Fear and Loving in the Public Venue

In Ohio, a village Mayor is under fire from a Wisconsin based atheist group for hanging two crosses on the side of the village’s municipal building. 

In Iowa, the Governor declared July 14th of 2014 to be a day of fasting and prayer. Another secular atheist group declares Iowa is now a theocracy, according to their webpage, euphemistically named Liberty Voice.

The Clemson Tigers football coach appointed a team chaplain, allowing him to lead lessons on being baptized in the school’s athletic building. The Freedom From Religion Foundation is in a tizzy. As if they didn’t have enough on their plates trying to remove In God we Trust from our coins.

Why all the hatred and animosity? I have one word for you. FEAR.

Believers in Christ see love on the cross. Those in darkness, those who shun the light, fear the power of the resurrection.

The Gospel of John tells us,

And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

But Colossians 1:13 reminds us,

He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love

Pray that those suffering from that fear would be open to Christ’s redemption.

A Little More Salt, Please

We are not salt in the community, and all too many churches have become love clubs. They preach the love of Christ minus commitment to His teachings. In a well intentioned desire to reach as many as possible they have abandoned truth in favor of full pews.

But regarding Salt in society and the consequences of the lack thereof. I have been struggling with that. Under a king or dictator, choice is simple. Obey or face the penalty for disobedience. But in a Democracy, we ARE the government.

Our best choice I believe is to preach the Gospel in its entirety, to all who will listen. Then in peace and love affect change through voting rights. BUT, man's laws are not at the heart of the problem. It's the heart. When the laws are contrary to the Word, like abortion and euthanasia laws, we are commanded to oppose, but in truth and love. We wrestle not against flesh and blood. And the very freedoms we cherish in this country are the ones that allow society to sink to the lowest common denominator.