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Our Western Privilege

The children of Israel had lived peacefully in Egypt for many years with their Hebrew relative Joseph as Prime Minister, second only in authority to the Pharoah (presumably Thutmose III) during the Hyksos kings dynasty.

Several years after the death of Joseph, a new dynasty began somewhere around 1570 B.C. God’s holy Scriptures tell us in Exodus 1:8, “Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.” And this Pharoah, despite his power and authority, was incredibly insecure within himself, fearing the growing numbers of Hebrews could result in an eventual takeover of his kingdom. Paranoia does strange things to an insecure person’s mind. And in this king’s mind, the solution to this perceived threat was to cruelly oppress the Hebrews so they would dwindle in number. But, as historical examples teach us, the more a group of people is oppressed, the more they multiply, and this is exactly what occurred here. Exodus 1:7 states, “But the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty so that the land was filled with them.”

Through Moses and his brother Aaron, God told the Hebrew people He would rescue them from their enslavement and lead them into the land He had promised to Abraham approximately 645 years earlier so He could abundantly bless them. The account of how God secured His chosen peoples’ miraculous escape to safety (1446 B.C.) can be read in the first fourteen chapters of the book of Exodus. Many times, God displayed His great power and protection over them prior to their escape as well as during His deliverance of them from Pharoah and his great army at the Red Sea (Exodus chapters 7 to 14).

Many times during their flight to freedom and future promise, Almighty God displayed His glory to them as they journeyed in the wilderness. He used a cloud by day and a fire by night to guide them. They literally heard His voice and witnessed His great glory and awesome signs. (Exodus 16:10; 19:16-20; 20:18-19; 24:9-10; 16-17; 33:7-10; 34:28-35; 40:36-38). They received His provision of food and water. God even saw to it that their clothing and sandals did not wear out (Deuteronomy 29:5). That would have been one dandy, mobile thrift shop. And yet, they continually grumbled, tested God and would not listen to Him. They wanted the benefit of God’s blessings and promises without having to develop disciplined characters, make personal sacrifices or turn away from their worship of other gods they had been exposed to in Egypt. At one point, their rebellion led them to build a golden calf to worship instead of directly worshipping God himself. They then grew tired of the whole scene, deciding that the appointment of a new leader for a return to slavery in Egypt was a better option (Numbers 14:4), and then they threatened the stoning to death of Joshua and Caleb for wanting to forge ahead to Canaan (verse 10).

Despite God’s harsh punishments inflicted upon them for their rebellious disobedience, they refused to change their poor attitudes. (Please refer to 1 Corinthians 10:1-11 ). Finally, fed up with their ongoing, poor behaviour, He told them that due to their sin and rebellion, their first generation from ages twenty and upward would die in the wilderness without receiving the land He had promised to them. Their response to this news? They acknowledged their sin but then decided, “That land has been promised to us—it is rightfully ours—we deserve to have it—and therefore, we are going to take it by force!” Oh, they tried, but failed miserably when the Amalekites and Canaanites soundly defeated them (Numbers 14:40).

Today, we Christians in the Western World tend to be rather quick in our judgment of God’s chosen people recently freed from their enslavement. And yet I wonder, are we not much the same in our attitudes? Despite the cruel punishment Christ suffered as our replacement on the cross to secure our escape from Satan’s enslavement, we too have somehow developed an attitude of entitlement and easy-believism. I believe we have lost sight of the terrible price Christ paid for our salvation. So long as we feel spiritually secure in our own little world, all is well. We (and I include myself here), have often taken our spiritual freedom for granted, becoming lazy, stagnant, spoiled and privileged. We have enjoyed the best that life and God can give—salvation in a peaceful land where we can worship freely with little persecution—along with meaningful work and leisure activities. And yet, when life becomes difficult and we feel ourselves crumbling under the pressure, we feel the temptation to grumble and complain.

Our lives are incredibly simple compared to the heavy price now being paid by our Christian brethren in other lands for the privilege of serving Jesus Christ. The list of the atrocities they face on a daily basis is very long and troubling. Despite the many dangers to themselves, Christians in dangerous places boldly witness to the spiritually lost, hoping to lead them to Christ. Here in the comfortable West? Often, we are shy to witness to people for fear of losing friendships or jobs, forgetting that we are called to be Christ’s ambassadors, given the responsibility of rescuing souls from the grip of Satan (Proverbs 24:11; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20), and forgetting that we too were once spiritually lost and in need of a Saviour. I fear that we have lost the sense of urgency that exists for those who are faced with an eternity separate from the presence of Christ if no one (that’s you and me) tells them why they need Jesus in their life—and why there is a heaven to gain and a hell to fear.

In high risk countries, pastors bravely lead and teach their congregations the Word of God, knowing that any day they could be murdered or arrested, jailed and tortured for many years. Many churches (those not yet burned down or bombed) are led by widows. In the West, many pastors are reluctant to speak on delicate or uncomfortable subjects for fear of losing their positions or popularity with their people. They don’t often teach from the prophetic Scriptures or warn their people of sinful lifestyles or God’s judgment. They shy away from preparing their congregations for the future by speaking of the rapture of the Church, the signs of Christ’s return, and warning us of false teachers and the appearance of false Messiahs.

Whether we take our place in a pew or a pulpit, our responsibility to God is the same. As with the children of Israel enroute to the Promised Land, we too have a Promised Land we are looking forward to. But, are we faithful to God who has promised it to us? Do we put Him first in everything, serving Him with our whole heart, determined to honour Him and bring Him glory in every aspect of our life? Or, have we taken His love and salvation for granted, becoming unfruitful, ungrateful, spoiled and entitled, thinking that we somehow deserve it without a willingness to make any sacrifices, submit to spiritual disciplining or be bold witnesses for Him? Have we too become careless in our relationship with the LORD by not taking His words seriously? And, as with the Israelite tribal leaders, have our spiritual shepherds failed in their responsibility to courageously and adequately lead, train, teach and equip those God has placed in their care, regardless of the cost?

I realize these are tough questions and don’t mean for them to sound condescending to anyone. Many people are very sincere in their walk with the LORD and do their very best to honour and live for Him, but in these present days, there are far too many saying the name of Jesus who have fallen victim to the lure of the world and its vices. And Satan has rendered them weak in their faith, lacking the strong convictions they once had. But with God, it is not too late for a new start—to turn around and head in the right direction.

It is healthy for each of us to regularly take stock of our lives by asking ourselves the above mentioned questions. This need not be a depressing or negative exercise, for I believe God is pleased when we set aside time to take our spiritual temperature by asking, “How am I really doing? Show me the areas in which I need Your enabling and improvement.” He will lovingly respond to requests of this sort. And let’s be honest, we all have weak areas in which we struggle, and dare not pass judgment on someone else. “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). We sometimes embarrass ourselves when we fail Him, but bringing these things to God should not be a frightful thing. He is our loving heavenly Father who cares for His children far more than we can comprehend and He wants us to come to Him just as we are. He knows us far better than we know ourselves and is always ready to welcome us with open arms. All He requires is our honesty, humility, confession and a desire to do what is right—and He will give us what we need to overcome these things and guide us safely through to a successful end.

“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).


“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” - - Philippians 1:6

By: Margaret M. Greenfield

See more of Margaret's thoughts and messages at: "Timely Messages" on this website.

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Are you ready?

This was the question on the Home Page…

What do you think that means for you personally?

What this means is, "Are you ready spiritually to meet the Lord in the air?"

You might say, "Sure, I was raised in the church, or . . . I've always believed, or . . . I'm a pretty good person, I am sure I'll go to heaven."

What really is a Christian anyway?

First, we have to understand that we are made in the image and likeness of God—we are NOT a kind of animal.

Genesis 1:26
Then God said, "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

Then, amazingly we discover that God really is interested in us:

Jeremiah 29:11 "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 hope and a future."

Then - we find that because we have been separated from God by our ungodly ways, Jesus is the bridge back to God the Father. Believing in Christ Jesus results in our being forgiven of our ungodliness and becoming a member of the family of God.

John 1:12: "To those who received Christ, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become sons (children) of God."

John 3:36: "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them. And everyone who loves the Father also loves those born of Him."

Then we learn that God is looking for people who will simply love and obey Him.

Hebrews 11:6  "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

Hebrews 5-9: "And (Jesus) having been perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey Him."

1 John 2:3: "By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments."

Ecclesiastes 12:13
"The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person."

Deuteronomy 12:28
“Be careful to listen to all these words which I command you, so that it may be well with you and your sons after you forever, for you will be doing what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God."

We cannot earn our way to heaven by good works.

Ephesians 2:8-9: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

A Christian is a member of the family of God.

John 1: 12-13  "But to all who did receive Jesus, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God."

Galatians 4:4 -7
"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,  to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.  And because you are sons, (Children of God) God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!'  So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God."

What Can I do - really?
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Do you feel overwhelmed?
If you feel like you're not prepared for a battle of this magnitude and don't see yourself as a warrior, you're not alone. But God has given us weapons for warfare that we CAN handle!
We don't need to draw blood to make a difference but we can call upon the "Blood of Jesus" over our land for healing.
We may not be trained warriors but God has given us spiritual armour to keep us safe.