Introduction

Greetings and God bless.  We want to thank the Lord for the opportunity to prepare this crucial paper on the State of Christianity YR 2015-2018 Report. This annual report is essential for the Church to read and realize where we are as body of Christ.

The 21^st century has started off with wars, economic collapse, moral decline, and an uncertain future.  In the midst of it all, where is the Body of Christ and where does it stand on these issues? What is the Church doing to continue to be the salt and light – the ambassadors of Christ?

I will speak about the changes taking place, including persecution and the solution to our global problems as it relates to the Church.  Moreover, this is an appropriate topic to study as we must ramp up our efforts as the body of Christ.

Chapter One – The Problem

For those who keep up with current affairs know that Christians worldwide face persecution.  In the Middle East, Africa and Asia they are slaughtered wholesale, while those living in Western countries face non-violent forms of persecution.  These non-violent forms of persecution take place through the means of political correctness and other forms of violations to religious/conscious/speech freedoms.  Even though it’s non-violent, don’t let the name fool you.  This non-violent approach is as potent as inflicting bodily harm to silence Christians and prevent them from living their faith.   For example, speaking about God in American public schools and praying is not encouraged.  In some cases, students have been suspended from school for possessing a Bible.  Moreover, persecution expands into the workplace as well with limitations imposed by employers and employees alike.

There are five examples of non-violent/soft persecutions that I would like to share with you.  Three examples are in Europe and two are in the U.S.  The first one took place in Germany which extended into the U.S.  This situation entails a Christian family who was prevented from homeschooling their children within a past few years.  They were prohibited from homeschooling their children under restrictive laws that have been inherited from Nazi Germany.   The law was enacted in 1939 and the German Supreme Court surprisingly upheld this law in 2007 which mandates that children in Germany attend state approved schools.  Attendance is compulsory, however a few exceptions are allowed.  Of those exceptions, it does not include religion or other ideological constraints   (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/german-home-school-family-wont-be-deported/).  The family affected by this law was fined thousands of dollars and was threatened by the German government who promised to take away their children legally.  Now, this family is in the U.S and they are seeking asylum.  The situation for the German family in the U.S. seemed bleak at first.  The Justice Department denied the request and the Sixth Court of Appeals sided with the Justice Department – which ruled to deport the family to Germany. (http://www.christianpost.com/news/german-homeschool-family-loses-asylum-case-home-school-legal-defense-association-will-appeal-95893/).  After many years of battling and the involvement of The Home School Legal Defense Association, a petition of 127,000 was collected and presented to the White House.   The Supreme Court declined to hear the case; however, the German family received news from Homeland Security that their asylum proceedings have been deferred indefinitely.   Fortunately, the final outcome for this family turned out relatively favorable.  This situation shows us the hostility towards Christians and the elitist agenda to eliminate faith.

In the UK on the other hand, several instances have taken place where street preachers have been arrested for preaching the Gospel.  In one instance, a preacher who was approached by youth and asked about his views on homosexuality, the preacher responded from scripture saying that homosexuality is a sin; He did add to that statement by saying God loves the sinner, not the sin.  For that reason, the man was arrested, detained for 19 hours and released (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/10735867/Preacher-arrested-for-saying-gay-love-is-a-sin-gets-13000.html).  In another example from the UK, a social worker postgraduate (Christian man) was expelled for posting his views on homosexuality on Facebook.  He quoted from Leviticus, and was fired (https://www.rt.com/uk/333935-student-expelled-gay-facebook/).  Based on the article, the university has issued a statement, “The University of Sheffield is concerned that stories in the media about a student undertaking a MA in Social Work are factually incorrect. The individual concerned is currently appealing the decision of a Fitness to Practice Committee, relating to professional registration and the standards of the relevant professional body. These standards are nationally determined by the Health and Care Professions Council. As the case is subject to appeal, the University of Sheffield will not comment on this case at this time.”

The fourth and fifth examples took place in the U.S. and they deal with: intolerance towards Bible reading in schools, and citations issued by city officials for believers who have held Bible studies in their homes.

Let’s look at the fourth example concerning the intolerance for Bibles in schools.  There are several examples of this type of persecution which seems to be occurring more frequently within the past eight years.   Coverage has been selective on these stories as only a few of these situations are reported to the media.  Essentially, various school districts throughout the U.S have prohibited students from reading the Bible during their free reading time.   The first example is a second grade student attending the Fairbanks Independent School District – Hamilton Elementary School.  He was banned from reading the Bible during what was designated “Read to Myself” time

(http://christiannews.net/2014/04/24/texas-elementary-school-investigating-after-teacher-bans-bible-from-read-to-myself-time/).  Furthermore, in 2015 two similar Christian persecutions have been documented, one in Missouri and the other in Michigan.   All the religious persecutions are executed in a similar manner; students are not allowed to read the Bible during free time (http://christiannews.net/2015/01/07/missouri-middle-school-student-prohibited-from-reading-bible-during-free-time/).

As for the 5^th example of non-violent/soft persecution is the growing trend of local municipalities prohibiting homeowners from hosting Bible studies in their homes.  Local government officials claim that it violates city ordinances relating to zoning.  Evidently, you can not hold “religious, fraternal and non-profit” meetings without a permit in San Juan Capistrano, CA.  For countless centuries, especially during the early Church history, believers have held Bible studies in their homes.  This is one way of dissuading people from holding Bible studies, as the process to obtain the permit and the cost associated with the process is too cumbersome.  Furthermore, this affects more than just Religious Freedoms; it’s a matter of over encroachment by the government.  They are attempting to regulate who you can have in your home along with the types of meetings.  In the case of this Southern California couple, they have taken necessary steps to respect their neighbors by eliminating music from worship time and the potential nuisance to neighbors from having too many vehicles parked outside.  The couple has asked for attendees to carpool in order to eliminate potential traffic and parking related issues even though the couple’s home is large enough with ample parking on their property to avoid parking related issues.  Even though these thoughtful steps have been taken by the couple, the San Juan Capistrano City officials have not relented on their draconian measures (http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2011/09/19/california-city-fines-couple-for-holding-bible-study-in-their-home/).  In a similar situation, an Arizona Pastor has been jailed for holding a Bible study in his home.  He was further pursued in jail for continuing to hold Bible studies in jail as well (http://www.examiner.com/article/pastor-jailed-for-home-bible-studies-continues-to-face-persecution).

As you can see dear believers, we are witnessing violent and non-violent forms of Christian persecutions on an ever increasing level.   In the case of the U.S., the republic was founded on Judeo-Christian values, and has traditionally been a haven for those escaping religious persecution.  Today everything is changing, and it’s becoming tougher for Christians to voice their views freely without harsh criticism or outright attacks.  If your views counter the mainstream views or policy, then your speech is considered hateful, intolerant and worthy of jail time.

In other examples of persecution, various groups such as Pro-Life organizations and Tea Party groups have complained that the IRS has targeted them, and this government entity has refused to issue tax exempt status to their organizations.  Moreover, these groups have claimed that due to their political views, they have been audited by the IRS as well.   Lois Lerner, Director of the Tax-Exempt Organizations Division has admitted to targeting organizations with the words patriot and Tea Party (http://www.christianpost.com/news/a-timeline-of-the-irs-targeting-of-conservative-evangelical-and-pro-life-groups-scandal-114324/).  Pro-Life organizations were also reported to have been affected by illegal targeting – please read the article provided to obtain detailed information about the harassment claimed by these groups (evangelical organizations were affected as well).

Although Tea Party organizations are not religious and being Pro-Life doesn’t mean you are automatically a Christian, nonetheless, I have provided these examples to illustrate the attack on free speech/religion.  It seems as though Christians are the ones most impacted as the left despises Christians.

For those who have already studied the Bible may be asking, “So what else is new, Christians have been persecuted for countless centuries”.  True, for countless centuries Christians have been persecuted for their faith beginning with Christ himself.  By default accepting Jesus means becoming an enemy to the world and Satan.  Christ has warned us about looming persecutions in Matthew 10:16-21

• Jesus states, 16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

So, the question is what’s the difference between the persecutions of the past and those experienced today?

Well, the answer lies in the circumstances and how you interpret Christian persecution. Prior to the rise of the West through the advancements of Charlemagne and the establishment of the Holy Roman Empire, parts of Europe were under Muslim rule. Eventually, Europeans ousted the Muslim invaders and established Christianity as the sole religion, from Orthodox Russia in the east to Catholic Ireland to the west.  (Prior to the Protestant and Catholic division).

Throughout Christian history, there have been wars fought within the faith in order to establish uniformity and supremacy of one form of Christianity over the other.  For instance, Orthodox Byzantium had locked heads with Apostolic Armenians to the east in the 1045 AD.  The outcome was that Byzantium conquered Armenia which led to the destruction of a Christian kingdom during the time when invaders from the East poured on to the Middle East.  Since the Armenian kingdom had been conquered and subsequently the nation weakened, they weren’t able to withstand the Seljuk and Ottoman invaders.  The end result was Byzantium was overrun as well and in 1453 Constantinople was captured by the Ottoman Turks.  These unnecessary and despicable actions of infighting ultimately allowed for the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians by Muslim Turks in 1915.  Greeks and Assyrians were of course affected as well; as they suffered the same fate in the hands of these blood thirsty Ottoman Turks in present day Turkey.

A similar situation took place between Protestants and Catholics in the Thirty Year War, which took place from the early to mid 1600s.  Eventually, the Thirty Year War became more about a power grab when the Holy Roman Empire began to fragment. So, we can see that not only were Christians persecuted by non-Christians, but they were also persecuted from within by other Christians as well.

Obviously, mankind’s greed is the problem here, and religion is used to galvanize people against each other to justify their heinous crimes.  Byzantium wanted to control Armenia and religion was the justification.  The same applies to the Thirty Year War.  It was the need to control more lands and wealth during the time the Holy Roman Empire was collapsing. (I would like to note as well that Christians in the early history of the Church were persecuted by Jewish leaders, Romans and other kingdoms too.  The persecution continued with the newly formed Muslim kingdoms, empires and Caliphates.

Now that we have covered historical persecutions, let’s examine the persecutions experienced by Christians today and compare it to ones in the past.  One main difference between the Christian persecutions of the past and today is that the problem experienced today is a universal Church persecution.  It’s similar to the early Church persecutions of the 1^st Century.  Today, Christians are hated both in the East and in the West.  The Western countries have become secular humanists and Statists, while traditional Islamic countries have been overtaken by radical Muslims.  In Asian countries like China they follow Statist and Marxist views which oppose religious freedoms.  In 2014, crosses have been rapidly removed from churches and churches have been closed down in China (http://www.ucanews.com/news/more-church-crosses-taken-down-in-china/71699). Attacks are rapidly increasing in quantity and frequency.   There is no safe haven for those who want to practice their faith.

In Western countries moral relativism is prevalent along with secular humanism.   Of the two ideologies, moral relativism is more potent in silencing Christian rhetoric.  All those that uphold their Christian views are considered to be bigots and racists.  According to this view, there is no absolute truth – therefore we are de facto evil for suggesting Christ as being the absolute truth.

One of the other weapons to silence Christians in Western democracies is the concept of Separation of Church and State.  This idea emerged in the Enlightenment period, and one example I will present is from the American example and the U.S Constitution.   The U.S has adopted the Lockean model more so than the other philosophers’ views on the rights of conscious.  There have been fierce debates in the U.S concerning the exact intent of this view which of course is engrained in the U.S Constitution.  Does the Separation of Church and State mean excluding religion from government entirely or simply preventing the government from establishing a state religion?  Essentially, this was understood to mean that the government could not pass laws for or against any religion.  The 1^st amendment states the following, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”.  Each individual had the freedom to choose a religion and a church of his/her choice.  The government had no jurisdiction to encroach upon religion or individuals’ rights of conscience.  This meant that you were free to worship your God without persecution, and this was one of the major points in the American Revolutionary War.  The founding fathers believed in God and were Christians.  They were against imposing a single church/religion as a state belief as was the case with the Anglican Church in Great Britain.    Many have misinterpreted this idea to mean no religion can exist in government; however, that view is far from the original intent.  Throughout U.S. history, religion has been embedded in the government from local council meetings to the U.S Congress.   Moreover, children have prayed in public schools as a normal practice until the 1960s when it was deemed that it violated the Establishment Clause.  Under this misinterpreted “banner” many city councils were affected as well.  Most city councils are discouraged and/or bullied by “political correctness” to refrain from praying at all, even though most municipalities are more inclusive to other religions as ever before.  Most city councils now allow clerics/pastors/priests from different faiths to pray as well – for example a Muslim imam was allowed to pray at the Hartford city council meeting (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/09/08/hartford-councils-inclusion-muslim-prayers-sparks-outrage.html).

Tradition Only

These factors have brought us to a point of regression, a seemingly decline of Christianity worldwide.  At the end, God is in control, so what seems to be a decline, will be a revival if the Christian Church (universal Church) recommits to Christ.  God will not impose Himself on us, unless we want to.  Hence the concept of free will.  Furthermore, what we are seeing in Western countries and traditional Christian countries is the reduction of faith to merely a tradition.  Churches there have become museums with multitudes visiting them for architectural and cultural importance only.   Societies where Christianity has been vibrant for over a millennium now fade into the sunset.  (http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/1/12/1357344/-Empty-Churches-Go-On-Sale-in-Europe-as-Christian-Faith-Declines)

SIDE NOTE: I firmly believe that most people haven’t lived the faith fully.  They haven’t experienced the power of Christ in their lives; therefore, they are not aware of the transformation that takes place in the life of the Christian who submits to the Lord.

Chapter 2 – Why Are Christians Persecuted: Satan’s Objective

In order to understand Christian persecution, we must go to the root of the matter.  There are two main factors at play with the persecution of the Church: Satan and the world.  In this chapter we will talk specifically about the role Satan plays in attacking God’s creation.  Enmity with Satan and the world takes place immediately after we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Our story begins with the Original Sin that took place in the Garden of Eden.   Mankind fell short of God’s mark, His perfectness when they disobeyed the Lord and ate from the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.  You can learn more about the Original Sin and Obtaining Salvation which is posted the Bible Studies page of the Illuminating Faith website (www.illuminatingfaith.com).

The tempter in this case was Satan who went to Eve and essentially said that God didn’t say you would die, He meant that you would become like Him – knowing God and Evil.  The underlying factor here is “to be like God”.  Eve was tempted with the same desires that lead Satan to his destruction, which was PRIDE.  It was Satan’s pride that caused his downfall.  He wanted to be God and to be worshiped by all.

Who is Satan

• The Bible tells us that Satan was a high-ranking angel in heaven, and he was exiled from heaven for revolting against God.
• His sin was Pride, which was also the sin that caused man to fall as well.
• There was a total of 1/3 of the angels in heaven that joined Satan in this despicable act.
• Satan was cast on earth and we are told that he is considered the god of this age, and he resides on earth, not in Hell. There will come a time when he will be cast into the lake of fire.
• Satan has many names: Adversary, Beelzebub, Dragon, Enemy, Lucifer, Murderer, Prince of the power of the air, Man of sin, Tempter, Thief and Serpent.
• The word Satan in Hebrew means Adversary.
• Satan is described as the roaring lion seeking someone to devour.

Verses Validating These Verses

Revelation 12:7- 9, Isaiah 14:12-14, Ezekiel 28:13-14, Revelation 12:3-4 & 1 Peter 5:8

What is Satan’s Agenda

• Satan’s agenda is to assume God’s thrown and become God.
• He is also dedicated to destroying God’s creation. This was evident in the Garden of Eden when he came to both Adam and Eve in the form of a serpent and caused their downfall.
• Furthermore, he attempted again to make God bow down to him when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness.

Verses Validating These Points

2 Corinthians 4:4, Matthew 4:8-9, 1 Peter 5:8 & Genesis 3

What are We Up Against

• We are told that our battle is not against the flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
• Satan comes as the angel of light, and he never comes directly. Instead, he approaches us in ways so that we don’t suspect him.
• He will do everything in his power to derail us from the truth.

Verses Validating These Points

Ephesians 6:12, 2 Corinthians 11:14 & 2 Corinthians 4:4

Why Are Christians Persecuted: The World & The Human Factor

When Christ speaks about enmity with the world, He is speaking about the fundamental difference in views with God and a sinful world.  When we accept Christ, the Holy Spirit begins a process of transformation making us more like Jesus.  Therefore, that places us at odds with the world.  We know that the god (lower case g) of this world is Satan.  Let me elaborate on this expression for folks to better understand.  Paul the Apostle in Ephesians 2: 1-3 says:

• 1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts.

The ways of the world are established by Satan, and he has influence over people because humans were corrupted at the Garden of Eden when they sinned against the Lord.  Their sinful nature is ripe with envy, greed, and lustfulness, which is easily manipulated by the Tempter.  So, what are the works of the flesh?  In Galatians 5:19-21 Paul the Apostle states:

• 19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

As I already mentioned, Jesus speaks about coming persecution of those that follow him.  We read in Matthew 10:16-21 in the previous chapter, and I would like to share additional verses on the topic.  In John 15:18-21 Jesus states:

• 18“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’[a] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.

Conclusion

With the existence of these two formidable foes, we have great opposition to the free worship and adherence to our Lord.  Christians must realize that Satan is real; he is not a mythical figure that represents the antithesis to the notion of Good/God.  We are up against a force that pursues to devour us.

However, dear believer, we must not falter, despair or be filled with fear.  God of the universe, the Lord that came to this earth to die for our sins is victorious over Satan.  The Creator is master of all.  Let’s not forget that Satan is an angel, a creation of God who rebelled against the Lord.  He only limited abilities and strengths, which do not come close to the Lord’s awesomeness.

Chapter 3: The Church – Asleep, Distracted and Apathetic.

All military strategists will agree that to execute a successful campaign, you must have superior intelligence about your opponent, and you must carefully plan to achieve a decisive victory.  In the case of Christianity, our Lord clearly states the identity of our foe.  His name is Satan, and he is also known as the Deceiver, Adversary, Dragon, etc.  Satan is real and he is determined to destroy the Lord’s creation.  We talked briefly about Satan in chapter 2, so now let’s examine in detail some of the strategies implemented by him to defeat Christians.

In previous examples presented in Chapter 1, we learned about the different situations Christians worldwide are currently facing.  On the surface we may deduce that Christianity is on a decline.  However, is our Lord truly impotent to overcome Satan or do we simply need to awaken to allow our Lord to work through us?

This seemingly dire situation of the Churches is not a new concept.  In the Book of Revelation, John the Apostle wrote about the state of the churches in the 1^st century.  I will provide a brief outline of the problem and solution provided by Jesus for the churches mentioned in the first three chapters of the Book of Revelation.   Before we dive into the details, let’s look at some of the tactics used by Satan to distract Christians.

In general, Satan uses craftiness and scheming tactics to derail God’s people.  He will question God’s commandments, cast doubt in our minds and tempt us with our own shortcomings.  For instance, Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness with wealth and power – read Matthew 4:8-10.  Furthermore, Satan tempted Eve with the lure of becoming like God and rejecting the Lord’s commandment.  We know this as the sin of pride – read Genesis chapter three.

Satan also works tirelessly to distract Christians with worldly concerns.  The more we attempt to grow our wealth and raise our socioeconomic status, we become consumed with the “luxuries of life” rather than remaining focused on the Word of God.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with being successful or rich, however, we cannot place anything before our Lord.  That is the definition of worshiping idols.  We cannot be friends of this world because we don’t belong to the world.  Jesus prays to Father in John 17:14-17 saying:

• 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by[a] the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

Once again, let me reiterate that God has blessed people with riches such as Abraham, Solomon and Job, therefore money is not the problem.  In 1 Timothy 6:10, Paul states

• 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Here we can clearly see is the seduction and being consumed by money that is the problem.

Another key point is that living in a Christian bubble is not Christ’s intent.  There are communities across the U.S. that are predominantly Christian with majority of the population engaged in Christian “activities”.  These communities were established for the main purpose of likeminded individuals living together in communities that share a similar lifestyle.   Most will agree that living in a bubble is not Christ’s intention.  On the contrary we are called to the salt and light.  Jesus says in Matthew 5:14 – 16

• 14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 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. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Therefore, we must live among and in the midst of people, so that we can be influential.  When we live an isolated lifestyle, we don’t live as Jesus has called us to live in Matthew 5:14-16.  All those who have studied these verses will tell you that there is a difference between being in this world and of this world.  Therefore, I am not speaking about becoming a part of the world, instead, I am advocating that we become like salt and permeate Christ into the world.

To further elaborate on this point, I want to explain the difference of being in the world and being of this world.  When you are of this world, you are assimilated to the ways of the ruler of this world, Satan.  Being a follower of Satan’s values means you reject the teaching of Jesus.  The world has a specific mindset that revolves around values such as, might equals right, wealth, pride, vengeance, conquering others, dominance, selfishness, etc.

Please keep in mind that the early Church didn’t expand until they were persecuted in Jerusalem.  Persecution in Jerusalem prompted followers of Jesus to travel to all corners of the known world.  So, they began to move around the Roman Empire and in the East spreading the Gospel.

So the element of comfort and complacency, takes a toll on Christians.  In times of abundance, we must continue to sharpen our spiritual double-edged sword and maintain the full armor of God mentioned by Paul in Ephesians chapter 6.

Now let’s read about the churches in the first century

Churches of the Book of Revelation

In the first three chapters of Revelation, John writes everything that Jesus dictates to him regarding the state of the difference churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.  First, Jesus spoke about their works for Him, and then He criticized the churches for straying away from Him.  The underlying message is to repent and to return to him.

Here is a break down per church:

Church of Ephesus

Positive Points that Jesus specifies:

• Their deeds, hard work, perseverance, and endured hardship for my name.
• They didn’t tolerate wicked people.
• They tested those who claimed to be apostles.

Negative Points that Jesus specified:

• Jesus said you have forsaken the love you had at first.
• This is the initial passion you had for Christ – has that died in you?

Church of Smyrna

Issues

• Suffering, persecution, poverty, afflictions – direct attack by Satan, putting people in prison.

Words of Encouragement

• Stay committed and continue to endure.

Church of Pergamum

Positive Points

• Stood strong in the face of persecution

Negative Points

• Jesus spoke out against those in the church who followed the false teachings Balaam and Nicolaitians (which is considered an abomination by Jesus) – concerning eating sacrifices offered to idols.
• Basically, are there people in your church that hold on to false teachings and work in any and all ways to derail believers. Do you hold on to certain beliefs that are not acceptable to the Lord?

Church of Thyatira

Positive Points

• Deeds, your love and faith, service and perseverance – doing more than you did before.

Negative Points

• Like the church of Pergamum there was someone there that was teaching and misleading people – she considered herself a prophet. She led them to sexual immorality and eating of food sacrificed to idols.

Church of Sardis

Criticism

• You have a reputation of being alive, but you are really dead.

Solution

• Repent because the Lord is not done with you, there is more to be done. Rekindle the fire and move forward in serving the Lord.

Church of Philadelphia

Comments

• Positive observations and reaffirming their commitment to the Lord.
• With the little strength they have, they have endured for the Lord.
• Jesus had praises for this church.

Church of Laodicea

Criticism

• Neither cold nor hot.
• You are lukewarm – get fired up and through the refinement process, you will be worthy to wear the white clothes and be truly rich.
• Repent and return to the Lord.

Infiltration of Satan in Churches and False Teachings

Based on the information provided about the various churches, think to yourself which church I relate to as an individual along with which church would my church identify with?  Are we lukewarm, apathetic, and complacent towards the works of the Kingdom?  Do we care about peoples’ salvation – whether they have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior?

In this portion, I want to talk about two additional factors that have plagued the Church.  We are witnessing the silencing of the Church through political correctness and the infiltration of false teachers which are leading the Body of Christ astray.   I spoke about this briefly in chapter 1; however, I want to expand on this topic as it is relevant to the Church today.  We’ll use the United States as an example.  There are two theologies prevalent in American churches today, one is the Prosperity Theology and other is the Rapture of the Church prior to the tribulation (before Christ’s second coming).

The former speaks about the notion that the Lord doesn’t want for people to live in poverty; therefore, you must believe that the Lord has destined you to be prosperous.  Within this theology, your speech also matters as positive speak brings blessings in your life.  Those that are negative essentially void themselves of the blessings that the Lord has prepared for them.  These Preachers preach giving to God so that God will bless you.  The entire focus of this movement is based on money, “give to receive”.  You have most likely seen or hear these Pastors on television claiming that if you give a $1,000, the Lord will bless you beyond imagination.  We can talk about this theology more in detail some other day; however, these teachings have a dangerous tendency to focus only on the self, rather than living for the Lord.  Why don’t we hear these Preachers speak about standing for God, fighting injustice, serving the needy, etc.   Give it serious thought.

The Prosperity theology is one that is easy to accept.  We all know that God created a perfect world prior to the entrance of sin, and we know that God doesn’t want for us to live unhealthy and disappoint lives.  However, there is no guarantee of living a lavish lifestyle as Christians.  Moreover, blessings do come to those who serve the Lord, it’s not only in the form of money.  This is where it becomes manipulative to some degree.  Rather than claiming that the Lord will do x, y or z, we should simply focus on the obedience in serving Him and allowing for the Lord to provide in a manner that is best for us.  Remember that God gave manna to the Israelites in the wilderness.  The quantity He gave was key, He instructed that they take only one day’s provisions (Exodus 16:4).  Also, in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus states in Matthew 6:11, “Give us today our daily bread”.  The Lord knows what we need, and He encourages us to pray to Him in order to rely on Him for our needs.  Let’s not fall in the trap of placing our needs about God.

The other theology that is prevalent in American churches is the Rapture of the Church prior to tribulation period, which is prior to Jesus’ second coming.   The teaching of the Rapture is fairly recent; it actually became popular beginning in the 1800s.  Whether you believe in this theology or not, it has an element of complacency which sets in those who believe in it.   The logic is as follows: “What can we do, the signs of the times are present, and the end is near”.  If the Lord has called us to be vigilant and watchful for His second coming along with working for Him prior to His 2^nd coming, then why do so many Christians simply put their hands up and assume this feckless state?  I want to share a few verses that speak about the labor and the alertness we should have working earnestly for the Kingdom of Heaven.  In Matthew 9:37-38 Jesus speaks about the work which is plentiful; however, there is simply not enough people who are willing to work

• ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸ Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Let’s look at a few more verses.  Matthew 16:27 speaks about the rewards we will receive for the works we have committed for the Kingdom:

• 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. 

In Matthew 24:45-46 Jesus says:

• 45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.

Matthew 24:45-46 sums up the objective perfectly.  We are to serve the Lord and engage in the activities of the Kingdom.  Just because we see the signs of His 2^nd coming, doesn’t mean that we must fold our arms and simply become spectators with a bowl of popcorn watching as the world spirals into oblivion.  People who believe in this theology have the “I’m packed and ready to go mentality”, which has detached them from engaging with the world.  All the while their zombie like state is not what the Lord delights in.  Instead, Christians should be fighting harder, praying harder and serving the Lord on all fronts against evil that is running amok.  Whether that’s keeping politicians in check by exercising their constitutional rights by holding them accountable to the law of the Land or sending vital necessities to communities in the world who are suffering as a result of war, etc.

Here are a few key verses:

In John 17:14-16 Jesus prays to the Father by saying:

• 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.

There is no mention of us retreating to our bubble and living in isolation as I have already mentioned in page 12.  In Matthew 10:16 Jesus says:

• Jesus states, 16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus provides us with clear instructions to go out to the world, in the Great Commission statement:

• 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 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, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Even though I have talked about the potentially destructive elements of the Rapture Theology, I do want to say that not all who believe in this theology have the “I’m ready to go mentality”.  However, many of the Rapture believers I have come into contact share this view.

Lastly, those that have this attitude of escapism are like folks that go to work at 8 AM in the morning and eagerly wait until 4 PM to clock out.  If that isn’t bad enough, image adding insult to injury and ranting on to your boss about how you just can’t wait to go home all day.

Corporatism in Churches

Corporatism in churches is another problem that I believe has replaced Christ with the need to operate the church like a for profit institution.  Certain goals such as growth in membership and tithes have replaced the main focus.  Everything is about money, rather than serving the Lord in faith, and relying on the Lord to provide for the needs of the church.  This has resorted to the further demise of leadership in the church.  Pastors are now forced to act like CEOs with an objective to follow through with a growth implementation model.  Jesus’ intention is not to allow for His body to operate like a for profit organization.

The New Testament provides us with some great examples of the early church organizational model.  In Acts chapter 2:42-45, it states:

• 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.

The church has become a business where money is paramount and Pastors along with the elders seek people who can fund their church.  Funding is the Lord’s matter, and we should not place too much emphasis on this.  Instead, we should look forward to serving the Lord and allowing Him to provide for our needs.

I am not implying that we do not require structure; on the contrary structure is essential to ensure accountability.  However, a structure led by the Lord is what we should seek instead of a structure motivated by a corporate approach.

As far as placing too much emphasis on the Pastor to act as the CEO, that is also inappropriate in the church as well.  Each person in the church is responsible to serve in the church and to do their part, whatever their spiritual gift(s) and God given talent(s) are.  All should be active in leadership and support.  The weight of the church must not fall on the Pastor as he is not the President of the company.  Let’s go back to the early church and become more communal in our commitment to each other and our churches.

Political Correctness

As far as Political Correctness is concerned, Satan has found a successful way of silencing Christians in the West.   Every speech that is against Satan’s agenda is now deemed as bigoted, racist, and discriminatory.  For example, some Pastors refuse to speak out against various sins in fear of being sued, becoming less popular, losing Congregational members, being ostracized or imprisoned.  Some of these topics include sexual immorality, perversion, selfishness and idolatry and homosexuality.

This is truly a process of limiting free speech and creating a speech monopoly.  The monopolization process began in public schools where children were indoctrinated in beliefs set by the elites.  Education has become a biased institution with all subjects being corrupted by Satan.  In the U.S, the educational system has been hijacked by Leftist Progressives.  The purpose of this paper is not to criticize one secular ideology verses another, rather, my goal is to expose the father of lies, who is Satan.  Satan is my main focus and how he uses all views to cause chaos and destruction.  Furthermore, ideologies are manmade; therefore, error by default is automatically built in these views.  Humans are not like God, they are not all knowing.  I understand clearly from Ephesians 6:10-12 when Paul speaks about the battle we face.

• 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Whether you are Conservative, Neo-Liberal, Marxist, Isolationist, Progressive, Paleo-Liberal, Libertarian, Leftist, Right Wing, Centric, etc. the human experience has been a trial-and-error process.  History is cyclical and humans have a short-term memory.  We are not vigilant to guard ourselves against ideologies that limit our ability to live free as God has intended for us to live by providing us with Free Will.  Christians especially have “gone underground”, fearing to speak out against injustices.  Political Correctness and Social Bullying have caused this dangerous atmosphere.

Church Attendance

Recent research and observation suggest that factors seeking to separate us from God have already succeeded in their attempts.  Subsequently, church attendance has dropped due the effects of anti-Christian propaganda.  Most people today prefer to engage in the faith on an individualistic basis.  Faith life is not one that the Lord has designed for us to live alone.  It’s clear that in all examples provided by Jesus and throughout the New Testament, the Christian life is meant to be lived on a communal basis.  We are to gather together to worship, pray and have communion collectively.  Unfortunately, the wiles of the Devil have gotten a hold of most people who now view attending church as unnecessary.  Those that reject the collective view promote Satan’s lie which is focused on fighting against institutionalized religion.  I would argue that those who are proponents of anti-institutionalism are those that don’t understand the Original Sin.  If they understood that no human institution is perfect, they would work towards instilling checks and balances.  These individuals are lazy and shift the burden of responsibility on others.  They fail to understand that their involvement is crucial to the development of the faith family.  By simply checking out and shifting the burden on someone else is not the proper way of living the faith life.

It’s clear to me that this notion is connected to selfishness.  Today’s society is focused on the “SELF”, and most people refuse to alter their sinful lives.  Hence, they view church as a place where their sins may be exposed.  Furthermore, these individuals have developed their own religion, which is a hodgepodge of various beliefs, created to benefit their interests, not God’s.   These types of people, “Christians” included believe in whatever furthers their selfish lifestyle.  This is a new trend that “Christians” subscribe to as well.  No one who claims to be a Christian can adhere to these views.  The Bible is our guide and Christ is our compass. No other view can supersede Him.  Therefore, the fake notion of spiritualism, is not valid in Christianity.

Another reason stated by Anti-Institutionalists regarding the irrelevancy of church attendance is corruption.  They claim that churches are corrupt and people that attend are hypocrites.  Although there may some truth to that statement, that is not the norm.   Simply blaming a few bad apples, don’t excuse you from conjuring excuses to avoid attending church.  These people are not interested in working with leadership, exposing the truth or making a change.  Instead of working with other believers to end corruption and other problems potentially in churches they have chosen to check out.

• SIDE NOTE: Please recall what I have said in previous passages that Satan has infiltrated churches and as a result evil is causing havoc on believers. 

Believers must hold each other accountable, speak out against unacceptable behaviors and purge evil out of churches.  When people don’t care, they allow for evil to linger.  According to the 2015 PEW Research publication of Religiosity in America has concluded that there is a net decrease in faith (http://www.pewforum.org/2015/11/03/u-s-public-becoming-less-religious/).  Here is data from Pew titled, “U.S. Public Becoming Less Religious” which was  published on November 3, 2015. 

Looking at this chart and the criteria for the research implemented, we see an overall decrease in faith.  I attribute the demise to the apathy of the Christian Church.  The decline is visibly a generational and gradual change.  Satan’s lies and successful attempts to silence the Church have taken its toll.   You may be asking, “Why isn’t the Holy Spirit working to remedy this problem?  The simple answer is that the Lord has given us free will, and He will not change what we don’t want to change.

Essentially, if Christians don’t live the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ, believe in Him wholeheartedly and pray for a revival, change is not going to happen.

Chapter 4: How Should We Live As Christians? 

Chapter four will explain how to live the Christian life.  It’s not a complicated path; however, it does require discipline and willingness for the Holy Spirit to work in you.  To see meaningful change, we must be willing to allow for the Holy Spirit to work in us.  Without this willingness, we will not see a transformation in our lives and the future of the faith.  The Church today is fledgling, weakened due to multiple factors we have failed to properly remedy.

First, Christians neither live according to the Word, nor do they live under the direction of the Holy Spirit.  They live according to their will, not the Father’s.  A shift to Selfishness has created a body of believers that have rejected sin as immoral and embraced “pleasures”.

Secondly, most Christians lack knowledge of scripture. They don’t spend time studying the Bible which results in ignorance towards God’s will.  The Lord is clear on many issues, but if we don’t know the Lord’s position, how will we live our lives?   For example, the Lord is against divorce, and we know that in Matthew 19:4-6: 

• 3Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?” 4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’[a] 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’[b]? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Those that have a solid understanding of scripture can differentiate between lies spewed by Satan from the unadulterated Word of God.

Thirdly, lack of discipline also causes for weakness and underdevelopment of our “spiritual muscles”.  Like anything else the faith life also requires discipline.  We must read the Bible, pray throughout the day and allow for the Holy Spirit to strengthen us. This section will address these points and provide practical solutions on living a Godly life.

Let’s start off by comparing the Word to the world’s ideologies. 

Christian & Secular Worldviews

In chapter 2, I spoke about Satan, the World and the Human factor as it relates to persecution.  In this chapter I want to begin by elaborating on secular vs. Christian worldviews.  As mentioned above, Christians lack thorough knowledge of the Bible and the end result is not being able to test various views against the Bible.  We shouldn’t accept any view no matter how enticing unless we are able to measure it to the Bible.  If it is Godly, then we can accept that view.

What is the Worldview: The World is counter to the Christian faith. It believes in values opposite to Christ’s teaching.  Here are three popular views the world holds:

• Might Equals Right Philosophy
• This means that those who are the strongest will rule others and have the power to determine right and wrong (definition provided by Wikipedia).
• Might Equals Right is connected to Social Darwinism
• One aspect or definition of the Social Darwinism is that the strong should see their wealth and power increase while the weak should see their wealth and power decrease.
• This belief was rampant in the early 1900s and up to the culmination of WWII.
• This belief hasn’t been eradicated, instead the name has changed to Rugged Individualism: individualism in social and economic affairs; belief not only in personal liberty and self-reliance but also in free competition
• Selfishness: We live in a selfish world where our own pleasures and emotions are elevated above all things.
• Objectivism: that the proper moral purpose of one’s life is the pursuit of one’s own happiness, which is also connected to hedonism.
• Hedonism: pleasure is the primary or most important intrinsic good. In very simple terms, a hedonist strives to maximize net pleasure.
• Relativism: Relativism is the concept that points of view have no absolute truth or validity, having only relative, subjective value according to differences in perception and consideration i.e. All views are correct, there is no absolute truth.

How Does This Contradict the Christian View?

In Matthew 5:3-10, Christ provides us with the Christian world view and guidelines for our lives.  None of Christ’s precious words seem to advocate for might or power struggles related to the Might Equals Right Philosophy

• “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
• In Matthew 5:38-48 Christ says, “38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’[b] 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Christ is speaking of conflict resolution and not focusing on minutia.  Our goal and purpose is to serve the Lord, so worldly possessions mean nothing in the grand scheme of things in service to the Lord.

• He continues to say 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[c] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Clearly, survival of the fittest has no place in the Kingdom of God. Saving souls is the purpose and we must understand that the evil that is in the world is not greater than our Heavenly Father.  Let’s stay focused on the Lord and do His will.

Next, in John 14:6 Christ provides a clear answer to those that believe there are many truths.  He says

• “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Clearly, the path to salvation is through our Lord Jesus Christ only.

Lastly, in regard to selfishness, Christ says in John 15:12-13

• “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”. Christ advocated for selflessness, not selfishness.

How does this Impact Us?

Since we live in this world, these ideologies impact us daily.  We constantly struggle with people who believe and apply these values which ultimately affect us.

These situations and temptations often come about through friends and people we associate ourselves with.  Whether you are faced with peer pressure and tell a lie, cheat in school, hurt someone physically or emotionally, use drugs, etc., these are all connected to various secular views.

We must understand these ideologies in depth and learn how to counter them with the Word of God.  Furthermore, we must understand who the father of lies is – Satan.

Salt and Light Teaching

Now that we have covered some of the main Worldviews and the stark difference between Christ’s teachings and these flawed views, what do we do next?

Knowing the Word of God is the first step.  We must always study the Bible and as a habit read it daily.  The only way to know God’s word is to read it, thus we must be disciplined in our daily devotional time.  As an example, Jesus fought against Satan using scripture.  That is how powerful the Word is.

Shifting focus, let’s study the impact we are supposed to have on society as believers.  We know clearly that God prefers to use people to do His will, which includes spreading the Gospel.  In Matthew 5:13-16, the Lord uses two examples, salt and light to explain our roles and impact.

Let’s start with the analogy of the salt in Matthew 5:13

• 13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 

Salt had a major significance in the ancient world, and at one point it was more valuable than gold.  It had many significant properties such as, seasoning and food preservation.  The ancient world did not have refrigeration; therefore, salt was a vital part of man’s subsistence.

Also, the word SALARY comes from salt as a portion of Roman soldiers pay was in SALT.

When Christ spoke, He used relevant examples to better explain the Kingdom of Heaven and salvation to the masses.  That is why salt was undeniably understood for its value to sustain life in His example.  Salt had a specific purpose, a duty to accomplish – which is what the Lord requires of us.

We must strive to be what Christ has called us to be, and if we fail to fulfill His purpose, there is a dire consequence.  Christ says that once salt loses its purpose it will be thrown out and trampled underfoot.   We must be fruitful in our service to the Lord.

Furthermore, salt is a strong chemical bond and can lose flavor through dilution (being Diluted). Believers are filled with the Holy Spirit and contain the flavor essential to impact those around them.  The closer you are with the Lord, you exuberate His presence to the world.  Our actions must bring glory to our Heavenly Father, and through us, nonbelievers must see the Lord.

Like salt, we have a specific role which is necessary for the Lord.  God works through people, and in order to spread the Gospel, God has chosen for people to carry out the message.  As a result, we must live a life that is Christ centric, Christ filled, and transferred by the Holy Spirit.  Those that live for the Lord have a flavor like salt which is able to permeate and make an impact.

As for Light Jesus says in Matthew 5:14-16

• 14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Christ likens the believer to light and the crucial role it plays in illuminating darkness.  He specifically calls us to shine with our actions which must bring Glory to our Heavenly Father.  Once we accept the Lord, we must allow the Holy Spirit to transform our lives which will create a light so strong that it will be like a lighthouse guiding ships to the harbor.

Additionally, we have work to do in impacting our surroundings.  The Great Commission is one example of the instruction God provided for us to go out in the world and to be the Salt and Light He intended. We must engage in evangelism, sharing the Gospel with everyone we meet.  If you believe that the path to salvation is Jesus, then you also know that those that don’t accept Him won’t have Life Everlasting.  Salvation is only through Jesus Christ.  I encourage everyone to take evangelism seriously and make it a priority in their walk with the Lord.

Being compassionate also fits in this category.  Being the salt and light behooves us to love others and to be impactful.  We must always work towards helping those in need.  There are millions of people in the world that are homeless, starving and/or sick.  What are we doing to meet their needs?  In Psalms 41, David says:

• Blessed are those who have regard for the weak; the Lord delivers them in times of trouble. 2The Lord protects and preserves them— they are counted among the blessed in the land—he does not give them over to the desire of their foes. 3 The Lord sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness.

In short, both Salt and Light have major properties that all believers must have.  Pray for the Lord to make that transformation in us through the Holy Spirit.  Through this transformation, we will be more like Christ and be impactful for the Kingdom of Heaven.  Moreover, believers will be empowered by the Lord and the light that is in the believer will be seen to others.  Let all you do bring glory to the Father in Heaven.    

Armor of God  

As I have already mentioned, the life of the believer must be filled with daily study and spending time with the Lord in prayer.  Knowing the Word is the first step in defending ourselves from the attacks of the Deceiver.  What is the actual need to defend oneself?  If you understand who Satan is, then you will know that he is dangerous to the life of the believer.  His lies and deceitful tactics try to separate us from our Lord.  Therefore, Paul the Apostle provides us with clear instructions on how to defend ourselves from Satan.  He compares the struggle with Satan as a battle.  Paul provides clear instructions about how to defend ourselves and what type of protection (armor) to use.

Why Armor?  Well, immediately after accepting Jesus as Lord, we gain two enemies: Humans and Satan.  I talked about this in chapter 2.  Both foes despise God and work to destroy those that serve Him.  We already know what humans are capable of such as murder, envy, greed, etc., and Satan who is described as the roaring lion seeking someone to devour

Reading Materials

John 15:18-21 and 1 Peter 5:8

We know from chapter two that Satan is a formidable foe, one whom we should not take lightly.  Also, we know that his plan is to destroy God’s creation, and in the end it will culminate with God casting him into Hell where he will spend eternity.  

The good news is that as believers we shouldn’t fear Satan.  He is not stronger than God and we already have victory through Christ.  We are also told not to be afraid of those that can cause harm to our bodies (speaking of Satan and humans), but we should fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in Hell (speaking of God)

God has already defeated Satan twice; once in heaven when Satan was exiled for his revolt and once on earth when Jesus died for our sins and rose again on the third day.

Even though we already have victory through Jesus, we must live our lives on earth and defend against Satan’s attacks

Reading Materials

Genesis 3:15 and Matthew 10:28

Spiritual Arsenal – How Do We Defend Ourselves

We must understand that there is an actual war being waged and to seriously address our enemy.  We can fight Satan and resist evil in two ways; Prayer and Scripture (double edge sword).  In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus told His disciples to “Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”.  Also, when Christ was tempted by Satan, He used scripture to battle Satan.  After each time scripture was quoted and Satan retreated.

Reading Materials

Ephesians 6:10-18 and Matthew 26:41

Spiritual Armor

The parts of the armor described by Paul are the Belt of Truth, Breastplate of Righteousness, Protection for the Feet, Shield of Faith, Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit.  Interestingly, Paul doesn’t mention anything specific about protecting the back.  Our battle can’t be waged running away; therefore, we must fight Satan directly face to face.

• Belt of Truth: A Roman soldier’s armor was help up by the belt, therefore, it’s God’s truth that holds everything intact.
• Breastplate of Righteousness: the breastplate protects the heart, which must be protected with righteousness.
• Shoes for the protection of the soldier’s feet: Feet must be ready to move and preach the word
• In Romans Chapter 10:14-15 it says: How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?  And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:  “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!
• Shield of Faith: Paul says is used to extinguish the flaming arrows of the enemy. We must continuously have the shield in hand and be prepared to use it.
• Helmet of Salvation: As for the Helmet of Salvation, it’s meant to protect the mind. It is the peace of God that must protect our minds and to give us a peace that transcends all attacks of Satan.
• Sword of the Spirit: Lastly, the sword of the Spirit is the word of God that we use to fight off Satan.

Reading Materials

Matthew 26:41, Matthew 4:1-11, Philippians 4:7, Isaiah 26:3 and

Deuteronomy 8:3

Church/Fellowship and Living As One In Christ

So far I have explained the importance of knowing the Word of God and methods/means to defend ourselves against evil.  The next area I will cover is the importance of living the faith life as a community.  The Lord doesn’t will for us to live an individualistic life of faith, as more people falsely believe in.   Throughout His ministry on earth Jesus never said “You must live a life of a loner, never meet together as believers and never pray together”.  On the contrary, Jesus has encouraged fellowship.  In Matthew 18:19-20 Jesus said:

• ¹⁹ “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Moreover, the Book of Acts provides us with clear examples of how the faithful lived and interacted with each other.  There are many examples of them coming together, breaking bread – holding communion, and holding joint prayer and worship sessions.

Here are few examples that I would like to share with you:

• Hebrews 10:2 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
• Romans 12:4-5 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
• Psalm 133:1 How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!

• 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
• Acts 1:14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
• Acts 2:46-47 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
• Acts 2:42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

• 1 John 1:3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

• Philemon 1:6 and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ’s sake.
• 1 Corinthians 14:26it states, What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation Let all things be done for edification.
• Ephesians 5:19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;
• Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

• John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

Hopefully, these verses speak to you and provide greater evidence for the importance of fellowship and the Church.  We are one in Christ; therefore, we must help each other, pray for one another, and hold joint worship.  The life of the faithful must be lived together.

Chapter 5: The Glorious Resurrection – Lack of Faith

This leads us to the most crucial point, the pinnacle of this paper; do Christians truly live with the full confidence of the Glorious Resurrection?  Do Christians believe that Jesus conquered the grave, therefore liberating us from sin?  Romans 10:9 says ⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  The foundation of the faith relies on two main points as it relates to the resurrection.  First, Christ has conquered sin, therefore providing us with an opportunity for salvation.  It’s critical to understand that the salvation offered by God is based on grace, not merits.  Romans 10:9 states if you believe and confess that Jesus is Lord, you will be saved.  No other religion in the world provides salvation simply based on grace.  Other religions advocate for a works-based salvation, a multistep process, etc.  Believers are saved simply because Jesus paid the price for our sins.  In the New Testament we are told that Jesus is the Sacrificial Lamb/Last Sacrifice and the designated High Priest.

In Hebrews In Hebrews 10:4-14 it states (SACRIFICIAL LAMB/LAST SACRIFICE VERSES)

4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. 7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, my God.’”  8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.  11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again, and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

Hebrews 4:14-15 it states (HIGH PRIEST VERSES):

14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,[f] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.

Hebrews 5:1-10 (HIGH PRIEST VERSES)

5 Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. 3 This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. 4 And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.  5 In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,

“You are my Son;

today I have become your Father.”[a]

6 And he says in another place,

“You are a priest forever,

in the order of Melchizedek.”[b]

7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

To sum up these verses, He came to offer Himself as the sacrificial lamb and to intercede for our salvation to the Father.

The second point as it relates to the Glorious Resurrection is receiving the Holy Spirit and the subsequent transformation of the old nature.  Transformation consists of a drastic 180° change of the old carnal self.  Through Jesus we are liberated from sin, temptation, enslavement, and addiction.   This is called the “new man” transformation taught by Paul the Apostle.    Here are verses that speak about the Holy Spirit and the new man.

The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.

In Acts 2:38, Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Paul speaks about the old and the new man.  He says in Romans 6: 1-7 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

We are to put to death our old sinful nature and live our lives with our Lord Jesus who has set us free.  In Ephesians 4:22-24, Paul states that ²² You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³ to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Pauls says in Colossians 2:11-13 11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh[a] was put off when you were circumcised by[b] Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you[c] alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins.  What emerges in the new man is described in Galatians 5:22-23 as the following: ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Why does receiving the Holy Spirit, transformation of the old man and grace-based salvation have to do with the State of Christianity?  The thesis of this paper is that Christians do not live in the Glorious Resurrection; therefore, they do not experience the transformation promised by our Lord.  The lack of transformation which prevents the emergence of the new man is rooted in apathy towards God.  Apathy develops because of hedonism which is rampant in our contemporary global society.  This is a total disregard for the Lord and His Glorious Resurrection, with an emphasis on serving their individual insatiable appetites.

This one statement sums up the problems we see in the Universal Church today; it’s not an isolated incident based on a geographic location or type of Christian church.  Instead, it is a worldwide trend (disease) which has infected the body of Christ as well.

Chapter 6: Call to Action, A Solution To The Ailing Christian Church  – REPENT, PRAY and ENGAGE (R.P.E.)

In this chapter I will suggest a few steps we can take as believers to make a change.  At Illuminating Faith we are for the revival and advancement of the Christian faith.  Subsequently, our focus is to help in ways that will foster this opportunity.  This consists of two parts, recommitment to the Lord (Revival) and Evangelism/Sharing the Gospel (Advancement).  Since this paper is written specifically for believers, I want to suggest a few basic options.  You don’t need to think on a macro level on how to reach out to thousands.  Start off in a responsible manner by helping those in your immediate circle.

Repent, Pray and Engage

The first step is for us to REPENT of our sins and dedicate/rededicate our lives to Christ.  The Lord requires 100% of our commitment, nothing less.  We can not live wholly in sin and wholly in the life of faith.  Clearly, we are not perfect and will require His grace to move forward in our walk.  There will be times when we sin and fall, however, we must quickly repent and move forward for the Lord.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you and develop a disciplined approach to your relationship with the Lord.

Secondly, PRAY for your church and community.  We must start off with our immediate sphere of influence and community.  Start with your family, friends, and others you are in contact with.  We don’t need to think on a global level when it comes to praying for a revival and repentance.  Our mission field is the immediate people around us.

Thirdly, ENGAGE in church activity.  Seek a church you can call your spiritual home.  Pray to the Lord for Him to guide you to the church he has in stored for you.  Reach out to the leaders and see how you can help.  Pray to the Lord that He shows your spiritual gifts and allow for the church to validate it through the Holy Spirit.  Once you understand your talents and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, then ask how you can apply it to your church/community.

Start Bible Studies

Another way you can serve the Lord is by starting a Bible study in your home, church or designated area.  Talk to your Pastor and seek his/her guidance on study materials along with support to start the Bible study.  Make sure that you work with your Pastor and other believers to maintain accountability to prevent Satan from interfering and causing problems.  Use discernment from the Holy Spirit when interacting with fellow believers and those that attend the Bible study.

Service

Make sure that service is a part of your faith activities.  If your church doesn’t have a service to help the help the less fortunate start one at your church or join an organization that does.    As Jesus was compassionate, so should we to care for others.  In Christ’s model He preached, taught, served and fed others.  

The Pursuit of Justice

Be vigilant and engage in the democratic process.  Christians can’t complain that they are being persecuted physically or in other ways if they don’t participate in the electoral process.  Use your power to vote to make a change.  Organize and make your grievances known to your elected officials.  When we get lazy and brush off this responsibility, we allow for evil people to take power and pass un-Godly legislation such as infanticide, abortion, etc.  This notion transcends all faiths.  Represent Christ and demand that government operate according to rule of law.  Be loving towards others as Christ commands us and help to alleviate pain and suffering.  In Matthew 5:13-16

• ¹³ “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 underfoot.¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ 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. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Chapter 7: Conclusion – Will You Serve the Lord & Take Your Faith Seriously

With all that has been discussed in this paper, I hope you have been blessed.  May the Lord use these words and use them to pierce your heart and create a longing to serve Him.  If you haven’t already given up your life to Him, please consider doing so.  Serve the Lord, be like the Salt and Light He has called us to be and take your faith seriously.  Be at the forefront of justice and helping those in need.  If we remain committed and loyal to the Lord, we will live a fulfilled faith-based life.  Hence, people will see our light and that will bring glory to the Father.  No longer will people see Christians as “bigoted” and they will enjoy fellowship with people who are truly transformed by the Holy Spirit.  However, if we live in the same manner as unbelievers, how will our testimony impact them, and how will they see the Lord‘s light in us?  How do people see you, and do you live a committed life to the Lord?  Are you Christian by Name Only, or do you serve Him wholeheartedly?

If you want to change the world, make it better, start with yourself.  Accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, join a church, be vigilant, and fight for justice.  Together we can change the State of Christianity, which begins with our willingness to change.  The Lord is the one who changes peoples’ hearts, but we must be willing to allow the Holy Spirit to work in us.   Stop resisting the Holy Spirit and make your relationship with the Lord right.  If you haven’t accepted Jesus as Your Lord and Savior or would like to recommit yourself to Him, please pray this prayer:

Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ. I acknowledge to You that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins and the life that I have lived.   Please forgive me of my sins and forget my sins as far as the east is from the west.

I believe that your Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on the cross at Calvary and died for my sins.  From this point forward I turn from my sins and come to you dear Jesus.  I confess Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.  I pray in Jesus name.  AMEN