Are We Involved in a Culture War?

I hear it constantly, especially in the media. I'm sure you do, too.

We hear about how we in the West are involved in "a culture war." If you are in the US, especially, you know that our current President is often seen as unfriendly, even hostile, to the Christian community. Some are even speculating that he is "the Anti-Christ" and that his signature health care initiative is heralding the "Mark of the Beast" and the ushering in of The New World Order and "a one world government." Really?

Many Christians seem to be focused on two moral issues as defining evidence as proof that we are involved in what they deem as culture war against our decadent, pagan world. These two issues are abortion and homosexuality. To speak of them more positively, the focus lies on the sanctity of all human life and on marriage as being between a man and a woman. Yes, I get it. Yes, I agree with those of you, brothers and sisters in Jesus; the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments, have spoken clearly on both of these. Abortion is never mentioned in Scripture, but it is clear that God sees us as people from the time we are conceived. This is clear in the Old Testament Psalm 139 and in the Gospel story of Jesus' mother Mary and cousin Elizabeth, when they met and Jesus' cousin "leapt for joy in the womb" at meeting his divine Cousin-Savior in utero. It was clear when Elizabeth called her pregnant cousin Mary "the mother of my Lord." God clearly speaks against homosexuality both in the Old and New Testaments. Jesus, in answering a question by the Pharisees, affirmed that "From the beginning, God made marriage between male and female." The homosexual lifestyle is not commended, but is condemned in the Bible. Yes, both "abortion rights" and "GBLT rights" are widely accepted in out culture and any Christian who denounces them, even in love, is considered "hateful" and "judgmental." So where does this leave those of us who really believe we are in a culture war?

We need to bear in mind that we live in a culture where most people have worldviews and value systems far different from ours. I guess that is where the term "culture war" comes from. But should we focus on fighting some culture war? It is true that we are commanded to not love the world system and its ways because love for culture is incompatible with loving God. Yet in "fighting the culture wars," many Christians seem to believe that filling Washington with politicians of "the right party" will "reclaim our country and take it in the right direction." While we Christians are to be in the world but not of it and to be a part of all parts of culture, is looking to Washington the answer to "reclaiming America for Christ?" The Great Commission that Jesus gives us calls us to go to, teach and disciple individuals. I know that it is easy to believe that legislation and the election of "the right political leaders" does help, to a point. We can sign petitions and create them, write to politicians and even lobby them, and elect those we want to power. These help but only in a limited way. They do not change hearts. Only prayer and the power of God working in individual lives in answer to prayer, can do that. Has it occurred to us that many of our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world cannot even afford to think in terms of "fighting a culture war"? In the absence of freedom, they focus on dependence on God and each other, prayer, and giving their all to Him no matter what the price to themselves. They know that the battle belongs to God, not to us!

I do not want to give the wrong idea to those Christians who call themselves "progressive Christians." I'm talking to those who value tolerance and diversity very much and who may think Christians may be able to be both Christian and homosexual, or who may even condone "abortion rights" in the name of women's equal rights. If I'm to be true to God and the Scriptures, then I must say that you cannot condone the homosexual lifestyle or abortion and call yourself a Christ-follower. I can understand why you would accept these two sins as "alternate values" but God has a higher standard for our behavior than we do. No, we are not to obsess on fighting some culture war but neither are we to let it the world so shape our worldview that we are more like culture than like Christ. No, we are to wholeheartedly follow Christ Who has overcome the world.

Praise God, if we know and follow Christ, we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us!

Tortured For Christ, by Richard Wurmbrand

Richard Wurmbrand, now deceased, wrote this book to raise awareness of global religious persecution. Initially written in the 1960's, it was this book that that informed people in the West of the extent of the religious persecution of Christians worldwide. Having experienced years of imprisonment and torture in Communist Romania, this book focuses on the persecution of believers in the former Soviet Union. But with the brutal persecution of many Christians in remaining Communist nations like North Korea and China and Christians' often brutal persecution in many Islam-dominated nations, this book remains as relevant as ever. Through graphic but concise stories of his own sufferings and that of other believers, Wurmbrand calls Christians in the West to action on behalf of those facing global religious persecution.

This book, being a clarion call to action, is not comfortable reading nor is it entertaining. Emotionally that is. Though easy and fast reading, Wurmbrand's book is said to "have no literary value" yet have a message that "the world must hear." When I first read this book in the early 1970's, I was stunned but I saw the author and the subjects of his book, persecuted believers, as possessing an unbelievable faith that I could never attain though I admired them for theirs. When I read the 30th anniversary edition 30 years later, it still had a profound impact on me. This time, having come to take God much more seriously than I did when I was a teen growing up in the 1970's, I was stirred to action and advocacy and to prayer. Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) the nonprofit that Wurmbrand had founded, offers a free newsletter which I signed up for. VOM serves persecuted Christians worldwide, as well as bringing the Gospel to people inside hostile nations. I found myself very challenged in my faith and praying that even if I never have to undergo such tortures as this author and so many others did and still do, that God would make me into a person whose faithfulness equaled theirs. This book has definite emotional and spiritual impact.

I recommend this book for all Christians and for especially all Christians. Through reading this book, non-Christians may become curious about Christ and how He can inspire people to be so willing to suffer unspeakable tortures for Him. Non-Christians in the West may find in this book Biblical Christianity exemplified in the lives of so many Christians worldwide and may embrace Christ. I especially recommend this book for all Christians. Through all the accounts of sacrificial faithfulness in the midst of unspeakable suffering, this book convicts us Western Christians of buying into a culture of materialism and consumerism and allowing these to infiltrate our Christian lives and our local Western churches. Through these stories Christians are called to awareness and action on behalf of persecuted believers all over the world. Through feeding on these stories of believers whose cultures are alien to our consumerism and and materialism, we find ourselves greatly encouraged in our faith as we are continually challenged in it.

Best of all, you can get this book FREE. Voice of the Martyrs offers the book FREE to anyone who requests it. Please request your copy here.

How Should We Christians Respond to ISIS & to Terrorists In General?

Over a week ago, the US President had said of them, in an effort to appease all who want action taken against them: "We are devising a strategy to neutralize and degrade our enemies. We will stop them. The US Vice President was even more direct: "We will pursue them to the gates of Hell if needed. Hell is where these people will spend eternity!" Many people have railed against them, setting up petitions, "Stop This Enemy!" And others have remained totally silent on this enemy, fearful that denouncing them would tar peace-loving fellow religious adherents with the same broad brush.

Yes. I'm talking about ISIS.

In my network, many bothers and sisters in Jesus are speaking out about ISIS and the horrible atrocities that they have been committing. It's clear that they want to expand their atrocities beyond the Middle East, using the Internet to lure future victims. According to even mainstream media, ISIS is even recruiting small children into their "cause" of terrorism!

Sociopathy or psychopathy alone do not explain those who get involved in radical terrorism, including ISIS. Have you ever wondered what goes into the makings of most terrorists, including ISIS members? According to studies, many of these terrorists in Muslim or other regimes are recruited into terrorism as small children! They are typically taught to hate us in the West and are brainwashed into believing that we are the Enemy who are actually out to destroy THEM. They are recruited not knowing any other way to believe or act. They become unthinking, unfeeling robots who, with their brainwashed minds, actually believe that they are "doing their God" a favor by "killing His enemies and traitors." Home-grown terrorists, on the other hand and on Western soil, are often recruited by terrorists; this may happen when they travel or network online with terrorists. These terrorists seem like roaches in that we struggle to get rid of them. They give their all to their "cause," evil as it is. Isn't this something we can learn from them, to give our all to the Cause of Christ?

We know that the governments' role in combating terrorism is to use force to eliminate it, even if military force is needed to make it happen. But what is our role, as Christians, in combating terrorism and in how we view terrorists, including members of ISIS?

We know that we Christians operate under the invisible Kingdom of God that reigns in our hearts and lives. That means that yes, we are to speak out against the evil of ISIS and other terrorists. It also means that we are to pray for the Christian conversions of terrorists, much like "Saul to Paul," modern-day Damascus road conversions. After all, the ancient Saul, who became Paul, was an ancient terrorist and violent persecutor of Christians. His mission was to rid the world of Christians! When he was radically converted to Christ, his extreme zeal against Christians turned to extreme zeal for their Lord. God aims to get rid of terrorism, not by eliminating terrorists but by eliminating their wickedness.

Can't God do with ISIS members and terrorists what He did with Paul?

To learn how to help persecuted Christians and bring the Gospel to hostile nations, visit Voice of the Martyrs, Inc.. This photo was originally found here.

The Privilege of Persecution, by Dr. Carl A. Moeller and Rev. David W. Hegg

This book is an address to the Christian Church in the West but specifically to American Christians. It was written by Dr. Carl A. Moeller, the US President of Open Doors, USA, a Christian nonprofit that serves persecuted Christians all over the world, through advocacy, awareness and direct support and assistance. It is co-written by Rev. David W. Hegg, a seminary Professor. Together, these authors take the reader through six Christian disciplines. These are God's Word, worship and church life, prayer and dependence, community life affecting following Christ, authority structures and stewardship of all we have. The authors hold the persecuted Church up to us as examples as to how they excel in all these areas, and how most of us American Christians get it wrong.

This whole book, derived from Dr. Carl Moeller's direct experience with the global, persecuted Church and Rev. David Hegg's theological expertise, is mostly exhortation and rebuke. I found the book easy to read but emotionally tough to digest. Dr. Moeller, with all his direct experience, knows what he is talking about, so I had to concede that the global Church, as a rule, excels beyond us in the US, in most ways. Yes, in a very deep way, we need them far more than they need us. Their organic and raw discipleship is far closer to the Biblical model of Church, than what we have in the US. Yet I didn't like the tone of the whole book, which came off as "shame on you" and overgeneralizing. I would think, are we American Christians this bad? To be fair, the authors did offer a disclaimer, at the beginning of the book, that they are not talking about all American Christians as some are truly faithful to Christ. They imply that these faithful are not the rule, though. As I took some offense when the authors, in the last chapter, said that donors "should travel" to visit the sites where those they support serve. Maybe that's just me, as I'm unable to travel. Yet I know that the message is spot-on and that many of us can vastly improve and learn so much from our severely persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ. I'm amazed at what God has done in many of their lives, according to countless stories.

This book is written for Christians primarily. Non-Christians who may stumble on it, will no doubt cheer, thinking, "You give it to those hypocrites for us!" This book, co-written by an author who spends many of his days comforting the afflicted persecuted global Church, writes this book to afflict the comfortable American Christian Church. I recommend this book for all Christians who have become complacent in their walk with God, and I recommend it for the many Christians who are unaware of the plight of their persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ. I also recommend this book to local churches which want to become more effective corporately and help their members grow as Christians.

The Voice of the Martrys

The Voice of the Martyrs



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