Our call to worship yesterday morning…a call to arms.
“If you’ve been keeping up with the news, you know that terrible, unspeakable things are being done to Christians in northern Iraq. Horrifying images are invading our social media, and calls for action are loud and many.
We want those who are perpetrating these things to be crushed. And it is right for us to want this. They are clearly enemies of God, and they must be stopped.
We want to take some action to facilitate their destruction, or at least to stop the blood letting.
But let us remember that persecution is a matter of course for Christians. We have been told to expect it and to rejoice in the face of it. It seems like foolishness at least, and madness at most to even suggest it, I know. But these are the words of our Lord: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
This does not require us to be silent. Neither does it call us to inaction. But let us not lose sight of the weaponry we have most certainly been given to fight such evil.
We have been given baptism and bread and wine. We have been given Psalms. We have been given the Word of truth. We have been given prayer. We have been given, in short, worship. When we worship we are doing battle with the forces of evil in every sphere – in heaven and on earth.
And so let us worship this morning like it actually matters. Let us wage war with the powers of darkness in this present world. Let us raise YHWH’s banner high, and declare his lordship over all. And let us come to the table, which he prepares before us in the presence of our enemies.”
May we continue to wage war, declaring the truth that Christ is King.
The Common Place 
We were in a service yesterday at Heritage Baptist Church, and were there to hear Dr. Davis Shepard and his wife report on the work they are doing in India. The pastor brought this very thing up, about what ISIS is doing to the Christians in Iraq. This was his view as well, that if we are really going to worship God, we must care for a pray for those of His who are being killed for their faith.I was very pleasantly shocked to see a group come together and NOT be there to please and entertain themselves, but have a real heart for worshipping God, God's people and reaching others…Daddy
LikeLike
His name is DAVID Shepard…I hate auto complete…
LikeLike