"How free are you, truly free, and truly whole if you can operate in goodness, and joy, and peace, and love, faithfulness regardless of external circumstances? I love the Pauline epistles, he had to be the most frustrating man alive for those who hated the gospel. There isn't a picture of a more free man, outside of God in the flesh. Here's what they do:
Them: Quit it or we'll kill you.
Paul: To die is gain.
Them: Never mind we'll let you live.
Paul: To live is Christ.
Them: We'll pelt you with rocks, torture you, and beat the mess out of you.
Paul: Well I don't even count the light momentary troubles of this life as worthy to be compared to future glory, where are your rocks, give me your stake, pshh, there you go, more for me.
Them: We'll lock you in prison.
Paul: Well give me a hymnal I'll be worse than when I wasn't in the stocks.
What do you do to that guy?
You take his stuff--I've been wealthy, I've been poor. I guess I'm poor again.
What do you do with that guy?
You kill his friends--praise God they're home.
In the book of Acts, headed towards Jerusalem, every town the elders of the church in that town said if you go to Jerusalem they'll kill you. Paul's response, I know! God told me too!"
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