CMA HeartBeat February 2020 | 页面 8

A Few Shared Words By JEROD McPherson a motorcyclist in 2020 puts you in contact with a wide variety of influences. Often, as followers of Jesus, we find ourselves immersed in a culture whose values and atti- tudes are very different from our own. In fact, the bikers God has called us to love and reach with the Good News about Christ can often be driven by their own desires to satisfy the need for power, pleasure, and possessions. In a culture that’s caught up in this type of lifestyle, CMA mem- bers who sacrificially love, serve, and preach the Gospel might be considered a joke. It’s true, as a CMA member, wearing our back patch might result in someone thinking we are a weirdo or a religious fanatic. It might even earn us a few conde- scending looks or wisecracks from those we encounter. But let us never be discouraged; Jesus said this would happen. Matthew 5:11 (NLT) reads, “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.” It shouldn’t sur- prise us when we, as followers of Jesus, encounter resistance as we go and preach. The first century church faced opposition and we surely will too. Take a moment to listen to this encouragement written to some of those early Christians as they faced the scoffers of their day: B EING “But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted. They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satis- fy their ungodly desires. These people are the ones who are cre- ating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them. But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep your- selves safe in God’s love. And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judg- ment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives” (Jude 17-23, NLT). The tiny letter of Jude is a short letter of encouragement written by the brother or a close cousin of Christ. Jude would have been close to the followers of Jesus he wrote to. He knew what they were going through and his instructions to them were very simple. These encouragements are a call to remain faithful in difficult environ- ments. They are also instructions we can take to heart in our local CMA chapters. • Build each other up. (Jude 20a) In times of persecution, or when a culture scoffs at you, it’s easy to get discouraged or feel iso- lated. In these moments it’s always important for the fol- lowers of Jesus to encourage each other. CMA chapters need to get together to “build each other up.” It takes time spent together to strengthen the faith of your brother or sister in your local chapter. • Pray. (Jude 20b) The Holy Spirit guides us to pray in the direc- tion of the Lord’s will. In stress- ful times, CMA chapters should pray together, and not just a simple, “Please remember to pray for…”, but actually stop- ping the business at hand to handle the real business of tak- ing our burdens to the Lord. Is the culture opposing you as a follower of Jesus? Pray. Is the biker culture in your town or community not very receptive to the Gospel of Jesus? Pray. • Look forward in hope. (Jude 21) Jude instructs his readers to “await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.” After you have prayed, look expectantly for the working of the Lord on your behalf. In times of struggle or opposition in your chapter, pray first. Then wait in hope that the Lord’s mercy will be poured out over the situation. Jesus will bring the answer. He is life in a world of death; the answer in a