There’s an old story that tells of a missionary—a missionary who became convinced the Lord had called him to go to a foreign land. Obviously, he first needed some training, and as part of that, he collected books about the country and he studied them very closely. He began to learn its language and to speak it; to learn its customs and to adopt them as his own; to learn about its dress and to wear those clothes; to learn about its values and to exemplify them in his life. Something interesting happened: The more he behaved like a citizen of his future home, the more out-of-step he became with his current home. The people around him would sometimes mock him for acting like the citizen of one country even while he lived in another. But he held firm and over time he became more and more like a citizen of the land he knew God had called him to. Then, finally, the time came when his preparation was complete and he was ready to depart. When he arrived in that new country and took up his work there, he found that all his preparation had been worth it. His transition was easy and his ministry was effective. Why? Because he was already living like a citizen of his new land. Just like that missionary, we are to live in this world as citizens of another—to live according to the customs and values of a different kingdom. And just like that missionary, this means we … Continue reading Christian, Do You Expect to Face Persecution?