I am writing this article on Veterans Day, a day to affirm and thank those who have courageously served in the armed forces of our country. They have served on the front lines in the battle against tyranny and injustice. I am proud to call them my fellow Americans and genuine heroes in this land. Can we ever forget so great a sacrifice for our freedom?
I have often taught that the Bible refers to three institutions in our world: the family, the government, and the church. Indeed, government plays an important role in God’s agenda for this world and this is precisely why He created it. As much as we complain about government and the integrity and wisdom of its leaders, where would America be today with it? Simply put, we would not exist as a nation today without the unique and creative effort put into the fashioning of this nation by its founding fathers. America is a lighthouse to many nations today because our government has helped us to display that.
Would you want to live in a nation where your freedoms are not guaranteed by virtue of its constitution? In fact, many Christians do. There are literally dozens of nations today who are on a watch-list because of their adherence to a philosophy of religious persecution and religious terrorism. To be an open believer of Christ in these lands is to risk everything. Your mail and emails are read before you get it. Your family is followed, your phone calls are no longer private, and there are plots being formed against you. Imprisonment, or even death, is likely in your near future. To follow Christ is a literal act of taking up your cross as one headed to his own execution. Am I over-stating my case? Certainly not, for these are the stories told by thousands upon thousands around the world.
Today we remember the Persecuted Church around the world. For them the words of Jesus ring loud and true: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”
Ken
