Silence is Not Golden

For thousands of years the World systems had been trying to silence the Christian faith. If you think the silencing of this faith no longer exist in our present culture...better think again. 
   The ancient Roman Government and The Jewish Sect had tried this before, but to No avail, Christianity grew to become as the largest conglomerate of people group in the world. But the silencing never cease to exist.
    The world in general is prejudice against a specific people group. This shouldn't surprise believers because Satan had special hatred for Christianity.Christianity is the only group that had totally beaten him...for example in the area of resurrections.


   Christians have the assurance of victory!Yet, for now we have to endure the hardships and guaranteed ridicule the world is aiming against us.  
   As expected, we don't hear this faith get an equal treatment anymore and actually became the main target of various secular protester such as Reproductive Health Bill. In America belief in Jesus is now consider just one of the choices  and was being  attack by various secular agenda. Here in the Philippines, although Christians have the liberty to fully express our faith, yet we are face with scorned and marginalized.
   No longer was Christianity the state religion but one of the MAIN hindrance to what they call progress. The censorship of the Christian faith grew as far as there is no more Bible study to be conducted in school, yet freedom of religion is being highlighted and recommended.    

   Most of us even tone down the topic when it comes to our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We drift along the current of social acceptability but with that we also erode the message of the gospel...that we should be witness and light for unbelievers...Just like what Tim Tebow is doing in America. Tebow is NFL superstar, who is very vocal about his faith in Jesus Christ and his testimonies during one of Superbowl game makes the verse John 3:16 as the most search item on Google that day.    

   In case you have not noticed, sleeve-wearing Christian Tim Tebow has been causing quite a stir across the football world with his unashamed living out of the Gospel. His I-love-Jesus-more-than-anything approach to life has proved to be quite unsettling to those who are uncomfortable with his bold proclamation of Romans 1:16. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

   In my lifetime I cannot name a single public figure, apart from those who make a living off of the Gospel, who has been as bold of a witness as Number 15 for the Denver Broncos.

   He is not the only Christian in the NFL. The past two Super Bowl Champions had Christians under center, Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints, Aaron Rodgers of the Packers, yet one would have to dig to find stories of their witness to their Faith.

   Former Super Bowl QB Kurt Warner of the St. Louis Rams claims Christ, yet he recently advised Tebow that he would be better off if he removed Jesus from his sleeve…or at least put a sweatshirt over the top of his arms.

   “But I’d tell him, ‘Put down the boldness in regards to the words, and keep living the way you’re living. Let your teammates do the talking for you. Let them cheer on your testimony.’ Kurt Warner

   Yeah right Kurt. Hide that light under a bushel. That I’ll-show-them-Christ-by-the-way-I-live approach hasn’t gotten us very far in spreading the Gospel. America is a vast moral wasteland because we have hidden the light. (Source HERE)

   Sadly,  we hear so many Kurt Warner type Christian around us and less of Tim Tebow kind. This remind me when Jesus said, the harvest is ready but there are only few workers (see Luke 10:2 or Matthew 9:37) 

   Let me remind you that these very few believers are continually being persecuted when they testify. Like Tebow, even if he is the most admired football player now, his testimony of faith is also the most susceptible to ridicule by unbelievers.  Below is a statement from American Atheist president:

“When we watch a sporting event, we are all united for our team,” says David Silverman, president of American Atheists. “Tebow takes religion and injects it into the mix and divides the fan base.”

Silverman states that Tebow’s repeated references to God into his post-game comments after a win is “bad for football.

“(Religion) injects the divisive force into football,” Silverman says. “Why in the world are we talking about religion when we are talking about football?”

  

     In Galatians 4:16 we can read the sentiment in St. Paul's heart, when he asked: Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

     I knew how it hurts when I asked an almost similar question to some of my friends. Occasionally, I was even heartbroken when I lose a friend by simply telling the truth. No matter how careful I am, in selecting proper words, there would still be resistance...

   People for now may not see the positive effect of being a Christian. What they said about the "bad effect" of Christian testimony from sportsman (or to life in general) is actually a blessing in disguise. 

   That is the hard reality we as Christian must accept. There is NO compromising of faith for believers, as well as there is No Religious Tolerance for God. When God said, No worship and prayers should be given to Images, then that we ought to do, not in between. Let us continue in sharing the Gospel wherever and whenever. 

   In light of these; the unbeliever should not worry, Christians will only retaliate in Words but not in actual combat. Our LORD taught us to be peacemaker. 

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.-- Matthew 5:13