The following excerpt is from Billy Graham’s book. “The Secret of Happiness”.
Here is a spiritual law which is as unchangeable as the law of gravity: “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).
We must get this fact firmly fixed in our minds: we live in an upside-down world. People hate when they should love, they quarrel when they should be friendly, they fight when they should be peaceful, they wound when they should heal, they steal when they should share, they do wrong when they should do right.
I once saw a toy clown with a weight on its head. No matter what position you put it in, it invariably assumed an upside-down position. Put it on its feet or on its side and, when you let go, it flipped back on its head.
In our unregenerate state we are just like that! Do what you may with us, we always revert to an upside-down position. From childhood to maturity, we are always prone to do what we should not do and to refrain from doing what we ought to do. That is our nature. We have too much weight in the head and not enough ballast in our hearts, so we flip upside down when left alone.
That is why the disciples to the world were misfits. To an upside-down man, a right-side-up man seems upside down. To the nonbeliever, the true Christian is an oddity and an abnormality. A Christian’s goodness is a rebuke to his wickedness; his being right side up is a reflection upon the world’s inverted position. So the conflict is a natural one. Persecution is inevitable.
…The Bible says: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims…” (1 Peter 2:9-11). Aliens are rarely shown the “welcome mat.” They are often accepted only with a tongue-in-cheek attitude. Being aliens, with our citizenship not in the world but in heaven, we as Christ’s followers will frequently be treated as “peculiar people” and as strangers.
If we desire to follow Jesus and become more like Him, we will indeed be out of step with the world. We will find ourselves “living right side up in an upside-down world.” As Christians, we are called to live contrary to the world. May our attitude not be contrary, but may our lifestyle be like Jesus and not like this sinful world. We live in a world that is becoming increasingly filled with darkness, but may we be the light that shines brightly with the good news of Jesus Christ. Let’s put our trust in Him. The world might seem like it is out of control, but Jesus is always in control!
This Sunday, July 7, we will begin a new teaching series entitled, “Living Right-Side Up in an Upside-Down World”, which will take us through the Old Testament books of Habakkuk and Malachi. This Sunday we will consider the question, “Why does Evil Prosper?” Please invite someone to join you at 10:35am in the building or online for the Live broadcast on either Facebook (HonoluluAG) or our YouTube channel (Honolulu Assembly of God). We livestream every Sunday to both locations and would love to have you join us.
Our next “Drive-Through Prayer” outreach in the church parking lot is this Saturday, July 6, from 11am-1pm.
Have you been baptized in water? If you would like to follow in this essential step of obedience to Jesus, please let me know.
Honolulu AG will be hosting the next AG Pastor’s meeting and lunch on Thursday, July 11. If you would like to help make it happen, please sign up this Sunday or contact Shirley.
Men, the all-islands “360 Man Summit” of the Hawaii District Men’s Department will take place July 19-21 at First Assembly (Red Hill). Cost is $20 now or $30 at the door. Interested in attending? We had a powerful time last year.
Aloha ke Akua!
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