PeacePage

Dystopians

I, Georgias, a disciple of Christ, a fellow servant with Paul in his missionary journeys, along with those who are here with me in service called according to the will of God to the saints of Dystopia and all the brothers and sisters meeting together in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have heard of the terrible news of the earthquake and the perilous times you are enduring through our friends and family who were previously among you.

We thank our God for all who survived the earthquake at Dystopia and all who continue to hold on the hope that is in Christ Jesus. We thank God for you everyday in our prayers, for you continue to hold fast to the truth that is in you through Christ Jesus our Lord despite those among you who have wavered in their faith. We have not ceased in praying for you and God’s assembly in Dystopia. Even though you are suffering just as Christ suffered for the forgiveness of our sins, we pray that you remain faithful just as He remained faithful to the call of the Father despite great hardships.

For although you endured all kind of hardships, keep the faith so that God may be glorified in your sufferings. For Job was found blameless in the sight of the Lord, and yet the enemy chose to take up arms against him. He suffered by losing his cattle to neighboring enemies, crops due to a fiery storm, and his family to a great wind, yet Job did not curse God. While enduring these loses, Job lost all he had and became overwhelmed by a disease in which he was covered with boils from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. In the midst of his struggles, when provoked by his wife to curse God, he responded by remaining faithful. He chose not to curse God and replied, “Can we accept only good from God and not evil?” After a great time of suffering and rebuke from his friends, God revealed His omnipotent sovereignty over all creation to Job. God showed His power over the stars of the heavens and the beasts of the land. Not even the Behemoth and the Leviathan were able to overcome God’s great power. God answered Job prayers and provided for him abundantly and made him even greater than he was before.

Also, consider Joseph who while enduring the betrayal of his brothers, being sold into slavery, and being falsely accused resulting in imprisonment chose to glorify God through his circumstances. As a result of his faithfulness, God raised him up to a position of power in the land of Egypt. And when Joseph’s brothers came before him in search for food during a great famine, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers and proclaimed, “What you have intended for evil, God has used for good.” Joseph was used by God to save Israel and deliver His people from the famine.

Even our brother Paul, who you yourselves have seen, endured much suffering for the cause of Christ. He was stoned and left for dead in Lystra, ship wrecked on his way to Rome, flogged to the full extent of the law, and cast into prison, yet he pressed on toward the upward call that is in Christ Jesus. Had he not endured these hardships, you yourself would not have heard the gospel message of salvation and experience the love and grace that is exceedingly abundant in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.

Even Christ, the perfect Son of God in whom you have salvation, endured the shame of the cross as the ultimate and final sacrifice for sin. He was rejected by his own people, and falsely accused. He was beaten and spat upon by those who had praised and proclaimed Him saying, “Hosanna.” In His humility and shame, He suffered, but was raised up from the dead on the third day and was seen by many as He ascended unto the right hand of God our Father in whom all things are held together. Therefore, our sins are not held against us due to Christ’s obedience and faithfulness.

Would you consider yourselves greater than Job who was blameless in the eyes of God? Would you consider yourselves greater than Joseph, who though innocent suffered greatly and was used to save Israel from famine? And surely you would not consider yourselves above our Lord Jesus Christ, who was Himself one with God but humbled Himself, took on the form of a servant, and was obedient to death, even death on a cross. Seeing that these men had suffered in such a way, would you consider yourselves exempt? Or would you still say that all suffering only comes as a form judgment?

In these circumstances, God showed complete authority in all things. For God’s understanding is not man’s understanding. Only God understands the order of creation for He Himself created them. It was God in the beginning who created the light and separated it from the darkness and established the heavens and the earth and all things in it. All things were made according to His ways and to His understanding. Man was not made to fully understand the nature and mystery of God, but rather to worship and glorify Him even when circumstances are beyond man’s understanding. Who can match the mind of God? Who can know His ways? Instead, let us have faith in the God of the cosmos show knows how the world was made and how it will end. The prophet Jeremiah referred to these things when God spoke to him saying, “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord. ‘Plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you a hope and a future.’ ”

Brothers, knowing that God is supreme over the world, why are you entertaining the notion of returning to your false Greek gods? Indeed you have become like a dog who has returned to his vomit when you turn away from the riches of Christ to the shambles of your past. Even Zeus, who some of you proclaim to be savior is not himself supreme. Indeed, did he not struggle to maintain his high position? Who is greater, this small non-existent god or the Supreme God over all things that always has been and always will be? Then why would you return to these false beliefs in a time of crisis when you have experienced the Love and Truth in Christ our Lord. Your faith should not be based on certain circumstances of the day, be they good or bad, but on the ever-existing Truth that remains in you which is Christ.

In response to the brethren who are wanting to abandon the faith in Christ and return to living under the law, thinking that this disaster is a result of following the Lord Jesus and abandoning the law, let them also consider Christ. How can you turn away from the one who has fulfilled the Law? Do not your own writings tell of the Messiah who would come from the line of David to fulfill this Law. No one else among you is able to fulfill all of God’s law. As it is written, “There is none good, no not one.” Indeed only Christ the Son of God was able to complete this Law.

All therefore should submit to Christ. He is the image of the invisible God over all creation and in Him all things are held together. So when faced with such hardships and sufferings, remember Him who is Head over all things, especially the church. He remains faithful to us in the midst of our trials, just as God has remained faithful to us since the beginning. Just as He promised, He will never leave you nor forsake you.

In this time of great loss you must also survive in a church that is missing one of its elders. I encourage you dear brethren to pray with a faith that moves mountains for the safe return of your beloved Thelopholus. Fortunately, the church is not one built upon Thelopholus, but is built on Christ Jesus, the head of the church. If our dear elder is gone, we must know that he is in the presence of the Lord. For to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. His race may be completed, but we must continue to run our sometimes difficult race with perseverance through Christ.

Do you not know that all things work together for the good for those who believe in Him and are called according to His purpose? Here is a trustworthy saying: “Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, and with all of your strength, and with all of your mind. And love your neighbor as yourself.” Do these in the midst of your circumstances and you will do well. For all that you have lost, consider it gain for the sake of Christ.

Take joy in your suffering for suffering produces perseverance, perseverance produces faith, faith produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint. Serve those who are in need just like our Lord Christ set the example when He met the needs of the disciples as He washed their feet the night of His crucifixion. View this time of great stress and peril as an opportunity to share the love of Christ that is in you not only with our fellow brethren but with all those who are suffering. Indeed, Christ died for them as well.

We have plans to see you soon, but we must first make our way to Jerusalem to collect aid for those have survived this terrible ordeal. We hope to make our way by Cyprus to meet with our brother John Mark who will be of valuable help to you. We send greetings to Ruphus, Tomas, and Sergius who are currently serving while suffering alongside you. Grace and Peace from God our Father in the Lord Jesus Christ in whom we have found forgiveness of sins.

Respectfully submitted in the compassion and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ in whom we have forgiveness of sins,

Travis Adams

Wade Drury

Tasha Mohline

Vicky Bowman

Craig Golden

Michael Carpenter

Justin Lowe

Steven Price

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