What Is Jesus Worth To You?

James 1:2-4 (also read Revelation 6:9/11, Revelation 13:1/10, Revelation 14:13)

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

• The follower of Jesus is never promised an easy, trial free life (2nd Timothy 3:12). When we look at the lives of the disciples, most of them were killed for their faith. When we look at 2026, persecution of the church has picked up in China, South Korea, Iran, Nigeria and other places. America has only experienced minor persecution of character and has yet to experience true persecution (it is coming). How will the Christian in the West respond to persecution?

• All of us are in need of patience and endurance. The issue is, we are neither patient, nor willing to endure. Particularly in the West, we have been taught about a God who is 'only love' and 'never allows for us to face any kind of difficulty' (have you ever read the book of Job?). Christians suffer in a sinful world. We suffered before coming to know Jesus, and we have experienced many things even as a follower of Jesus if we were honest with ourselves. So then why do we listen to people who lie to and tell us that 'the tribulation will not affect believers', while the underground church endures to the end as Jesus commands?

• When we look at faithfully enduring patiently in the proper context, we will trust Jesus like never before... He is worth patiently enduring for, even to the end. If we only accept Jesus when He 'gives us good things and a good life', then we will be in a position which leads to being offended by and even deny Him when true testing comes (Matthew 24:9/14). How will the church in the West respond to the realities of persecution and martyrdom? Is Jesus worth everything to us?

• The hate-filled rhetoric for Christians is becoming worse by the day. At some point when everything in the world finally boils over (it is at the doors), how will the Christian respond? If they do not follow the example of Jesus "Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing", then we may end up being offended at the Lord and denying Him when we face what every true follower of Jesus has faced throughout history when standing firm in Him and counting the cost.