You Want to Walk with Jesus?

Today, in spite of all the wars, terrorism, atheism, humanism, in spite of all the filth spewed out everywhere in magazines, television and all media, in spite of the outpouring of drugs, occult activity, Satan worship and all the things that are evil, we find a marvelous thing: millions profess to be born again of the Spirit of God. Millions say "Jesus is Lord" and that they either do walk or want to walk with Him. "Christian" literature, tapes, films and works are rampant. Building after building, organization after organization is being raised up in "the Name of Jesus." There is no lack of words and works. But what about the reality?

You say you are a believer, a Christian; you say you love the Lord, that you want to magnify His Name or that He be manifest in your life. Well! Are you prepared to die? Are you prepared to give up your job, your home, your family, your church, your comforts and so-called securities? Are you prepared to be rejected, despised, alienated by all those you have cherished, both family and friends? Are you prepared to relinquish all rights to yourself, to live in uncertainty of a paycheck, vocation, relationship, home, of anything in this world? Are you prepared to be different, to identify with others who are rejected and despised by society, by institutions, by the wealthy and respectable citizens, by the authorities? Are you prepared to stop talking and "knowing" and start doing, listening and considering that you do not know as much as you may think? Are you prepared to forsake that which you would like to believe for that which you know is true, to say "good-bye" to your comfortable pew and "hello" to your cross? Are you willing as well as prepared?

I tell you, if you have not had to do these things, you are not His. If these things have not happened to you, you are not His.

In the days of Martin Luther and for many centuries until then, to profess Christ outside the Roman Catholic Church meant loss of property, rights and life itself. In the days of John Wesley, believers outside the Church of England faced deadly persecution for their faith. Many lost their possessions and their lives. What does it take to be a Lutheran or a Methodist today? Nothing but the mouthing of a few words and perhaps the signing of a pen. That goes for any organized church today. Anabaptists once died for their faith. Today, Baptists are the norm, the accepted in the world. Where once Pentecostals were despised as freaky and "of the devil", now they flow with the world. That is because all these are of the world, not of the kingdom of God. I am not saying that once they were true, simply because they were persecuted for professing Christ. Many are persecuted not because they are His, but because they are different or because they fail or refuse to conform to the mainstream. What I am saying is that there was a price to pay for being different, false or true and if you are paying no price, it is because you are of the world. Furthermore, if you are paying a heavy price by rejection of the world, are you paying it because you are merely different or because it is Christ in you Who is hated?

As it was in the days of Wycliffe, Hus, Huter, Luther, Wesley and back further, all the way back to the days of Paul, Peter and the prophets in the many centuries before them, right back to Abel, so it is today. Things have not changed. Therefore if you do not see the things that happened to them happening to you, then you are with the world and will surely perish with the world except you repent. Yes, "All that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." Have you suffered persecution and if so, has it been for righteousness' sake, for the Name of the Lord, or has it been simply because you have been so falsely religious and different and self-righteous that people could not help but reject you for it - without blame to them?

What price have you paid to walk with the Lord? You say you have faith. Even devils have faith. So where does that leave you? You say you have works. Satan's ministers go out as ministers preaching righteousness, "witnessing" in the Name of the Lord Jesus, handing out tracts, feeding the poor, speaking peace. So where does that leave you? You say you have had a salvation experience. So have Satan's children claim to the same. You say you don't drink or smoke, that you go to church and read your Bible. Satan's children do all that and more. They also fast and give tithes and pray and give alms. So where does that leave you? So you have suffered the loss of all things. So have Buddhists, Communists, Ba'hais, Moonies and many others. So where does that leave you?

Have you suffered persecution for faith in and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you discerned between good and evil? Have you discerned between false brethren and true? Have you found false prophets to be many indeed, being within the camp but the true being extremely few and without the camp? If not, you are not His.

Do you see that Christianity is one "happy" way on earth? If so, you are not His because you have tasted neither of the fires nor of death which is the lot of every person who takes up the cross. So you have memorized a 1000 verses or whole books of Scripture. The Moslems memorize the entire Koran! Knowledge puffs up.

How do you suppose to be the Lord's when you have not had to die, to be severely rebuked and chastened? You say, "We are not all called to the same lifestyle." Yes and no. One may, in Christ, remain a farmer or become one while another is a businessman. But all are called to death. All are called to the cross, to world alienation, to persecution, to hatred from the world. Again, "All that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." And all those He receives, He rebukes, chastens, scourges, purges, separates from the world and the works of the flesh and the devil.

You say you have suffered tribulation. Bills are piling up; the car broke down; the boss was angry with you for no reason; the children are sick. Are those the tribulations the Scriptures speak of? Do these prove you are His? Do not those in the world suffer the same things and worse? Are they His? In fact, all of these things could well indicate rather that you are NOT His, though in themselves they say neither. No, the true tribulation is that inner one, an agonizing of soul before God, a bitter view of oneself, a searching, an emptiness and longing, a breaking and more.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Is it enough to be poor in spirit without qualification? Does not the kingdom of heaven suffer violence and only the violent take it by storm? So what is spoken of here?

"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." The world mourns unto death. It isn't enough to mourn, to be displeased. Many turn to suicide and drugs for that very reason. One must be open to more (be meek or humble):

"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." Is it enough to be open to more? Were not drug addicts and suicide victims and occultists open to more?

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." Yes, but shall they be filled if they are not prepared to walk in that righteousness toward others and do unto these as they would have others do unto them? So:

"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy." But will you still be His by being merciful? What is your motive? As it says:

"Blessed are the pure in heart: for THEY shall see God."

When you have not only been empty and known so, but when you have deplored your state and not only so, but have been open to more, and not only so, but if you have hungered and thirsted after righteousness and not only so, but ministered right to others and not only so, but with a pure heart, then and only then shall you see God and be His, as it says:

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." As such, will you be loved and accepted? Will you receive thanks of men? As it says:

"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in Heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." You will be hated and despised and rejected as He was because NOW you are His and not the world's. The Kingdom of Heaven is yours, in you and you in it. And here is a sign to show you are His...if instead of pouting, being angry, retaliating, arguing, rationalizing, justifying and avenging yourself, you rejoice and are extremely happy when they do evil to you because of Christ in you, you are His. Otherwise, you are not His.

Nor will this persecution or rejection last for only a relatively short period of time. As you walk, you will be hated by the world. If they don't mind you too much now, it could well be that there is nothing much for them to mind.

I do not say you will not cry, be sad, angry or despondent and even despair outwardly. Even the apostle Paul knew such hours, years into His ministry. But within, your spirit will rejoice. There will be a joy unspeakable, truly unspeakable (something that can't be expressed in any way outwardly) because you do even then walk in fellowship with the Lord. He is your comfort, joy and reward. You, in your spirit are no longer poor and mourning but rich and full of peace and joy and righteousness. And though your outward man perishes, your inner man is renewed daily.

There is life to them that die; there is all for those who forsake all; there is salvation for those who overcome unto the end. Otherwise, there is nothing, for "he that keeps his life shall lose it." There is no middle ground. Judge yourselves, you who profess Christ. Examine yourselves whether you be in the faith, lest you take upon yourselves the Name of the Lord in vain and are not held guiltless.

Victor Hafichuk