Tag: persecuted church

The Cost is High, But the Reward is Unimaginable. 

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The Cost is High, But the Reward is Unimaginable. 

Last night I heard an amazing sermon preached by a zealous man, for the Lord. It got me thinking about my life, and what I would do in the pursuit of Christ. What would I do if the going got tough? What would I do if God called me away from my family and friends? What would I do if it meant giving up everything, including my life. There are several examples in scripture, and by Jesus explaining what it means to give everything. See, God is not a priority on your list somewhere, he’s not the top of your list, he’s the one and only priority in our lives. When Jesus said in Luke 14:25-27 25 “Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” He’s not actually telling you to hate anyone, but asking if you’ve counted the cost. You may be asked to leave them, to let them go, or as a Christian, you may be removed from the family. Are you willing to pay the cost? 

It’s an interesting question, and recently it seems God has continued to put this very thing at the forefront of everything I’ve been saying and doing. We in America don’t know what persecution looks like, and because of that, I believe we have become complacent to the word of God. I think we’ve chosen to sit back on our lazy boy pew’s and listen, but we do not take the word into our hardened hearts. We have failed Jesus as we are lukewarm. We are neither hot nor cold for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have allowed the Devil to sneak in because we have not been vigilant to see the enemy moving. Sadly, the enemy is all around us, deeply intrenched in our schools, jobs, government, homes, and we have done nothing to stop it or prevent it. Satan has control over our colleges, shaping the minds of our children, and much like Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel, they are manipulating young minds, brain washing them, and turning them against the church. And we do nothing. 

Most today do not go to church even once a week, yet claim the title of Christian. They do not know scripture, because their Bible hasn’t been picked up off the shelf in ages, if they even have one. They do not pray nor commune with the Father in any way. They wouldn’t know a counterfeit or the real Christian pastor, standing in front of them. How dare us wine and complain about what’s going on around us, when we have only ourselves to blame. When Israel would not repent of its wicked ways, God handed them over to their enemies. When we do not repent of our wicked ways, we are handed over to our own reprobate minds. 

We are corrupt and enemies of God. When we do not love God’s commands, and that means all of them, not picking and choosing which ones to follow, and not follow, we are showing God that we are sinful, immoral, lustful, selfish, unrighteous, and more. Paul explains in very clear cut terms, who will not inherit the kingdom of God in 1 Corinthians. 

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 “9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”

There are words here that may put some off, and as I heard last night, that’s exactly what Jesus did. That’s exactly what John did. And the book of Jude. A vine to be trimmed. Chaff to be thrown away. The cost of following Christ is high, and in the midst of heavy persecution, Paul expresses to Follow Christ. During this time where he tells the church to be bold in Christ, Nero who was placing the blame of burning down half of Rome on Christians. He was feeding Christians to hungry dogs and lions. He was burning Christians alive as human torches lining the streets of Rome. 

Jesus tells his people to follow him. He bled and died, and if we are to pick up our cross, that means we may follow in his very footsteps. It may cost us our lives. As I heard it put last night, are you the real deal, or a fake, phony, and fraud? Do you love God, and his Son, and his children, and his commands? Most of us look at the commandments in scripture as guidelines. Similar to the pirate’s code. Not really set immutable rules, but more like the direction on a compass with a plus or minus a few degrees. The problem is, if you’re off by only a degree, you may hit your distance and never reach your destination. Heaven is that way. If you follow the false gospel, you may never hit your destination, oh you’ll hit a destination, but not where you wanted to go. 

Christianity is like that; Jesus tells us the path to Heaven is a narrow way. The problem is, when people think they are ‘following’ Christ, they really aren’t. There will be some who claim Christians, but much like Judas, are the antichrist sitting in the pews next to us. Or, are we one of them? As I heard the sermon last night, I left with both an encouraged, but also heavy heart. As I have grown in my faith, I have come to find what the narrow path truly means. When I look around, I have begun to wonder, how many are culturally Christian, and how many are the real in their heart, sacrificial Christian. 

So why do I bring this up? As a Christian, in my heart recently has been heavy for the lives of the lost. I have wondered what I could do to get the word out to more people. How can I get this blog to more people who need Jesus? How can I get my podcast to more people who do not know Jesus as the Christ? While I do not have answers to this currently, I am left with a simple prayer, God use me how you see fit, and forgive me of my sins and short comings. I want my actions and deeds to be pleasing to you, as a child only wants approval of their parent. I do not wish to upset or disappoint my Heavenly Father. I want to be useful and not a stumbling block for others. In my heart I feel disappointed when I feel I have laid out a solid message hoping it’s the Holy Spirit guiding me, and not me myself, but so few see it. I know God will work and if my writings are to be spread, it must be the will of the Father. I just pray I am being obedient, and relevant, and not delivering scripture poorly or incorrectly. 

What are you? Are you a true believer, or a fraud? Are you willing to sacrifice all for the Kingdom? Are you Judas sitting amongst the Apostles blending in? The message I heard last night really got me thinking, not about my own salvation, but if I’m doing enough, if I’m getting the word out there, if I’m bold enough, and unapologetic for Christ. Let us set our compasses to the North to follow Jesus. We ought not deviate from North because even a one degree off the Azimuth, at a mile is off by 92.2 feet. IF we are to follow Christ, while there is God’s grace, we must follow his message, and be zealous for his word. We must be faithful in our walk, loving his children, loving the father and not idols, or the world. We must love his word, desire to learn it, to know it, and most of all, to follow it. We should have a burning desire to get closer to God, and know him, and have a relationship with him. Scripture tells us what the cost of following Jesus is. Today there are many slight variations of what it means to follow Jesus. Variations on the gospel to look like the truth, and act like the truth, all except a couple small points. To follow Christ is to love ALL his commandments. To follow Christ is to give up everything that takes your eyes off the Father and the Kingdom. As an American I feel we are asleep at the wheel. Satan has crept in and taken over several vital institutions in our nation, and is now teaching things to children while the adults are so busy with work and other distractions, they don’t know. Our children are gone away at college and are being taught all kinds of theories which are false, and yet we stand by and wonder what happened to our once great nation. We have failed, and the punishment has been enacted, we have been turned over to our reprobate minds, and we must face the bitter consequences of giving an inch to sin. Most of us are no longer facing North towards Christ. We are off, being pulled away by the enemy or our own self-induced ignorance. Sadly, we don’t understand what it means to be on the narrow path. And many will be turned away from the Lord when he says: “I never knew you, depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.” Matthew 7:23 We should all take pause and understand the cost, and see if we are truly following or not. 

Are we zealous for the Lord? Are we burning with a desire to please him, to praise him, to worship him, to serve him? Or are we too enthralled at our own lives, and we don’t have time for God? If we are putting anything before God we are placing idols ahead of Him, and we are disobeying his commands. God, Gods Son, Gods People, the Love of the Commands. What were the two commands? Love God with your heart mind and soul. Love one another as yourselves. Scripture tells us Love covers a multitude of sins. When you don’t forgive, lose your temper, covet your neighbor’s new toy, get upset at that driver in front of you, judge someone by the color of their skin, or what they wear, grumble at church, gossip, hold a grudge, you are not loving one another. We need a wake-up call, and we need to check ourselves. Where are we? Are we at a 0 degree azimuth, or are we at a 1* or more off? An imitation gospel, no matter how close it is, is still a fake, a cheap knock off. How would we know? Read, and know, and understand scripture. Do not be deceived, there are Judas’s in the church today. Make sure you’re not one. 

Go in peace, love, mercy, and grace. Read scripture and open your heart to God’s Holy and Perfect Word. Be steadfast in the word, but share in love. 

For more follow at 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV3r024gS2FRDIbpqnsDwWA

We needed a Hero 

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We needed a Hero: 

As we approach Good Friday, I often think of the horror that unfolded for the few Apostles and Marry Magdalene, and Jesus’s mother Mary. Most of the Apostles fled once Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. Afraid of what may happen to them, they did not stick around to see the wrath of God poured out on their savior. Indeed, while they all redeemed themselves (minus Judas) they were nearly all cowards. Having just watched their savior enter the Holy City by way of a donkey, and palms lining the road, how quickly they changed their tune when the Roman guard put Christ in chains. Can you imagine the hurt they must of felt watching their beloved Jesus go through what he did? Seeing his face beaten and bloodied, his near naked body paraded around torn to shreds. How awful and traumatic it must have been for them. 

These last few weeks have been a difficult road for sure. Recently my doctor changed some medications around and adding a new one, it has helped with the chronic pain, but comes at a steep price, I’m tired often. Even with the new med, I still have what they call break through pain. Today for instance, I have been in bed most of the day waiting for the meds to help. It’s not easy when pain puts you in bed all day. For those who don’t know me personally, let me explain. While in the military I served in a combat zone. I was a member of a platoon that pushed hard, fought hard, and was always on mission. I experienced actual combat, and loss. The problem came from the sometimes 12 plus hours or more of wearing my Kevlar helmet. I often slept with it on in the truck, slept with it as a pillow, and of course wore it all the time on mission. Between that and the constant combative’s training, when I was getting out of the military for a different injury, we found my neck was a little screwed up. Sadly the VA denied my neck claim, and I was left with no treatment for many years. By the time I bulged a disc, the damage was done. Very little could be done to reverse the problem, and it would continue to get worse, through a disc rupture, and continuing on till this very day. Pain today is a part of my life, one I live through, and with. When I think of pain though, I can’t help but think of Paul, or Job. 

I was watching a documentary recently and one thing struck me, a sentence used, ‘You cannot have resurrection, without crucifixion’ (The insanity of God). There is not two churches, the persecuted church, and the non-persecuted church. While persecution looks different everywhere you go, the church as a whole is persecuted. Here in America, we are merely called names, sometimes we are picked on at school, even censured at work. We are not however, dying for our faith. While I firmly believe we will be persecuted in due time, the level of our persecution is not yet of China, or India, or Africa. Years ago I watched a difficult movie with Bruce Willis called ‘Tears of the Sun’. This movies premise is a group of Islam extremist are moving towards a village where there are American civilians working as missionaries. A priest, a doctor, and a few nuns. There’s a scene in the movie where the Navy Seals come to a town recently attacked by the rebels. Women were mutilated, assaulted, men, and children killed. All for being Christian. The scene was accurate to what real Christians face in such areas of the world. Watching the documentary and seeing Christians beaten, killed, imprisoned for their faith only strengthened the discussion for the nature of our sinful world. 

Someone asked me recently where is God when 15,000 children die each day of starvation. While it is heart breaking to see such things happen, it is explained in Holy Scripture, the fallen world, a result of sin, is a world of darkness. God’s plan since the fall of man has always been to redeem us. God gave us His son to redeem our sins and clothe us in his righteousness, but also gave the world his redeemed children. His redeemed children, Christians, would be the hands and feet of the Lord. While we don’t always do this well, just as Israel didn’t always do it well, we are the ones who reflect his light in the world. Christians worldwide come together to participate in many programs. Let’s take a look at one, the Samaritans Purse (SP). This organization does Disaster Relief, Operation Christmas Child, Operation Heal Our Patriots, and World Medical Mission. SP provides a great deal of aid all around the world, and often in very short periods of time. One organization cannot fix all the world’s problems, but when Christians come together for a single purpose, it’s quite amazing what can be accomplished. The SP is one of many organizations that takes the light of Christ and spreads it throughout the world. 

We see that we live in a fallen world, and as time goes by, we notice it seems to be getting darker. This is not a surprise as more and more people reject Jesus Christ, “The Way, the Truth, and the Life.” The draw of a sinful world, the lust of the flesh, is a powerful one. Satan’s grip on the world is tight, but not all inclusive. Christians are often at the heart of the inclusivity conversation, since by its very nature, and Christianity being the antithesis of the world, Christians cannot be included into an inclusive world, when Christians are not welcome in the world. Even though Christians are not welcomed in the world, and even when the work of a Christian can in many places, lead to their death, we still see Christians putting it on the line daily. So why is this? We have starving kids in Africa, but Christians who try to bring light to the dark world, are murdered for their faith, when they are trying to better a situation. Christ laid down his life freely for us, so we would have the opportunity to look upon him and believe. We Christians want the same for the world around us. We have joy even when being beaten, imprisoned, and killed. What a pleasure it is to die for one’s faith. There is a special place in heaven for those who give up their lives for the Lord. Christians try to provide aid where it is needed. I myself have participated in Operation Christmas Child, and have heard testimony of those who have received the gift packaged from across the world. The churches job is to take care of the orphans, the widows, the poor. Most churches today are too small to do anything on a large scale, but I would hope most churches are doing something to help. 

God calls us each to do something within our own power and means. We are to be servants and that means we must serve our families, our churches, but very importantly, our communities. We send missionaries into dangerous places, and all over the globe to help where it is needed. A warzone, a disaster zone, a place of poverty, or a place of complete governmental control. NO matter where there is a need, missions are there. Christians do the work of God, and God not solely relying on his people is always working in those places. There are reports of non-Christians having visions of Jesus, leading them to piece together information about who he was, so they could know him. People who had never known anything about him, and like Paul, Jesus comes to them, so they may serve. God is in fact doing something, and is using his people. 

We all suffer in this world, financially, physically, mentally, we all face hardships. We are called as Christians to live in the world, but not to conform to the world. When Jesus faced hardships, having no place to lay his head, or very little money, and ultimately, he would be betrayed, beaten, flogged, brutally scourged, spit on, humiliated, hung on a cross, and died, he who knew no sin, so we may be reconciled to the Father. We needed a Hero, someone to save us from ourselves. Jesus came to do that. Not to bring forth an Earthly Kingdom, but to give us access to His Spiritual Kingdom.

Soon we will celebrate Easter, but in order to get to Easter we have to endure the worst, most tragic day in all of human history. Nothing surpasses the tragedy of the day Christ was crucified on the cross for our sins. Not even the Holocaust was as impactful as the day Jesus died for our sins. We see people dying today of starvation, and war, violence, and illness, but for those who have hope in Christ, all of that is temporary. God sent us to work, to go on mission, to serve our communities. What are we doing in the service of the Lord? When we look to the Cross and see it empty, do we see the blood spilt on it for us? When we look to the Tomb, empty, do we see the redeeming power of Jesus to overcome death? Or do we look to Easter as a cute holiday full of bunnies and eggs? While we do suffer in this life, we do not suffer in vain. We have hope in Christ, because Christ isn’t in the tomb. Take joy in the sufferings of this world, for they bring perseverance, and character. Let us look East at the sunrise on that third day, and know that Jesus will one day return, and all will be made right. He will come back to judge the living and the dead, and will, with righteous judgment, judge those who were obstinate to his will. One day Christ will return and every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess, and they shall call him Lord. Even the demons know Christ was the Son of God, they just don’t follow him. Have you chosen to let God into your heart? Have you chosen to let Jesus be a part of your life? To repent of your sins, knowing they are a death sentence? 

Salvation comes by trusting in Jesus, having faith in him, and repenting of your sins. Being a Christian isn’t being better than anyone else, it’s being redeemed by the blood. Being a Christian, we should be evermore aware of our sins, and do everything we can to put away that sin with all malice, and to serve a Holy and Righteous, Loving, and Merciful God. How are we serving him today? Are we truly giving him everything? Are we working to grow the kingdom? Or are we keeping our witness, the good news of Christ hidden, in fear of what the world may say? “Sticks and stones may break your bones, but from His hands you’ll never be taken” (Arrow Preacher). Go in faith, and love, go with reverence to our Lord. Serve him in all we do. No matter the hurt, the pain, the sorrow, do not lose faith, or hope. The Lord our God is on the throne and nothing that happens here will change that. This life is but a vaper, one day we will have no more tears, no more pain. Look to the East, the Sun still rises, as the Son rose and will return. 

For more, follow me on Youtube Arrow Preacher. Live broadcasts on Mondays and most Fridays. 

Mondays we are going through the book of John. 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV3r024gS2FRDIbpqnsDwWA

The Binds That Bind Us

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The Binds That Bind Us

These two links are other posts about the persecuted church.

https://thearrowpreacher.wordpress.com/2017/06/09/hiding-in-the-shadows/

https://thearrowpreacher.wordpress.com/2017/08/14/go-and-dont-die/

Hebrews 13:3 (NKJV) 3“Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.” The Holiday hustle and bustle has started as millions prepare this holiday season, Thanksgiving then moving towards our saviors birth in our CHRISTmas. We take for granted our freedoms to celebrate freely, even the term Christmas is slowly being replaced. The persecution by man has not yet become persecution by our government. Not every message is positive, but every message that comes from the Lord is necessary. “With great power comes great responsibility.”(Uncle Ben)We have a privilege in the Lords blessings, while many are not living in a place where they can pray, preach, or teach. Some places this is illegal and can end in prison, or even execution as the persecuted church is very real.

What are you wiling to do for the Lord? What is the mission the Lord has called you to do? We can ignore the truth but the denial is not a replacement for the truth, the only truth. The bonds that exists are very real but the Lord does not call to hear our excuses. The Lord makes no mistakes, and every calling comes with a cross to bare. How many have heard the call but created an excuse, Moses, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and even in the book of Acts, Ananias was called by the Lord to venture to Damascus to face Saul the Pharisee who persecuted and murdered Christians. Ananias was given a word of grace and hope from the Lord to put fear aside and baptize Saul who would be known as Paul. Persecution still happens and we are called to live in grace and as the body is in bonds so shall we remember and never forget the truth.

We are warriors for Christ. We are called to lift up the church and bare the burdens the body bares. Facing torture, persecution, death is a way of life and we cannot forget them. We must fight the cloud of darkness that creeps towards the West. The nature of this is very real, and we cannot remain close eyed to what is truly happening around us. We need Jesus Christ, and we must latch on to that hope. We must ask the Lord how we can serve and as we all have our own gifts, our own purpose God has for us. We as Christians can still allow Christ to shine through us and when we let go of our own excuses, let go of our fears, and allow the Lord to touch us with what we need to fight the fight, we can stand tall. Whether it’s a voice of God, the pen of God, the Spirit of the Lord, the calling is very real. Christ wants us to go, plant seeds, and trust Jesus Christ who calls us to work during the day. We cannot whither away in luxury, allow ourselves to become complacent in a peace that is a true lie. The peace is not that of a life without danger, but peace knowing that no matter what happens to our lives, or our own bodies, we find peace in Christ alone.

When we hear the life of those living through real dangers and maintains faith in the Lord, how foolish are we that we are so spoiled and easily swayed away from Christ at the first hiccup when life gets a little hard. Do not turn away from the Lord, no, turn towards our Savior and place your trust in the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. The truth is the journey is hard, and we are never promised ease or a life without troubles. The enemy attacks in the dark and attempts to create the divide, and as we’ve seen over the years of mankind, horrific events that have caused immeasurable amount of pain and suffering. The persecution of the Jews, the mass executions of the Christian people worldwide. We cannot forget them as we celebrate the birthday of our Savior. 1 Peter 5:10 (NKJV)10 “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” We renew our strength through the never ending waters of the Lord. Jesus Christ our king suffered so we may only suffer a little. We suffer in this life so when the final breath is taken we leave this fallen world behind for one of perfection. Isaiah 40:31  (NKJV)“But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”

We can either choose to be bound in sin, living in suffering, or we can live in a bind under the blood of Christ that gives us eternal hope. We choose the bonds we live in, one of freedom, or one of suffering. As for me, I choose Jesus Christ, and I choose to be a warrior, and to never allow the great deceiver to gain ground upon me. He may attack but he can never break the bond that I have with my Father, and His perfect Son Jesus Christ. Never again do we have to be afraid of the emptiness of sin and the lies of the Devil. Spread cheer and remember this Christmas to be of joy, and yet to pray for those who live in persecution. We are one body, and when one part hurts, it hurts us all. Remind those in pain of the joys of Jesus Christ, and never give up that hope.

Go, and Don’t Die

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Go, and Don’t Die

What does the great commission mean for Christians? First, we must ask what is the great commission? Matthew 28:16-20 The Great Commission “16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” We must go forth, meaning to go out, within our ability to reach everyone, to include those at our jobs, in our towns, wherever we may go. Not everyone is suited within their gifts to go abroad and go head long into mission trips. Within our gifts we need to focus on what they are, focus on the paths God has put us on, and it’s in that, we will find how we can complete the Great Commission.

1 Peter 4:10 “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:” Each of us has been given a special and specific gift, some of us are great public speaker, when we talk people listen. Others are painters, or writers, others are good at serving, and thus our gifts open the stage for us to be able to reach people who need to hear the word of God. I have a few gifts God’s given to me that I enjoy and thus since I enjoy them it gives me great pleasure and pride to reach people around the world. To the date of writing this post I have reached 72 countries. My gift of writing and photography has helped me put this together and reach thousands.

Going out and preaching the word can be a dangerous business. Missionaries from around the world often find themselves hiding from those who wish to do them harm. The persecuted church is not something we think about much here in this country, but around the world it’s very real, and very dangerous. Christians are hunted throughout the world and because of that, as many mission trips are planned and scouted first to ensure safety not all missionaries are called to safe areas. Someone I know once had to hide from the authorities in India because he had stirred so much controversy the non Christian authorities weren’t too happy with the one causing problems. In places like Africa, Christians are murdered for their belief in Christ, and their refusal to rebuke Him publicly. Some of the top countries for persecution are North Korea, Somalia, Iran, Sudan, India, Vietnam, Egypt, China, and so many more just to name a few of the worst to the moderate.

While the Great Commission is a calling to all Christians to spread the word by teaching and preaching, it’s not without risk. Not everyone is up to the risk that comes with deliberately going into harms way. While not everyone is called for such missions everyone is called to use their gifts to spread the word of God to others. I firmly believe that when we fully explore our gift and use that gift we will prosper. I believe each of us is given our gift by God for a very specific reason. We all have our roll to play in the big picture. From the man or woman who takes out the trash, to those who stand in the pulpit no matter where that happens to be. No matter who you are, or what you do for a profession it doesn’t take years of training to talk about Jesus. It doesn’t take a degree in biblical studies or even apologetics to tell the world what Jesus has done for you.

When I was a soldier fighting in Ar-Ramadi I had a bible in left breast pocket under my armor. I kept it there every day, during every mission. It was a reminder to me that God was watching over me no matter where I was. Even the days it felt I was in a literal hell on earth, I knew and felt God presence. When we spend our day around people we have every opportunity to talk about what Jesus has done in our lives. When I was in Iraq I regret not focusing more on my faith. After surviving a few attacks that should have probably taken my life and didn’t, I should have and could have used that opportunity to talk about God in my life. Those are chances we must not take for granted. Every day we live we have an opening to spread the word of God. Not only do we have the opportunity we have an obligation to do so. “Since God has displayed to us so great a love the least we can do is accept and Carry Out the Great Commission.” (Dr. M. David Chambers D.Min.) Last year God spared my life, and when I came back, I came back with only one goal, to save as many souls as I could. I came back as someone else, something else. I came back as the Arrow Preacher.

 

 

 

 

Hiding in the Shadows

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Hiding in the Shadows

As a Christian do you consider yourself a child or an adult in your faith? If you’re a Christian do you use your bible or does it gather dust during the week between services? If you’re a Christian do you stand up against injustices? If you’re a Christian do your fellow coworkers and neighbors know? If we became persecuted how many would stand out on that faith and take whatever punishment fit the crime? Now that I’m sure most of you just lied, we’re going to get into the persecuted church today. Christ says “You will be persecuted, but I will be with you always.” North Korea, India, Africa, Iraq, and many, many more countries are not just persecuting Christians around the world, they are committing genocide. A man named Father Douglas a priest in Iraq has been shot, kidnapped for 9 days, his church was blown up, and during his captivity he was tortured. Even after all his troubles Father Douglas still fights the fight for Christ. He still serves in Iraq for Christians despite the dangers to his life.

Franklin Graham “We as Christians we need to wake up, if we don’t do it now, it’ll be too late.” As the attack on Christianity has been on the rise over the years as Father Douglas stated, America needs to say the truth, the truth is Genocide. What would you do if the men with the Kolishnakov’s come lookin for the man with the Bible? Do you throw the Bible out the window, or do you hide under the bed? Do you continue to fight the fight despite the risk, or do you deny Christ? Grace Wesley:” I would rather stand with God and be judged by the world, than stand with the world and be judged by God.” In so many places in the world now, the Christian church has gone underground. Much like Christianity in the early days of the church meeting in the Catacombs of Rome to continue preaching and teaching, but doing so in secret. You can’t preach and teach if you’re dead. It’s easy to grow hatred in your heart, it’s harder to love, but to follow the Jesus way, we know that when we are facing trials, and facing persecuted God is with us, heart breaking with us in prison. As I heard recently, It’s better to be in prison and be tortured, then being in two prisons, when we hate we not only have our prison of our bodies, but a prison for your mind. Loving our enemy is not easy. As I have experienced war as a Christian I was fighting those who hated us just because of our religion. Watching my friends die at the hands of radical Muslims I struggled to find peace in forgiveness. I struggled to pray for my enemy. I struggled not to hate.

Christianity is under attack in our great nation and sadly people don’t realize the truth. As we hide behind the lies of tolerance, we are not truly living in a world of tolerance. Christians are not aloud to pray, we aren’t aloud to even utter the name Christ in school. We have found many loose their lives, their jobs, their friends, and as time continues we find that even TV shows that have a spiritual basis are challenged and eventually removed. Remember Rachel Scott the first victim in Columbine High School. She was shot because of her faith in Christ and she refused to step aside from that faith. We’ve seen around the world these attacks by radical factions grow in strength and in courage as they find inspiration upon each attack. When we can no longer say Merry Christmas, have Christmas parties, or even have religious holidays off such as Easter, we know we are moving in a particular direction. There have been several states or cities that have made it a requirement that the Church preachers hand over their sermons for review. Why are we allowing the government to dictate terms for the church? How many court cases has their been about religious freedoms in these many years? The 10 commandments case that went in front of the Supreme Court and lost. The attacks on schools for saying the pledge of allegiance all because it references God. Even within the military there is supposed to be no open prayer anymore.

Where do you stand, what line are you on? Do you stand with Christ and shout to the world that you will not be bullied and convinced to stay quiet, or do you conform to the world and stay silent and allow your God given rights to be trampled on and taken away? How many college commencement ceremonies have gotten rid of the benedictions? Stand up and fight back. Fight to educate those around about the persecuted church. Fight back for the rights to pray when and where we want. Fight back to preach how we want without having to answer to a faceless government, and never forget that what God gives us, God can also take away.