A Christian nation?

They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work. Titus 1:16

We live in unpresedented times in the history of our nation. The world has seen these times before even if we have not. Paul wrote to the Christians living in cities that were filled with      pagan worship and all kinds of sexual perversions. Let me say this loud and clear, we do not live in a Christian nation. We are like the Christians that lived in the 1^st century Roman Empire, we live in a nation that does not know God. The Supreme Court of these United Sates has made it quite clear that we are a    nation that hats God. In 1973 the United Sates Supreme Court ruled (7-2) that a woman has the right to murder her baby in the womb.  In 2013 in a divided 5-4 decision the Supreme Court made homosexuality the law of the land. Just this week in a 6-3 ruling of a consolidated group of cases styled Bostock v.Clayton County, the Supreme Court expanded the definition    of “sex” to include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The courts are just reflecting what the majority of people in this country believe, there is no room for Jesus in this secular nation.

It is hard to believe that anything still shocks me but this picture did exactly that.

“If Jesus appears kill him again”

I saw this picture on social media and checked to see if it was authentic. I went to the website on the sign and found the    following statement about the picture: “Marching with this sign is an act of love for Christians. It is wrong to let people believe the idiocy of a man claiming he is a god that created himself as his only son and if you don’t believe him he’ll send you to a (non-existing) afterlife where you will burn for eternity (even though he claims to love you unconditionally).” Christian, you have been warned about a world that hates you. Jesus said, , “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you (John 15:18-19). They hate Him and they hate you.

So, what do we do? Do you think it is by coincidence that God has allowed us to be in Matthew 5 during this time of extreme unrest in our country. We were reminded that we are blessed    if we mourn over our sin, if we are meek, if we hunger and   thirst for righteousness, if we are merciful, if we are pure in heart, if we are peacemakers, and  if we are persecuted for righteousness sake. When we experience these blessings we are able to be salt and light in the world. Do not repay evil for evil, pray for those that hate us and persecute us. Let the world see the love of Christ when they hate you. Turn the other cheek when they insult you.

We need to be reminded of the words of Paul to the Romans in Romans 8:31-39. In 8:36 we read, as it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

Paul wants the Christians in Rome to have the right perspective on the circumstances of their daily lives. Whether or not they experienced hard times or good times, Gods love for them did not change. Paul has made it clear that God’s love is absolute and God will fulfill His purpose for all believers. He will never leave us or forsake us. He will succeed in bringing home His elect. But, God wants us to be ready for trouble on this side of eternity. We should not be surprised when it comes. In fact, we should be ready to be killed, slaughtered like sheep, for Christ’s sake, if that’s what it comes to. We are Children of the King of kings and the Lord of lords let us represent Him and share the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

What say you Christian, will you be salt and light to a dying world?

Your shepherd,

Pastor Mark