A New Day For Christians
A quick look at Christianity today and a look back at Christianity 50 years ago and you see some very stark differences. There are of course no changes in The Word of God, it stand as true today as the day God delivered it to man. The changes have come at the expense of those who profess to be Christians.
The dedication and commitment of Christians today falls way short of what it was 50 years ago. Long gone are the days that people’s lives revolved around their church and their faith in Jesus Christ. Today Jesus and the church seem to get all the leftovers.
I remember a time when the community and those who lived there supported their local church by attending regularly. The church was respected as well as the pastor of the church. The duties of the church were passed down from generation to generation. Families looked forward to going to church.
Not so today. Churches today are declining and have been for years. Parents are not raising their children in church and statistics show that young people from 16 to 29 have little to no interest in becoming a member of a local church.
That should cause some alarm within the older Christians today. After all where will the next generation of Christians come from if they are not interested? Who will be there 5, 10 years from now to open the doors on Sunday morning? I we continue on the current trend of decline it may well be that many churches in 10 years will not be open at all.
Jesus would likely sum up the commitment among many Christians today like this:
8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Matt 15:8-9 (KJV)
People have somehow come to the point they had rather compromise than stand for the truth. It has become easier not to get involved and just be left alone than to be outspoken about their faith.
People and organizations say the Christians have no rights. We cannot pray in public venues; our children cannot pray before after school activities. We cannot open public meetings with prayer; The ten commandments cannot be on display in government buildings. We can have gay pride parades in any major city in America, but the ACLU says we cannot have a cross on a hill in San Diego on Mt. Soledad honoring the soldiers who have given their lives preserving our freedom.
And today Christianity is being suppressed in our military. When I was at Paris Island for boot camp in the USMC I received a camouflaged Bible along with all the other things that were issued. I understand they do not issue Bibles anymore. They do still allow you to bring one from home, but I would guess that will change in the future.
Oh, that we had more men like Peter and John, who were brought before the ACLU of Jerusalem and told they could not preach the name of Jesus anymore. They responded the only way they knew how.
19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
Acts 4:19-20 (KJV)
The most harmful obstacle to Christianity today is in fact many of those who profess to be Christians themselves.
Terry Mcauliffe a democratic candidate for governor of Virginia who is married with 5 children says he is a Catholic, and also a strong supporter of abortion. He has said if he is elected governor he will grandfather in all the existing abortion clinics so they will not have to comply with the new standards established by the state health agency. Not only is this man a hypocrite in his faith, he sounds as though he is a little corrupt in his thinking.
And then just today a professor at a Christina University in California who has taught theology for 15 years comes out of the closet as a transgender. Heather Ackley who is now Adam says she has struggled with her marriage for years and is now getting a divorce.
There are millions of examples like this coming to the forefront every day. And why not the man who occupies the White House claims to be Christian while supporting abortions and the gay activist. He wants to blow up a country over the murder of 400 children in Syria. That was a terrible thing and should never happen anywhere anytime. But where is his concern for the 333, 964 unborn babies murdered in 2012 involving planned parenthood, that the government subsidized and encouraged. Where was his faith when he spoke at planned parenthood this past year and asked God’s blessing on an organization the murders unborn babies.
We do live in a “New Day” for the Christian.
We live in a nation whose government is supposed to be “Of The People, By The People and For The People” But today that depends on who you are. It only seems to apply if you agree with what the far left says and what they claim to be right and true. Your rights as an American depend on your views about certain issues. You have the right to agree, but you do not have the right to disagree. What happened to the idea of a healthy debate? The founders of this Nation did not agree on everything, but the foundation that was laid built a great Nation. Not because one side had their way but because the debate brought about the right ideas and direction.
There is no real debate in Washington today. Oh we hear a lot of talk and speeches. But for the most part that is just to appease people, just a formality. When all the talk is over the left wing democratic party led by Harry Reid votes for what it wants too anyway. If it is not an issue that fits their agenda, Reid simply want let it come to the floor of the Senate for a vote. No one man should ever have that kind of power in a democratic society. It is as though he is making the decisions for everyone else and whether we agree or disagree we are the ones who have to live with their decisions.
Just today I listened to a speech by a democratic senator and time after time he referred to the Tea Party as extremist. He uses that same term when referring to terrorist. If wanting smaller government, less government intervention into the private lives of people, and wanting to have a voice in the debate, and wanting to be able to live out your faith the way you choose too is extreme, then I guess I am also an extremist.
Business’s today and corporations are laying off people by the thousands. Many are shrinking their workforce. Millions are losing their full time jobs and are being forced into part time jobs. Those who would otherwise expand and grow in a robust economy choose not to. You know things are bad when even the unions are complaining.
Today you can be sued for refusing to compromise your faith. Just ask Aaron and Melissa Klein owner of Sweet Cakes in Oregon. Because of their faith they refused to bake a cake for a lesbian marriage and was sued. The end result, they had to close their shop because of all the media attention and threats that they received.
Here is what nobody will talk about in the media. The lesbian couple could have gotten a wedding cake made somewhere if they had shopped around, but they chose Sweet Cakes, not because they had the best cakes but because they knew they were Christians. They knew they would refuse their cake order and then they could sue. In other words Sweet Cakes was targeted for their faith. The lesbian couple accomplished exactly what they set out to do, they closed the store down. This is not an isolated incident; bakeries are being sued all over the country.
Today if you have worked hard and built a business regardless of what your profession is if you are a Christian whether you realize it or not you have a target on your back. Your refusal to do something that goes against your faith will result in you being sued. Then the onslaught of threats and name calling will ultimately end your business. And the activist move on to the next target, mission accomplished.
What’s next? My guess would be the church. Pastors are already being dragged into court for refusing to marry gay couples. A day will soon come when pastors will be silenced in the pulpit from speaking out against homosexuality and a host of other sins. The day will come when homosexuals will begin to move into churches and ask to join as a member and of course when they are refused they will sue. Here is the sad truth in that. Not one homosexual wants to be a member of a church. Their agenda is to close the church. Remove the opposition; silence any voice that tells them homosexuality is a sin.
That seems to be the democratic way in America today; agree with me and all is well, disagree with me and I will make your life hell.
A New Day Is On The Horizon
The church today is not the church your grandmother attended 50 years ago. The gospel is being watered down today by wimpy pastors who are afraid of losing their jobs and their paycheck if they proclaim the truth. Amazingly these are the churches that are growing in numbers. But Paul said it would come to this:
3. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
2 Tim 4:3-4 (KJV)
God does not call preachers to preach what the congregation wants to hear. He calls men to preach what he said to preach.
Billy Sunday was preaching a revival and one night after the service an elderly lady came up to him and said. Brother Billy you are rubbing the cat the wrong way people around here don’t like preaching like that. He thought for a second and said; Well I reckon they will just have to turn the cat around.
Gone are the days when a pot luck supper for the neighborhood will bring people to faith in Jesus Christ. Gone are the days when cookies and milk and a coloring book will bring our youth to faith in Jesus Christ.
We are facing a radical enemy with radical ideas whose goal is not to coexist but to illuminate the opposition.
As long as people continue to bury their heads in the sand as though these there is nothing wrong we will continue to lose battle after battle.
What we need today are people who realize there is a problem, people who will understand that our enemy is focused on silencing our voice and that they will not retreat for any reason.
We need people today who are not afraid to stand for the truth. We can certainly talk a good talk on Sunday morning while in the safety of the church. But where is our fight Monday through Saturday?
We need men in the pulpits who will proclaim the truth if all the members get mad and leave.
We need people who will as Paul said : Fight the good fight of faith. No battle has ever been won by retreating. No game has ever been won by a team sitting on the sidelines.
God gave us the armor of God, not so we could go huddle up in some church building with our armor on and be safe. He gave the armor for us to fight for our faith in the world we live in.
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Eph 6:10-18 (KJV)
Understanding the enemy is key to winning the battle. Our enemy is not people, our enemy is the devil.
I have no doubt that many churches will lose some battles and many will close their doors. But the true church of Jesus Christ will never fall not even to the devil.
Jesus said: Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Matt 16:18 (KJV)
Society may close all the church buildings but they cannot close the church. Because the church is not a building but a people whose hearts have been changed by Jesus Christ.
24. If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matt 16:24-26 (KJV)
If you are retreating today; if you are sitting on the sidelines waiting for someone else to do something; if you have conceded the fight; Then you are not following Jesus!
27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:27 (KJV)
38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
Matt 10:38 (KJV)
Pretty compelling statements from Christ himself. Those who have left the fight are not His disciples. Those who have left the fight are not worthy to be called a Christian.
That sounds pretty harsh, maybe, but true. Harsh times require tough faith.
America is at a critical time in our history.
THIS IS OUR TIME! THIS WILL BE OUR STORY!
As a Christian this year 2013 is your year to choose.
I remind us all of the Words of Jesus:
30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
Matt 12:29-30 (KJV)
“A New Day Is Dawning”
Are You Prepared?
