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Bears, Lions and Christ

A few weeks ago in the hamlet of Anzac, north of Fort McMurray there were reports of bears in the community! Residents were uploading videos and pictures to the Anzac Facebook group to keep each other informed about where the bears were headed next. They would wander through backyards and across decks looking for food. At one point, all of the garbage bins on one street had been knocked over. Parents kept their children inside and people were throwing ideas out about hunting the bears down themselves. Thankfully the bears were eventually trapped by Alberta Wildlife officers but the whole situation created quite a buzz.

This reminded me of a verse from the book of 1st Peter in the Bible that talks about the devil as a “roaring lion, seeking someone to devour”. Since the dawn of time, the devil has been an enemy of God and thus, by default, also an enemy of God’s children. Across the centuries he has managed to kill many Christians and make their lives hard by persecution or suffering. 1st Peter was written to a group of Christians suffering from persecution to remind them that their eternal hope is in Christ and that God promises through His Word to “restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish” his children. Just like those bears in Anzac, we need to be watchful and ready to hide, not in our homes, but in Christ. Because when we are weak, He is strong.

 Leonard Ravenhill once said “The early church was married to poverty, prisons and persecutions. Today, the church is married to prosperity, personality, and popularity.”

 We are hearing about more and more persecution of Christians in the Middle East and other countries. Are we strengthening ourselves in Christ and ready for our turn?

Categories: A Word From...