Posted on 03/23/2006 9:48:59 AM PST by Between the Lines
Seven. The perfect number. Any list with seven items must be divinely inspired. You might want to get into the lotus position and slowly absorb the following heavenly information into your cranial lobe. Allow it to trickle down into your heart and see if it doesn’t give you a bunch of warm-fuzzies. You might even get to experience the ultimate verification that this list is from God: goose bumps!
The topic, though, works against me: Persecution.
We Christians run from the P-word faster than we do the E-word (Evangelism) or the M-word (Missions). Persecution starts with “p” and so does the word “pain.” I confess, over the years, I have spent more time watching movies than I have studying my Bible and, as a result, when I hear a word like “pain” I instantly think of a movie clip rather than a Scripture verse.
In “Rocky 3,” a sports writer asks the muscle-bound, gold-laden, mohawk-wearing Clubber Lang what his prediction is before his big title fight with the older and smaller Rocky Balboa.
“Prediction?” Lang gruffly repeats back at the intimidated reporter. “ … Pain!” he says after pausing, answering the question and sinisterly forecasting the beating he is about to give the champ.
Me? I avoid pain at all costs. I run from it. I surround my life with as many comforts, conveniences, securities and insurances as I possibly can. If pain or persecution even hint at coming my way, I instantly and desperately find a way to slither out and escape. The Christian life is supposed to be easy, soft, smooth — all these are signs that you’ve really been blessed by God, right? When problems, pain, and persecution come your way, they must be punishments from God. But then my theological bubble bursts when I read a verse like 2 Timothy 3:12, where Paul says,
“Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus WILL BE persecuted” (emphasis mine).
How can this be? You’re trying to tell me that if I’m not experiencing any persecution, it may be because I’m not desiring to live a godly life in Christ? I resent that! I know that verse sounds like a promise, but surely we could find some “scholar” somewhere to vouch for us that this passage was miscopied by a farsighted 3rd century scribe. If not, I’m going to pronounce myself a “scholar” and create my own website: www.LoopHolesForChrist.com. Who else is going to be able to objectively distinguish fact from fiction in this antiquated book we call the Bible?
I’m like one of the self-revered 1st century Gnostics — holy men who possessed a “secret knowledge” that gave them salvation and the inside track to God and His ways. You too can experience superior intelligence and existential vibrations if you will only join my exclusive “Gnostic Junior” club and follow these seven simple but profound secrets. But don’t write them down anywhere. Just memorize and utilize.
1. Choose tolerance over truth.
My professor says the key to worldwide unity is diversity and multiculturalism. Appreciating and giving equal value to any and all beliefs is the sign of genuine maturity and love. Besides, who can really know what is true anyway? This guy must know what he’s talking about. He’s got a Ph.D, a 30 year tenured professorship, and a long beard. Talk about credibility!
I confess. I want everybody to like me. I came so close to winning the “Most Popular” award my senior year in High School. My strategy was to smile at everyone, call them by name, act like I was really interested in what they were saying, and agree with any point they made. Regardless of what wild, immoral, or perverse heresy they came up with my standard answer was, “Wow, that’s neat!” A few of my friends said I was easily swayed and that my picture was right next to the definition of the word “gullible” in the dictionary! I haven’t looked it up yet.
I know that the Voice of the Martyrs ministry and the band DC Talk wrote some leathery looking book called Jesus Freaks that describes different men and women who stood up for truth, costing them their lives. But that stuff is about other people in other lands in other times. It’s old, outdated and definitely not for me. Some boring kids at school claim to know “the truth” and are taking heat for it. Me, I’m staying cool and choosing tolerance.
2. Don’t ever say there’s only one way to God.
I tried this once. Never again! I’d been witnessing to students at a liberal, liberal arts college with a denominational affiliation. Explaining the gospel is one thing, but I foolishly made the mistake of asking different students to receive Jesus Christ into their lives after assuring them that it was the only way to obtain eternal forgiveness. The chaplains at this small college caught wind of it and called me into their office. Boy were their veins bulging and faces red! After slamming the door and sitting down across from me, they pointed their finger at me and yelled, “You’re nothing but a religious exclusionist!”
Now that didn’t sound too complimentary, so I said, “What do you mean?”
“You believe there’s only one way to God!” they shot back.
“Well,” I started, “John 14:6 says, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Me.’”
“That’s your interpretation!” they angrily shouted.
“My interpretation?” I protested. “Jesus is the one who said it, not me!”
As you can imagine, I felt attacked, maligned, and absolutely archaic in my narrow little doctrines. I vowed to never get in a situation like that again and concluded that God is certainly big enough to create many paths up the mountain. Sincerity is the key, not slavery to some tightly restricted “magic formula.” I wisely rethought my “only one way” philosophy in order to fit in better with the culture.
3. Never ask anyone the “golden question.”
After presenting the gospel to someone, the “golden question” is the most agonizingly difficult question in the English language to utter. Even typing it out, my hands are sweating, my heart is pounding, and my throat is dry. Here goes:
“Eric, I was, uh, wondering if you, um, would want to, uh, consider … the possibility of, um, maybe thinking about, well … inviting Christ, uh, into your life … as, ya’ know, you’re Lord and, um, your Savior … maybe even (cough, cough) right now?”
Posing that question to someone, locking my eyes onto theirs and zipping up my lips to wait for their response is harder to do than swallowing rancid pig intestines on a reality TV show. But, at no time in that person’s life will the Holy Spirit have more of an opportunity to bring “divine pressure” on them than in those few awkward seconds of silence after they’ve been asked the “golden question!”
The problem is, they might say “no” and I hate to be rejected. Who likes to make people feel uncomfortable? Why play Sherlock Holmes with my offensive interrogations when God can surely save them without the aid of my puny little questions?
4. Assume all people are Christians and going to heaven.
I know Jesus said that most people are headed down the broad road to destruction, and that very few are heading down the narrow path to salvation. But this obviously isn’t true. Wouldn’t it be just like God to forgive everyone in the end? It would really prove, once and for all, His ultimate kindness and mercy. Come on now. Say it slowly with me: “Wouldn’t it be just like God to forgive everyone?”
Some missions experts tell us that about 23 people die every 10 seconds, and 19 of them pass into a Christ-less eternity. Yeah right! Where in the world did they get that figure? I put more stock in my teenage son’s claim: “Dad, 95 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.” Polls have shown that most Americans believe in God, go to church, own a Bible, have a mother, and even eat apple pie. These people look like Christians to me. Furthermore, when I ask them if they are, they say they are. Isn’t that good enough?
5. Don’t make any enemies.
Did Jesus really say “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” in Matthew 10:34? If so, He really pours fuel on the fire by saying He wants to set a son against his father, daughter against her mother, etc., in the following verses. Did He truly intend for our commitment to Him to be stronger than our commitment to our families? I thought He wanted to unite families at all costs, not potentially separate them! I can’t believe my kind, sweet, polite Jesus wants those who follow Him and those who do not divided. My bumper sticker says: Pray for World Peace. How about yours?
I know they’ve doctored up history when they tell of the incredible faith and courage the 1st century Christians demonstrated as they were ripped apart by famished wild animals being cheered on by the bloodthirsty Coliseum crowd. They were used to seeing the victims screaming, cursing, and kicking as they were dragged in, but the Christians would not only walk calmly to the center of the arena singing hymns to God before their destruction, they would actually volunteer and line up to get the chance to die for Christ! No wonder the raucous mob would grow silent and, out of respect and total amazement, turn to each other and whisper, “See how these Christians die!” The Roman emperors were befuddled too as they pondered, “How do you destroy a faith, a movement, a person who is not afraid to die?”
I have a checkered past, though, with a history of huge mistakes, and some very painful scars I don’t want to dredge up — like the time a member of my fraternity exploded into my room early one morning while I was still asleep, rushed over to my bed, put his beer-breathed face right up against mine and screamed “If you ever cram your religion down one more pledge’s throat, I will knock the f*@# out of you!”
“Good morning to you too!” I thought.
I know 1 Peter 4:14 says “If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed.” If that’s a blessing, all I have to say is “Thanks, but no thanks!”
6. Let your life, not your words, be your witness.
OK, OK, I know Jesus spoke out and was put to death. But He was the Son of God. I know Paul and Peter and Stephen spoke out and it cost them their lives too. But they were special. I can’t compare myself to them. They were, like, really filled with the Holy Spirit and it sure seems like the Holy Spirit was a lot more powerful back then than He is now.
As a student, each time I would stand up at dinner and announce the time and location of that night’s “College Life” campus ministry meeting, a group of guys at the other end of the dining hall would mock me by announcing to everyone when that night’s “Wild Life” meeting would be held at the local tavern. I still wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat remembering the way they would laugh at me. Never again!
I understand Revelation 12:11 says the apostles overcame Satan because of “the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony” and that they “did not love their life even faced with death.” But, we can be smarter than they were by knowing when to keep our mouth shut. I call it “safe witnessing,” where I apply my poker philosophy: “You gotta know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em.”
Anyway, you don’t need to actually share the Gospel to make an impact. I prefer to just “let my light shine.” A smile on my face, a fish on my car, and a verse on my T-shirt will let them know the way to God. Right on?
7. Don’t even think about missions.
Hey, it’s a cold, dark, violent world out there. The nightly news anchors tell us that everyone hates us and resents our attitude, lifestyle and religion. Your mom and dad are right when they say, “You shouldn’t spend the summer in China or Africa, it’s too dangerous. What if you’re kidnapped? What if you get sick? What if the authorities find out you’re a missionary?”
Stay here this summer. Find a job. Make some money. Get a suntan. Have some fun. Hang out with your friends. Go to the beach. Be a college student. Enjoy it while it lasts. There’ll be plenty of time for missions trips later in life. Don’t make waves. You have so much going for you, why risk your future?
And if you do go, please don’t witness. You’re just there just to build houses, teach English and be a “do-gooder” American. Besides, it might be against the law. I know Peter told the authorities “we must obey God rather than men” in response to their ultimatum for him to quit preaching. But me, I’m into keeping the laws, and furthermore, isn’t a good Christian a good citizen too?
You see, I am on a one man crusade to stomp out any persecution in this country. I have my rights, you know! If anyone dares to discriminate against me or oppose me, I’m going to bring a lawsuit against them. I know the Bible says something about “if they slap you on one cheek turn the other or if they steal your coat, give them your shirt too,” but my role model is Popeye the Sailor Man, who says, “Tha's all I can stands, and I can't stands no more!”
But some say we should welcome persecution. Can you believe that? Some radicals even think we should pray for it. No way! Some right wing fundamentalists claim history shows the Church grows and thrives under persecution and becomes weak and ineffective when there is no opposition. I don’t care. I’m living for the here and now and I believe God is committed to blessing our country, protecting our country, keeping us out of harm’s way. Persecution? That’s surely for other less fortunate, less blessed, less wise countries than us. We are, after all, a great and godly Christian nation. Aren’t we?
For me, though, it’s out of sight, out of mind. The www.Persecution.com people claim 165,000 people are martyred each year for their Christian faith somewhere around the world. That’s hard to believe, isn’t it? I mean, no one on my campus has been killed this year because of their Christian faith. How ‘bout on yours?
There’s no need for anyone to get worked up or fanatical about all this. Take it easy. Go play a video game. Go buy a romance novel. Go watch a sitcom or maybe plug in one of your favorite praise CD’s. Get your mind off of pain and persecution. The “P ” word — don’t even think about it. In fact, don’t worry — be happy.
bttt
So true. ;)
This turned out to be a pretty good article!
Excellent article. Funny, but it also hit home a bit. I admit I have been guilty of that, of being too chicken to witness to others in my school about the Gospel. Please pray for me, anyone who can, that God would give me the guts and passion to witness to those who need to hear the message.
We must all pray for each other.
You do not need courage to witness to those in need. You need only a sincere love for the lost, and that I pray will fill your heart.
The "Golden Question", and the constant witnessing has run off more potential converts than attracted, IMO. Leave it at "Come and See." Let the HS do the rest.
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