Persecution then and now

Persecution for my faith? I think the closest thing I encounter to persecution for my faith is going to church on a miserable cold MinneFROZEta Sunday morning while 'Old Man Winter' mocks me for leaving my warm home to worship with the frozen faithful. 

​Or maybe the fact that I am a Green Bay Packer fan living in the state of Minnesota Viking fans. Besides that.. persecution is a little on the light side in my life.

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Persecution 2000 years ago looked much different. After the first Christian movement begins at Pentecost in Acts 2 the church grows. In response the religious establishment of the day is outraged and fights them for the next 26 chapters of Acts.

This first century church perseveres through REAL PERSECUTIONS that make 'Minnesota Winter Windchill' feel like a warm summer breeze.

• Peter and John are imprisoned for what I like to call 'inciting a revival',
  

• Stephen is stoned to death as the first Martyr for the Christian Faith.

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• Then Paul enters the scene and is blinded, beaten, stoned, snake bit, shipwrecked, and logged more jail-time than Otis from the old Andy Griffith show.

Now fast forward to today .. I am sitting in my warm home in a country that has allowed me freedom to worship. While the outside temperature may go below zero in the Minnesota winter months I have my gas fireplace warming me as I type. 

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But.. is Persecution on the rise? I do see a fast moving trend in the news that alarms me where traditional Christian values are under attack.

Recently Jo Behar from the TV show 'The View' called Vice President Mike Pence mentally ill because he prays to Jesus  for direction for our country. 

​Pro-life, traditional marriage stances are demonized as political hate speech by the ever growing 'progressive' profane, vulgar lifestyles of the 'rich and shameless' .  

The body of Christ should be unwavering and unapologetic of the gospel message.  If we really believe Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except by Jesus. Jo 14:6, then shame on us as believers when we are silent.

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Our words and actions should be the evidence we are living out God's two greatest commandments. Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and care for others in need and love them as ourselves. 

May God find us all faithful and full of His Love, and in all things we do. I pray God's people do not live to please man but instead to honor God.

​To God be the Glory!

Blessings,

Jeff  (persecuted by Viking fans) Larson

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