Tag Archives: persecution

What can man do to me? Uh, all sorts of nasty things. But . . .

The closing chapter of Hebrews starts with this passage:

Hebrews 13:1–6 Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

But people do all sorts of terrible things to believers.  Was the author naive or mistaken?  Of course not.  He had just finished describing a few of the things that had been done to faithful believers.

Hebrews 11:32–39 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised,

So his point is that despite the things that may be done to us as believers, these pale in comparison to what Jesus has done and will do.

2 Corinthians 4:17–18 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Side note: Notice how the first passage tells us to be content with what we have, because Jesus won’t leave us or forsake us.  That’s the contentment Paul spoke of in Philippians 4:13, an oft-misquoted verse that teaches how to be content in any situation (do everything through Jesus!).

Roundup

Dem Pol Explains Why Women Should Not Be Allowed to Defend Themselves From Rapists – Now that’s a war on women.  If a Republican would have said those things he would have been appropriately skewered.  Yet this guy is getting a pass.  Do they think women are capable of defending themselves and making choices or not?

How China Plans to Wipe Out House Churches – persecution appears to be getting even worse there.

From the I am not making this up category: Massachusetts Education Policy Mandates Allowing Boys in Girls’ Restrooms.  Yep, this is what “same-sex marriage” and political correctness will get you.  You wish the quotes in the article were part of some overdone parody, but they are real.

The Massachusetts Commissioner of Education has released an outline of its new school policy regarding gender equality, mandating that boys be allowed to use girls restrooms and locker rooms — and vice versa — if they contend that they prefer to identify with the opposite gender.

The 11-page document, written by Mitchell Chester, is stated to be in response to a gender identity law that was passed last July in the state.

“This guidance is intended to help school and district administrators take steps to create a culture in which transgender and gender nonconforming students feel safe, supported, and fully included, and to meet each school’s obligation to provide equal educational opportunities for all students, in compliance with G.L. c. 76, §5 and the state regulations,” it states.

As part of the outline, entitled Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity, Chester explains that students need to be permitted to use whichever bathroom or locker room they wish. He states that as long as the child asserts that they would rather identify with the  opposite gender, they should have the access that they desire.

“The responsibility for determining a student’s gender identity rests with the student,” Chester states. “A school should accept a student’s assertion of his or her gender identity when there is … ‘evidence that the gender-related identity is sincerely held as part of a person’s core identity.’”

Hat tip: The Bumbling Genius

Christian Arrested for Speaking Against Homosexuality – coming soon to a country near you.  What is even more ridiculous is that the debate hinges on whether he said something loudly or not, or in his sermon or not.  Sadly, that means they already lost the major battle.  It shouldn’t matter legally if he yelled it or not.  Speech is free or not.

 

A Christian man preaching in the street in Cumbria, England, was arrested by a homosexual police officer after he listed homosexuality among a number of sins referred to in the Bible. He was locked up for seven hours and charged with causing “harassment, alarm or distress,” according to The Examiner.

Dale McAlpine, 42, said he has been preaching in his hometown of Cumbria for years. On April 20, he was handing out leaflets when a woman engaged him in a private debate. During the conversation, McAlpine said he believed homosexuality went against the Word of God. After the conversation, a police support community officer, who identified himself as the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender liaison officer for Cumbria police, told McAlpine he could be arrested for using homophobic language.

After the conversation, McAlpine got on a stepladder and preached a 20-minute sermon, in which he says he did not mention homosexuality. However, after the sermon, a number of police gathered and arrested him for using abusive or insulting language, contrary to the Public Order Act, which was originally created to deal with soccer hooligans.

Officers claimed McAlpine was speaking in a voice loud enough to be overheard by others during his conversation with the woman. McAlpine said he used a quiet voice.

Teen lost parts of both legs after failed abortion: pursues wrestling dream anyway – great story!

Poll Worker Melowese Richardson Apparently Cast Six Votes for Obama

“Yes, I voted twice,” Richardson told WCPO-TV. “I, after registering thousands of people, certainly wanted my vote to count, so I voted. I voted at the polls.”

Authorities also are investigating if she voted in the names of four other people, too, for a total of six votes in the 2012 presidential election.

For every Obamunist who publicly admits to voter fraud, there are tens of thousands either not quite dumb enough or too busy watching the massive, extravagantly expensive televisions favored by welfare recipients.

As Obama voters were casting multiple ballots, Romney voters had theirs thrown out. In the opposite corner of the state, 21 Cleveland districts recorded not a single vote for Romney.

That’s how elections work in a country that has been “fundamentally transformed” into a second-rate banana republic. Happy now, libs?

How Do We Break the Cycle of Higher Tuition and More Debt?Subsidies for college funding make it more expensive, not less.  Too many people drop out who should have never been there to begin with.  We’d be much better off without the “everyone should go to college” mantra.  There is nothing wrong – and many things right – about more focus on trade schools.

When “same-sex marriage” becomes the law

    • Religious liberty and freedom of conscience (i.e., the freedom to oppose homosexuality) will be repressed by the state in the name of “gay rights”; Illinois has already experienced this under our “Civil Unions” law [see the case of the Walders’ bed-and-breakfast in Paxton, IL].  Despite the current bill being amended to protect churches and religious institutions, business owners — even devout Christians — who cater to weddings (such as banquet hall owners and photographers) could be forced to use their facilities or expertise to celebrate homosexual “marriages”;
    • Liberal teachers, especially in public schools, will be emboldened to promote homosexual relationships to students in the classroom; homosexual teachers will be given a platform to discuss their “marriag
      es” and to model homosexuality as normal, natural and good to students. Parents will have a harder time stopping the promotion of homosexuality in schools;

    • Homosexual “sex ed” will gain ground in Illinois schools. Under the radical egalitarian idea that all relationships are morally “equal” and worthy of marriage, “safer gay sex” will be taught non-judgmentally alongside (normal) heterosexual sex. “Abstinence until marriage” (which regrettably is not the norm but only the ideal for most Illinois health classrooms) would apply to homosexual- and bisexual- as well as “straight” students — despite the reality that all homosexual sex is inherently immoral.  High-risk and unnatural practices like anal sex will be mainstreamed in our schools. (Could teaching the truth that sex between men is linked disproportionately to HIV and various sexually-transmitted diseases lead to charges of “anti-gay discrimination”?) And deviant lesbian sex will be taught for girls who in the future might “marry” a woman.
    • Businessmen will be forced to recognize and subsidize their employees’ immoral same-sex “marriages”; a form of this is already happening under Illinois’ “Civil Unions” law;
    • Society will be corrupted as unequal things are treated as equal; children will be further confused as the law (which is a teacher, as the saying goes) creates a Brave New Morality that officially “weds” sinful, unnatural and changeable behavior to the noble and life-sustaining institution of marriage;
    • Homosexual activists will be energized to use the homosexual “marriage” law to pressure citizens to approve of their lifestyle and step up their crusade to stigmatize, demonize and discredit pro-family Christians and moral opponents of homosexuality.  Groups like AFTAH that embrace wholesome, godly morality will be vilified as “hateful and bigoted.” And, as we have witnessed in Massachusetts, the push for ever more extreme “LGBT rights” would be propelled by enactment of “same-sex marriage” — including “transgender” activism in schools.
    • Legalized homosexual “marriage” will help “normalize” homosexual adoption, thus consigning greater numbers of innocent children to be raised in households that are motherless or fatherless by design.

The President of the United States, in some of his rare votes in the Illinois Senate, voted against the Born Alive Infant Protection Act three times. He knew what it was about, and he spoke out against it.  This is who was elected as our President. 

Newtown Shooter Picked School As It Was The “Easiest Target” – all the laws being proposed will take away guns from law-abiding citizens, leave them in the hands of criminals, and do nothing to prevent deaths like those in Newtown.

Help Provide for the Needs of the Families of Persecuted Christians in Prison

See Voice of the Martyrs.  You won’t hear these stories from the mainstream media.  Christians around the world get persecuted for their faith.  VOTM does a great job of communicating their needs and helping them.  Few Christians and “Christians” in the U.S. take any risks for their faith, but the persecuted Christians risk their health, lives and property daily.

Hebrews 13:3 Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.

 

Dmitry Shestakov and Shi Weihan

 



Political correctness can be deadly

Political correctness is the adult version of Jr. High peer pressure: People say things they know are false because they are afraid of being unpopular.

I urge everyone — and especially Christians — to avoid saying foolish, politically correct things.  Some people need to grow spines, or guts, or fill-in-your-preferred-body-part.

I’m not saying to be belligerent jerks about it.  Just speak the truth graciously — but speak the truth.  Don’t say things you know aren’t true.  Don’t say the opposite of what God said in his word.

Christians throughout history sacrificed wealth, freedom and even their lives rather than deny essential truths such as the deity of Christ and many still suffer greatly today for the same reasons.  Yet so many of us are too afraid to state the obvious: Jesus is God.  He is the only way to salvation, and apart from trusting in him you will spend an eternity in Hell separated from your creator and paying for your sins.  Other religions are false.  Not all Muslims are terrorists, but Islam is not a religion of peace.  God’s original plan and ideal for marriage is one man and one woman for life.  Abortion kills innocent human beings and is wrong.  And so on.

Too many people have a perverted view of love, where they view it as sentimental indulgence and use it to rationalize and even encourage sin.  That isn’t the Biblical view of “agape” love that has people’s long-term best interests at heart.

Was Jesus loving?  Of course.  All the time?  Of course.  And that means He was being loving when He spoke the truth about sin, Hell and more. People need to read all of the Bible and remember that God –who is all loving — inspired it all.  Even the parts that make us squirm in our politically correct society.  Scan the Gospels and the rest of the Bible and see how much of it would qualify as politically correct “love” in our culture.  Then decide which side you will choose.

Roundup

Eons Of Darwinian Evolution Somehow Produce Mitch – fun from The Onion.

Despite initial efforts to understand how the Albuquerque native came into being, one researcher told reporters that even a modification of Darwinian theory might be insufficient to account for Mitch.

“I know this is controversial, but we have to consider the possibility that Darwin was wrong, ” said Victor Siles, a geneticist at the University of California–Berkeley. “Nothing we currently know about DNA, no fully mapped genome, can account for the presence of someone whose apartment smells that much like Chef Boyardee.”

Creationists, meanwhile, have been surprisingly muted in their celebration of a man whose existence would seem to disprove so much of evolutionary theory.

“It’s great that Mitch has been so disruptive to the evolutionist camp,” Jim Moore of the Colorado Springs–based Genesis Ministries said. “But quite honestly, there’s no way we can explain him in terms of a perfect or loving God, either.”

“We’re just going to sit this one out,” Moore added.

If you have an iPhone that can upgrade to the new operating system (iOS 4) I highly recommend it.  It downloaded quickly.  The unified inbox alone will save me lots of time, as now I don’t need to use so many taps to get from one box to the next.  Editing music playlists is handy.  Not sure how much the multi-tasking will impact me.  The folders feature for similar apps will be useful.

Note: you need to upgrade to iTunes 9.2 first.

Terrific list of guidelines from Randy Alcorn for sexual purity.

Free Condoms in Public Elementary School – really bad on multiple levels.  Encouraging kids to have sex and deliberately leaving their parents out of the discussion.  Another reason to home school: Protect your kids from these freaks.

These days public schools don’t pay much attention to the tired old topics of yesteryear — reading, writing, arithmetic, etc. Now the emphasis is on learning fun stuff, like sexual intercourse and disregarding the wishes of parents: A New England school district has approved a measure that will provide free condoms to elementary school students and direct teachers not to comply with parental wishes to the contrary.

Obama to AZ Sen Kyl in Private Meeting “Problem is…if we secure the border, then you all won’t have any reason to support ‘comprehensive immigration reform.’” – Obama says he’s lying.  I’ll spring for the cost of polygraphs and put my money on Kyl.

Gary and Tony have a baby — CNN helps feed the narcissism and more child sacrifice.  Sad.  Note how CNN has a whole section devoted to sexual perversions, as if it is a category akin to Sport or Weather.

Serious persecution of Christians in Nigeria — Muslims attacking Christians — “Beyond anything I have ever seen.”

Today we were able to see numerous patients at several hospitals. There were fewer gunshots and far more machete and knife wounds than I have seen in the past in northern Nigeria. It looks to me like the Muslims had sharpened their weapons before the attack, because the wounds on these folks were significantly deeper and more destructive than any of those I saw in January when Muslims attacked Christians in Jos. The epitome was a 4-year-old little girl whose left arm was slashed and amputated above the elbow.

The Lakers beating the Celtics = fantastic.  Beating them in 7 games?  Extra fantastic.  Not as good as 1985, but a nice 2nd place.

Loved Ron Artest’s interviews.  None of that silly “giving 110%” blather from this guy.  It was great to see him come through like that.  He was so cool the whole game.

Digg This

Help build churches & orphanages for persecuted / poor Christians

One of our favorite organizations is International Cooperating Ministries, a:

non-profit, trans-denominational Christian organization that works toward the mission of nurturing believers and assisting church growth worldwide. With our partners, we leverage simple church growth principles to see our vision of growth in the faith of individual believers, the number of people within each church, and the number of churches within a nation-truly actualizing Christ’s commission to “make disciples of all nations!”

They primarily build churches (roughly $7,000 each) and church/orphanages (roughly $25,000).  The church/orphanages are exciting projects because they not only help the local church and the orphans, but the widows who take care of the orphans as well.

They use a “web” approach, so that each church that receives a building needs to help 5 other churches start in their vicinity. 

They offer a “mini-Bible college” to help the churches have sound doctrine.

One of the things I like about them is that their administrative costs are paid for by a foundation, so 100% of what you give goes straight to the projects.

They build churches around the world, including many countries where persecution is rampant. 

Check out their web site and see what you think.  You might want to donate or get a group to raise funds for a church.  Perhaps you’ve been seriously blessed and could pay for a whole church yourself!  Think about that for a while.  It is a great way to encourage other believers, help widows and orphans, and spread the Gospel!  Who knows, you might get to go visit them someday in this life, but if you are a believer you can be sure you’ll catch up with them in Heaven someday.

As Jesus said, where your treasure is there your heart will be also.  When you donate to projects around the world your heart will go there as well.

Here is an example of a group in need, Project # 09IN12788TAM — This congregation lives in Uttar Pradesh, one of the most unreached and militant states of India with 20% Muslim and nearly 80% Hindu. Evangelism is much more dangerous here and Christians often suffer religious persecution.  From the pastor, Ram Prakash:

I had a vision to spread the Word of God. The Lord helped me hold meetings in my house with five people in 2000. The gatherings increased to forty or more; we rented a house, and more came. In 2001 – 2003, there were many kinds of difficulties. In some areas, police took up against ministries. In the midst of this, many people came forward and were baptized, and God allowed us to spread to adjoining districts.

In the last eight years, God has been so faithful. Now we have more than 100 people and more than that have been baptized. Due to the lack of facilities, many cannot come every week. I pray God will allow us to build a church soon.

Roundup

alarm-clock.jpgYou get an extra second in your day today.  Don’t waste it!

New addition to the blogroll: Musings from a Theo-Geek.  Marie has a passion for the truth and the persecuted church, among other things.  Go check out this well written blog.  I’ll wait here.

Maybe evolution is real after all — at least in mainstream media reports about Sarah Palin.  It only took AP three tries to do a remotely unbiased piece on the birth of Sarah Palin’s grandson.

Tina Fey looks as much like Caroline Kennedy as she does Sarah Palin.  So you have to know that Fey will be skewering Kennedy just as much as she did Gov. Palin, ya know?

Redefining “Global Warming” to support an agenda — Here’s my definition: Global Warming is a tautological catalyst for an unprecedented, unlimited and permanent political power grab.  Regardless of the actual weather they’ll claim that their plans worked, so that is proof that they need to maintain control, or the plans didn’t work, so they need even more control.

If there was global warming, it is probably over and probably not man-made.

Turns out that I agree with Gene Robinson on a religious topic.  From a post by Ms. Green:

Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, the first openly gay Episcopal bishop and an Obama supporter, was upset about Obama’s choice of Rick Warren to lead the invocation at his inauguration.

Gene was quoted by the Times as saying, “we’re talking about putting someone up front and center at what will be the most-watched inauguration in history, and asking his blessing on the nation. And the God that he’s praying to is not the God that I know.

That’s what we’ve been saying all along!  I’m glad we agree on this. 

I found Robinson’s comments ironic on multiple levels.  He spoke the truth for a change, even though he probably didn’t realize that. 

But consider how wounded liberal theologians get when you point out how they hold seriously different views from orthodox Christians.  Will they criticize Robinson for being so divisive? 

And don’t people like him think that all religions lead to God?  Why is he being so critical of “another” faith now?  Or is his claim that all religions except Rick Warren’s lead to God? 

I wonder if Robinson would have complained if a Muslim Imam or some other religion would have said the prayer?

Roundup

naked-gun2Please go read The Naked Gun on the theology of ministry at Patrick’s blog.  If nothing else, you’ll laugh at a great clip from the movie.

Sanctity of Human Life Sunday will be January 18th this year (as well as January 25th in some places).  Last year I was able to speak at a couple Sunday School classes at a large local church.  I’m going to be the Board President for CareNet in 2009 so I’m hoping there will be more speaking opportunities to educate people on all the great things CareNet does for women and their families, as well as how to articulate the pro-life message.

Randy Alcorn is an amazing pro-life apologist (among other things) and is offering his book Why Pro-life? for only $1.60 each (in case quantities) to help churches equip people with the pro-life message.  Let your pastor know that these are available!  It would be a great way to educate people.  Randy is a very winsome and persuasive author.

Here’s some good news: The Love Dare book from the Fireproof movie is #2 on the NYT Best Seller list.

People Said to Believe in Aliens and Ghosts More Than God – This is sad but also amusing, especially with people insisting that it is the advanced education of the West that keeps them from an “irrational” belief in God. They make nice bookends for the deliberately unclear “thinkers” on the other end of the spectrum who insist that there is no truth.

Going rate to kill a pastor: $250 – Hindu extremist groups are offering money, food and alcohol to anyone who murders Christians and destroys their homes.

Obama, Can You Spare Blacks A Proclamation? – this is quite a list!

Predictably, the Abortion President is putting together a seriously anti-life, anti-family Cabinet

This post is illegal in 52 countries

I’m not big on “Jesus junk,” but I like this t-shirt and wear it to work out sometimes.  It was a good conversation starter the other day when a guy asked me about it.  We briefly talked about the persecuted church and matters of faith and church in general.  He was looking for a church home so I invited him to visit ours.

From their web site:

Stop people in their tracks when they catch a glimpse of your T-shirt: “THIS SHIRT IS ILLEGAL IN 52 COUNTRIES.”

Wearing this unusual T-shirt will cause others to consider the cost of following Christ for Christians around the world.

The front of this T-shirt also states “Restricted Nations: 38” and “Hostile Areas: 14.” On the back, Romans 1:16 proclaims, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel…”

Countless Christians risk their jobs, health, property and lives each day for the cause of the Gospel.  Check out Voice of the Martyrs for more information on the persecuted church.

Hebrews 13:3 Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

Which is best: Persecution, dominance or free market?

cross1.jpgWhat environment does Christianity thrive in? 

Persecution: The church actually grows quite well in times of persecution, though of course we’d all like to avoid that.  The good part is that you have fewer false teachers and believers and (presumably) less petty squabbles.  I imagine they would be well unified on the essentials of the faith.  Christianity grew wildly in the first few hundred years after the resurrection when persecution was generally quite intense.

Dominance: We tend to do a lousy job when we are the dominant force or a state religion.  That doesn’t mean that there aren’t some benefits of that model.  But people tend to get sloppy and become biblically illiterate.  They assume everyone is a believer, so there is little incentive to do the hard work of converting others.  We have lots of pretend believers, because they are doing it out of fear, habit or social pressure.

Free market: This should be the ideal situation, where we have to compete in the marketplace of ideas but can do so without fear of imprisonment.  Picture Paul in Acts 17, preaching to the Greeks on Mars Hill.  We should be inspired to do the work of evangelism and to share our faith with words and deeds at every turn.  We have the truth and the Holy Spirit.  What else do we need?

What do you think?