The Way I See It…: Time to Stand Is NOW!

Time to Stand Is NOW!

The world is no longer made up of isolated continents. We are all connected. We are a global community, meaning what happens on the other side of the globe directly affects us. We cannot respond to news from around the world by simply saying, “Those poor people.” What we see in other places inevitably spreads to other countries, including the U.S. Americans are not insulated from the world’s problems. If we took time from our entertainment and indulgences to look around us, we would certainly see the evidence of serious problems now taking root in our country. And to not respond with action is to accept the growth of the problems and to relinquish ourselves to those taking control.

So take just a moment to consider just one very important issue that could soon come knocking at your own personal door. Think if you are willing to succumb just because it is easier than taking a stand.

Christians are being imprisoned, attacked, butchered, and sacrificed purely because of their faith. Check the links below for news reports of Christians in Egypt, Syria, China, Pakistan, and worldwide. These are not just a few isolated instances; it is an active movement.

What about in the west, in Europe and America? Are we effectively secured from the religious persecution in the East?

Well, Sharia law—the Muslim’s enforcement of Islamic law through their own justice system—has already gained significant footholds in the West. Muslims have established their own communities within democratic countries and have activated Sharia law within their communities with the countries’ governments relinquishing control—with no accountability for religious-based assaults, rapes, or murders. See links below.

How about in America? To what extent do you support religious freedom in the U.S.? Does that include the freedom to practice one’s religion by killing those who don’t comply with his/her beliefs, OR, is it to protect each person's right to believe as they chose, without fear of threat? America was founded on the freedom to believe as YOU choose! Many other countries don’t understand this ideology. Would you support religious practices in the U.S. that include killing, raping, torture, harassment, and so on?

While Sharia gains footholds in the U.S. (See links below.), we are seeing growing animosity toward Christianity. Already American Christians are losing basic religious rights here at home. Anti-Christian sentiments have infiltrated into our federal government (See https://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2013/August/Muslim-Brotherhood-Influence-Reaches-White-House/ and http://www.wnd.com/2014/01/general-muslim-brotherhood-inside-obama-administration/ and do some research.). Do your research! Our own military has taken actions against soldiers praying, posting scriptures in their private areas, and against Christ being mentioned in military funerals. Our governing bodies have moved to deny rights to pray in schools and to remove all mention of God or anything related to Christ from public places such as parks, memorials, government buildings and so on.

So, to get to the point, the day will come when YOU, too, will have to claim or deny Christ. I said CHRIST, not God. For “no man cometh unto the Father but by me [Christ]” (John 14:6). And, “Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father” (1 John 2:23). You see, all paths DO NOT lead to God. And the Bible teaches that the world and Christians are incompatible. "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you" (John 15:18–19). "But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now" (Gal. 4:29).

The world will persecute you if you follow Christ because your life will (should, or there is a personal problem) stand in stark contrast to the life the world pursues, and that contrast makes people very uncomfortable. They will either try to incorporate you into their lifestyle to validate their actions or attack you for shining a light on it. “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God” (John 3:19–21).

You see, one important difference between Christians and Islamists is that Christians believe you have your whole life (however long God gives you) for God to deal with you, and you must come to accept or reject Him on your own. Then it is His job (not man’s job) to judge and deal with each soul individually in the afterlife based on what each person did with His Son. Christians believe God sent His Son because He loved us while we were unlovable, and this love is (should be) the motivation that draws people to Him, not force or threat. Love wins the heart. Threats, hate, and brutality might win compliance, but not the heart; they only fuel hate, bitterness, and violence.

So “choose you this day whom ye will serve” (Joshua 24:15). Decide now how you will answer when this problem is staring you in the face.

Once you decide, if you decide to stand for Christ, START TAKING ACTION IMMEDIATELY! Don’t passively watch Christians lose ground in your society. Don’t stand by while Christians are being persecuted.

Support the ACLJ (American Center for Law and Justice, http://aclj.org/).
Sign up for ACLJ alerts, and other organizations fighting this fight, so you receive news of current issues and how they develop.
Sign as many petitions as you can. Call or show up at your local and federal representatives offices often so they really get to know you.
Put your representatives contact info in your contacts lists.
Demand the U.S. stops funding countries that allow persecution (http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/confirmed-the-us-facilitates-christian-persecution-around-the-world/ and http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/raymond-ibrahim/u-s-chose-to-stay-silent-on-muslim-persecution-of-christians/).
Support Christian ministries reaching out to help.
Volunteer your leisure time; donate your entertainment cash.

Ask yourself: What is truly important, my manicure, seeing a movie, my latte, investing my free time into watching more TV or my hobby? Do these really trump Christian oppression and persecution in your world? What are you doing this weekend?

Also, who you don’t support is just as important as who you do support. Don’t shop companies that support anti-Christian political and social agenda. Many big-name corporations actively fight Christian values by giving hefty donations to anti-Christian action groups. So in effect, your shopping dollars are being used against you, and they are gaining ground monthly! (I.e. Home Depot generously funds gay parades and gay rights action groups with the profits from you shopping there.) Do your homework. Know what or who organizations are funding, as well as who is backing those organizations. Watch the way companies make decisions. Many show their agenda in their advertising. Research who supports Christian values and support them mightily instead. (I.e. Chick-fil-a and Hobby Lobby have both taken hits for their Christian values.)

The time to stand is NOW! Make your life really count for something important! Live purposefully! Get involved! Use your energy, time, and resources to make a difference for Christians today and for the next generation!

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing" (Edmund Burke).