Yesterday I talked of unexpectedly finding myself in the midst of a World War 2 battle while walking on a trail at Jefferson Barracks Park.  I was never afraid or felt threatened although soldiers surrounded us and tanks were rolling down the streets.  I knew this was a reenactment.  As I looked around, soldiers were standing in the crowd.  German motorcycles were whizzing past us, and the sound of gunfire filled the air.  Actors laid on the ground as if they were injured or dead.  No one cried or was upset. Little children wanted their pictures taken with the soldiers.  People videotaped the fighting even though they were only a few yards away from the action.  We watched as soldiers displayed their weapons.   As all this action was taking place I could not help but think what the atmosphere would have been like if instead of this being the year 2018, it was1938.  People would have been hiding in the shelter and afraid for their lives.  The soldiers’ presence in the crowd would have been a reminder of the terrible war that was being fought. When witnessing the injured or dead, people would have been crying.  Mothers would have been worried about the fate of their sons and daughters.

This drew my attention to another time. The period of the New Testament. We look back and see these men and women as heroes. We know they stood for Christ and faced many challenges and problems, but we do not always realize the commitment it took to follow Jesus.  It is easy to imagine the disciples sitting at Jesus’ feet and learning first hand about God.  We think about how awesome it would have been to see the risen Christ and be an eyewitness to His miracles. And yet these men and women like the soldiers in WW2 experienced horrible conditions. Many of them lost their lives and loved ones grieved.  We appreciate the New Testament much more when we understand the dedication and sacrifice it took to walk with and for Jesus. It is easy to glamorous the past and never really think of all struggles these Bible greats endured.  We do not always appreciate how much strength it would have taken to withstand beatings, stoning or crucifixions so they could preach the Gospel and we can now know the Good News.  Without the sacrifice of these men and women, we would not know of salvation.

It also puts our lives in perspective.  Staying true to our faith is not always easy.  Battles are going on all around us.  We have to stand for our faith while others try and dismiss it. Sharing the Gospel is just as important today, as it was in Jesus’ time. Not giving in to immorality takes courage.  Standing for your faith, when your job is threatened is hard.  We, like the disciples, have choices to make.  We can stand for Jesus, or we can conform to the world’s values.  The disciples knew that the battle was worth it. No one sacrifices their life for an unsure thing.  The disciples knew without a doubt that Jesus was the real Savior. They witnessed the resurrection and the ascension, and they were willing to risk their earthly life to give us a heavenly life.  Thankfully our lives are not threatened.  The most we risk is people shunning us or talking about us.  As Christians we need to stay true to our faith and share the Good News with all those we meet. Jesus believed we were worth dying for, doesn’t He deserve our faithfulness?

just an ordinary day