The AFA recently sent out an email detailing 7 common careers that Christians may no longer hold in America. I am afraid they may be right. Let me list them for you.
Photography – A Christian photographer in New Mexico was fined $6700 for politely declining to photograph a lesbian commitment ceremony. The Supreme Court allowed this fine to stand.
Baker – A Christian baker in Oregon is facing both civil and criminal penalties, including jail time, for politely declining to bake a cake for a gay wedding ceremony. Her business has closed.
Florist – Baronelle Stutzman, a Christian florist in Washington, is being sued by the state attorney general for politely declining to prepare an arrangement for a gay wedding ceremony.
Broadcasting – Craig James was fired by Fox Sports Southwest after only one day on the job for expressing his support for natural marriage while he was a candidate for the United States Senate.
Counseling – Jennifer Keeton was dismissed from the counseling program at Augusta State University for her religious reservations about the homosexual lifestyle.
Innkeeping – The Wildflower Inn in Vermont was fined $30,000 and forced to shut down its wedding reception business after politely declining to host a lesbian ceremony.
Teaching – Ms. Gillian John-Charles was kicked out of a doctoral program in education at Roosevelt University for expressing in class her belief that homosexuals aren’t born gay.
Reminds me of the chilling words of German Pastor Martin Niemoller who was sent to a concentration camp in 1937 for his faith. He said:
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me— and there was no one left to speak for me.
Time to Prepare
So what are we to do today? In a word, prepare. The church today, and you and I, need to prepare for God’s judgment to fall on our nation and persecution to break out against true Believers. How do I know this persecution will take place? Because it is promised in Scripture. 2 Timothy 3:12 states: “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” You see, it’s in the cards, it’s a promise, a fact. If you desire to live godly in Christ Jesus, expect the agents of darkness to wage war against you and your family. According to Scripture, it’s a given.
With this understanding, we need to prepare:
1. Prepare Spiritually – We are to mature as Believers and take nothing for granted. Our lives are to be about Christ and His Kingdom and not about us and our small, puny, temporal earthly kingdom we are trying to create. We are to love, forgive, minister to and pray for those God has placed around us. We must separate from the world and live like the God we claim to serve. We must put selfish and childish things aside and live like children of God. And me must do this now!
2. Prepare Physically – We must get in shape, get out of debt, and store food and supplies for our family and neighbors who may not be able to do the same. In other words, we are to view our life like Noah did during the 120 years it took for him to build the ark. Build, prepare and preach. Build, prepare and preach. Build, prepare and preach. Get the point?
3. Prepare Vocationally – We must prepare and train ourselves and our children to learn some practical skills, to produce a product, to work for themselves, to be their own boss. Why? Because just like the Jews in Nazi Germany, the day may come that we will not be allowed to work where we do now and still hold on to our Christian views. Seem implausible? Just watch.
4. Prepare Socially – We must move beyond our comfort zones and open up our homes to others, to get to know our neighbors and our fellow Believers more than once a week on Sunday. We must learn to take vacations together and to prepare to live like most of the Christian world lives today— in community, in families, together as one.
And we must start doing this now. Remember the words of Jesus:
He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.” (Matthew 16:2-3).
The following is a study of Zechariah 4:1 – 5:4 that addresses these issues.
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