Facing FearSample

STOP MAKING GOD "SAFE" My colleague, Dr. Ron Boyd-MacMillan, shares the following insight from his teaching, “Why I Need to Encounter the Persecuted Church.” “Don’t let them make God safe!” These words of send-off for me at the Mumbai airport were from an Indian Christian evangelist. He had a low opinion of western churches. The persecuted never let us forget that knowing God should bring chaos, not safety, because Jesus’ gospel is so subversive. The life of this Indian evangelist proves this point. He used to work as a river guide in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi. It was his job to row tourists around the river to take pictures of the setting sun over the site. His employer insisted he provide sexual services for the tourists who hired the boat, and he soon became a male prostitute. A few years later he received the gospel as a result of a chance encounter with a tourist. After becoming a Christian he said, “I felt relief that I did not have to behave that way again. Suddenly a whole new set of choices opened up for me. But I was apprehensive too—the choices that pleased God would not please anyone else.” His employer had him beaten by thugs. But he refused to return to work as a prostitute. He was sacked and immediately had to leave town. He soon became convicted that he must return to Varanasi and work to free all the other sex slaves. He began setting up a bank so that low paid workers could borrow at reasonable rates of interest, and not have to go to loan sharks that kept them in financial slavery. He has survived two assassination attempts. His wife had acid thrown over her by thugs employed by the leaders of the prostitution rackets. This man is driven by a love for a God that is determined to set his children free. God has been made far too safe when we can attend churches and never be roused to do something about the challenge of the poor, the needy, the persecuted. Jesus promised us that following Him would get us into a fight. The fight will come to us if only we realize how subversive His gospel really is. Today I will stand up and stand out for God and His righteousness…not look for a “safe” life.