Compassion International – The Heart of Abba

At a recent Catholic-Evangelical Leadership Summit, President Obama criticized the Christian church at-large for focusing on issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage, saying the church needed to focus more on poverty and the poor. Saying “I think it would be powerful for our faith-based organizations to speak out on [poverty] in a more forceful fashion”, he went on to state that the liberal ideology of wealth-redistribution was essential in following Christ. (view source)

Recently, 2016 Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton stated that religious groups needed to change their religious beliefs regarding “reproductive rights” (ie: abortion). This came on the heels of comments she made comparing the Biblical belief that “homosexuality is a sin” to honor killings, widow burning (the Hindu practice of Sati), and female genital mutilation. (view source) This should come as no surprise, however, considering what Mrs. Clinton had to say about Margaret Sanger, founder of the American Birth Control League (which later changed its name to Planned Parenthood):

Now, I have to tell you that it was a great privilege when I was told that I would receive this award (Planned Parenthood’s Margaret Sanger Award). I admire Margaret Sanger enormously, her courage, her tenacity, her vision … And when I think about what she did all those years ago in Brooklyn, taking on archetypes, taking on attitudes and accusations flowing from all directions, I am really in awe of her.

Mrs. Clinton’s admiration for Ms. Sanger is reason to give any decent person pause, considering Ms. Sanger’s own words…

The most merciful thing that the large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it.

A woman’s duty: To look the whole world in the face with a go-to-hell look in the eyes… to speak and act in defiance of convention.

With that said…

Dear Mr. President,

As a 67-year-old pastor who has been standing by the Word of God for the majority of my life, I am growing increasingly weary of being told what to believe by politicians. I’m tired of left-wing pundits who know enough about the Bible to be dangerous and, whenever homosexuality is mentioned, spew out-of-context Scripture in an attempt to justify their leftist agenda.

Mr. President… I don’t base my belief system on political winds or public opinion. My belief system is based on the Bible – the Word of God. As a person of faith, I look to a source Who is higher than I am, Whose ways and thoughts are higher than mine. I look to the Author and Finisher of my faith for guidance, wisdom, and courage to stand on the convictions that have been instilled in me as a result of my faith. 2 Timothy 3:1-9 tells us…

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.

Today, we are seeing this Scripture play out in real-time in front of our very eyes. Wrong has become right, and right has become “bigotry, discrimination, intolerance, and hate-mongering”. And when our courts not only violate Biblical standards, but the very Constitution upon which our nation was founded, by persecuting and prosecuting people based on their deeply-held convictions and “religious beliefs”, we are in a dark and dire time indeed.

Mr. President… as for your idea that faith based groups should ” speak out on [poverty] in a more forceful fashion”, maybe we would have more time to talk about poverty if we weren’t already out in the world trying to make a difference in the lives of the poor. I see churches and faith-based ministries, throughout my area and across our great nation, trying to make a difference in the lives of the poor and destitute in their communities and around the world — organizations like Samaritan’s Purse, Compassion International, the Salvation Army, and so many others who devote energy and resources to the poor and needy around the globe. I could name many churches in my area alone that minister to the poor. My church ministers to the poor and needy locally, as well as in places like Nicaragua, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, and others. If you wish for a discussion, many of these groups might wish to discuss government rules and regulations that hinder them from operating and ministering more effectively.

I am all for reaching out to the poor, but so much of what we see in America with regard to welfare is subsidizing people who are simply lazy. If a person has a legitimate disability or handicap, that is one thing. However, handing out money to able-bodied individuals who are simply unwilling to work flies in the face of Biblical teaching, logic, and fiscal responsibility. In 2 Thessalonians 3, Paul says…

But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.

For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.

For “people of faith”, the Bible is not the “Book of the Month” — it is the Book of the Ages. The Bible is the standard by which we attempt to live — admittedly, often falling short. However, those of us who truly call ourselves “believers in Christ” aspire to live as He lived, to be true to His calling and teachings, and to hold Him up as the example by which we live. I, for one, have no interest in dragging God down to my level, and projecting upon Him my human flaws, failures, and misgivings. I have no interesting in creating a god in my own image, of my own creation. I aspire to be like Jesus… not the other way around. Every time in the Bible that the children of Israel sided with the “people of the land” and began to worship other gods, and brought deity down to their level, it didn’t end so well for them. God is loving and merciful. God is also holy and just. God is never-ending and never-changing. The same Ten Commandments that commands us not to steal commands us not to kill (that goes for abortion as well). The same Book that calls adultery wrong calls homosexuality a sin…

Not my rules.

We are ALL sinners… the murderer, the liar, the homosexual, the adulterer, the rebellious, and so forth. However, we can all come to Jesus, but we must come to Him admitting our sins — in repentance — and with a decision to forsake our sins and turn to Him.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. ~ 1 John 1:9-10

Jesus didn’t hang on a cross so we’d be happy. He died a horrific and cruel death so we could be forgiven and have eternal life with Him.

Cross I stand with Christian brothers and sisters throughout our land and say, regardless of what presidents, politicians, pundits, and Supreme Court justices decide, I will always fall on the side of the Bible, of following in Jesus’ steps, and will never stop in my attempt to lead others to a saving knowledge of Him, according to His Word, and on His terms. To do or believe anything less is to denigrate the Bible down to the level of just another fanciful tale, and to cheapen the sacrifice of Jesus to the worthless gesture of a crazy man.

Last week on my blog, I discussed Ducks, Martyrs, & Suiting Up for the Wrong Fight, in which I talked about how many Christians in our society are using the power of social media to wage war against anti-Christian bias in pop-culture; namely, the recent controversy concerning Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson. While standing for solid Christian principles and against the “spirit of Antichrist” that exists in the media is commendable, it appears that we do so at the expense of very real, life-and-death persecution going on in other places in the world. To paraphrase one person that responded to my article, we as Christians can fight more than one fight at a time.

So… why don’t we? Why are we not more vocal about the plight of Christians elsewhere?

I understand that, when the media blacks-out such activity, such stories have a tendency to slip from our radar. However, with so many alternate media sources today, and limitless resources on the internet, there are many ways to, not just stay informed, but to actually make a difference. Paul had this to say in II Corinthians 10:3-6 (I like how The Message puts it)…

The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.

With that said, let’s looks at a few ways we can make a difference…

Get informed.

Sometimes it takes a little effort on our part, but by simply doing a Google search (Christian persecution 2013, killing Christians, Christians killed in ) you can find limitless stories about the plight of Christians around the world. While I understand that you cannot believe every single thing you read on the internet, there are many, many reputable resources that are telling the truth about what is happening to our Christian brothers and sisters around the world.

Pray.

As II Corinthians 10:4 says (NKJV):

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.

We must diligently fight the war against the forces of darkness in the place where we can do the most good… on our knees. We must commit ourselves to fasting and prayer for the toppling of governments that support the killing of Christians, the defeat of radical Islamic groups around the world (including on our own soil), and for the courage of our political leaders to stand up in the face of such activity and say that we will not support or aid any nation that participates in these atrocities.

Vote.

We the people have a powerful weapon against the abuses and apathy of those in the power-centers and decision-making halls of our nation… it’s called the ballot. It is time for we as a Christian nation to stand up and say to our elected officials, “We sent you to Washington to serve. You were elected on the assumption and promise that you were going to do what is best for our nation. If you are unwilling to do this, we’ll put someone in office that will.”
What is in the best interest of America is following the tenants of Scripture, and standing up in the face of tyranny, not just in our nation, but around the world. This includes suspending aid for governments guilty of participating in, or endorsing, the persecution and slaughter of Christians. This means demanding that our leaders hold accountable rogue and radical Islamic governments who violate the rights of Christians (and others).

Get involved.

You may be limited in what you can do as an individual or even a church. However, there are plenty of Christian and humanitarian organizations that are on the front lines, making a difference. Do what you can to support those that are “fighting the good fight” with your prayers and resources. Groups like Samaritan’s Purse, World Vision, Compassion International, and others do much to provide relief in countries hard hit by poverty, war, and persecution. Our own ministry (Ron Phillips Ministries) works among the poor in countries like Guatemala and the Dominican Republic.

Let your voice be heard.

Most of us have access to social media on a regular basis (Facebook, Twitter, etc). Use your influence to help draw attention to what is going on as you become aware. All it takes is a few well-timed posts to get the ball rolling, and to raise awareness in your corner of influence to what is happening across the globe. We hear reports about Christians being assaulted, raped, and murdered on a daily basis, and much of it comes through social media. We have but to open our eyes to find such reports, and raising awareness can be as simple as clicking a “share” button.

Not every person or individual can do the “big thing.” Not everyone can be in these far-flung places to be the hands and feet of Jesus. But ALL of us can do something, whether it is a comment on Facebook, a few dollars sent to assist, or a few minutes a day spent in prayer. In the end, the question will not be, “Why didn’t you do the BIG THING?” The question will be, “What did you do with what I gave you?”

Now… Go make a difference in your world.