Philippians 3
7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Psalms 137
5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.
6 If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.
If I forget Jerusalem and do not exalt it above my chief joy, may my right hand forget itself and my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth – this is a deep matter! It reveals what our relationship is to Jesus Christ, and what it should mean to us. Paul counted all rubbish compared to knowing Christ Jesus. It’s a disgrace when some Christians cherish some private ideal and desire above Christ and forsake Him for rubbish, like lust, money or anything else of this world.
Many of our brothers and sisters experience daily persecution in Muslim and Communist countries. If a Muslim converts to Christianity his own family will kill him, as the Koran requires. A certain Muslim who converted to Christianity in 1994 had to flee for his life to America. He was a professor at the prestigious university of Cairo in Egypt, teaching Islamic history. He got disillusioned with Islam and spoke his thoughts in class. His students reported him and he was arrested and terribly tortured (burned with a cigarette, a hot iron, beaten under his feet until he fainted more than once, and much more), to force him to confess that he’s forsaken Islam. Eventually his uncle got him out of jail and his accusers withdrew all their charges. He then worked for a year for his father in his business, but he got sick because of his spiritual struggle. One day he went to a chemist, told her his struggle and asked for headache pills. She handed him the pills and the New Testament. That night he read the New Testament and was touched right from Matthew 5. Never anyone spoke as Jesus Christ. There and then he gave his life to Christ. Later when his dad heard of his conversion he tried to kill him, but he fled first to South Africa. Here he publicly debated Muslims and showed the truth of Christianity for three years. Soon they tried to kill him here too. Then he fled to America, and wrote two books where he relates his life story
Just see what Jesus means for those who become Christians in Muslim and Communist countries. They count all rubbish for His sake. They suffer all for His sake and are not ashamed of Him, but many who call themselves Christians in the West deny him for the dirt of this world. They forsake Him and run after money, pleasure, luxury, entertainment, etc. They are an embarrassment to Christianity and should rather not call themselves Christians – those who follow Christ and His example. No wonder Jesus said that many will come from the east and west into God’s Kingdom, but the children of the Kingdom will be cast out. Muslims come to Christ and forsake all for Him, but those who receive the Gospel daily in freedom treat Him as dirt with indifference.
Wales migrate yearly from the Arctic circle, Alaska, about 10000 km to calve. Their journey takes them two months. New-born calves have the same instinct and can migrate the whole journey without having gone that way before. Who has put these migration instincts into animals (viz. birds, fish, butterflies, etc.)? Cannot the same God also guide you and teach you the way you should go.
Let us get down to business with God, understand and knowing our calling from Christ and perform it with all our hearts.