The worthiness of the Lamb.
God has instructed us (Hebrews 13:3) to pray for suffering believers in the Persecuted Church as if we were right there with them. In order to do that we must learn of the horrors they are enduring so that we will know how to pray according to knowledge. I know for sure that we would definitely be praying urgently for ourselves if we were experiencing the same hellish tortures. I used to think that it was an incredible gift (Acts 5:41) that the disciples rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for His Name. But the Holy Spirit guided me to a richer vein in the gold mine and I learned more about how to pray. Listen to what He showed me. The pinnacle of our rejoicing is not reached in our being counted worthy or in our suffering. Our rejoicing supremely is in the WORTHINESS of the LAMB. As we grow and (Ephesians 4:15) mature in Christ, we need to seek deepening comprehension of the worthiness of the Lamb and let it flood our entire being. We need to realize more clearly and grasp more fully the horrendous cost Jesus paid for our so great salvation.
Why was Jesus given a Name (Philippians 2:9) that is above every name? Because the Lamb is so supremely worthy, above all measure, and his worthiness will never be matched in time or in eternity. Nothing exists or has ever existed in any religion or anything else in the universe that comes within a trillion light-years of the worthiness of Jesus the Lamb of God. Our capacity to endure suffering will increase with our growing realization of the WORTHINESS of the Lamb.
I stood beside 3 men (Daniel 3:17) whose love for God was greater than their fear of pain. I learned more about how to pray for suffering believers in the Persecuted Church. The 3 of them were tightly bound and thrown into the fiery furnace. Proud King Nebuchadnezzar got a jolting awakening when he saw 4 men – loose – and walking in the flames. I wonder what Jesus was saying to them and how their conversation went. Jesus definitely kept His promise (John 14:21) to reveal Himself to those who love Him because they actually saw Him. His Presence with them in the flames certainly elevated their position and (Daniel 3:30) influence in Babylon. Pride will always be burned up but love never fails.
In our prayers for fellow-believers in the Persecuted Church, we need to pray that fear will be diminished and conquered by their love for God. (Dr. Stanley) “Courage comes from (Isaiah 43:1-4) God’s unfailing Presence”. Pray that they personally and in endurance will be strengthened mightily and that they would be conquerors as seeing Him Who is invisible. Perfect love (1 John 4:18) casts out fear, so pray that they will be so filled with adoring love and worship that there will be no room in them for fear. Pray that the Persecuted Church will be the glorious Church Triumphant - - still proclaiming the Redemption of God. I want and need to learn more about praying in the spirit with mounting Kingdom authority, in unhindered oneness with God so that my every prayer will be the verbal expression of God’s will and His granting of every request is the visible reality of God’s will.
Even the glorious wonders of His creation pale before the worthiness of the Lamb. The worthiness of Jesus, proven by His atoning death and victorious resurrection, qualifies Him to restore all creatures and all created things to their original perfection and beauty. We say that it is all about Jesus but we don’t realize that the fullness of His knowledge doesn’t come in one fell swoop. This vital knowledge grows along with our increasing comprehension of the magnitude of the Worthiness of the Lamb.
Too often and too easily we can make it all about ourselves and that is idolatry. It was (Acts 4:28) God’s fore-ordained plan and He was pleased (Isaiah 53:10) to bruise His own Son and give Him up to grief. Why, oh, why? In order to reveal the magnificence of His worthiness in His offering of Himself to accomplish the perfect (John 3:16) redemptive purpose of God.
If we look at Calvary, we can see that God loved so much, gave so much and Jesus paid so much because no cost was too great for God in His purpose to redeem you and me and all who would receive His salvation. We who have been redeemed are debtors. Our main purpose for being placed where we are in this world is to spread the good news of God’s grace in redemption. This gives us a right perspective on suffering of the Persecuted Church. Look at the crucified Lamb – look at the broken world. Nothing is more important and no cost is too great for us to magnify the worthiness and purpose of the Lamb of God. Our whole eternal future was changed because nothing was too costly for God. How could anything be too costly for us?
While still on earth we listen for (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) the joyous shout of summons from our beloved and longed-for Bridegroom Who is coming to take us home to the Father’s house.