The Persecuted Church in America

     The title of this post, The Persecuted Church in America was meant to be a grabber!  Did it work?  This was actually meant to be a book, and I was working on writing in back in 2009--fifteen years ago as of now.  For several reasons, I laid the project to rest long ago, but I saved all my notes, interviews and stories that were shared with me.  The time has come to bring it back to the light of day--with a vastly different perspective than I had back in 2009.  I was onto something then, but I'm at a better place to share it, and it is even more timely today.  

      This post is not about Christians being under attack by a world that never knew God--that has been happening all along.  In a sense, there is more persecution from the outside today than there was in 2009.  Churches are being pressured to compromise biblical standards about LGBT issues.  Conservative Christians are being targeted by a hostile culture.  This year, President Joe Biden declared Easter (the holiest day on the Christian calendar, of all days) to be "Transgender Visibility Day."  And don't even get me started about all the attacks on churches during Covid, while strip clubs were allowed to remain open.  But none of that is my point right now.   I can and have written about that.  But this is different.  In 2009 (and I still think this today) the church's biggest enemy in our nation isn't the government.  It isn't a political party.  It isn't the media.  It isn't some outside source.  The church's biggest enemy is itself.  And this is wrong!  Christians are hurting each other, and going on self-righteously as if nothing happened.  I have seen the hearts of those I love deeply broken and shattered by fellow Christians.  Back in 2009, I didn't see anyone saying "This is wrong!"  The strongest and loudest voices won, leaving many hurting people in their wake.  The stories of the wounded were crying out to be told, and I felt that burden.  

     Jesus said that the way a watching world would know we are His children was by our love for one another (John 13:34-35).  Yet are we exemplifying that?  I would say sometimes, certainly.  But there is so much corruption in churches, ministries, and Christian communities that must break the heart of God.  

     As I said, a lot has changed in 15 years.  Social media technically did exist in 2009, but was not as widespread as today, nor had it changed some things in our culture yet.  Since that time, it has come a long way, and has given people greater access to share their stories and feelings, and garner support.  There is more a normalcy of sharing difficulties openly, where before (especially much further back) people stuffed their hurts and emotions.  There is definitely a dark side of social media, but that's not my point right now.  

    My focus in 2009, and today, is that Christians keep hurting and wounding each other.  I have never been someone who turned against God, or said, "If that's how mean Christians are, I don't want anything to do with their God!"  That was never me.  By God's grace, I was always able to distinguish between God and people, and between God and institutions.  But for a long time, I distrusted my fellow Christians because of this stuff, and it is worth mentioning.  

     I'm going to share a few people's stories from back then.  Some have since gone to be with the Lord.  I will then draw some conclusions.

     Virginia was a woman of great faith, and she always shared her "Gideon" adventure, giving glory to God for what happened.  As a busy mom of four girls, and with an unsaved husband (at the time--he eventually came to faith), and high blood pressure on top of that, Virginia resisted the Spirit's calling to get involved in evangelistic ministry.  She wrestled with the Lord about it for six months, until she finally asked God to make her willing.  She eventually got into leading groups and teaching, bringing the Gospel to many.  She developed a mighty band of prayer warriors, and they helped each other fight many spiritual battles they encountered.  Over the years, Virginia's family moved a few times, to different locations in the state of California, and every time, she would connect locally with the ministry, and get involved in teaching and sharing the Gospel.  Finally, she reached the golden years--retirement age.  Her husband retired from his longtime job, and they moved yet again.  This time, they settled in a new community with ministry a dire need.  Virginia contacted some leaders, and found out that in order to get the ministry going in her area, she would need to put together a committee and raise funds to keep the ministry going.  She was filled with arguments against all of this, such as, "I'm too old for this!  I don't have resources to begin!"  But the Lord kept telling her, "I will be with you," reminding her of the story of Gideon.  By a work of the Lord, Virginia was able to get the ministry going within two years.  They saw countless come to the Lord, and many trained to share Christ.  Their ministry was a shining example to everyone.  

     But not all was well.  There came a time when they were in desperate need of a new chairman for their board, and Virginia asked one of the members to consider taking that role.  She believed him to be knowledgable about the ministry, but it turned out he was only knowledgable about one very particular aspect.  He didn't know the first thing about being a chairman, but it was discovered too late.  He refused to have his name on legal documents, claiming that if there was a problem, the IRS would look for him first.  He also didn't get along with another member, and it caused tension on the board, but at first, Virginia just thought it was their personal problem and let it go.  This chairman eventually tried to hire a new director of the ministry without consulting Virginia, and wanted her to stay on as a volunteer.  This was not the way it should have been handled at all.  The would-be new hire felt so badly at the meeting where she was introduced that she didn't accept the position (she didn't know this had been orchestrated behind Virginia's back).  Virginia was invited to a meeting with this chairman, while a ministry higher-up was moderating between them.  Virginia's husband really took the chairman to task, and the higher up used this as a reason to dissolve the ministry.  Another factor they used was that Virginia had also moved some of her own money that she was in the process of giving to the ministry to a different bank, and they saw that as her "stealing" the ministry funds, even though it wasn't in the ministry's name at all, and she was within her right to do that.  Her intent was that it was still going to be for the ministry.  The other bank had a better interest rate.  This was another thing they used as reason to close her down.  The way Virginia found out about this was dreadful.  The day after the failed moderated meeting with the chairman, she was teaching one of her evangelism classes.  The chairman came in the middle of the class, handed her an envelope, shook her hand, and left.  The class was dismissed, and everyone left.  The letter told Virginia the ministry had been dissolved.  She was in shock, and ended up on tranquilizers for months.

     Virginia and her husband called the main ministry office and shared what had happened.  The person they spoke with talked with the higher up who had allowed the chairman to dissolve their ministry.  A returned call revealed to Virginia that there were "hurts" on both sides, and that the reason the higher up hadn't tried to help resolve the issues was that he said that his wife had broken her hip.   More of an excuse than a reason.  There was a pretty big conflict of interest as well, because the chairman was the son of the higher up in question.  He allowed his son to run a perfectly good ministry into the ground.  Nobody ever addressed this on any level.  Virginia, who had served the Lord for over 40 years, died with a broken heart from the betrayal she received from fellow Christians and friends.  I knew her before this happened, and  continued knowing her until the end of her life, and she didn't want to be bitter.  She worked hard to forgive, but it was one of those things that required giving back to God constantly every time the bad feelings came back.  She wanted to forgive, like Corrie ten Boom, and I think God honored her desire, but she never found peace in her heart about it.    

     Virginia's is only one story of countless believers who were hurt, and the institution took the side of the ones who hurt them.  Why does this happen?  I would guess to avoid having to get involved in conflict, which can be messy.  It's easier to overlook it.  

    I have my own stories, which I have shared in other posts.  One of the most notably, as a high school freshman, I was kicked out of a church for leading fourteen second-graders to the Lord at Vacation Bible School.  It was a very political situation, and I guess the pastor felt threatened and thought I was bad PR.  The pastor was wrong, and it hurt our whole family. This pastor did a lot of good, and I don't diminish that, but it broke my heart and spirit. As a young teen--what should have been the most exciting time of my life, I was deeply depressed, borderline suicidal, and really believed nothing good would ever happen to me again, or that any other Christians could love me.  Even not considering this was me, it breaks my heart to think of a young teen feeling this hopeless and lost.  That young girl needsed love--still does.  Even today, I sometimes struggle with it, just like Virginia did.  Satan uses it to attack me on bad days.  Like Paul's thorn in the flesh, I'll probably have to battle this hurt my whole life, but I can have victory.  But what's hard is, nobody ever acknowledged my wounded heart back then.  They wanted to defend the pastor.  That pastor ran into my dad years later at Kmart and apologized to him, which was definitely something.  I know God used that pastor for the rest of his life, and I'm happy about that.  But the damage to my heart was done, just like Virginia's.  

     Sometimes, when hurting Christians try to get help, they are silenced and accused of gossip, or told that their sharing could hurt the church, the ministry, or Christianity in general.  The truth can never harm the cause of Christ.  And if an institution can be hurt by the truth, maybe it needs to be.  Maybe it is built on lies.  The walking wounded shouldn't be silenced so the wrongdoers can save face.  Christians need to love the hurting and broken among them! 

     Back in 2009, I interviewed Dan and Ernie, two pastors I respected (Ernie is in Heaven now).  I asked them a series of questions (I won't share all the questions or answers here, just the highlights).  The first question I asked was what they each believed was the goal of the church.  Dan said that the goal of the church was to fulfill the great commission and the great commandment.  Ernie was more specific, saying to win souls, make disciples, be a testimony to the community, and to get involved locally.  When asked how they measure success, Dan said a big way to know if there was success was if people were being trained to reach others, and starting small groups where discipleship was happening.  Ernie said that a changed life meant success, and that members were still praying.  Ernie hastened to add that numbers were not a good measure of success.  I asked both men the question: "If someone were offended in a worship service at your church, why would that be?"  Dan said that probably, there would be a conflict within and someone contacted the leadership to have it dealt with.  Ernie said the reason would be that someone disliked something he said.  I closed the interviews by asking what they believed the biggest threat to the chruch was today (today being 2009).  Dan said "Religious tolerance--not being able to call sin sin.  Cultural relativism."  Ernie said that people just don't know the truth.  

     The thing that prompted this whole project 15 years ago was that I attended a service at a large "cool" church in town--one a close friend went to.  This church does have Christian doctrine.  From my experiences with them in the past (which were not recent at all) they were very seeker-sensitive, bordering on the emergent church (if you don't know what that is, it was what seeker sensitive churches of the 90s evolved into in the 2000's and 2010's.  A lot of churches learned the hard way that this was a slippery slope to progressivism).  From all I know about this church, they do not biblically teach false doctrine, but they were too "cool" for me to feel comfortable.  It wasn't for me.  

  When I visited that particular day, they showed a video to promote their children's ministry, but they did this with a very mean skit making fun of other ministries (including the one I worked for) to make theirs look better.  The skit (and other things I knew about their ministry) revealed that they viewed children's ministry as a need to be trendy and new or kids wouldn't want to come.  This shows a major lack of understanding of human nature.  Kids have cool computers and gadgets at home.  They aren't impressed by these things in church.  Not to say it's wrong to utilize them in ministry, but they aren't the draw.  Relationships are the draw.  A teacher who loves them and makes the Bible come to life for them--with or without technology--goes a lot further than trying to be "relevant" with the latest, coolest thing.  

     The skit that day had a very mean-spirited feel to it.  I wrote them a note on the bulletin and left it with an usher as I walked out.  The note stated: I found your skit offensive and hurtful.  I serve with __________ ministry, and I refuse to return to a church that makes a mockery of my livelihood.  I was so hurt that one of the most influential churches in the area would promote themselves by making fun of others.  A few days later, I received a response in the mail that made it clear to me that they had no idea why their skit was so mean.  They apologized for "offending you" but then went on to justify it, and explain why their ministry was better.  They didn't grasp that they had made fun of others with crude caricature.  They did it at the expense of others.  I wasn't the only one hurt by that.  Another friend had recommended her prodigal son attend that church, praying it would draw him back to the Lord.  He was deeply hurt by the skit, because the implications of it made fun of his home church.  He walked out and didn't return either.  Was that damage really worth the promotion of their own ministry?  I think not.  And that wasn't grasped.  I still have the letter, along with the other paraphernalia for the book I wanted to write.  My blog on the whole has become a book of sorts, and I've talked about these things.  But this scenario at the church is just another reminder of how mean Christians can be to each other.  Rather than building others up, we so often tear others down.  People are left heartbroken and feeling invalidated.  

     I'm going to close with a quote I was going to include in the book, a quote that has stayed with me.  In his 1994 memoir Standing Firm, former Vice-President Dan Quayle laments, But conservative Christians are considered fair game for caricature and abuse...sadly, prejudice against Conservative Christians is probably the only acceptable form of bigotry in today's America.  I agree.  Let's put a stop to this by loving each other as brothers and sisters.  Let's stop the institutions of our faith from hurting the very people it stands for.  Weap with those who have been hurt.  Fight for justice!  Share truth at all costs!  

But Does it Affect You?

     I run into a lot of articles that are posted on social media that have very controversial claims.  I often see these same articles posted and reposted many times. It's never the sweet, uplifting or newsworthy stories that get reposted, either.  It's always something to bring division and polarization.  Some examples are things like: Man gives birth to child after his wife is unable, or, Man dumps girlfriend after he discovers she was born male, or the ever-popular, Parents throw a new gender-reveal party for their transgender teen to acknowledge they got it wrong seventeen years ago. Occasionally, I'll see one that isn't related to the LGBT(etc.) community, but those are rare.  These ones might say things like, Eighteen-year-old man marries 65-year-old woman who is two years older than his grandmother, or something like that.  Again, something unusual to get a rise out of people and bring debate and discussion.  Usually with these types of stories, people argue that the young spouse wants the older spouse's money.  That is, of course, speculation.

Young man with much-older wife, from one of these stories

     First, we need to ask ourselves why so many divisive stories are shared multiple times.  They are not newsworthy.  They are not uplifting.  They don't make us a better society.  The answer is that they want us divided.  Keep that in mind.  But another reason is that they are testing us, especially when it comes to the transgender stories.  I read an article that suggested that LGBT (etc.) characters are overrepresented in television by over 70% of what you would find in real life, and an overwhelming number of these are on Netflix shows (the article claimed that Netflix had more LGBT characters than all other streaming services and cable shows combined).  If art is supposed to imitate life, why would they overrepresent?  The same reasons these articles keep getting posted.  Art isn't imitating life anymore.  It is trying to influence life, and put a pebble in our shoe, so to speak.  

     Reboots of things from my childhood, such as Punky Brewster and the Babysitters Club have added homosexuality and transgenderism where none of that exited in the original source material.  This is not simply a misguided attempt to represent a group previously not represented in shows (and I could make a case that the LGBT community doesn't deserve the status as a "group" the same way nationalities or people with certain abilities or disabilities are, but that would take me on a rabbit trail).  This is being shoved down our throats, and the throats of our children.  

    We recently stopped allowing our preschool son to watch the beloved Cocomelon videos.  Originally, we thought they were fun, educational, and even had good morals.  However, they recently had a video on the Netflix version of the show (go figure!) that showed a boy dancing in a dress, and his two dads cheering him on.  We don't need that influence over our son.  When we meet real, living, breathing homosexual people, we will shower them with the love of Jesus, and let Tommy see that, but he will also know that these people aren't living God's plans for them.  But we don't need that in his preschool entertainment.  We started having Tommy watch different kinds of videos, especially these cool guys who make Christian kids videos.  The Good News Guys!  If you have young children, check these videos out!

Good News Guys, Jordan and Vinny.  They introduce a new generation of children to traditional Sunday school songs, such as I've got the Joy, Joy Joy Joy Down in My Heart, as well as original songs they have written.  Each of them has a wife and kids, and they often make appearances on the videos as well.  A really great watch for the whole family.

          Getting back to these controversial, divisive stories, they are put there to elicit comments.  Sometimes, I feel led to speak out in righteousness.  Other times, I see that others already have, and I just let it go.  But undoubtedly, there is always someone there to comment something to the effect of, "If it makes them happy, how dare you disagree with it?  It doesn't affect you!"  Here is my problem with these kinds of comments.  First, the story was shared very publicly to elicit various opinions, so the commenter shouldn't act as if his or her opinion is the only welcome one.  That's just immature.  Secondly, and more seriously, though, these comments are wrong in saying that someone else's choice doesn't affect others.  They do.  If someone born with male organs decides to live as a girl, that is his problem.  But if everyone around him is required to call him a girl, and claim that someone born with a penis is female, that is a problem.  That is bullying everyone else to deny scientific truth we have always held and that had never even been in question until recently, just to pacify someone.  I got into a discussion this week with someone who claimed that transgenderism is scientifically verified, and said I was wrong to claim only a female could give birth.  I asked this person to please give me the science that proved anything besides the XX or XY chromosomes determined a person's sex, and this person had no answer.  She said some angry comments, but didn't have an scientific answer.  

     Gender dysphoria is not something that is diagnosed by taking blood or doing any sort of DNA test on the person.  It can't be.  It is all symptom-based (there are other symptom-based conditions as well, including ADHD and autism, among others, and they are all real conditions, but can also be misdiagnosed, since there isn't a medical way to prove it beyond all doubt).  While I do believe that gender dysphoria is a real phenomena, and these people deserve love, support, and help, I do not believe the answer is indulging their psychological belief that they are the opposite sex, but rather to help them accept who they are as their birth sex, and embrace that they can be this sex and still be themselves.  A lot of transgender philosophy I hear about is very sexist, as if you have to like pink, frilly dresses to be a girl and if you're more of a tomboy, you must really be a transgender boy.  Boys and girls come in all stripes, and some fit closer to the stereotypes than others, but they are still boys or girls, regardless of how they fit those expectations.  Until recently, gender dysphoria was called gender identity disorder, and was considered a mental illness.  The change in name and its removal from being considered a mental illness were not done because of amazing scientific discovery, but to remove the stigma surrounding it. It wasn't a medical decision, but a political one.  This info is found all over the internet--look it up for yourself.  I didn't give a link to any of it, because it's everywhere, and you can take your pick of articles to read.  Type it into any search engine.  There is no science behind this!  People who actually go all the way and do a sex change have to take hormones the rest of their lives to keep it up.  Why?  Because it isn't real!  You can't stop being your birth sex.  Indulging it isn't compassion.  It's keeping hurting people right where you want them, using them as a commodity.  Making them into a protected class only insures their votes.  It doesn't help or heal them.  

     I used to go to Christian camp every summer as a kid.  The year I was twelve, the preacher had one of the female counselors come forward, and he held out a black handkerchief.  He asked her to just say it was red.  She said, "No, it's black.  Why should I say it's red?"  He said, "I know, but just say it.  It will make me really happy.  I'll even give you money!"  He pulled out a twenty dollar bill (a fortune to kids like us in the audience back then!).

     This woman still refused, and said, "It's black.  I can't say it's red when it's black."  The preacher kept upping the ante, and adding more rewards if she would only say the black cloth was read.  All the kids in the audience kept yelling to her, "Just say it's red!  Just say it!"  But this counselor refused, and didn't get the rewards.  I remember as a junior higher thinking it was a weird illustration.  The preacher used Hebrews 12:24-26, By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.  He told us that the counselor had done the right thing to stick to the truth and give up the rewards offered.  He told us there would come a time for all of us when we had to choose between instant rewards or the truth.  He pointed out that some of us were yelling for her to just say the cloth was red at the very beginning, and he warned us that we couldn't cave in like that.  While the biblical truth was good, I couldn't imagine ever being asked to say something was true when it clearly wasn't.  Why would someone ask me to call a black cloth red?  Fast forward to today, and I can't believe how spot-on that preacher was.  We are being asked to affirm things that just aren't true, in order to make people happy.  Sometimes there is money involved, and rewards for agreeing with these lies.  But don't be bought!  Don't sell your principles!  

     If an eighteen-year-old man marries a woman old enough to be his grandma, I might wonder a little about it, but it really isn't my business and doesn't offend me.  They aren't asking me to agree or disagree with them, and I can go trough my life, with my beliefs, and not be affected.  But if a woman claims she is a man, and then makes people say a man gave birth when she has a baby, and acts as if I'm hateful for not agreeing, I'm sorry, I'm not going along with that.  This is why we must fight distortion of the truth wherever we find it!  Be like Moses!  Forsake the "treasures of Egypt" and look to the real reward!

Don't be Misled!

      We live in a day and age in which we have access to more people and more information than ever before.  That can be a blessing.  It can also overwhelm at times.  It can also open us up to the wrong people and wrong information.  As Christians, we need to be on our guard.  

     First Peter 5:8 tells us Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.  You and I have an enemy who seeks to deceive and mislead us.  Jesus warns His people not to be deceived.  Multiple places in the New Testament warn us not to be deceived.  (Matthew 24:4, First Corinthians 6:9, First Corinthians 15:33, Galatians 6:7, James 1:16).  When Satan lies, he is speaking his native tongue (John 8:44), and he masquerades as an angel of light, as do his evil servants (Second Corinthians 11:14).  

     Satan knows his audience.  He knows you and I are too smart to fall for something overt.  He's not going to feed you something you recognize outrightly as a lie.  He will try to feed you a lie wrapped up in truth, or a truth wrapped in a lie.  Just a slight misdirection.  There is so much of that going around nowadays.  I saw this meme of Facebook (pictured below).  It was shared by a Christian friend of mine, whom I usually respect and agree with.  The wording sounds very Christian, and comes off as a good challenge to the church, but the message is heresy, almost blasphemy.  

     I've had photos disappear from this blog after a while, so just in case this one does, I'll put the wording.  This meme states: If the church were Christian, Jesus would be a model for living, not an object of worship. If we in the church were serious about honoring Jesus, conducting ourselves as he did would be our chief goal. For the joy of Christian faith is not to be found in the worship of Jesus, which he never expected and seemed to discourage, but in modeling Jesus' mercy and love, which alone has the power to transform us and our world.

     We absolutely should look to Jesus' example, BUT I find many who emphasize Jesus' example are the ones least likely to actually know what Jesus stood for, what He did, and Who He really is!  He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!  He is the Savior!  The writer of the meme seems to have forgotten that Jesus said I and the Father are one. (John 10:30).  The writer of this meme seems to never have read the book of Revelation, where Jesus returns as our True King and object of all worship.  The writer of this meme seems to prefer the meek (and made-up) version of Jesus who tolerates everything and is basically a wimp.  He (or she) didn't read Philippians 2:10-11, which clearly states that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father!  I can't think of any time Jesus refused worship.  There were encounters He had where he challenged someone's worship, to test them, and reveal their own heart.  But He never denied His deity.  He never refused worship.  He preached the kingdom, not making the world a better place.  We can't "transform" our world.  We can make a difference in others' lives, and we should, but our purpose is to glorify God, and bring as many into the Kingdom as possible!  Our focus needs to be on eternity.  Second Corinthians 4:18 tells us, So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

     We should compare everything to God's word, not just what sounds nice.  It is our own job not to be deceived.  We need to be thinking people.  

     I recently had an online conversation with an atheist who admitted he fears death, and hopes there is a heaven.  I shared with him that he can have that assurance, but he wasn't interested unless I had 100% proof.  The thing is, even if I went to Heaven and took a picture and came back and showed it to him, he wouldn't believe (A wicked and adulterous generations looks for a sign...Matthew 16:4).  There is an element of faith involved, without which we can't be saved (And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6).  I challenged this atheist with a few trustworthy claims of believers who have seen Heaven and been revived to tell their story (Don Piper's 90 Minutes in Heaven), and then told him the Bible promises eternal life, and went on to give what would be convincing evidence to support the claims of the Bible (archeological, historical, logical, etc.).  This atheist wasn't interested in further dialogue.  But the thing is, he is dismissing evidence that would lead him to the truth, and yet he accepts other things on much less evidence.  He can't see how electrical currents work, yet he trusts that when he flips the switch, the light will come on.  He doesn't see exactly how the vitamins he takes actually help his body, but he takes them anyway.  People prove every day they are capable of faith, yet put more pressure on God than on other things they trust in, because they simply don't want to believe.  If we want to know the truth, we will (You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13).  Part of not being deceived or misled is having that faith in who God said He is, and what He has told us.  We have to choose to believe it.  The evidence gives us assurance, but we still trust by Faith!  

     We might wrestle with certain truths at times, and that's okay.  But we must keep the main thing the main thing.  Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose again on the third day.  Do you struggle with some obscure passages in the Bible that seem confusing?  Do you struggle with how God has allowed certain things to happen to you, or to the world in general?  That's okay to struggle!  But just know that these struggles don't mean Jesus didn't die on the cross and rise again!  Keep those things at the forefront, and you will be able to withstand hard questions, difficult times, and heretical memes on Facebook!  Remember what Jesus said in John 8:32, The truth will set you free!  

Resurrection

      As I write this, it is March 31, 2024--Easter Sunday.  Resurrection Day.  The most holy day on the Christian calendar.  The whole story of the Bible is God's redemption story, and Christ's death and resurrection are the focal point.  It is the way we can be saved!  That is why we celebrate!  Jesus purchased our salvation with his death, and proved it with His resurrection!  

     I hope you enjoyed your Easter with family and church friends.  We had a wonderful service at our church, and even got this family picture taken...

     Have you ever had doubts about Christianity, or more specifically, the resurrection of Christ?  Or maybe you don't have doubts, but have been challenged by skeptics.  First Peter 3:15 tells us to be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you... Here are some faith-building responses in defense of the resurrection.  

     Jesus Said He Would Rise Again!  Matthew 28:6 records the angel's words at the tomb, He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said.  Jesus had told them He would die and rise again, but nobody had really grsped it.  Peter had even tried to stop Jesus from talking about it (Matthew 16:22).  Jesus had said it, and it happened!  

     The Tomb Was Empty!  Matthew 28:6 continues, Come, see the place where He lay.  Jesus' tomb was empty!  Some have accused the disciples of stealing the body, but that idea is preposterous.  The tomb was guarded by Roman soldiers, and covered with a heavy stone (probably weighing a ton or two!).  The disciples couldn't have accomplished a body snatch.  The tomb really was empty.  If it wasn't, and the disciples wanted to make up such a story, they would have gone as far from Jerusalem as they could get, where people couldn't conveniently get to the tomb to verify the story.  But they stayed right there in Jerusalem, and when Peter preached the Gospel at Pentecost (Acts 2), no one challenged the resurrection story, or said, "Wait a minute.  The body is still in the tomb.  What are you talking about, saying He rose?"  This is because the tomb was empty!

     The Old Testament Said He Would Rise from the Dead!  In Luke 24, the risen Christ appeared to Cleopas and another man on the road to Emmaus, about a 7 mile walk from Jerusalem.  They did not recognize Him, but shared with Him that they didn't believe the accounts of the resurrection.  Jesus told them in verse 25 that they were, slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!  In verse 27, we are told that Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.  The whole Old Testament was set up to point people to Jesus, and what He would do for us in dying for our sins and rising again.  

     Hundreds of Eye Witnesses!  More than 500 people saw Jesus after the resurrection (First Corinthians 15:6).  Some of these eye-witnesses died for their testimony of Jesus, but still wouldn't recant (which is another reason we know the disciples couldn't have stolen the body--they would never be willing to die for a hoax).  Even non-Christian historians, such as Josephus, acknowledged Jesus' existence and crucifixion. 

     The Story Doesn't Fit the Narrative Man Would Concoct!  Just like the rest of the Bible, the Gospels are brutally honest about people's flaws and mistakes.  They give the dirt.  If these stories were of human origin, their own egos wouldn't allow them to come up with a story that makes them look bad.  Human ego would never paint a picture of man as inherently sinful and only redeemable from an outside Savior, and yet that is the story of scripture.  Just like other places in the Bible, the Gospel accounts share about Peter's denial, the other disciples running when Jesus was arrested, their quarrels, Thomas' doubts, or the women being the first to discover the empty tomb (women were not considered credible eye-witnesses at that time, and yet God saw to it that they got to be the first witnesses to the resurrection!).  This story doesn't jive with First-Century human ego.  This is a divinely-orchestrated story, truthfully told on the pages of scripture.   

     The Change in Jesus' Followers!  The story continues after the resurrection, after the eleven remaining disciples had received the Holy Spirit, that they bravely and boldly proclaimed the Gospel, facing imprisonment, threats, and ultimately death.  What could change these men from cowards who fled at Jesus' arrest (one of whom denied Him three times) to courageous martyrs?  Only the Resurrection could accomplish this!  

     The next time you hear someone challenge the truth of the resurrection, consider these proofs!  He is Risen!  He is Risen Indeed!  

All the world

     How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!   How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand.  -Psalm 139:17-18a.  God thinks about each individual constantly.  He can do it.  He is God!  But not only is He watching out for everyone in the world, but He is working out His will for all of us as relates to history, and future generations.  The influence you have, the impact you make, the people you meet, the places you go.  All of that is orchestrated by God, and even things that are not in His perfect will (such as situations where someone knowingly sins and goes somewhere or is involved with someone they shouldn't be), God uses the results of that to accomplish His will.  I'll return to that.

     I recently did a DNA test with ancestry (where you spit in a tube and send it in, and they analyze it and determine your background).  My maiden name, Heiden, is German, and I had always thought I was primarily German.  I knew there was a lot of English in there too.  As the picture below shows, English and German are my two biggest ancestries, only in opposite order from what I had thought, with English being the highest, followed by German.  However, I was surprised by a number of other nationalities, including (in order) Scotland, Norway, Ireland, Benin and Togo, Sweden and Demnark, Wales, and Nigeria!  I must add that English and German combined are by far a majority, and everything after Scotland is single digits percentage of my ancestry (Scotland is only 13% itself).  But still, every one of these nations had people in them who contributed to who I am--even African countries!  That was a very interesting surprise, considering my fare complexion--but I am very excited about it!  I don't know all their stories.  Maybe tragedies and sin played a part in some of these relationships. Maybe a deep relationship of seeking God played a part in others,  Maybe beautiful loves stories are among them.  But one thing is sure--God orchestrated each and every person from all these nations.  One way or another, their families made it to North America, and continued onward, until one day, I was born!  I'm not a product of random chance--and neither are you!  Ephesians 1:4 clearly tells us that God chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.  God made it all work out according to His purpoises!

My ancestry breakdown!

     This has made me more in awe of God than ever.  He orchestrated history, and people from many places, to facilitate my existence.  And He did the same for everyone!  He has a plan!  Even someone with a less diverse bloodline, maybe someone whose family has stayed within their own nationality, is still a product of God's plans working out over the years.  Think of a great-great grandma somewhere years ago as a young woman, with two marriage proposals.  God worked to ensure that the right thing happened, and even in cases where it didn't, He was able to use it to make the right thing happen!  On our side of it, there are sins, mistakes, and consequences, but from God's vantage point, He just keeps working out His will.  It's like what Joseph told his brothers in Genesis 50:20, As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good...  A favorite verse of mine is Romans 8:28, And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.  I chose this as my life verse when I was in sixth grade.  It gives so much hope and encouragement.  We can't ruin God's purposes.  It was His plan to create you, and nothing could stop it!  If God is for you, who can be against you (Romans 8:31)?  

 

     We serve a very big, amazing, awesome God!  Praise Him today, and then, live your life as an important part of history, because you are!  Live His plans for you!

   

Almost but not Quite

      I was recently going through some change I had in my purse, and came across this Canadian quarter.  Here are the heads and tails pictures of it.

     

     This quarter feels exactly like a US quarter.  It is exactly the same size as a US quarter.  Without looking closely, it would be very easy to think it is a US quarter.  Somehow, it made it into circulation in the US, and somehow was given to me as change somewhere, and I didn't notice and accepted it (and probably the person who gave it to me didn't notice it and had accepted it, maybe all the way back to its original circulation in the US).  But guess what?  In spite of the fact that this coin has been used, and was given to me in a transaction, it isn't American money.  It isn't backed up by the United States government.  And yet functionally, it has been used as an American quarter.  In actuality, it is worth about 19 cents in American money, not the 25 cents it was being used to pay.  

     This is not my first time getting Canadian money, although it isn't something I've experienced terribly often.  I've even gotten British money a time or two.  I think most times foreign coins enter circulation in our country (or any country) it is probably an accident.  It would be interesting to know the stories behind all these coins that got into US usage.  But as relatively harmless as this is, it gives way to a deeper thought.  How do we let wrong things get into our lives?  Into our churches?  Into our homes?  Things that seem right, but aren't?  Wrong teachings make their way into Biblically-established churches.  Wolves in sheep's clothing make their way into positions of leadership.  How do we let that happen?  How can we prevent it?  

     Jude verse 4 (Jude only has one chapter) says, For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.  The previous verse tells us to contend for the faith.  This is what we must do if we discover these false believers.  But how do we prevent their infiltration to begin with?  Like Canadian quarters, they look like the real thing.  They feel like the real thing.  But they aren't.  

     How do you determine a quarter is an American or Canadian quarter?  You look at it.  Look at the inscription.  Look at whose likeness is on it.  If you take a moment to do that, it's simple.  As Christians, we need to put that same effort in looking at people and teachings coming into our churches as we'd take to look at money to determine its origin.  How does this person's words line up with the Bible?  What fruit is he or she bearing?  

     About 20 years ago, when I was finishing up Bible college, a man rose to prominence in the Christian community.  His name was Rob Bell, and he was known for his Nooma videos.  To get our reactions, our Bible college made us watch these short videos weekly (they were each about 10 minutes or so).  This man went on to rise up the ladder of Christian fame.  Several periodicals predicted that Rob Bell would become the next Billy Graham.  He was praised all over the place. Until one day, he went too far.  In 2011, he wrote the book Love Wins, which seemed to promote a universalist view that there is no hell, and no need of salvation.   And like that, he was no longer an evangelical hero.  Many felt let down.  Not me.  Not in 2011.  My letdown with him had come much earlier, back when we had watched his Nooma videos my senior year of Bible college (and I guess he continued making them for some years after I graduated, so I haven't seen them all).  

     While Rob Bell was a rising Christian star, I already saw that what he was promoting was about as real as a Canadian quarter in US circulation.  His videos didn't say anything outrightly heretical, but several of them criticized evangelism, and said we should focus on just making this world a better place, and not focus on eternity.  This is so contrary to the Bible, which urges us to evangelize (Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15, Acts 1:8) and focus on the eternal (First John 2:17, And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.  Second Corinthians 4:18, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.). 

     Rob Bell used verses here and there to support what he was saying, but he used them out of context to give a wrong message.  For example, in his most anti-evangelism video, Bullhorn, he uses John 3:17, which states, God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world... and he used it to say we should never share anything negative about sin or separation from God, or even a need of a savior, because it's too condemning.  His conclusion was that we should just be kind to everyone and that was enough.  This is not what Jesus was saying at all in John chapter 3.  In that chapter, He said that unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.  Rob Bell conveniently left that part out.  In fact, he left off the last half of John 3:17, which says, ...but that the world through Him might be saved.  The Gospel is the Good News, not the Bad News!  But there has to be bad news in order to get to the solution we all need.  Would you rather have a doctor who says, "The tests show you have cancer, but we have a 100% guaranteed treatment plan for you, and you're going to be fine if you let us help you," or a doctor who sees your tests reveal that you have cancer, but tells you, "You're fine, just as you are!  Don't worry about it." It seemed to me Rob Bell was advocating the latter response. 

     I saw he was wrong, but nobody at the time listened to me.  They heard the verses he quoted.  They heard some things he said that made sense (for example, in the Bullhorn video, he is making fun of street preachers who shout the Gospel through a bullhorn, as if it's this big problem in our society. I agree it makes sense that that isn't the best type of witnessing technique, and people saw that and just agreed with him).  I have seen very few of these types of evangelists in my life.  While they may not be doing the most effective form of evangelism, that doesn't nix all evangelism.  Rob Bell used an extreme to preach against something Jesus commanded.  Nobody was picking up on that.  Rob Bell had to get to the point of heresy before the Christian world at large started to question him.  They should have questioned him much sooner.  He was making evangelists his enemy, instead of Satan.  He was making friends with the world, another thing warned against in scripture (James 4:4, Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?). Once his heresy was evident, the Christians did right and contended for the faith.  But it could have been prevented, and it requires us to carefully compare what is said to God's word, and listening to other Christians who might have a concern.  My concern was ignored by everyone, because they took him at face value.  We can't take anyone at face value!  We need to be asking questions.  What are the implications of what this person is saying?  What heart attitude are they pressing on us?  Is the Bible being used rightly, or ignored altogether--or even misused?  

     The Holy Spirit can give us discernment to distinguish truth from error.  When we find ourselves face to face with outright evil, we need to contend, just like I found myself in possession of a Canadian quarter, and I choose to remove it from circulation and just keep it as a reminder.  But before it ever comes to that, we need to be focused so much on the Word of God that when something doesn't quite line up, we can spot it and contend much earlier, before more damage is done!  

     This Canadian coin will serve as a reminder to me, and I hope to always use discernment to distinguish what is real from what isn't quite.  Almost but not quite isn't good enough.  

The Faith of Laura Ingalls Wilder

      Jesus said in Matthew 12:37,  for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.  This verse used to scare me when I was younger.  I thought it was saying that you could lose your salvation if you said something you shouldn't.  However, that is not what this passage means.  In context, Jesus was saying that what people say really reflects what they believe inside.  A few verses earlier, verse 34, states, ...For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  We can determine what someone really believes based on what comes out of their heart, and that can be determined by what they say.  If you want to study this passage more in-depth, I recommend the Enduring Word online Commentary (link at the end of this post).  

     It follows, then, if we can determine beliefs based on what someone says, let's examine the faith of one of American history's most beloved authors, Laura Ingalls Wilder.  What did Laura's faith consist of?  

     Laura Ingalls was born in 1867 in Wisconsin.  In her 90-year sojourn on this planet, she went from the pioneer days of covered wagons, wood stoves, log cabins, dugouts, and one-room schoolhouses to a modern world of automobiles, radios, movies, television, credit cards, and fast food.  Another way to look at it is, her lifetime took America from President Andrew Johnson (one President after Lincoln) to Dwight D. Eisenhower.  To give still more context, the hit TV show Leave it to Beaver aired a few months after her passing.  That's right.  Laura Ingalls and Eddie Haskell could have met!  All joking aside, as the 20th century came and moved forward, Laura worried that modern children wouldn't know what life had been like for her generation, which led her to write her famous and beloved Little House series.  I, myself, read these books in elementary school.  Laura was able to bring back another time, another America even, that had been buried.  We can treasure her stories and what they teach us about life in the second half of the 19th century. 

     Possibly equally as enduring as the books, the television program Little House on the Prairie aired from 1974-1983, and continued in syndication.  It is still one of my favorite shows.  Because of the books and show, decades of readers and viewers are familiar with the Ingalls family and their friends.  There are 5 museums and/or markers that serve as tourist destinations for fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder (these are in Pepin, Wisconsin; De Smet, South Dakota; Walnut Grove, Minnesota; Mansfield, Missouri; and Independence, Kansas).  

     It is important to note that the books are fiction, though based on Laura's real life.  The TV show is based loosely on the books, and is even further from the reality from which it was taken.  To know the real truth about Laura Ingalls Wilder, we need to dig a little deeper. 

     So what did this interesting woman believe?  Was Laura Ingalls Wilder a Christian?  Will we see her in Heaven?  She isn't here to ask, but the words she said in her lifetime can tell us a lot about her faith.  

     I recently read the book A Prairie Faith, The Religious Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder, by John J. Fry.  Fry attempts to ascertain what Laura really believed about God, faith, Christianity, the Bible, and religion in general.  I'll put a link to this very interesting book at the end of this post.  I'm not going to give away everything from the book, so I still encourage you to read it.  I enjoyed it.  

     Charles and Caroline Ingalls, Laura's parents, were devout.  A book they especially treasured was Persuasives to Early Piety, an evangelistic book written by Baptist minister John Gregory Pike.  This book was given to them by Caroline's mother as a wedding present.  They kept it throughout their lives and moves, and eventually passed it on to Laura, who also kept it.  This book talks about sin, and need of salvation, and how to place one's faith in Christ alone for salvation.  It is encouraging that Charles and Caroline (and later Laura) held this book as important.  Perhaps it is an indication of their own faith.

     When Charles and Caroline Ingalls lived in community, they were church members.  During Laura's early years, they lived far from any worship services, but they observed Sunday as a sacred day at home.  Charles played hymns on his fiddle.  Praise for the Fountain Opened was a family favorite (many of us are more familiar with this song as being titled There is a Fountain Filled with Blood).  This hymn's lyrics are biblical and evangelistic, with a clear presentation of Christ's shed blood and death on behalf of believers, and salvation being possible through Him.  Again, the importance of this and other hymns to the Ingalls family could be an indication of saving faith.  

     As the Ingalls family lived in town as Laura got a little bit older, church became a bigger part of her life.  Their family mostly attended the Congregational church, though as a young teen in Walnut Grove, Laura also attended the Methodist youth group, which met at a different time than her family's Congregational church.  She participated in a scripture memory competition, in which she memorized 100 verses, and was given a study Bible.  Faith, church, and Christianity appear to be more central to her during this period than at any other point in her entire life.  During this time, she prayed, internalized scripture through memorization, and attended two different churches, including revival services both had.  

     While Charles, Caroline, and Laura's older sister Mary all joined their Congregational church, Laura was never a member.  She never joined any church during her lifetime, though she remained a regular attender always.  She seemed to prefer Congregational and Methodist churches throughout her life.  As an older teenager, Laura boarded with some Presbyterians, and when they shared their Calvinistic faith with her, Laura was said to respond that if this were true, she was already saved or not saved, so why bother?  It appears her words were received humorously, and would be replied to, "Oh! My! My! That Laura Ingalls!"  It seems she didn't think much of Presbyterian theology.  Her answer could be seen as sarcasm toward Calvinism specifically, or an outright indication of taking eternal truths in general lightly.  

L-R, Carrie, Mary and Laura Ingalls

     Laura appeared to have a quiet faith.  She seems to have been uncomfortable with overt evangelism or those who spoke outwardly about their Christianity.  A particular man who joined their church after a revival often testified in Wednesday night prayer meetings about what God had done for him, and his walk with God.  Laura wrote about this: It somewhat offended my sense of privacy.  It seems to me that the things between one and God should be between him and God like loving ones mother.  One didn't go around saying 'I love my mother, she has been so good to me.'  One just loved her and did things she liked one to do.  I find this personally discouraging.  This means Laura would have had a problem with the Great Commission, and the Apostles' undying stand for the Gospel.  Maybe as a 19th Century American, she was able to quietly practice her faith, but the early church was anything but quiet in their practice of Christianity!  It makes me wonder how real it was to Laura, if she could keep it quiet.  I think Laura would have had a problem with me, personally.  I share the Gospel, and have gotten into trouble at times from other "quiet" Christians who didn't approve of sharing their faith openly.  This is an unbiblical way to view evangelism, since we are commanded to preach the Gospel to all creation (Mark 16:15).  The Holy Spirit empowers evangelism (Acts 1:8).  Being against speaking of God openly is to be against a work of the Spirit, and Christ's command.  Not everyone is outgoing, and God wouldn't want someone to try to be someone they're not.  Not everyone has the overt gift of evangelism.  But to be offended by those who do is a problem.  We can't hide our faith under a bushel.  This does not mean Laura was not a born-again Christian, but it is uncomfortable to me, in light of some experiences I have had.  

     While Laura never joined a church as a member, she and her eventual husband Almanzo Wilder were active members of the Eastern Star, a Masonic group.  Masons must believe in a higher power, but are not required to commit to a particular religion.  There is a lot about Freemasonry that is unknown to me, and I have been led by some accounts to wonder if this is a group all Christians should avoid.  I do not know what Laura's involvement in the Eastern Star indicates.  I will not comment further on this information.  

     Laura and Almanzo's only living child, Rose Wilder Lane, did not adopt the Christian faith for herself.  This is not their fault, again, only an observation.  

     Laura wrote for their local paper for many years, and only a handful of articles mention God or spiritual themes, and even those are pretty surface-level Christianity.  God-fearing themes fill Laura's Little House books.  Stories of attending Sunday school, saying prayers, and honoring the Sabbath fill their pages.  I think I agree with John Fry, who concludes that Christianity was important to Laura Ingalls Wilder, but not central to her life.  Was she a born-again Christian?  I'll put it this way.  If she wasn't, she was without excuse, because she was surrounded by it.  If she was, then it had that effect on her eternity.  

     The big takeaway for me, and my challenge to you, is to live in such as way that, after you die, no one will have to guess or speculate whether or not you were saved.  Share the Gospel.  Make a stand for Christ, however God has led and gifted you for that.  We're all different, and it's okay to be you!  Just don't leave any question about what you believe about Jesus!  As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (Second Timothy 4:5).

     

To read Enduring Word Commentary on Matthew 12, click here.

To view A Prairie Faith, The Religious Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder click here.