YOU'RE PROBABLY UPSET WITH WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO CHRISTIANITY

I was getting ready to mail a letter today and the thought struck me that this was near the day the postage rate was going up. It was, so I had to look and see if I had a "forever stamp." I made the comment that they're driving more and more of us to email. The person responding said, "Yeah, if they can't manage delivering a simple letter without needing more and more money ..." Then they added, "You're probably really upset with what they (the government) are doing to Christianity these days."

To be honest, I have paid little attention to the news lately. I have some rumblings through a couple of Facebook acquaintances that there seem to be some government actions that are threatening Christianity, but I haven't investigated them.

And here's the reason ... I don't worry about these things.

No, I'm not naive nor am I apathetic or apolitical. It's just that there is not a whole lot I can always do about these things, and obsessing about the limitations on my Christian witness often drain time and energy and focus from actually witnessing.

Besides, church history clearly teaches that Christianity has thrived in times of its greatest difficulties. The church really didn't start pursuing the Great Commission until they were chased out of Jerusalem by the persecutions to Antioch. There is a tremendous and vibrant church in China today despite 60 years of constant and often virulent attack by Communist governments. The early church turned the world upside down during the years the Roman governments were throwing Christians to the lions.

Our problem in America is that we believe the effectiveness of our witness and the health of the church is dependent upon its acceptance by the culture and the cooperation of the government. The reality is that the ease of our witness and the costlessness of the gospel is dependent upon that acceptance. The power of the Gospel is often weakened by such comfortable, friendly surroundings.

Barak Obama may be the president and antiChristian politicians and institutions may be emboldened to make things tough on Christianity --- but God is still soveriegn.