getting worse before it gets better

Christian Persecution

Being a dinner for a lion

The gospel of Mark was penned AD 64, after a fire destroyed most of the city. Four districts were untouched, three completely reduced to ash, leaving seven in some sort of destruction, which brought about rumors that the emperor was behind it. This was countered by blame being leveled at the Christians. Of course Christians became the focus of government persecution, many was arrested and tortured then put to death, most was sentenced to death. This led to the climate of uncertainty for the Christian, as an invitation to make several choices:

1) Deny the Lordship of Jesus, and affirm the pagan gods and loyalty to the emperor. Thinking in the weakness of their faith, that God was unable to defend them.

2) They could become as the chameleon and change, only not color but gods, and just melt away into the mass of humanity.

3) They could fall into a state of apathy waiting to be found out, draining their spirits and strengthen their fear.

4) They could follow a belief that God being full of grace, and all of love would not allow them to suffer or go through the humiliation of being found out.

5) They could continue to fellowship together, worship, and strengthen the faith of one another, and continue to confess the Lordship of Christ even unto death.

Of course, there was real danger of death, and we have all heard or watched the stories of antiquity having the spectacle of the coliseum’s gladiators or the jaws of the lion. With failing courage, and failing faith of the Christian, John Mark of Jerusalem penned the Gospel as a pastoral epistle to help the Christian strengthen faith, stand firm, and unwaveringly declare their commitment in their confession.

Nice Teeth

In the time of Mark, Christians were ultimately put to death in varying inhuman forms; unlike today, in America, persecution has yet to result in death, except due to the Islamic Jihad. Nonetheless, persecution has yet to bask in the luxury of the level of horror the lions had. However, the teeth of the dreaded beast of humiliation or embarrassment have not torn the flesh from many brothers and sisters in the faith. Lets run through the subtle defamation of the Christian faith in the country which but a few decades ago, took great pride in being, ( as from the beginning), a Christian nation. The course of progressive social development brought about the “don’t force your religion on me,” the anti-moral movement of our sixties and the free love era. Then came the school system. The new age movement during the sixties and early seventies, the taking God out of our public school system and the ACLU, (which should be known as, Anti-Christian Lawyers Union).

All have hurt the cause for Christianity including some
Radical Christian groups 

The persecution, which started slowly and subtlety has progressively increased, as progressives and liberals have become more embolden. Emboldened by the increasingly fewer Christians standing up and defending our faith, it matters not that our faith has lost liberties due to some “closet Christians”, and compromising denominations. The reason that I am writing this is simply FEAR, some Christians are afraid they may lose friends, even a job or be made fun of in the liberal media, or on TV, the hard (nearly impossible) task is continuing on with web sites and the social media, of which we have become part of. It is affecting church attendance, evangelism, personal witness, youth groups, and college-young adult divisions because it is “too much to ask” of young people and some Christians to sacrifice social acceptance for the Lord Jesus.

To the idea of the Christian persecution, it is going to get worse as this election year drags out, yet in the midst of the chaos the Christian must stand steadfastly affirming their faith in the Lord Jesus, even when we stand face to face with the open jaws of the beast of social change. Fear is powerful, fear is real, and it will be the demise so some mighty men of faith, nonetheless, when this trouble comes we need to “trouble, trouble with trouble.” “You have nothing to fear but fear itself.” Life may get uncomfortable for a season, however, that may do us well. It may bring us to remember what “religious liberty” is all about, as well as what the constitution really means, and living with the enough determination to get off welfare, fight to get our ethics, values and morals back, and freedom to go after the true “American Dream.”