It is no secret. We live in perilous times. Twice this year Ann and I have participated in church services where intense personalities and intense moments precipitated the need for weapons to be pulled and placed in the pew beside their owners. In neither case, praise the Lord, did the weapons have to be used, but having been in the room observing the circumstances, there was a distinct urgency and likelihood that force could have been needed for the protection of innocent church goers. It's amazing the difference eight years can make. That happens to be how long I've been at Downing Ministries.
When I first came to work here, the thought never crossed my mind that on any given Sunday I might be the only person standing between an intruder with deadly force and hundreds of unarmed worshipers. The reality is, due to the typical placement of sound equipment, I'm usually closest to the entrance or up in a balcony where I can oversee everything happening below. I'd be lying if I said I don't survey my surroundings for items light enough for me to propel toward a target but heavy enough to inflict an injury that could buy precious seconds.
I'm not sharing this to get into a debate about 2nd amendment rights. If you go there, you're taking my words out of context and twisting my stated intent. I'm sharing this to let you know that Christianity isn't just under attack in Asia and the Middle East. Christianity is under attack on every continent, in every country, in every kingdom and municipality across the globe. This includes your town... your very home. Why? Because Satan is real and is working to kill as many God-followers as possible so the message of the Gospel can't be spread to a world in dire need of its hope.
Th word "kill" implies mortality, the certainty of death, but did you realize that you don't have to be physically dead in order to be a dead Christian? If Jesus is the vine and we are the branches, He makes it clear in John 15 that pruning is going to take place. Satan knows this, and not only is he real; he's the original terrorist. His motto could be "Terrorizing minds since before Christ's birth," and for once, he'd be telling the truth! Don't believe me?
Have you or someone you've known experienced the fear of being ostracized for not going along with societal norms? The fear of being targeted as a hypocrite and hate-monger for standing firm in your scriptural beliefs? Do you shy away from conversations about controversial subjects out of fear for who might hear, read, or have something to say about what you believe? It's all terrorism of the mind, and I assure you it is inflicted by Satan. He is, after all, the author of fear. It is my belief that denying what I know to be true about God's Word is the same as denying Christ himself. Come what may, I pray that I'm one the Lord can count faithful in standing firm until He comes. While I'm aware of the seemingly new dangers that come with my work, I refuse to become paralyzed by the fear Satan wants to use to control my mind and behavior.
Compromise has its place, but don't be fooled into dying on the vine. Satan would love nothing more than to see you pruned away. And when you think of it, please be praying for churches all across the world, and I ask that you pray especially for people like Ann and me who do not always have the benefit of knowing a lot about the areas where we're called. We go knowing only that He's said "go" and that with His guidance, protection, and the gift of common sense, we'll be kept safe as we carry the truth about Jesus and His love through song, and though imperfect, through example.
Written by: Karissa Petty
When I first came to work here, the thought never crossed my mind that on any given Sunday I might be the only person standing between an intruder with deadly force and hundreds of unarmed worshipers. The reality is, due to the typical placement of sound equipment, I'm usually closest to the entrance or up in a balcony where I can oversee everything happening below. I'd be lying if I said I don't survey my surroundings for items light enough for me to propel toward a target but heavy enough to inflict an injury that could buy precious seconds.
I'm not sharing this to get into a debate about 2nd amendment rights. If you go there, you're taking my words out of context and twisting my stated intent. I'm sharing this to let you know that Christianity isn't just under attack in Asia and the Middle East. Christianity is under attack on every continent, in every country, in every kingdom and municipality across the globe. This includes your town... your very home. Why? Because Satan is real and is working to kill as many God-followers as possible so the message of the Gospel can't be spread to a world in dire need of its hope.
Th word "kill" implies mortality, the certainty of death, but did you realize that you don't have to be physically dead in order to be a dead Christian? If Jesus is the vine and we are the branches, He makes it clear in John 15 that pruning is going to take place. Satan knows this, and not only is he real; he's the original terrorist. His motto could be "Terrorizing minds since before Christ's birth," and for once, he'd be telling the truth! Don't believe me?
Have you or someone you've known experienced the fear of being ostracized for not going along with societal norms? The fear of being targeted as a hypocrite and hate-monger for standing firm in your scriptural beliefs? Do you shy away from conversations about controversial subjects out of fear for who might hear, read, or have something to say about what you believe? It's all terrorism of the mind, and I assure you it is inflicted by Satan. He is, after all, the author of fear. It is my belief that denying what I know to be true about God's Word is the same as denying Christ himself. Come what may, I pray that I'm one the Lord can count faithful in standing firm until He comes. While I'm aware of the seemingly new dangers that come with my work, I refuse to become paralyzed by the fear Satan wants to use to control my mind and behavior.
Compromise has its place, but don't be fooled into dying on the vine. Satan would love nothing more than to see you pruned away. And when you think of it, please be praying for churches all across the world, and I ask that you pray especially for people like Ann and me who do not always have the benefit of knowing a lot about the areas where we're called. We go knowing only that He's said "go" and that with His guidance, protection, and the gift of common sense, we'll be kept safe as we carry the truth about Jesus and His love through song, and though imperfect, through example.
Written by: Karissa Petty
Karissa, this is very well said. There is a lot of food for thought here. Thank You. Paulrrr
ReplyDeleteThis is so true.Larissa..
ReplyDelete