The Gospel Cannot Be Bound

If there is one thing Paul had, it was his share of troubles. But he doesn’t want you to get the wrong idea. They did not hinder the spread of the Gospel. In Philippians 1:12 he writes, “But I want you to know.” Know what? That his troubles have “actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel.”

Do you see this? It’s not just that his troubles haven’t hurt all that much, actually they did. But they actually helped his ministry. Wow! What an attitude. “You don’t need to feel sorry for me,” he says. “Things may look bad, but the result isn’t bad. I may be in jail, but the Gospel isn’t in jail. So don’t feel sorry for me.”

The Gospel is still getting out. Things are still going as planned. Not Paul’s plan, mind you, but according to God’s plan. His imprisonment is a “furtherance” to the Gospel. The word he used in the Greek language, the word for “furtherance,” is really colorful. It describes a group of combat engineers going out in front of an army to prepare the way. The woodcutters clear a road through an impenetrable forest or thicket so the army could march through unimpeded.

Do you get the flavor of this? Here’s this group of people moving out ahead of the army clearing obstacles - an advance troop, machetes in hand, hacking their way through the jungle, sweating and panting, but making the way easier for the army that follows. That’s what Paul was – the advance party.

And sure, they’ll meet resistance. Resistance is inherent in progress. Resistance is a given in God’s work. Of course, Satan will resist us. But it is a small cost compared to the ultimate goal, the ultimate victory.

And that’s how Paul felt about his imprisonment. This is what he had done. He had gone ahead to pave the way for other evangelists to follow so that they could have greater success because of his efforts. Therefore, his efforts are certainly not wasted. He doesn’t need to feel like he has failed. His troubles weren’t in vain.

Even his own ministry is advancing still because of his troubles. He has been given a whole new group of people to witness to. He has a whole new bunch of people he could never have reached otherwise.

Paul can now preach to his guards. Philippians 1:13 says, “So that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ.” That soldier chained to him became a captive audience. What an opportunity to witness to someone who normally wouldn’t have given Paul the time of day. And when one of them got saved, they would take the Gospel back to their families and to their fellow soldiers in the barracks so the gospel would be spreading out like a spider web to all kinds of new people.

Tertullian wrote that the Roman government was upset that Christians were holding positions of high power. The reason they were Christians was because of Paul’s witness. The palace guard, really the Praetorian Guard, was composed of some ten thousand hand-picked guards. They were all highly compensated commanders who served twelve years then were given early retirement. They were so powerful that they not only protected the emperor, but often chose the emperor. And Paul was chained round the clock to one of these powerful men,

So rather than being a disaster, his imprisonment was an opportunity. The shifts changed every six hours so there were four different ones chained to him each day giving him opportunities to witness. These guards came to know Paul intimately, and they all could see his stellar character and Christ-like conduct. They knew he wasn’t a criminal. They knew his chains were the result of his preaching Christ, not because of any evil crime.

Paul is an illustration of 1st Peter 4:12-16, which says:
12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but 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. 14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.

What happened to Paul wasn’t unexpected. It was part of God’s plan. Therefore, Paul could rejoice. That needs to be our attitude. Paul tells us, everyone knew he was suffering for Christ so he was greatly blessed because of it. That had an impact on the guards who watched him day and night.

Listen to how F.B. Meyer describes the scene:

“At times the hired room would be thronged with people, to whom the Apostle spoke words of life; and after they withdrew, the sentry would sit beside him, filled with many questionings as to the meaning of the words which this strange prisoner spoke. At other times, when all had gone, and especially at night, when the moonlight shone on the distant slopes of Soracte, soldier and apostle would be left to talk, and in those dark and lonely hours the apostle would tell soldier after soldier the story of his own proud career in early life of his opposition to Christ, and his ultimate conversion, and would make it clear that he was there as a prisoner, not for any crime, not because he had raised rebellion or revolt, but because he believed that Him whom the Roman soldiers had crucified, under Pilate, was the son of God and the Savior of men. As these tiding spread, and the soldiers talked them over with one another, the whole guard would be influenced in sympathy with the meek and gentle Apostle, who always showed himself so kindly to the men as they shared, however involuntarily, his imprisonment.
How absolutely consistent the Apostle must have been! If there had been the least divergence, day or night, from the high standard which he upheld, his soldier-companion would have caught it, and passed it on to others. The fact that so many became earnest Christians , and that the Word of Jesus was known far and wide throughout the Praetorian Guard, indicates how absolutely consistent was the Apostles life.”

Truly, our lives must back up our message. When the world sees our stellar character, they will believe our message. So no matter what you are going through, rejoice. God is at work. The Gospel is not bound.

Praying for the Persecutd Church, and Preparing to be the Persecuted Church

The following transcript was preached for the National Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church on Novembeer 11, 2012

The early church had been growing like gang-busters. From the day of Pentecost on, it had been only up and up and up. The Spirit of God had swept across the landscape saving souls by the thousands. It looked like clear sailing all the way till Jesus returned. But alas, it was not to be. The tables would be turned quickly.

Because, here’s a little maxim you need to know: Whenever God works, Satan will be there to oppose it; and the more God is doing, the greater will be Satan’s effort to squash it.

As John MacArthur said, “Throughout the universe, war rages on every front. God, the holy angels, and elect men battle Satan, his demonic hosts, and fallen men. Although the outcome of the war has never been in doubt, the battles are no less real.” And might I add, the casualties are no less painful.

Satan had shown his true colors through the ages by opposing and killing the prophets. He thought he had finally won when he led the Jews to betray their Messiah and then the Romans to crucify Him. But alas, from Satan’s perspective, Jesus rose from the dead and founded a church - a church to function as the Body of Christ doing His work and spreading His message throughout the world.

And the church was growing and spreading. Satan must have been beside himself in frustration. What will he do? Oh, remember the maxim? Wherever God is at work, Satan is there to oppose, so the church’s growth won’t be unopposed. Satan will attack the newly formed church.

Oh, the disciples should have been prepared. Jesus had warned them even before the Cross. In John 15:18-20, Jesus taught:
“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.”

Well, the persecution is about to intensify. Persecution of the church will characterize the Roman Empire in the first three centuries of the church. Uncounted thousands would lose their lives as they were fed to the lions, turned into human torches, crucified, and whatever else evil human men could devise to viciously kill.

Yet, the Christians faced death with a calm serenity that unnerved their tormenter. And far from destroying the church, the church thrived. As Tertullion would say, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” And martyr’s blood flowed all through the history of the church. Wherever the Gospel went, the executioner followed.

Satan’s first recorded attack against the church came through the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7. Then Saul went out creating havoc in the church by binding and leading Christians away in chains to be cast into dungeons. All is not rosy. It’s not a safe time to be a Christian here in these middle chapters of the book of Acts. But the church keeps pressing on.

And then, Herod joins in. Acts 12:1-4 says:
“Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews (The Jews were all happy about it, and Herod was a people pleaser), he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread (It was the Passover). 4 So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him (4 squads of 4 is sixteen soldiers to guard one man - Herod wasn’t taking any chances of escape), intending to bring him before the people after Passover.

Oh, Herod’s intention is to behead the church by beheading the leaders. He’s trying to strip the church of their leadership so they flounder. And Peter is currently in the crosshairs. And what was Peter’s horrible crime? Preaching the Gospel of Christ. That was enough to give him a death sentence.

So, what will the church do? How will the church respond to this onslaught? After all, Peter is in prison, and he’s probably going to be executed as soon as the Passover is over

The answer is, the church will pray: Acts 12:5 says, “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.” Amen! The church prayed – of course, they prayed. While Peter sat in prison, the church was on her knees pouring her heart out to God. They were holding an all night prayer vigil. They begged God to intervene on Peter’s behalf.

The New American Standard translates it this way: “So Peter was kept in prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.”

That word, fervently, comes from a Greek medical term, ektenos. It described the stretching of a muscle to the limit by maximum exertion. The church was literally praying until it hurt. This is kind of like Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane before His arrest. When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, He sweat great drops of blood from the effort, falling on the ground and pouring His heart out to God. This was soul wrenching hard work. That’s what fervent prayer is. It’s praying with all you’ve got. Ever prayed like that?

And that kind of prayer is effective. James 5:16 says, “The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” So, that’s what the church is doing here. They’re giving it all they’ve got to pray for Peter, and God miraculously answered.

Acts 12:6-8 says:
“And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.”

Praise God, an answer to prayer - a wonderful, miraculous answer to prayer.

But, couldn’t God have kept Peter from being arrested? Of course God could have. The angel could have intervened at any time. But, God sovereignly chooses sometimes to let us suffer persecution for His sake. Sometimes He rescues, and sometimes He doesn’t. Peter was spared the sword, but James wasn’t.

After the angel left him, Peter went to find his friends. They were all meeting at the home of John Mark. Peter knew they would be. He knew they would be praying.
Acts 12:12 says, “So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. “

Peter pounds on the door, interrupting their prayer meeting. Rhoda, a servant girl comes to see who it is, and (“Oh, my!”) she is astonished - it is Peter. She is so astonished, she forgets to open the door and runs and tells the disciples, leaving him to stand outside where he continues to knock. But nobody can believe it – “You’re nuts,” they tell her. “You’re just seeing things. He must be dead, and you’re hearing his angel”

They prayed for God to spring Peter from prison, but they didn’t believe it could happen. How much that is like the way we pray. We kind of hope God will answer, but we really don’t expect it. After all, God didn’t answer their prayers for James. They are a little discouraged - a little disheartened - and it shows in their lack of faith. Well, that is Peter standing out there knocking, isn’t it? Where is their faith? Couldn’t they believe that God could do a miracle? Nonetheless, they prayed

Well, we in this church, we prayed too. We prayed for Iranian pastor, Youcef Nadarkhani, a 32 year old husband and father of two sons. He had been confined in prison in Iran for crimes against Islam and had been sentenced to death. What horrid crimes had he been guilty of? Proselyting – preaching the Gospel. He was in prison for Christ, so we prayed. I, for one, had little hope he would ever be released, ever see his family again. I fully expected him to be executed by the Iranians. But God intervened. Pastor Nadarkhani was released from prison on September 8th, and the Christian world celebrated.

Quoting Mervyn Thomas of Christian Solidarity Worldwide: “I believe it is no coincidence that Pastor Nadarkhani was released as people around the world were praying for him. What a result. . . and such an unexpected one at that.”

So, can we stop praying? Mission accomplished? OH, NO! Less than 130 miles away, another pastor faces even worse conditions. Behnam Irani, 41, is serving six years in prison in Karaj for so called “actions against the state.” What were those actions? He pastors a church made up of Islamic converts, and he dared share his faith with Muslims. Those are his horrible crimes.

In August, Christian Solidarity Worldwide reported that he is suffering from severe bleeding due to stomach ulcers and a colon disorder so that he was vomiting blood. In spite of all this, he was denied medical treatment. He suffers alone, sick and near death. Pastor Irani has also been beaten so severely by prison authorities that he struggles to walk. His internal organs are all shot. He is a physically broken man. It is believed that without medical care, he will die within months, alone, a martyr for Jesus.

But he is not alone. Ahmed Shaheed of the U.N. estimated that Iranian authorities arrested and detained more than 300 Christians since 2010. Iran is a dangerous place to profess Christ. According to Shaheed, “scores of Christians” languish in jail “for freely practicing their religion.”

Here’s what it is like there: Mansour Borji – an Iranian pastor who fled to London – reports that the house church movement is like: “a James Bond movie – how they are careful about their communication, how they switch meeting places, how they turn off their phones and how they take out their SIM cards.” To meet openly is to be arrested in Iran.

But, Iran is not alone. Open Doors USA publishes an annual list of the 50 countries with the worst record on persecution. Every Sunday in Nigeria, Christians meet in fear of the roving bands of Islamic zealots that viciously murder dozens at a time and burn churches. Last year in Egypt, there was the “Maspero Massacre” where 27 Coptic Christians were killed as the Egyptian Army opened fire and used tanks to run over and squash a protest against the burning of a church. The examples could go on and on of suffering.

What do these Christians need? They need our prayers. Iranian pastor Borji stated: “The first thing that people in this situation ask for isn’t activism or advocacy. It’s prayer.” So we need to pray.

Jerry Dykstra of Open Doors agrees: “They don’t necessarily pray for the persecution to go away. They pray for faith that is unwavering.” So what should we be doing? We should be praying. Some God will spare, like Pastor Nadarkhani, but others He will not spare. And we can only pray that their faith will not waver, that God will keep them strong.

As Pastor Nadarkhani said when released from prison: “The Lord has wonderfully provided through the trial. . . As the Scripture says, ‘He will not allow us to be tested beyond our strength.’” We must stand with these persecuted souls.

But are we exempt from this kind of persecution? Praise God, we have been for over 200 years. In the midst of a world filled with persecution, we have lived in a bubble of protection - protection enshrined in the first amendment to our constitution. Our country was primarily founded by people who fled Europe and the systematic persecution of Christians that was rampant there. They came here seeking religious freedom. And when they enacted our constitution, the first order of business was passing the Bill of Rights.

The first right to be protected was the Freedom of Religion. This is what that First Amendment says:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

As long as our country upholds our Constitution, we will be protected. Unfortunately, that right is being eroded year by year. Crosses and Ten Commandment plaques have been forbidden on public property. Football teams can’t pray before their games. Sharing faith at work is construed as hate speech.

Now, with the forward march of same-sex marriage, the right to refuse a same sex couple based on your religious convictions has been stripped. You can’t refuse to photograph their “mockery of a wedding” or refuse to rent them a bridal suite. Pastors have been arrested in Canada and Europe for preaching against homosexuality. It is considered hate speech there even when taken straight from the Bible. Soon, it may be outlawed here. And now, under Obamacare, Christian organizations are required to provide free birth control through their employee healthcare whether it violates their convictions or not. Bye, bye, freedom of conscience.

As Christians, we are in a decided minority. In a Pew Research Report on Religion and Public Life published in October, It’s reported that the percent of us that are Protestant in this country has dropped to 48%. For the first time, we are in the minority. This doesn’t mean we are converting to Catholicism or Mormonism. Oh no, 20% of us claim we have NO religious affiliation. And Maine is the most un-churched state in the union now.

In 2007, Pew showed 60% who seldom or never attend religious services still identified with some religion. Now, in 2012, only 50% do. I hope you realize the situation is even more stark than the numbers report because not all who claim affiliation as Protestant actually attend church which is one indicator of whether you take your faith seriously or not. And how many of the Protestant denominations have abandoned Protestant beliefs? The situation is indeed dark. It will only get harder to live openly as a Christian.

What are we to do as the persecution intensifies? The best answer is to follow the plan of the apostles. In Acts 4:24-30, the apostles were arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin, then released. And what took place? They gathered to pray - but not prayers of dejection, prayers of praise. Acts 4:24 says, “So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them,

That word, Lord, is a unique one coming from the Greek word, despotes - or despot. God rules! He is the absolute ruler. And that gives them confidence. All their suffering was part of God’s will. They could trust Him and His purpose. Live or die, God ultimately decides.

Why would God allow James to be beheaded and Peter set free? Nobody knows, but God. This is His universe, not ours. We simply must trust Him.

The Passage continues in Acts 4:25:
25 who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: (In Psalm 2)
‘Why did the nations rage,
And the people plot vain things?
26 The kings of the earth took their stand,
And the rulers were gathered together
Against the LORD and against His Christ.’

27 “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus
whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.

And now here is their request - Acts 4:29:
29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”

They didn’t ask to be spared the persecution. They asked to be effective in spite of it. “Let us accomplish what needs to be done, Lord” That’s the attitude we must have.

Acts 4:31 concludes the account:
31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

Amen! God answered that prayer. He didn’t spare them persecution, but He did make them effective in ministry.

Acts 5:27-32 is a report of the next encounter, and this is their answer to the court:
27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 28 saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!”
29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. 31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

That’s the issue: We ought to obey God rather than man. And we ought to obey God even if it means we will suffer consequences for it - Yes, even if the consequences are persecution and death.

Arab Spring Leads to Christian Winter

When the Arab Spring began, excitement was in the air. We cheered when the dictators toppled. Democracy was coming we were told. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton talked of a new and hopeful "Arab Spring" as Islamic revolutions began arising across the Middle East and North Africa. Again this past week, there was joy that the terrorist and Libyan Dictator Maummar al-Qaddafi was killed.

But the biggest question is, what comes next? What comes next for Libya? What comes next for the the other countries taking part in the Islamic uprising? Well, now we know. The leader of Libya's transitional government says that Sharia Law will be the basic source of legislation. So much for freedom and equality. So much for women being treated with respect and dignity. So much for any hope of tolerance for Christians.

Egypt can be used as a case study. Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's dictator, was one of the first to fall last February, to the glee of the media. Sure, the masses were being led by the Muslim Brotherhood, but they are a peace loving bunch, we were told (never mind their history of using terror to advance their political agenda). The Egyptian army, we were told, showed great restraint by not using force in dealing with the Muslim protesters. But what is it like now?

Now, there is evidence that "something is rotten in Cairo." The plight of the Coptic Christians prove it. On Sunday, October 9th, the Egyptian military attacked Christian protesters using armored personnel carriers, shooting randomly into the crowd and running over and crushing the protesters underneath their vehicles. According to Al Ahram, an Egyptian newspaper, 36 Coptic Christians were killed. According to the paper, they were run over by military vehicles, beaten, shot, and dragged through the streets.

The peaceful Christian protesters were marching to the headquarters of the state TV network to protest the burning of St. George's Church in Upper Egypt Village of El-Marinab. The broadcasters called on the "honorable Egyptians" to help the army put down the protest. "Soon afterward, bands of young men armed with sticks, rocks, swords, and firebombs began to roam central Cairo, attacking Christians," reports the Associated Press, and "troops and riot police did not intervene."

According to the international news channel, France 24, there has been "an explosion of violence against the Coptic Christian community." According to Jeff Jacoby,

"Copts, who represent a tenth of Egypt's population, are subjected to appalling humiliations. The mob that destroyed St. George's had first demanded that the church be stripped of crosses and bells; after the Christians yielded to that demand, local Muslims demanded that the dome be removed as well. For several weeks, Copts in El-Marinab were literally besieged, forbidden to leave their homes or buy food unless they agreed to mutilate their nearly century old house of worship. On September 30, Muslim thugs set fire to the church and demolished its dome, pillars and walls. For good measure, they also burned a Coptic-owned shop and four houses."

The Egyptian Union of Human Rights organization calculated that more than 90,000 Christians have fled the country since March of 2011.

For Christians, the Arab Spring has led to a Christian Winter. What took place in Iraq is now happening everywhere else where the "Religion of Peace" gains power. As reported by Caroline Glick,

"In Iraq, the Iranian and Syrian sponsored insurgency that followed the US-led overthrow of Saddam Hussein's Baathist Regine in 2003 fomented a bloody jihad against Iraq's Christian population. This month marks the anniversary of last year's massacre of 58 Christian worshippers in a Catholic church in Baghdad. A decade ago there were 800,000 Christians in Iraq. Today there are 150,000."

The press and our government should have seen it coming.

Lebanon's Maronite Catholic Patriarch Bechara Rai visited Paris and warned French President Nicolas Sarkozy that the fall of the Assad regime in Syria could be a disaster for Christians throughout the region. When Rai arrived in the United States, our administration cancelled all his scheduled meetings with them. According to Glick,

"Rather than consider the dangers that Rai warned about and use US influence to increase the power of Christians and Kurds and other minorities in any post-Assad Syrian government, the Obama administration decided to blackball Rai for pointing out the dangers."

See no evil; hear no evil; speak no evil.

What has happened in Egypt and other places in Muslim dominated countries should cause us to ask some questions. Why is the United States continuing to underwrite the Egyptian military regime? Why is there silence from the main stream media and our politicians? Why can Christians be slaughtered without a great moral outrage on the part of our leaders?

According to Michael Youssef, an Egyptian-born, American Christian,

"There's an American tragedy in this. Namely, that our tax dollars are funding the bottomless pit of the Egyptian Army's industrial establishment. . . . Therefore, we are partially responsible for the shedding of the blood of innocent civilians."

Yes, we have blood on our hands when we turn a blind eye to the systematic persecution of Christians by the "Religion of Peace" Islam.

Christians Have Nothing to Lose

The world is a dangerous place for Christians. When Jesus sent out His disciples in Matthew 10:16, He warned them, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves." Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani would agree. The wolves are circling around him waiting for the kill.

This past week, this Iranian pastor faced execution rather than recant his Christian faith. Pastor Nadarkhani, who claims he was never a Muslim, was found guilty of converting to Christianity by the 11th Branch of the Gilan Provincial Court because he has an Islamic ancestry.

When asked to repent, Nadarkhani stated, "Repent means to return. What should I return to? To the blasphemy that I had before my faith in Christ?"

"To the religion of your ancestors, Islam." the judge replied.

"I cannot." Nadarkhani answered.

Thus the verdict - the sheep was found guilty. Since the public outcry, the Iranian officials, after the fact, claim his case is about rape and extortion. How convenient. The truth is he gained notice of the Iranian officials because his house church had grown to 400 people, and he questioned the indoctrination of his children by Iranian schools.

Nadarkhani isn't alone. Elam Ministries of England reports that during the six months from June 2010 until January 2011, a total of 202 such arrests occurred in Iran. The sheep were rounded up. But even though stories like this aren't reported often, stories like this are extremely common. As a matter of fact, each year about 100,000 Christians are martyred world wide. Romans 8:36 says, "We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter;" and world wide, the slaughter of Christians takes place.

The number of "silent killings" of Christians in Nigeria over the past few months failed to make the news. International Christian Concern reports that radical Muslim leader, Boko Haran, has killed at least ten Christians in Maiduguri, Nigeria, for violations of Sharia Law.

In 2009 in Pakistan, Asa Bibi, a mother of five, working with other women in a field picking berries, went to the well for a bucket of drinking water. When she returned, the other women refused to drink from it saying it was contaminated having been touched by a Christian. There was an altercation, and the Muslim women went to a cleric to accuse Bibi of blasphemy.

Bibi was tried for violating Pakistani Penal Code, section 295c, which says, "Whoever . . . defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable for fine." According to the London Telegraph, she was "convicted on the evidence of two witnesses who were not present in the fields where the exchange is supposed to have taken place." Bibi still remains in prison, and her family hides in fear for their lives.

Why would these Christians refuse to recant in the face of this intense persecution? Reading the Scriptures makes it clear. In Luke 12:4-5. Jesus told us,

"My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell: yes, I say to you, fear Him."

The answer is simple. All men can do is kill you. But, God holds your eternal soul in His hands. Fear God more.

But the next verses show how much God cares. In Luke 12:6-7, Jesus says,

"Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are numbered. Do not fear, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows."

The good news for believers is that God has already taken the eternal risk out of death. In John 11:25, Jesus assures us, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, yet shall he live." In Romans 8:35, Paul asks a rhetorical question, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" Then he lists as many things that he can think of that might. But none of them can. Paul's conclusion, in Romans 8:38-39 states,

"For I am persuaded that neither life nor death . . . nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

We all die. Why shouldn't we die for something worthwhile? And what is more worthwhile than serving the King of kings and Lord of lords who loves us and rewards us? God is great at rewarding us. Jesus assured us, in Matthew 5:11-12,

"Blessed are you when the revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven."

We have nothing to lose by serving God and everything to gain.

In his History of Christian Missions, Stephen Neil wrote that every early Christian "knew that sooner or later he might have to testify to his faith at the cost of his life." More and more, that is becoming true again today. We, as Christians, must be prepared for it.

Even here in America, we see the bubble of protection afforded to us by our First Amendment being eroded. Whether it's the firing of Frank Turek by Cisco for comments in favor of traditional marriage, the intimidation against those in California who favored Proposition 8, or the resignation of Laura L. Fortusky, town clerk in Barker, New York, rather than be forced to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, the threat is real. Even the Bangotr Daily News reported death threats against Marc Mutty and Michael Heath for their work turning back same-sex marriages in Maine in 2009.

Quoting Alan Sears,

"From high school and college textbooks that ridicule or try to expunge our historical Judeo-Christian roots, to shameless lawsuits against the public display of symbols identifiable with Christianity, to the hampering of the religious speech of public officials, and of course, the ongoing governmental limitations on the First Amendment protected rights of pastors in the pulpits, Christians (and Christianity) are forced to fight for the freedom so many others readily enjoy."

In the words of John Piper, "In America and around the world, the price of being a real Christian is rising. Things are getting back to normal."

Rick Perry's Problem - He's a Christian!

First, let me set the record straight. I'm not the one who said that. Rather, it is the recurring theme the media continues to publish as they attack Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann, and even Sarah Palin. These politicians take their Christian faith too seriously. How horrid, say the pundits.

An example would be the editorial by Dana Milbank in the Bangor Daily News this past week. Milbank made the direct accusation,

"Rick Perry is a theocrat. By his own account, he is a cultural warrior, seeking to save marriage, Christmas, and the Boy Scouts from liberals, gay people, and moral relativism."

That's supposed to be a bad thing? It is if you are a Dana Milbank, who goes on to chronicle Rick Perry's own statements of his Christian faith - statements, by the way, that I find refreshing - as proof that Perry is unfit to be President.

But this is just one example of the multitude of attacks on people of faith who dare enter public life. Bill Keller, executive editor of the New York Times, argues it is time to stop being "squeamish" about "aggressively" digging into politician's religious convictions. He urges reporters to "get over" any "scruples" about the "privacy of faith in public life." That's why he can worry that Perry and Bachmann are "afflicted with fervid subsets of evangelical Christianity."

That kind of rabid, anti-Christian rhetoric is heard from coast to coast in the media. Collins English Dictionary defines a bigot as "a person who is intolerant of any ideas other his or her own, especially on religion, politics, or race." And they have the nerve to call us bigots after these kinds of diatribes?

Commenting on people like Keller, Jeff Jacoby writes,

"When they see Christian conservatives on the campaign trail, they envision inquisitions and witch hunts and the suppression of liberty. They dread the prospect of a President respecting 'any higher authority than the Constitution,' and regard ardent religious faith as the equivalent of space aliens."

But God and His Word is higher than our Constitution.

Oh, religion is OK with them if you don't take it too seriously or let it affect your life. President Obama claims to be a Christian, and that's perfectly OK; yet, he hardly ever attends church. He favors the destruction of unborn babies in the womb. He refuses to defend DOMA. He forgets Easter proclamations, but never forgets a Ramadan proclamation. He mocks Biblical passages and seldom quotes the Bible, but quotes instead from the "holy Qur'am."

In a 2008 interview with George Stephanopolos, candidate Obama spoke passionately about his Muslim faith. After a few moments, Stephanopolos corrected him, "Your Christian faith." Just a mistake, right? Just a slip of the tongue? How many other "Christians" would make that kind of a silly error. But Obama's kind of faith is OK.

And we aren't supposed to be concerned that Obama sat for twenty years under the teaching of rabid anti-Semite and racist Rev. Jeremiah wright and his hate filed "G__D__ America" rants. Shouldn't that be a concern to us? No. After all, Obama wasn't paying attention.

As David Limbaugh writes,

"Bill Keller's concern isn't with the religious beliefs of all candidates, only Christians; and not all Christians, only those who take the Bible seriously. He doesn't seem to have a problem with the religious beliefs of non-Christians or about the charlatans who opportunistically pass themselves off as Christians. Wouldn't an objective reporter have as much interest in someone fraudulently proclaiming a certain faith as he does in one who sincerely professes a faith he finds repugnant?"

So, it is perfectly legitimate, Keller thinks, to ask Michele Bachmann about her following the Biblical mandate of submission to her husband as found in Ephesians 5:22, or to ask them about their belief in Creation over evolution as they asked Perry, all so they can gloat over their back woods answers.

The goal, of course, is to get them to back down and slink away in shame. And so many of the "Christian-in-name-only" types do just that. Ah, but Christians who truly believe, what can you do with them? You have to discredit them as mind dead hicks from the sticks.

Since when did being a genuine Christian become a disqualification for public office? What they don't understand is that our founding fathers, most of whom took their Christian faith very seriously, were champions of individual rights. But they based those rights in the context of moral responsibility. George Washington in his farewell address stated,

"Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports."

I guess Washington would be as unacceptable now as a Perry, Bachmann, or a Palin are. In the early days of this country, faith in God was necessary to get elected. Now, according to Bill Murchison,

"It's kind of fascinating, in a carnivalesque sort of way, the notion of religion as a force alien and dangerous to the American polity, hence to be regarded as fear."

The truth is, according to David Limbaugh, "Liberty has no greater ally than believing Christians of all stripes." Certainly, there would be no liberty under Sharia law. Limbaugh says,

"Ironically, it is the left who are far likelier to use the power of government to selectively suppress political and religious liberties."

Yes, we Christians are narrow minded. Yes, we Christians do think we have the truth. But that is only bad if we don't. Let me give you an illustration. When I go out at night when I am camping, I take my flashlight. As I shine the light, the beam spreads out and diffuses as it goes out along the path, getting weaker and weaker the further from the source. But the closer to the source, the narrower and more intense the beam becomes. Likewise, the closer one gets to the truth, the less room there is for deviation and the more narrow minded one becomes. Truth is very narrow, while error is broad and diffuse. Give me a genuine Christian candidate any time who believe in absolute truth.

But let them realize they will pay the price for their belief. Jesus told us in John 15:20,

"Remember the word that I said to you. 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours."

It is not you they hate, but the truth and the one who spoke that truth.

Let me close with this challenge from Perry Himself,

"We are close to a tipping point in American society, If we believe there is right and wrong, that there are acceptable standards of behavior . . . then you have a stake in this war. If the attackers win many more victories . . . the culture war may be lost before we kinow it. If that happens, we will find ourselves living isn a world where moral relativism reigns and individualism runs amok. Now is the time to enlist in this effort to stand up and be counted."

Amen!