Stay True & Stand Firm Meditation

By James Harvey

Just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him,being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude. Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elements of the world, rather than Christ. (Colossians 2:6-8 CSB)

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love. (1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NLT)

There’s so much I can’t tell you about what’s happened the last few weeks in my life. I have to preserve security by being very vague about the details, but I must tell my story, or I will explode. 

I’m on a leadership team. It’s one of the greatest honors of my career. This team is supervising missionary work in over 50 nations with a focus on the underground, persecuted church in very, very dangerous fields. 

In the new year, two of our teammates went rogue and started problems. They worked together to try to manipulate our team into agreeing with them, so that as a team we could attempt to take over control of the ministry from the paid leaders.

I couldn’t believe what happened. I had prayed with these leaders, I was getting to know them better, and there was no warning that they were going to cause this trouble. But they did, and it was obvious to me, and to others.

What they were doing was totally incompatible with the values, vision, mission, and culture of this global apostolic network. That’s what was so confusing about what they were doing: they knew what they signed up for. Yet, they became so obsessed with their own secret perspective on things that they were totally blind to how they were trying to do something that would never work in the end.

I’ve seen this before when I was a church planter. I used to be a member of a church elders team overseeing a house church network. One day (this was ten years ago) the elders met without me and voted unanimously to shut down the house churches, bringing everyone back together for an “all gathering.” 

They said it was because everyone was discouraged and needed more consistent connection. But the real reason they did it was because, when we scattered into house churches, the leaders didn’t make enough from the tithes & offerings to support themselves. So, they shut down the movement to return to weekly offerings so they could get paid.

And you know what? That whole house church network died on the vine because of that decision. It doesn’t exist anymore.

These last few weeks, I’ve had déjà vu. The circumstances were different, but the “feeling” was the same: leaders I know and love deciding to do something in the flesh rather than the Holy Spirit.

The Lord activated me to start a resistance. I started writing documents, making posts in our group, appealing to the paid leaders not to listen to these two leaders. It got me into trouble. These leaders personally attacked my character, just like they attacked the character of our tribal leader.

We scheduled a meeting to lovingly confront these leaders with what they’d been saying in recent meetings, emails, and messages. They joined the meeting briefly, only to resign and exit our tribe.

While it was sad to see them go, the Lord won a great victory. He preserved and secured our apostolic network, and we are moving forward together in greater unity, more clarity of our purpose, more strength to resist any and all attempts of the Adversary to back door his way onto our team and destroy the ministry from the inside. 

During the last three weeks, many of us among the resistance identified a complex web of spiritual forces working hard against us: spirits of confusion, manipulation, condemnation, division, and control.

But the Lord intervened. He manifested his glory, power, and fire in that meeting, and the two insurrection leaders couldn’t stand against the Lord. They backed down and bailed. And I thank them for departing honorably.

I share this story with you not to boast in myself. I share this testimony because each of us will be called on at least once as true disciples of Jesus to Stay True to ourselves and Stand Firm in what we believe, even in the presence of other believers who tell us we are wrong.

Just because we claim to be followers of Jesus doesn’t mean we are. Going to a church building with a cross on the roof and listening to a professionally trained preacher does not make us Christians. Giving a ton to the poor, or going on mission trips doesn’t make us Christians.

The true test of being a true disciple of Jesus Christ is suffering, spiritual warfare, persecution, and fiery trials. You’ll never really know how strong your faith is, or what you truly believe, until you suffer. When you have your Job moment, and the Lord allows your life to fall apart without explanation, and when you pray it seems like God is ignoring you and doesn’t care: that’s when we find out who we are and what we believe.

Honestly? I feel like I passed a test. It felt good to choose the right side, stay true to who I am, and fight for what I believe in, even when it was uncomfortable, and people I used to trust were claiming that I was selfish and wrong.

Here’s my word of encouragement to you: Stay True & Stand Firm. 

Let Jesus teach you who you are. Get your identity and purpose and value from him, not from other people or from the world. Abide in Jesus. Stay close to him, and seek to remain in constant communion with the Holy Spirit. 

Don’t settle for shallow faith. Don’t outsource your spiritual growth to anyone. 

Don’t just claim to be a Christian: keep in step with the Holy Spirit. Don’t set the pace, figure out his pace and walk steadfastly with him. Remain in him, seek him always, listen for his voice in your mind. And always seek to grow and learn. Stay flexible. 

Regularly check your heart for pride and hidden idols. Don’t assume you already know the answer: that’s the danger zone. If you think you’re perfect and immune to temptation and sin, you couldn’t be more deceived.

We are always apprentices, never masters. 

Let’s stay humble, live honorably, and walk in justice. 

Let’s Stay True to & Stand Firm in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Shalom, Maranatha

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[Image credit: art by Christopher Powers, fullofeyes.com]