were causing a disruption – but he harbors no ill will toward the mob.

“I’m not mad at people. My heart is bigger than that,” he said. “My heart’s prayer is that everybody be treated with dignity and respect.”

Also, a Vietnam War Veteran attempting to lead the Pledge of Allegiance was heckled.

Who knows who these people were or how they ended up at a Congressman's town hall meeting. But, their worldview was certainly on display.  Booing prayer, being disrespectful to the Pledge, led by a veteran.  These are quite possibly the type of individuals who would champion tolerance, except for when someone disagrees with them...those who would reject Biblical values in the name of their narrow definition of tolerance, yet brand those of us who follow the Scriptures as intolerant.

It's a confusing and concerning time, but can remind us of the words of Jesus to His disciples in John 16, as He taught them that they would have tribulation in this world, but to be of good cheer, because - why?  He has overcome!!  We are not choosing sides in opposition to the positions of others, but we have made the decision to align with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, and if we are right with Him, we can know that we can stand in the face of opposition resolute and rejoicing!

We also have to recognize, I believe, that there is power in the name of Jesus.  His name is above every name, and there are those who do not want to acknowledge that.  That puts His name in a special class.  I would dare say that there are those that do not want to submit to Christ who will be offended by the name of Jesus.  But, Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, reminded us that "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."