Sunday, December 15, 2013

An Answer to a Friend


Legend has it that after many years of paying tribute, a Wallachian lord had finally had enough and refused to pay any further levies to the Ottoman Empire. Shortly thereafter, the lord found himself surrounded on all sides by an Ottoman horde, something not wholly unexpected. For the moment the lord, his family, and his men at arms were safe behind the castle walls, and since the Ottomans could not penetrate the walls, they decided to lay siege to the castle.

From the first day of the siege, the lord, his generals, and his eldest son would wake at dawn, dress in the most resplendent armor they possessed, and walk the battlements of the castle until noonday.

One day turned into a week, a week turned into a month, until finally the lord’s son could take it no more and asked his father, ‘why do we do this? They will either wait us out, we will starve, and they will have won, or they will grow tired and move on sparing us. Why do we get up every morning, put on our armor, and march along the walls?’

The lord looked at his son, then met the eyes of every one of the men marching with him that morning and simply said, ‘because we must.’

I know it’s hard! I know it’s getting harder with each passing day. The sense that those who get it get it and those who don’t never will, is palatable. Many men I am honored to call friends and brothers in arms share this selfsame feeling, wondering, and often aloud, why they continue to do what they do when they seem to be oscillating between preaching to the choir, and preaching to those whom they sense will never hear.

The cold hard truth is that we are all human. Every one of us, to the last, no matter how well respected or esteemed, is in the end human. We are all frail creations with needs and heartaches and pains and setbacks.

The only difference is, those of us who are screaming into the void until our lungs give out drew the short straw and we were called to speak.

We do what we do because we must. We do not do it for glory, or fame, or recognition, we do it out of obedience and because we were commanded to.

In our frailty, in our weakness, in our hardships, we press on, we press in, and put on the armor and walk the wall, because we must.

This right here, this banging a few keys on a laptop and hitting ‘send’ is the easy part. The hard part is what none of us talk about because some might see it as boasting, while others might see it as whining.

The hard part is agonizing over the message time and again until you are certain it is what God wants to communicate. The hard part is praying for others who call or write in even when you know you need prayer just as much as they do. The hard part is being looked up to as something more than what we are, and seeing the flash of anger on people’s faces when you try to tell them they are wrong in thinking you are special.

We do the work because we are called to do the work. Not because it’s convenient, not because it’s easy, not because we have nothing else on the books, or we’re in perfect health, or all the bills are paid.

Jesus never qualified His sending forth of His disciples with, ‘if you want, if you can, if you’re up to it, if it’s not too much trouble, or if you can get a book deal out of it.’

Jesus just said go, and they went, and they turned the world upside down.

The person I’m writing this to knows it’s for her, but it’s not just for her. It’s for all of us, whether we are called to ministry in a greater or lesser capacity. We all make up the body, and no member is greater than the other because we are all dependent upon the head of the body which is Christ Jesus.

Pray for those still willing to walk the wall! Pray for those still willing to stand guard! Pray for those still willing to speak the truth, because they are a dying breed, and if they are done away with, then hope is truly lost.

With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

This post wasn't to me, but you certainly spoke the words of the Father. I know this, because what you describe as the hard part of sending a message is the truth that many of us feel! It is so hard and I pray over every post that they are God's words and He will take them to those who need them the most. I do it because I must, until He tells me to stop. God Bless you for speaking the truth, and standing firm in the word, and for putting on the armor and walking the wall.

Glenn in Georgia said...

Amen Michael. Dozens of times I look around and say "God, am I the only one left". But no, the body is scattered about. It is tough, one may question their sanity at times, especially when ridiculed and persecuted, but the Word is truth, there is no other. There is one Spirit, one Lord, one Bible. And now there is tribulation (time of testing) as never before for the Bride. God help us to endure, to stay the course, to last, to not waiver, and to be strong. Amen.

Mrs. Pugh said...

Praying.

Anonymous said...

Dear Michael, This post is so dear to my heart...it is so encouraging and exhorting. The word to the pastors who 'preach to the choir'..tell them about the living power of The Holy Spirit in their lives, who gives us courage and the words to speak in God's most important time. When they preach to unbelievers, who disregard and disrespect the Word of God, be sure to tell them to cover themselves with The Precious Blood before rising to preach...the stones are still being thrown...we are pelted, but not killed...and we do this, because we must. In His Strong Grip of Grace, Peace Brother, Your sister in Christ, Robin

Anonymous said...

Love this. Very uplifting. I will keep puttin on the armor. Thank you Jesus that you have called me to spread the good news of the coming Kingdom of God. It is an honor.

Anonymous said...

"but it's just for her," Thank you

Barbara said...

I kind of feel like the body of Christ should be supporting each other and fellowshipping with each other and not obsessing over winning souls. If you feel like you are preaching and it is not really having an effect, what is the point? God will draw to himself those who He has preordained to follow Him.

There also comes a time when preaching to those who don't appreciate it is just draining you of your oil in your lamp. If people have nothing to share with you back and nothing to say good about you, why waste your time?

There are people who like to tire and mock the saints by wearing them out with endless pointless questions and arguments. When you start feeling like you are just being taunted, it is time to stop preaching and just live and let live.

Unknown said...

Hey Michael,
Thank you so much for this word & your encouragement to the remnant. I found you through Watchman's Cry & I'm so thankful to have found you & to the Lord for you, Nathan & others who remain vigilant on the wall. May the Lord continue to bless you & your ministry!!
Steven Barksdale

Helen Bowser said...

THANK YOU dear, dear Brother. When I heard about this incident I feel down and cried out to God to PLEASE pour out a Spirit of BOLDNESS on our Christian leaders who are NOT leading. I have prayed and prayed for them. Their silence and inaction is deafening and disgraceful. I'm with Chas. Finney who said whatever is happening in our world, it is the fault of the pulpit. It has never been mpre clear than today!

Helen Bowser
Virginia Beach

Anonymous said...

For what it's worth, please take comfort and encouragement from the fact that there are still a few fence-sitters and the Lord is still in the process of separating the sheep from the goats. Your seemingly hopeless and thankless work is actually very important, and you don't necessarily see - in this world - the effects of it. But you ARE doing the Lord's work and He has not sent you on a fool's errand. When the last sheep and the last goat have finally gone in opposite directions, hold on and take cover. Here it comes .....