A few days ago, a subject came to mind as I was reading a blog that I frequent. The blog post was not about persecution but for some reason, it came to my mind. It’s not something I really think about too much for in this country (USA), there really isn’t much persecution. As Christians, we are safe. We may go to church when we please, hold bible studies, take our bible with us where ever we please and not have to worry about our lives being in danger. Sure we are taunted at times for our beliefs. There are laws in place that are restrictive and in some places, it is difficult in the work force. And I am sure there will be a day when it’s going to be much more difficult. But for now, in this day and age, we are safe and relatively free to worship as we please.
Unfortunately Christians in other countries do not enjoy the freedom we have. They are persecuted in ways that we cannot begin to imagine. I recall a few years ago reading about three men in Saudi Arabia who came to faith. They were jailed and were sentenced to death by beheading unless they recanted their faith. They did not recant.
One story I heard personally is one I will never forget. This Pakistani man came to our church to share his testimony. He was raised Muslim and was an officer in the Pakistani army. He came to faith at some point and eventually so did his wife. They had two little girls. He was arrested and at one point, they were going to burn him alive. He managed to escape but there was no place to go. He was sure he would be caught and his wife and him would be executed. He shared that his prayer to God was that he would not have to witness his children being killed. That frightened him more than anything. Somehow he was able to secure a visa to the United States. He had already seen many Christians in his country murdered for their faith. read more…
- Image by Denis Collette…!!! via Flickr
I will never forget an account I read in a book a few years ago. I honestly do not know if the account is true or not. The account that I read took place during the Vietnam war. A dying soldier asked a minister who cam to comfort him asked the minster only one question as he knew he had only minutes left before he would be faced with eternity. Only one question burned in his soul – he asked the minister “is there a hell?” The minister responded without hesitation “No.” The soldier then replied with “If there’s no hell, you are not needed here but if you are wrong, you have misled everyone here.” Perhaps the minister simply wanted to comfort those that were dying and or perhaps he really did not believe in the truth of scriptures that he represented as a minister of the Gospel.
Even if the story is not true, unfortunately it is true with some within some aberrant teachings in Christianity. “Mother” Teresa is held up as one who devoted her life to God and of helping others. In a shocking statement, she revealed that she does not preach the Gospel to the lost that she ministers to. After all, they are in need of help and the Gospel won’t help them (my paraphrase). Her reasoning behind this is that the lives of the Hindus that she was helping was so poor and they were in such need that the Gospel was of no benefit to their temporal lives. They needed food, clothing, shelter and medical attention.
Robert Schuller focuses on the “positive” aspects of Christianity and will not teach that a person is a sinner. If one does not know the condition of sin, then where is the need for salvation? The list of preachers not teaching on sin or the consequences of sin is growing and is devastating. It is devastating because it can and does lead people to the belief that all is well with their soul. read more…
