for which I suffer trouble as an
evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not
chained.
I was
sixteen at the time I met the youth pastor at Calvary Baptist Church. He was a
man of passion, and a
man of God. He was young, energetic and had a heart for
ministry. His preaching was full of conviction. He
was a youth minister at a
successful church. It was a stalwart in the community for almost forty years at
that
point. It was a comfortable church. The youth pastor challenged that. He
got to preach to the congregation
many times due to the health of the senior
minister. The Lord used his preaching to get many right. I remember
many going
forward at the altar calls. He was fired a year later by the deacon board.
Fast
forward some fifteen to twenty years in a different state. I met another youth
minster. He was a different
man than the other. He was not a great preacher or
teacher. He was a great minister. The youth group
exploded with life. Many were
coming to Christ. Many were trying to live a better Christian life. The church
became a light to the neighborhood. From kindergarten on up was solid. There
were plenty of workers to
do the work. Church had become a celebration. A
couple years later he was forced to resign.
Those who
live truly for Christ are those who rock the boat. They challenge the status
quo. They are going
against the grain of the world’s system. See right now the
devil runs the world’s system. He runs most
churches. Those who live for Christ
are considered troublemakers. These two men I mentioned were deemed
troublemakers.
How do we
suffer as evildoers today?
Does your
faith cost you something?
