Many countries have made worshiping God illegal. In fact, if you get caught in certain countries acknowledging that you worship God, you can be put in prison for life or even put to death. Such countries are Korea, and some areas in Israel. Many families have to worship God in secret, with other believers, hiding their faith for their very lives. They are supposed to be the light of the world and the salt of the Earth as Jesus said, and yet their light is being extinguished by a world that makes it illegal to follow God. They cannot do what they were created for, and their purpose is being exploited. They fight everyday to read their bibles, they need it to live. They read it first thing when they wake up, and right before they go to bed. They are fighting for their faith. Everything that they do is centered around God. Can we as Americans say the same thing about our faith? Are we fighting for God? Or fighting against Him? We live in a world, were we can worship God freely, and yet...we don't. We see it as a chore or a burden. We get discouraged because it "looks to hard". When those people who are persecuted because of their belief come over here to escape and freely worship God for the first time, what will they see? They will see people who take their freedom for granted, people who never fought for what they have. The Word of God is a precious treasure in many countries, it it valued above all else.
Such was the story of early Christ followers living in a Greek world. In order to buy anything in the markets, be apart of the city counsel or even be in their society, you had to acknowledge and pay homage to their gods. If you didn't, then you couldn't be apart of that world. Before Jesus came, the Greek mythology we know today as myth was the World religion in many areas. There was a god for pretty much anything and everything. Then Jesus came and said cast down your other idols and follow me. People did, but when they did it became counter-cultural. They worshiped in secret, hiding in homes dedicated to the Lord, huddling together taking in God's Word. Many times was it easy to not follow God. In order to buy something in the market, you had to pay a sacrifice to Hermes. In order to vote in the city counsel you had to pay homage to Athena, if you did pay homage to the Greek Gods then you did evil in the eyes on the true God, the God of Israel. The same God who is alive and is still God today. Can you imagine what they must have gone through? I can't. They didn't follow the Greek Gods, so they couldn't be apart in that world. So they fled, and fought to follow God.
Destree was telling me of a Korean woman in her seminary class that never spoke to anyone, but one day in class she raised her hand and everyone was shocked because she hardly ever spoke but this is what she said: "You Americans take for granted what you have been given, you spend hours on Facebook, glorifying yourselves when you can't even spend 10 minutes in God's word. Many of my people died for this right, the right to worship God, and you people have it, yet everyone does not do it. It makes me sick"
Is this the image we want to show to the world? That all American Christ followers are hypocrites or take our freedom for granted? American is on a pedestal, and the whole world is watching us. When other believers who center their ENTIRE lives around Christ come here and see the laziness that we as believers have, what will they think? What will they say? What will other people who don't even know Christ say? Will they want what we have? No, they won't. Know why? Because if it is not in us, then how can we put it in them? If Christ is not the center of our lives, then how can we share it with people who don't know Him? They will say "Well, if that Christian can do it, why can't I? He's just a hypocrite". I don't know about you, but I don't want to be a hypocrite. This is what I want: I want people when they see me, they see Jesus. They see Jesus in me, and I want them to want Jesus in them.
Ray told me about a 10th grade boy, who never even heard of Jesus. He had NO clue at all who He was or what He done. He did not know my Lord and Savior, he didn't even hear about Jesus' name. One day, someone took the time to share with Him just Who Jesus was, and now that same kid is going to Bible college to become a pastor. He was set free, he got to experience Truth.
What do people see when they look at you? What do you want them to see? Are you reflecting God's love? Are you living out what God told you to do? Or are you taking our freedom for granted, the same freedom our soldiers died for. That same freedom that people in other countries die for, they risk their lives to follow God. What are you doing about it? Wake up, pick up your cross and go, make disciples. Teach them them to obey, but how can you teach them, if you don't know what God taught?
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" --Matthew 28:19
"Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform." --Exodus 18:20
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." --Matthew 5: 13-16
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