I sit today and have this question in my heart about the contemporary church and Christians generally. Are we ashamed of Christ?
Consider the foundation of my question. In 2 Timothy chapter 1 (please read both chapters one and two for a great understanding of Paul’s appeal to the young preacher Timothy), Paul says, “So then, don’t be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but rather share with me my suffering for the good news by the power of God.” 2 Timothy 1:8
Consider where Paul was when he wrote this epistle. He was in prison for preaching Christ. But this verse tells us Paul wrote he was not a prisoner of Rome, but of Christ.
Suffering, or the possibility of suffering for Christ, had caused both Phygellus and Hermogenes to run away from Paul. We can understand their fear of being jailed or losing their life, but still they have to be labeled as “ashamed of Christ.”
Living in a “postmodern” world where Emergent church leaders have “conversations” with the people of our culture, I get the impression that these leaders are ashamed of Christ. I seldom read about their use of the word “sin,” “salvation,” “heaven,” or “hell” (most would argue hell doesn’t exist.)
Heaven help the church today if these leaders abandon Christ and the absolutes He communicated to all men and women to be saved.
Not only do I wrestle with why people want to “talk” but why not talk about the “star” of our show—Jesus?
Recently I read Charles H. Spurgeon’s work on “Eccentric Preachers.” In this work he gave the definition of “eccentric” (quoting from Dr. Samuel Johnson’s dictionary): “It signified deviating from the center, or not having the same center as another circle.” Spurgeon noted, “The word has come to mean singular, odd, whimsical and so forth.” Spurgeon noted for preachers and Christians we move in a circle not quite coincident with that which is followed by the majority.
I was blessed by reading Spurgeon’s work. He was called the “Prince of Preachers.” He was labeled and made fun of by many. But in his lifetime he preached to 10 million people (1834-1892) without a sound system.
I suppose Spurgeon, by moving in a “different circle” than his London culture, really was eccentric. I would say he was not ashamed of Christ.
Ask yourself today, “Do the people that know me know of my love and devotion to Christ? “Does the person at the grocery store, gas station, school, work and department stores know I am not ashamed of my Master?”
If the answer is they don’t know that about me, then why not? Either you are ashamed of Him or you are not a believer in Christ.
Paul’s appeal to young Timothy is my appeal to you who follow Christ today (in our postmodern world): “Do your best to present yourself to God tried and true, a workman who won’t be ashamed, handling the Word of truth with accuracy.”
God Bless,
Woody
If you have read a newspaper, magazine, or listened to radio or TV, you have heard in the last six months the word “Sharia.” Sharia, or Islamic law, means literally “the path to a watering hole.” The Guardian newspaper in UK describes Sharia as, “…a religious code for living, in the same way that the Bible offers a moral system for Christians.” Sharia is the legal code practiced in all Muslim countries and is based on two sources:
• The teachings of the Quran—the Muslim holy book that they believe is the Word of God, as dictated to the prophet Muhammad by the angel Gabriel.
• The Teachings from Sunna—the custom or practice of Islam based on the life of the prophet Muhammad as recorded in the hadith (the report or narrative of what the prophet said or did in his life.)
These Islamic principles of jurisprudence create a real problem for people in non-Muslim countries. Even though we live in a republic that has a Constitution and Declaration of Independence, the question is can the two legal systems co-exist, since Sharia deals with day-to-day life, from family, sexuality, hygiene, politics, economics, banking, business, contracts and social issues?
What America is facing today is what happened in Europe in the last fifty years. Well, just a slight bit of difference. What happened in European society was a creeping Sharia but in the U.S. it is nothing less than overwhelming.
If you think I exaggerate, please note the stories coming to us:
• Foot-washing facilities at airports at tax payer’s expense. This is also being done at many universities across America at either state expense or student fees. Question: Is this not a violation of our Establishment Clause? This seems one religion is getting preferential treatment over other religions in America—just the opposite of what the First Amendment is all about.
• Muslim taxi drivers all across the U.S. have refused to carry passengers who are carrying alcohol or who have been drinking. They also refuse to pick up blind people who are accompanied by seeing-eye dogs, since dogs are dirty or unclean to their faith.
• The building of prayer rooms to accommodate prayer time for Muslim at Tyson Foods in Shelbyville, TN. The holiday of Labor Day is a work day now but the Muslim holiday of Eed al-Fit (end of Ramadan) in the fall is now the norm at the same plant.
• Should I mention the proposed mosque at or near ground zero in Manhattan? There is a groundswell of opposition to building or expanding Mosques across the nation according to the New York Times (August 7, 2010). From Murfreesboro, TN to Temecula, CA to Sheboygan WI there is a pushback.
The Times said, “In all the recent conflicts, opponents have said their problem is Islam itself. They quote passages from the Koran and argue that even the most Americanized Muslim secretly wants to replace the Constitution with Islamic Sharia law.”
In America we believe in the freedom of religion—but what if Islam is not just a religion but about a political agenda? Then what?
The struggle today is our Constitution and natural law versus Sharia. (See my blog of two weeks ago to understand where our law comes from.)
Lastly, you may want to pray and think more about the latest episode of “creeping Sharia.” Feisal Abdul Rauf, the Iman trying to build the Mosque at Manhattan is now an envoy for the United States. President Obama has chosen this Iman who said 9/11 happened because of U.S. policies. He also refused to say Hamas is a terrorist organization.
However, Rauf is now our envoy to Muslim countries for the next twelve months. The “outreach” to Muslim countries means he will travel the world at tax payer expense creating good will.
As I think about and pray for our country this morning, my thoughts and prayers for the U.S. are this: 2 Chronicles 7:14. “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
God Bless,
Woody
For more information, please visit the following websites: http://www.americanthinker.com (Top ten reasons why sharia is bad for all societies) http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications (Sharia Can Never Happen Here?
