February Ramblings

II Timothy 2:19-20

19) Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
20) But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor.

I was just perusing various news sources, and so many anti-Christian news articles are coming up online lately. Hostility is definitely increasing towards us. It does not help when the unbelieving world sees so called family men of the Christian faith cheating with an animal-like mentality on their wives. It doesn't help when the world sees charlatans fleecing the flock, while kicking people's faces with a "Bam" and biker boots. Additionally, it's like the unbeliever says "uh huh" when these trist experts come out publicly and rationalize their sinful actions, and even be so audacious to put said rationalizations on dvds. For sale, of course.

You see, the world cannot understand that Christians can falter. And I think too many in the Church do not realize we represent Christ to the world. The world cannot understand our hypocrisy, only their hypocrisy. They cannot understand we rely on His grace and the Holy Spirit to lead us into truth and teach us. When are we going to understand the world watches us, and are already desperately fleeing from the truth that Jesus Christ is real? The unbeliever already wants NOT to believe--and bad public actions from Christians will not aid persuading the lost!

We rely on His grace. We are not perfect, but He is. Although we sometimes falter, it does not negate the fact that God is a perfect God, and that without Jesus Christ, people are heading into a path of eternal destruction. I say this to the unbeliever out there; we cannot be perfect, but because someone messes up; it does not negate the fact that God is real, and that you need a Savior--Jesus Christ!

One news article ranted and raved about Christians witnessing to a non-believing teacher. It went so far as to imply giving the teacher a Christmas card demonstrated a form of harassment, and how the Christians carried bibles to the classroom and so forth...So what? No one can put a gun to someones head, and force anyone to believe something.

I am a former atheist, but at one point in my life I investigated other religions before I came to the atheistic state. Christians witnessing to me NEVER bothered me one bit. I simply did not believe in a God, Heaven or Hell. I would listen to them, sometimes we calmly debated, but it never angered me when people witnessed to me. Other people of different faiths would try to convert me, Buddhists, Muslims, no problem. I would listen politely, and still rejected what they said. And I never got upset by it.

Only God is perfect. We are to live and model our lives around Christ. And we must be ever cognizant that a world steeped in deception from Satan is blinded to the truth that Jesus Christ is real. Therefore, bad behaving Christians in the public sphere will simply help supply more deceptive fuel for their unbelief. But I will not dispute the fact that even if there were no believers behaving badly in public; many will still be blinded by the enemy.

II Corinthians 4:4

In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.