Opus 2012-275, The Frog Still Lies Dormant

Recently we observed Pulpit Freedom Sunday.  The federal and state government are clearly moving to take away the liberty we have had in the past.  So far they are working to keep it below the radar.  They know about the illustration of the slowly cooked frog, even if Christians and other thought minorities don’t want to see it.  We are talking about the rising tide of persecution. 

I was thinking about how it effected the early church.  We sometimes get the idea that every Christian in the Roman Empire lived in daily fear of being fed to the lions.  Not so.  It was possible to live your whole life and never face persecution even in the days of Nero.  Most persecution was local.  Much of it was motivated by politics or personal gain.  Much of it was triggered by the obnoxious behavior of “believers.”  Like today it found many levels of expression.

We are coming to a time of persecution again.  It is becoming politically incorrect to be a Bible believing Christian.  We live in an ear of “tolerance” for everything except Christianity.  The message of the post modern elites is that we are to respect everyone, even those who violate what used to be universally accepted standards.  You are now “talked to,” demoted, fired, sued and even jailed it you simply state that marriage is between one man and one woman.  It starts here and goes on to the model of the Communist world with prisons, work camps and executions. 

Will it be universal persecution or isolated, politically motivated, spur of the moment, spontaneous, benefiting the persecutor persecution?  Will we be able to be teachers, police officers, plumbers, etc, or will we become like the homeless and bag people?  It is in God hands and we are in God’s hands.  Our job is to be faithful, light and salt.

Can we still stand up and stop the onslaught?  Yes, but not for long.  When I was a full time pastor I used to tell people that the best thing that could happen to the church would be for the Communists to take over the United States.  We would then find out who the real believers were.  I spoke to soon and had the wrong demon.  He is here and wears the face of the IRS, BATF, FBI and many other acronyms. 

Maranatha!

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