I have a cat. This shocks some of you who’ve known me for years. I generally don’t like cats, but I like Jazzy (aka, Fat Jazzy, Jasmine). I like Jazz because she is feisty…when she’s not napping. She likes me too. She’ll come up and say hello wanting her ears scratched (again, when she’s not napping). But, my previous history of cat teasing just has to come out. So, Jazz will be sleeping, and I poke her or tug on her whiskers. She gives me the I-really-hate-you-sometimes look but does nothing. Then, Jazz reaches her limit. The claws come out, she grabs my hand, and bites me. That’s kitty for, “Knock it off, jerk!” It is not in Jazz’ nature to put up with it forever or retreat. She will fight back.
Don’t strip any gears on this subject change, but if we want to advance the Jesus’ kingdom, become more like Christ, spread the mission, free the prisoners, and be filled with the Spirit (add your own cliché here), we will face opposition. Like Jazzy, Satan will fight back. The world will fight back. Our own flesh will fight back. None of those things are passive. In other words, there will be costs.
So, do we bag it? Will it be too hard? Stay comfortable? No way. We just cannot be surprised when it comes. Watch out for it. When we pull on Satan’s whiskers (or worse), he will respond with shocking ferocity. Since the world hates Jesus, it will hate his followers. Let’s go for it, but we cannot be surprised by opposition.
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