Standing

Standing

Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said. 
But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. 
Then he went out to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 
He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!” 
After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away.” 
Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed.  
Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly
Matthew 26:69-75

As Christians we are called to stand up for our faith. We are told never to renounce our faith. Jesus said,
“Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.  
But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.”
                                                                                                      Matthew 10:32,33.
Acknowledging Christ even here in the west with all our freedoms can at times be hard.
Here in North America we have the freedom to worship yet when some people come to know Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour they lose their friends and in some cases their family.
Quite a few years ago now I knew two young girls that attended our church’s youth group.
One day one of the girls came home in tears. She’d been bullied at School. To make it worse the other girl had said to her something to the effect, “I know were friends at church but stay away from me here (meaning school) because you’re not cool.”
The girl who’d been bullied was devastated. How could someone who professed to be a Christian abandon her.
I to this day question that the girl who failed to acknowledge the bullied girl was ever a Christian.
Peter in the above portion of scripture claimed to be a follower of Christ. He had gone as far as saying he would never deny Christ. Yet he did.
Then realizing the ramifications of such a denial he was overcome with emotion and wept bitterly.
It’s hard to take a stance for Christ at times still the rewards are eternal.
I believe God knows what we can endure and will not let us go through more than we can endure.
I also believe that even if we go through trials, it is a witness to the power of Christ in our lives to those persecuting us.
I urge all Christians everywhere to pray for those of our faith that are undergoing persecution around the world. Pray that God will strengthen them and give them the power to endure and to love even their persecutors.
Paul writes,
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” 
                                                                        Romans 12:14.
I know it’s a hard thing to do but in doing so we just might win a soul for Christ.
To those Christians reading this in the west I would ask you to pray for our brothers and sisters sitting under persecution around the world.
I would urge you and even non-Christians to send a letter or email to your government leaders and politely ask them to speak out against persecution of Christians and others around the world.
   Remind them that persecution of any one whether we agree with those being persecuted or not is an reprehensible to God and indeed a crime against humanity.
Think about it.
Post Script
     To those who may have or think they have denied Christ. Remember such a thing is not unforgivable. Peter was restored to a right relationship with Christ and went on to do great things for Him.
     All you have to do if you feel you have failed Christ in any way is to admit you have and ask for his forgiveness which he will always give.