Skip to main content

It’s Just Our Turn

I’m not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile (Romans 1:16).

Scripture: Romans 1:16, 17

Song: “Mighty to Save”

Christians were being persecuted when Paul wrote to encourage them to not be ashamed of the gospel. He’d experienced beatings and stonings for sharing the good news about Jesus, and yet he continued, knowing how precious the gospel was, knowing it was worth the sacrifice to give others the opportunity to know Christ.

All over the world today, Christians are being beaten, tortured and killed, their homes and churches destroyed. Tens of thousands are forced to flee their countries. Indian pastors have been beaten and killed. Chinese women were arrested and beaten for handing out material about Jesus. Eighty North Korean Christians were executed publicly for owning Bibles. In fact, more Christians have been killed in the past 100 years than in all the centuries since Christ.

Even in America, we are intimidated by charges of intolerance, and we’re even seeing legal threats to living out our faith. Solomon said there’s “nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9) and this is nothing new . . . it’s just our turn. Our God is mighty to save. Let us live as though we believe that, and be willing to sacrifice our personal comforts—and yes, even our lives—to advance His kingdom.

O God, please fill me with such compassion that I’ll be willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of those who don’t know Your Son. In His precious name I pray. Amen.

July 30, 31. Janet Mountjoy and her husband are now retired after working with churches in the Midwest and Florida for 35 years. She enjoys family time, writing, reading, and camping.

Jim Eichenberger

Author Jim Eichenberger

More posts by Jim Eichenberger