Before jumping to conclusions about this post, please read it thoroughly and carefully. I AM NOT SAYING THAT I WANT PERSECUTION TO TAKE PLACE! WHAT I AM SAY IS THAT PERSECUTION BRINGS OUT PASSION IN PEOPLE WHICH CAUSES ACTION.

Playground rules are this: Talk smack all you want, but leave family out of it. Nothing turns a friendly game into a fight quicker than a comment about someone’s lineage.

Let’s move to Christianity for a moment.

1. The Ten Commandments are flying out of buildings quicker than cookies out of a cookie jar. Every week we hear about a new lawsuit being brought to remove the symbol from a govt building.

2. Schools are removing prayer just as quick. And now references to God are being banned in the Bible Belt of all places.

3. Students are being disciplined for handing out candy canes in homeroom because of the religious implications.

All of this is bad news for religious liberties for Christ followers. We are being marginalized and squeezed into irrelevance. No one wants to hear from us. Our message is dated, and our institutions are antiquated. The only way to reach people is to water down the message and acquiesce to the secularism so prevalent in our society.

These are all bold face lies. In a weird way, this persecution is the best news to come along in decades. You need only to look at the past election to see how mobilized the religious community has become. We are all fired up about these iniquities and won’t take it anymore. Everyone wants to talk and hear about our side of the story. And you had better believe that the message is relevant because at its core is “life” and “transformation” which has captured everyone’s attention. (If you don’t believe me, go to Barnes and Noble and look at the Yoga, Pilates, Diet, Self-help, leadership, so you can rest section….) The interest in spirituality is at a tremendous high.

And all of this is due, in my opinion, to the attacks levied by the ACLU and other individuals and entities who want to dent Christianity if not destroy it. Persecution has historically been a driving force behind the growth in Christianity. And I believe that this will prove to be true at this time.

That is the upside, the downside is that we haven’t seen anything yet. It will invariable get much worse before it gets better. Cycles in church history have not been measured in months or years, but in decades and centuries. It will take time, perserverance, and faith to see this period of attack turn to victory. But be assured, regardless of the timeframe, the victory is assured. In fact, the victory has already been accomplished through the man whose birthday we celebrate on the 25th of December.

We must see both sides of this struggle my friends (persecution & opportunity). Realize that we are in the 1st inning of a long battle and commit to each other that we will remain faithful throughout. What a great time to be alive. What a great time to be a small part of God’s community.

More to come.