This message from
The Voice of
the Martyrs shows the heavy cost and the eternal triumphs of
following Jesus when the world grows increasingly hostile to
true Christianity:
"The widow stood near the body of
her martyred husband, holding the hands of two of her four
children. Her husband had died in prison, and the marks on his
body made it clear that death had come slowly and painfully.
"The other believers knew this
could be their fate too, yet hundreds came to his funeral. He
had died for his faith only three months after his conversion,
and now they mourned him.
"The people crowded around the
house where the funeral was being held, and many were inspired
by his example. Eighty people publicly accepted Christ that day,
including many young people who had been part of the Communist
Youth Organization.
"The Christians walked the length
of the city to the river, where they baptized the new believers.
The crowd had now grown to over fifteen hundred people.
"Soon, carloads of police
arrived. They set out to arrest the leaders of the service, for
they couldn’t arrest everyone there. The Christians immediately
knelt in prayer, asking God to allow them to finish the service.
Then they stood, shoulder to shoulder, blocking the police from
coming forward as the baptism service went on. The crowd
dispersed only after all the new believers had been baptized,
allowing the police to come forward.
"One thousand people were
inspired by the sacrificial example of one new believer."
Do we have the courage to take such a
stand?
That's probably not a burning question in most American hearts. Plenty
of other concerns occupy our minds these days: our nation's uncertain future,
spreading lawlessness, rising globalism, the
growing complexities of daily life....
Some simply shut them out. A
vast selection of seductive videos and
violent games offer addictive escapes from real world
issues. Today's sex-oriented books and
videos blind children to both Biblical truth and the knowledge
needed to trust and follow God in the years ahead. This article
illustrates the crisis:
"How to Raise Boys Who Read --
Hint: Not with gross-out books and video-game bribes":
"One obvious problem with the
["gross-out"] philosophy of education is that it is more suited to producing
a generation of barbarians and morons than to raising the sort of men who
make good husbands, fathers and professionals."
See
Brainwashing in America
God calls for holiness -- the purity
of sinners who have been "washed...sanctified... justified in the name of
the Lord Jesus" and by His Spirit. (1 Co 6:11) He offers us His strength in our
weakness and joy in hard times. But few churches
mention holiness and justification. To win public approval, it's
safer to conform to popular thrills
and worldly ideals. But that spells spiritual disaster.
"For all that is in the world --
the
lust of the
flesh,
the
lust of the eyes,
and the
pride of life -- is not of the Father but is of the world." 1 John 2:16
"I
am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I,
but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in
the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me,
and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20
"Set
your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For
you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will
appear with Him in glory." Colossians 3:1-4
Biblical realities such as of
dying to sin, living in Christ and sharing His suffering
are central to our victory in Him! But they clash with today's
quest for self-esteem and collective affirmation -- in churches as
well as schools. All too often, God's wonderful truths are replaced
by the false assurances of "positive" sermons. Words like sin,
Satan, judgment and hell are banned. And those who refuse to
share in the world's latest delights may be
shamed and
vilified as resisters, not unlike the
pilgrims and separatists in 17th century England.
Yet if that's
your challenge today, be glad, not sad:
"...rejoice
to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that
when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding
joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed
are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you." 1
Peter 4:12-14
Since the gospel has been polished to
appeal to American masses, few understand the true meaning of
redemption: the
only solution to our sin and separation from God. Since we have broken
His laws and deserve His judgment, there is no other way to victory
than through the cross. Only those who are freed from bondage to sin
can follow Him, resist compromise, and demonstrate His love wherever
He leads.
In many parts of the world, such loyalty to God and love for His
people brings insults, hostility and death. American believers --
both in public schools and in the work place -- face rage and
rejection in a world that despises God's truth and moral
boundaries:
"Expelled for being Christian. That’s the fate of two college graduate school
students at separate universities.... Julea Ward...was dismissed from a counseling
program [at Eastern Michigan University] in March, 2009, for not affirming homosexual behavior as morally
acceptable....
"...at Augusta State University...Jennifer Keeton was told her Christian
beliefs are unethical and incompatible with the prevailing views of
the counseling profession. She must stop sharing her beliefs with
others and change her beliefs if she’s to graduate from the program,
the school has told her."
Christianity not accepted here
"The church lives in a hostile world," wrote A.W. Tozer. "The Christian would
collapse from sheer external pressure were there not within him a counter-pressure sufficiently great to prevent it.
The power of the Holy
Spirit is, therefore, not optional but necessary. Without it the children of
God simply cannot live the life of heaven on earth. The hindrances are too
many and too effective." [That Incredible Christian, pp.86-87]
As the apostle Paul -- a former sinner cleansed and sanctified
through the sacrifice and blood of Jesus -- reminds us,
"He
[God] said to me, “My grace is
sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in
weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my
infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore
I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in
needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For
when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Filled with His
strength, will you take that
stand? Then...
