Hebrews 13:3
Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill treated since you yourself also are in the body.
Brothers and sisters can we please take a minute from debating Israel? Can we please take a minute from exposing our theological positions on the end times? Can we please take a minute and remember our brother Ken Miller who is serving time in a federal prison? Can we please take a minute and lift him up in prayer?
If you go to Millercase.org you will see his most recent letter posted. You will see the obedience of this brother to Christ and what he is learning through suffering for Him. Just as Jesus learned obedience in the things in which He suffered. So our brother is also learning obedience in what he is suffering for Jesus.
Some have taken issue as to whether this brother is really suffering for his faith in Christ. Perhaps even some thinking Ken Miller brought this situation on himself because he violated federal law.
But before we judge his brother. Let us ask ourselves this question. What would we do if Lisa Miller came to one of us asking for help. Knowing that to help her would conceivably Land one of us in jail. Let me take it one step further. Suppose you were living in one of the Nazi occupied countries in World War 2. And one of the Jews came to you asking for help. Knowing that to help them could conceivably land you in prison and conceivably death.
It is easy for us to sit here in our armchairs and quote Romans 13 and say we must submit to the government. But a time is coming when we will have to determine whether we will obey God rather than men. Indeed some are even calling for civil disobedience regarding the same-sex bathrooms in schools.
Ken Miller comes from a Mennonite background. The Mennonites are part of the Anabaptists. The Anabaptists suffered much for their disobedience to the state church system of their day. They suffered much for the obedience to Christ. For their stand for believer's baptism many were put to death. Even put to death by other Christians.
The early Anabaptists had a term they embraced. It was called "galesheit". The word means basically total surrender in German. For the case of the anabaptist it meant total surrender to the will of God. Total surrender to imirisonmemt and martyrdom. Total surrender to the cross of Christ.
I believe this is the example our brother Ken Miller is teaching us in the days that lie ahead. We must be totally surrenderd to the will of God as Jesus was. Even if that will means imprisonment and conceivably death. But if it advances his kingdom purposes. Then let God be glorified. Even in our imorisonment and martyrdom.
Brothers and sisters, simply my thoughts...