One of the most gifted speakers in church history was John Chrysostom - the name comes from a Greek word meaning ‘golden tongued.’
John was sent from Antioch to what was then Constantinople
where he preached fearlessly in the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.
His denunciation of the lavish extravagance of the rich
& ruling class & his condemnation of excess infuriated many, including
Empress Eudoxia who arranged for him to be exiled.
When he was told of his fate, Chrysostom responded: “What
can I fear?
Will it be death? But you know that Christ is my life &
that I shall gain by death.
Will it be exile? But the earth & all its fullness is
the Lord’s.
Will it be the loss of wealth? But we brought nothing into
the world & can carry nothing out.
Thus all the terrors of the world are contemptible in my
eyes & I smile at all its good things. Poverty, I do not fear. Riches, I do
not sigh for. Death, I do not shrink from.”
Far too many today are more worried about what people think than
about what God thinks. The desire not to offend others (which is not a bad
thing in itself) is often elevated to be the most important thing. As a result,
many shrink from speaking the truth.
Pro 29:25 (NLT):
“Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the LORD means
safety.”
-From ‘New Testament Illustrations’ by William Jones.
(ministry127.com)
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