|
Closet Christians
by Steve Countryman There have been those who say that one's own religious views and beliefs is their own private concern and should be kept private. It was adopted by Lenin and other communist leaders to silence religion or more specifically Christians. The statement sounds protective and a good thing but the reason behind it is more sinister than you might think. For example if it is being used to protect one's religious freedoms and rights from a government imposed religion that would be one thing. But if on the other hand it was used to impose a "muzzle" affect on Christians and other outspoken religions to keep them silent then it means a loss of our religious freedoms. To keep one's religious views and beliefs to themselves is what a closet Christian is. To be a Christian and be silent about your religion and religious views is to ignore your Biblical reference to your faith, obedience to Christ's commands and the Great Commission. Matthew 28:18-20 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." How will they know unless they hear and how will they hear unless they are told and how can they be told by a closet Christian? There are two objectives behind silencing the Christians in the world. The first is that Christians always speak up against injustice and forced sinful lifestyles. We are critical of those who want to call good evil and evil good. The world wants us to be "tolerant" by accepting the differences as "diversity" and "alternate lifestyles". They don't want to hear God's truth about sin, wickedness and immorality. Christians have always been spreading the Good News of the Gospels and Christ's salvation plan. The other reason is to silence all references to salvation, the name of Jesus being spoken or used and that Jesus is the only way to God the Father and to heaven. I find it amazing that the wicked will use "separation of church and state" against any Christian event that they can but not against other non-Christian religious events. Other religions seem to get a "free pass" with their agendas under the umbrellas of "tolerance and diversity". To be politically correct and not wanting to offend others becomes their outward shield that they hide behind. We live in "the land of the free and the home of the brave" not the land of the wicked and the home of the offended. They preach tolerance towards all groups EXCEPT Christians!?! Declaring your faith behind closed doors in private so as to hide it is not what being a Christian is all about. You can't walk in faith and trust privately in God while denying Christ publicly. Christianity is not a spectator sport. Christianity is not being a "bench warmer". Christianity is being actively engaged in the game at all times. You cannot score points offensively or protect and defend well from the bench. You cannot leave it up to others to do it for you. A very big part of your faith walk is you allowing the Holy Spirit to move and work through you as God manifests His glory and power through you. It is not about making it through life safely and lonely. It is about you as God's powerful child who walks in and is led by the Holy Spirit. Life is not about you at all but how you live it for Christ. Though the world is in turmoil and though the wicked reign, God's grace does more abound and is sufficient for you. We are living in a time unlike any other since time began. As the last day's prophecies are being fulfilled daily we are faced with such a great and awesome opportunity to shine God's light to the world. These days all you hear is how bad things are. The weekly unemployment figures show more people out of work every week. There are more homes going into foreclosure because of a failing economy and failed bail out government plans. Countries who are financially collapsing due to economic and bank failures. Violence in the streets, unsecured borders, terrorist attack attempts, while gay marriage and abortions continue to grow with support of our government leaders. All reasons to be filled with fear daily. But not God's children for we have the answer that the world is desperate for and His name is Jesus. It is not that we are immune to the affects of all of these things happening around us but that we have a hope and a future that is anchored in the rock of Jesus that can't be moved. Fear motivates selfishness while faith motivates love of God and for others. We Christians need to shine daily to others. If we only talk about all of the negative things going on in the world then why would a non-believer want Christ in their heart? What makes us different then the rest of the planet is that we have Jesus! The time is "ripe" and is at hand for ALL of God's children to let God's love shine brightly through us daily. Make a conscience effort to be a blessing to someone everyday. Go out of your way to bless someone. It may be a small thing like giving someone a ride or helping someone with a problem. If you are a Christian business owner you have different ways that you can be a blessing to one of your customers everyday! I have made it one of my shop's policies that we will try to be a blessing to someone everyday and I encourage my staff to do so. We tell the customer when they ask how much that they just received a free God Bless You! What you do does make a difference in someone's life that allows God's love to shine on them and help to bring His salvation to the world. It is time to shine! Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |