“I’ve told you these things to prepare you for rough times.
They are going to throw you out of the meeting places. There will even come a time when anyone who kills you will think he’s doing God a favor.
They will do these things because they never really understood the Father.
I’ve told you these things so that when the time comes and they start in on you, you’ll be well-warned and ready for them.”
God the Son, Jesus
John 16:1-4 The Message
Jesus is preparing his followers for rough times, and a close personal relationship with the Godhead will prepare you.
Just before he left this world to return to God the Father, Jesus spent 40 days talking with his followers. The Bible does not give specifics of their conversations, only snippets, like, “I am preparing you for rough times ahead.”
What does that mean? The truth is, it can mean a lot of things. For instance, globally, humanity is facing an economic crisis. Impoverished third-world countries are experiencing food and water shortages. In America, people are experiencing the financial pain of high food and gas prices—although it is nothing compared to the rest of the world.
The good news is that the Bible offers ways for Christ-followers to be taken care of during times of hardship.
A community of believers is an integral part of the Christ-follower’s life. The Bible speaks about joining with like-minded people. However, Jesus was talking about a specific rough time; being thrown out of the meeting place.
He goes so far as to say that there will be those who kill you who are “doing God a favor.” I am unaware of anyone being murdered because the community of believers felt it was God-thing to do. Christians are being martyred for their faith, but because a Christian thought that murdering a Christ-follower was an excellent way to get close to God.
So, what is Jesus saying?
Jesus tells us (as he told his followers on the hillside) that things like this are done because the one wearing the label “Christian” never really understood the Father.
There is a dark past in my life that I rarely talk about because of its embarrassment.
When I was in college, my family attended a small house church. My parents did something that angered the leadership, resulting in their being “thrown out of the meeting place.” I had nothing to do with my parents for a season. It was a very dark time because these two people who taught me about God are now a bad influence on me.
Fortunately, the Father’s love delivered me from such bondage and restored our relationship.
The story’s point is that the leadership of this cult movement never understood the Father. As a result, bad things negatively impacted families for years—some never finding reconciliation.
Spending time learning the Word of God—as opposed to reading a chapter—is part of a close personal relationship with the Godhead. As you slow down and think about the meaning of the words, the focus of the story being read, and its application to your life, you learn to understand the Father.
I believe this is what Jesus meant when he told them, “I’ve told you these things so that when the time comes and they start in on you, you’ll be well-warned and ready for them.”
You will understand how the Father works and quickly realize that their behavior is not in line with God the Father’s heart. Instead of reacting to their ignorance, you will respond according to the presence of God, the Holy Spirit, in your life.
A close personal relationship with the Godhead is a journey. I invite you to follow along. As I learn, I hope that, as you know, you can pass it along so that I (and others) might learn. I will pass it along as I learn so you, too, can learn.