HNewsWire: As a follower of Christ, you won’t be terrified of death since you know you’ll be spending eternity in Heaven when your time comes. Inevitably, our hearts break when we lose a loved one; we mourn them dearly and wish they hadn’t gone on. However, after death, believers will enter a paradise that surpasses this world in beauty.
What motivates you every day, then? If you believe, as you claim you do, that “For me, to live is money,” then death means giving up all you value.
If “to live” means “fame” to you, then “to die” means “to be forgotten.”
If you believe, as some do, that “to live is power,” then death represents a complete loss of that power.
If, on the other hand, you might say, “For me, to live is Christ,” then you could also declare that death is gain.
Persecution of Christians is on the rise throughout much of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, with Christian women being particularly at risk due to being targeted for both their beliefs and their gender. For the seventeenth year in a row, North Korea has topped the World Watch List’s most hazardous countries for Christians ranking.
Many Christians in the United States see these movements as reasonable. That kind of religious persecution only occurs in third world nations, right? Wrong. Persecution of Christians is occurring on our own territory, in the United States. Likewise, many people here have been victimized because of their beliefs. While it may not be as severe as beheadings or the destruction of churches in other parts of the globe, this is nevertheless a rising concern. As a result of fines, litigation, lost employment, and general public dislike, traditional Christians in the United States are confronting growing intolerance.
Here are several ways in which Christians in the United States may be persecuted without recognizing it.
There is a persistent effort to eradicate traditional values from American society. The ideas of the right are often labeled as intolerant, despite the fact that they are rooted in the Bible and have long been accepted in American culture. For instance, in cases when Christian bakeries refuse to provide cakes for same-sex marriages or where governmental officials refuse to issue same-sex wedding certificates. A lot of bad press has been given to those who have stood up for what they believe in.
Furthermore, there has been an ongoing effort to eradicate any and all references to God in public life. Some have advocated removing the phrase “under God” from our nation’s Pledge of Allegiance. The legitimacy of American currency in general has been called into doubt due to the phrase “in God we trust” being on bills.
The persecution of students on universities.
You may have heard stories concerning the treatment of Christian millennials at liberal universities if you have any acquaintances there. Extremely vocal Christians face harassment, bullying, and denigration on college campuses throughout the United States. These Christian college students often hear the stereotype that all Christians are bigots, wealthy, and haters.
Many Christian universities have also come under attack recently. Some have recently been threatened with de-accreditation if they do not adopt a secularist viewpoint. The legitimacy of historic evangelical institutions like Massachusetts’s Gordon College and New York’s Kings College is being questioned. For some atheists, Christian universities should never be accredited under any circumstances.
Mistreatment in the classroom.
Public universities and colleges are feeling the effects, too. InterVarsity, a student ministry, has been banned from colleges, and a New Jersey educator was disciplined for handing a pupil a Bible. A Washington state football coach was put on leave after he prayed on the field after a game.
There has been much debate about whether or not students should be allowed to pray in class. Students who pray at school, whether at the behest of instructors or on their own initiative, sometimes draw the ire of their classmates. Educators often remain silent during these incidents because they feel unprepared to address the sensitive nature of the topics at hand. Instead, they opt to silence any religious expression in the school, fostering an environment where bigotry and ignorance thrive.
How do you cope when you’re being persecuted?
Persecution of Christians in the USA is unavoidable. Christians must face and comprehend this reality. Christians and Christians in the United States face increasing hostility from certain quarters, and how we respond to this hostility will determine how well we do. Following Jesus Christ’s example in how to respond to persecution is essential for making it through it successfully. Jesus was instructed to “turn the other cheek” rather than pursue vengeance. Jesus Christ prayed that those responsible for His crucifixion might be pardoned. We are capable of the same action.
Christians stand apart from the general population and often face prejudice because of this. Persecution of Christians has existed since the faith’s inception, yet this does not mean we cannot flourish and triumph despite it. Don’t let anybody get you down; instead, encourage them with the gospel of Jesus Christ and stand firm in your convictions. To what do you devote the most of your time and energy? Because of it, you will continue to exist. Some folks seem to be suffering through life rather than enjoying it. “Someday things will be better” is their favorite day of the week.
According to a survey I read, 94% of respondents claimed they were just making it through each day in the hopes that tomorrow will bring them happiness. Waiting may be a frustrating activity since it might take years or even decades. After death and the afterlife, you’ve essentially wasted your life.
Only someone who is willing to die can really say they are ready to live.
According to Paul’s own words in Philippians 1:21, “For to me, life is living for Christ, and dying is much better” (NLT).
To someone who isn’t a Christian, the statement “To me, living is living for Christ” could seem like the ramblings of someone who isn’t in touch with reality. They have their heads in the clouds and are useless on the ground.
By the way, it’s one of the silliest sayings ever, since I know plenty of individuals who are so rooted in the material world that they’re no use in the hereafter.
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Author: StevieRay Hansen
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