A Grain of Salt
March 13, 2010 by Rene Nepomuceno · 1 Comment
On the Rise of Threats Against Christendom
Considering the Threats
In the past few months I have been constantly receiving emails and clippings sounding the alarm about ominous growth of religious extremism in Europe and seeming threats to the existence of Christianity.
The messages, the information and the predictions (prophecies) therein were indeed worrying! It gives me that unsettling feeling that Armageddon is right within our doorstep! One email I received described how some known church denominations are making their last ditch stand to save Europe from losing its Christian heritage.
I am struggling to come to terms with my senses because the aforementioned thoughts are quite daunting. So how should I react as a pastor, as a leader, as a husband, as a father and as an individual living in this pluralistic society?
Well, I could pick up with what others are doing, and embark on a massive evangelism onslaught so that many people will become Christian. But isn’t this what every follower of Christ was supposed to do? Threat or no threat, this is what our Lord told us to do! In fact it feels uncanny to use this as a counter measure to prevent threats to Christian existence. Witnessing for Christ is never a tool for self preservation, if done for this purpose it looses its meaning. To witness for Christ is to bring the love of God to the world, through our Lord Jesus Christ! Which means, we continue to preach Christ regardless of any colonizing agenda, and to share the love of Christ even to those who threatens us!
Or maybe I can organize a massive prayer rally? Storm the gates of heaven, and “speak”[1] victory over the various threats looming against the whole of Christendom! But, I remember a similar situation (Acts 4:23 -31) that happened in the early church, when the apostles where imprisoned. The followers of Christ did not “speak” over things for victory to happen, but in one accord they cried out to the Lord of heaven and earth to “grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word” and that signs and wonders will follow such proclamation in the name of “Your Holy Servant Jesus.” They pleaded God to empower them to be the witness of the glory of the resurrected Christ; not to have the power to make things happen by “speaking.”
This is exciting but it is bound to be a futile religious exercise if after everyone has spent shouting and crying their prayers, nobody is willing to be one of those servants who will speak the word with boldness. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that God does answer the prayers of His people; but only if it is according to His will, intent, plan and purpose!
Hmm…that makes sense; maybe before I start getting into panic mode and rushing on with programs of what to do, I need to know what God is saying to us, His people. Why does He allow these events to unfold and threaten the very roots of our existence, His own people?
Similar Threats in the Scriptures
As we look into the Scriptures it is evident that similar threats had happened time and again to the people of Israel. And interestingly the Bible tells us that God Himself had caused other nations to rise against His own people; in the time of Judges, the Assyrian invasions of Israel (of the divided kingdom) and of course the Babylonian invasion of Judah. How did the people of Israel and their leaders react during the time when these threats were upon them? Perhaps like our natural response today, they would seek to neutralize the threats by political maneuvers, or find an ally, even an ungodly one to strengthen our ranks or as a last resort, flex our muscles and subdue. Many prophets (religious and king’s court advisers) and political leaders favored either one or all of these strategies, except for the true prophets of God who cried out unpopular messages and measures! These bunch of prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Amos and company cried out politically incorrect suggestions, “do not fight the enemy but instead repent, do justice, free the oppressed, be kind to your neighbors and be faithful to the LORD!”
The Reason for the Threats
These unpopular “whistle blowers” where crying out “foul” against their own political and religious leaders, and to the affluent aristocrats who were oppressing the common people! He accused them of leading the general public to destruction by dishonoring and turning away from their constitution (covenant with the LORD); by assimilating other ways of doing justice, moral judgment and spiritual service to the LORD. As a result, God’s judgment befell them! The prophet’s case against the leaders of Israel was defamation of the Holy name of the LORD, before God’s people and the nations that surround them.
The prophet Isaiah bluntly stated God’s case against the nations (Isaiah 1:21 -23):
How the faithful city has become a harlot!
It was full of justice
Righteousness was lodged on it,
But now murderers
Your silver has become dross,
Your wine mixed with water
Your princes are rebellious,
And companions of thieves,
Everyone loves bribes
And follows after rewardsThey do not defend the fatherless
Nor does the cause of the widow come before them
In a similar fashion, Jeremiah speaking on behalf of the LORD accused the nations (Jer. 2:11, 13):
Has a nation changes its gods,
Which are not gods?
But My people have changed their Glory
For what does not profit.
For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters,
And had hewn themselves cisterns – broken cisterns that can hold no water.
At this point we must be aware that the people had not changed their religion, they still believed in the LORD, they still performed the Sabbath and other rituals, but what went wrong was that they had twisted the ways of the LORD to serve their pleasures and nationalistic fervor. As it was recorded, the leaders and the people did not heed the call of the prophets and so continued in their misguided belief that the LORD was with them and that they could conquer their enemies. They ignored and persecuted the prophets of the LORD and instead listened to the false prophets that presented false security in their religion.
The Message of Jesus
The Lord Jesus came to this earth when the religion of Judaism was struggling to survive against Hellenism and Roman Pagan religion[2]. Jerusalem had witnessed bloody Jewish struggles and revolts against foreign ruler’s attempt to undermine Judaism by desecrating the temple and forbidding the Jews to observe their rituals.
It was at this time where Jewish messianic expectation was at its peak. The Jewish nation was looking forward for its freedom, the defeat of the Roman Empire and renewal of its rule as in the day of Solomon. They needed someone to lead the nation to its glory! They perceived the Romans and its pagan society as the evil that needed to be destroyed.
However, when Jesus begun proclaiming the coming of the kingdom of God, His message and His suggestion to the nation was a disappointment. He did not advocated arms struggle; He did not endorsed civil disobedience even more so He did not picked on Rome as the source of problem but instead implicated the Jewish leaders (political and religious) as the reason for the suffering of the nations. Worse so, He was proclaiming that the coming of the Kingdom of God would usher later on to the destruction of the temple and their religious system.
Instead of uprising, Jesus called the Jews to pray for and cooperate with the Romans, and instead of judging the Roman Empire He called the Jewish nation to repent and follow Him. Yet his peaceful message proved to be so absurd to the hearing of His people. They did not heed to His message and instead listened to the voice of the revolutionaries and the nationalistic thrust of their religious leaders. And history tells us that Jerusalem was leveled to the ground in 70 AD as Jesus had foretold.
Reconsidering the Threats
After reflecting on the Scripture and history, it seems wise to reconsider the message of the prophets and of the LORD during similar difficulties in the history of God’s people rather than bark aimlessly hoping to scare away the threats mentioned in the beginning of our discussion.
Could it be that these threats are here because we have failed and we have defiled the Name of our LORD? Have we rightfully represented the Lord Jesus Christ and God, our Father before the world? Have we glorified the Name of God or have we blasphemed His Holy Name?
Consider the following:
- Many wars that have been fought where many innocent lives were lost, most of which were led by nations professing to be Christians.
- The disproportionate economic imbalance between so called Christian western nations and the poor countries, where the resources of the poor countries are harnessed for the pleasure of the rich.
- The breakdown of family life in most so called Christian nations.
- Condoning of homosexuality, divorce and marital separation within major church institutions.
- Identification of alcoholism, drug addiction, vices and pornography with the Christian western nations.
- The exorbitant display of wealth of box-office religious leaders while 2/3 of the world is suffering.
Most of the above are stereotype perceptions of Christianity among those who do not believe in our faith. I myself do not fully agree with everything but painful as it may be, there is a grain of truth to it.
So as conclusion, I must undergo a self-reflection, repent from my selfish arrogant assessment of my standing with God and do my part in bringing the love of God to this world. Witness for Jesus not to conquer but to show His love, serve instead of lording, understand the people who do not share my faith, perceive them as humans and not as villains.
God has His own just way and if through these threats it will bring us to the realization of our transgression and pride, He is right and just to do it! Our part is to respond to His word and behave like His people!
Rene Nepomuceno
[1] To “speak” the word and it will happen have become a common belief today among many Christians.
[2] Emperor worship evolved during the time of the LORD, this became a great obstacle for Judaism and later Christianity.