This week I received two interesting news pieces: One, in an email from friend Ben Morrison, was
a call to prayer and fasting November 21-23 for Iranian Christians to be put to death, as becoming a Christian is to be soon punishable by such measures. Another news piece, as splashed across my home page, was that “meh” is to be an official word in the new Collins English Dictionary.
The word meh is a term for apathy. Cormac McKeown, head of content at Collins Dictionaries, descibes it: “The origins of ‘meh’ are murky, but the term grew in popularity after being used in a 2001 episode of ‘The Simpsons’ in which Homer suggests a day trip to his children Bart and Lisa. ‘They both just reply 'meh' and keep watching TV.”
Signs of the times…
While the big news about “meh” was found on major internet news sites including ABC News, France 24 International News, St. Petersburg Times, India Daily News and Analysis, a search on these same sites for “Iran” and “Christians” revealed nothing pertaining to what's going on. The only major internet media to cover the story was
UK’s “Telegraph.” The article features a woman whose father was killed for converting to Christianity. The death sentence law also covers any bloggers who criticize Islam. The new law was approved by the Iranian parliament by 196 – 7 votes on September 9th and is simply awaiting its final stamp of approval before becoming official law.
While persecution is on the rise worldwide, especially in places like China, India and Iran, so is apathy. We seem to be drifting towards an apathetic point of no return. My mother never wanted to buy things from China because of the human rights abuses. Only now I’m beginning to understand her point of view. China enjoys “Most Favored Nation” status with the US as we silently buy up their products. Why? Because China has been America’s factory pumping out cheap products. It has been estimated that
3,000 have been killed in China for their faith since 2,000. This doesn’t include those merely tortured. Since the recent Olympics, persecution against Chinese Christians has been on the rise, as noted by organization
Voice of the Martyrs, which has a good website by the way, just to get an idea of what’s going on.
Not Just China, India and Iran
The anti-Christian bias is starting to get crazy in Western countries now too.
The Berean Christian blog pointed out
a case published in Canada: “Rev. Boissoin was prohibited for life from preaching sermons that are critical of homosexuality and was told that he cannot criticize homosexuality even in his private communications such as e-mails. Rev. Boissoin was also ordered to pay a total of $7,000 in fines.” This does not include personal expenses of about $100,000 required for his personal defense. The same judge dismissed a case vs. Music World regarding a CD and lyrics as follows: "Kill The Christian/You are the one we despise/Day in day out your words compromise lies/I will love watching you die." Can you say “double standard?” This past week
an incident was recorded in text and on
video of gays attacking Christians who were simply out singing worship songs in California.
The silence of the world media and world leaders regarding Christian martyrdom in China, Iran and elsewhere underlines the fact that for true believers this is just the beginning, as prophesied. Like many verses, Mat 24:9 points this out: "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake." It may do us well, and our brothers and sisters, to take time to pray and even fast from food for them in Iran and all countries where Christians are persecuted and martyred for their faith. In the Lord's eyes martyrdom is not at all meh. "Precious in the sight of the lord is the death of his saints." Ps 116.15
Comments (17)
Very interesting and well said. This kind of news needs to get more attention.
On the less serious side, one of my best friends constantly uses the word "meh". :)
Wow! I hadn't heard about this until your post. If it's ok I'd like to add a link to your article from my xanga to help spread the word a little further. God bless you and cause His kingdom to prosper through you!! We do know that His glory someday will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea!!! The final outcome is sure, even though we will certainly face dark days and persecution to come.
@StorytellerG - @gracenotes76 - Thanks for your comments. I think it would be good to spread the word about the prayer and fasting focus this weekend. Anyone may link to this article or any article on the blog. BTW I think the Simpson's is a very funny show but it's funny because it often shows the sad truth in a comical way. Though funny, the content on so many cartoons is unfortunately junk food for the soul.
oh wow.....we best get praying and fasting!
glad you will be praying and fasting this weekend and are spreading the word.
@YouTOme - It's difficult to tell if you are sincere or sarcastic.
@benjamin_morrison - Thanks for your email update. I truly wouldn't have known about it unless you wrote me.
i was being completely sincere. i'm sorry it didn't come across that way, but i truly am sorry if it did.
I look forward to the day christianity is the minority in america, and is punishable by death. Thank God that following Him still means truly giving up your life in some places.
The church has become like a mountain range of synthetic gemstones in which a handfull of real stones are mixed. In order for the church to again be pure the world has to turn against YHWH wholesale and christians must look like the idiots they looked like in Pauls time. It can no longer be societally acceptable to follow YHWH if the church is ever to be pure again. The long love affair of the world with the church that began with "church leaders" acceptance of Constaintine must end. The world must hate the church, and the fakers will leave. Until it stops being the moral thing to go to church in the worlds eyes the church will never be pure. In Iran the church has more purity for each persons life is truly given up to follow JESUS. No threat or danger faces any convert today in america and till they do the cost of following christ will not be what Jesus told His followers it should be, the giving up of family, life, weatlh etc. Instead new "believers" are told they do not need to give up wealth but rather that they will have more weatlh. They are not told to give up their family, and are told they will have a better family life, even though Jesus promised family strife for true followers of His (matt 10:21). And chirstians even are told instead of getting shorter lives from obedience that following god will give them long lives. This is not giving up these things of the world, it is embracing them. This is the church today that is standing against YHWH by teaching a love of "the things of the world" as christianity. This is the most dangerous heresy ever.
So you that cling to the church as His family look around and see, open your eyes and look. And those who have ears that can hear, hear.
@YouTOme - I'm glad you're sincere. I was at another blog pretty thick with sarcasm and I just wanted to clarify.
@BiblicalTruth2 - On the one hand it's good when a nation fears God and follows God's principles. For the first 150 years the US actually used Bible verses (The New England Primer - The first school textbook) to teach the alphabet in public schools. When a colonial settlement had over 50 people a teacher was hired mainly so people could read the Bible. The word of God was incredibly honored and I believe America was propsperous because of the strong Biblical/spiritual foundation (I Sam 2.30). As of 1962-63 the Bible and prayer were outlawed from schools and the statistical changes were radical. After generally improving to that time they reversed immediately and dramatically on many levels. The basic fabric of US society was shredded and continues to unravel.
On the other hand, as you mentioned, a society can become a victim of its own prosperity. At this point, maybe it's true that persecution is necessary to wake people up or a powerful revival can change things without persecution. I believe both are possible. Personally, I believe repentance and revival are more to be desired than persecution and "spiritual discipline." I've only heard one other person say they are looking forward to persecution, that's Skip Heitzig, in one of his sermons. I agree that there is too much focus on prosperity teaching. This shows that people really aren't studying the Word seriously. It's pretty clearly addressed in I Tim 6.5-6.
The simple thing is knowing something is wrong does not make a person opposed to it. Matter of fact what is presented to children mostly in awana and christian school (sunday school, and private) is mostly a list of do not's and alot closer in appearance to the laws of the Jews then to the relationship based ideals that Jesus presented. The love another's are not balanced with showing YHWH's very real sense of justice that can be seen in the OT and everyday in the world around us. The picture of god that is presented through the popularized bible verse like John 3:16, and commands to turn the other cheek (against personal vengance) are correctly but without the proper balance paint a VERY INCORRECT picture of who god is. The god they paint is very loving, very tolerant, and highly forgiving (with no end), and without recrimination. But this is a not YHWH. YHWH did hold sin against people and a family sin was held against it for multiple generations(ex 34:7).
YHWH did command judgement often, and this procilivty to judge sin instead of forgive it is clear in the OT, and this was not a harsh sentence but a tough love to a bride who wanders frequently. In Isaiah in a series of harsh judgement one can see the balance between YHWH's burning justice, and His intense love for His bride who HE loves and wants to come back.
Isaiah 9:12
The Syrians before and the Philistines behind; And they shall devour Israel with an open mouth. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still. Plus four more times in this section.
God's love does not hug sinners who hold onto sin, He hugs sinners who kick sin to the curb. For they cannot love Him and sin at the same time.
The Jews had YHWH's laws in front of them and their mind frequently pricked with them. But this did not keep them from straying from the husband's love. So He judged them, even discribed by YHWH as stripping the bride naked that she might feel shame. (Hosea)
I am sorry if this reality does not match the church's false diety the "love god". I wish the church would stop worshipping a false god and return to the God of Jesus, YHWH.
@BiblicalTruth2 - To answer your first objection, the Bible contains all aspects of God’s character and plan, including His way of salvation. A person who studies the basics, whether at home or in a school will learn these things and is likely to become a true believer. On a large scale this can affect a whole nation.
Secondly, Proverbs 14.34 shows that “Righteousness exalts a nation…” God does view entire cities and nations in terms of their general spiritual conditions. God was about to judge (destroy) Nineveh for its wickedness, but when Jonah preached Nineveh repented. Jonah was angry because he felt they deserved judgment. God showed Jonah his attitude was off. God had great compassion for the people, though they were living in opposition to Him.
You wrote: “…one can see the balance between YHWH's burning justice, and His intense love for His bride who HE loves and wants to come back.” For the believer today there is no more “justice” to be given. Jesus took all our punishment. God allows trials and a kind of fatherly discipline only for the purpose of helping to bring us closer to Him.
You wrote: “So He judged them, even described by YHWH as stripping the bride naked that she might feel shame.” Most commentators believe these references to God’s bride in the OT refer mainly to Israel not the church. The church, as the bride of Christ from its birth on Pentecost to its rapture, is not the same as Israel.
You wrote: “I am sorry if this reality does not match the church's false deity the ‘love god’.” …The “love God”…as opposed to the “hate God?” I think I’ll stick with the literal interpretation on that one: “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” 1Jo 4:8. Moses misrepresented God’s heart more as angry and mean rather than patient and merciful (Nu 20.10-12), and this was pretty serious in God’s eyes, it ironically cost Moses his life. God hates sin but loves the sinner. It’s God’s love that leads to repentance, not His anger (Ro 2.4). Why was Jeremiah the “weeping prophet?” …Because his heart was filled with love as he lamented for the coming judgment. Personally, I desire to follow the advice of Jude and keep myself in the love of God (Ju 1.21). My highest goal is to be more like my God of love.
@Purplemoon3 - The highest feeling of all is God's love which is given to all all believers:"And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Romans 5.5. But it's more than just a feeling, it's based on action, unconditional and practical, as meant to infuse everything we do: "Let all your things be done with charity." I Corinthians 16.14. Has anyone really arrived yet? No, but at least we should know what we're aiming for, right?
I will join you in prayer and fasting as I've experienced the persecution, if only at a tiny level.
@gamachesr - Yeah, it's starting to get hot in the proverbial kitchen. Bill Bright wrote an excellent book on fasting, especially for longer periods: "The Coming Revival, America's Call to Fast, Pray and "Seek God's Face." Maybe good now to wait until after Thanksgiving to start! ;) Have a great one!