Monthly Archives: June 2015

Some sins creep up and appear to just happen. Bang! But in all honesty there is always a moment, an opportunity for choice -“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape so that you are able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13, HCSB). The challenge is to maximize the ‘way of escape.’
There are several ways I can suggest (not that I am perfect – I fail far too often).
First, memorize Scripture. I wish I had spent more time at this discipline as a younger adult. As I age it seems to be harder to memorize. It is a discipline that can be learned at any age and at any stage of life. I simply need to make the choices necessary to create a priority for memorizing God’s Word.

Second, accountability. One the triggers that trips me up the most is being alone. I spend much of my days alone – driving to and from meetings and appointments; reading and studying in my office; and so on. Finding a partner with whom I can be 100% open and transparent would eliminate some of the opportunities for sin to trap me.

Third, electronic discipline. My cell phone, my computer, my tablet all are wonderful devices enabling me to be connected to multiple sources all day long. Satellite and cable TV bring endless hours or entertainment and information into my house every day. These wonderful devices, however, can be opportunities for our adversary, the devil, to pounce (see 1 Peter 5:8). Setting time limits, choosing to go ‘off the grid’ for an hour or more each day will not eliminate the opportunity for sin (our grandparents fought the same battles against sin that we fight!), but the more opportunities we can manage and eliminate the more effective I can be in fighting the sin that so eagerly seeks to entrap me.

Finally, cultivating a deeper walk with God through Jesus Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit. I know it’s a cliché but remember the question, Would you invite Jesus to participate in whatever activity you are choosing? As a child I desperately wanted to please my parents and earn their approval. As I grew up other adults (teachers, mentors) became important to me as well. If I am desperate to earn the approval and respect of others, should I not be more desperate to recognize how each activity, each choice reflects on the presence and power of Christ being made real in me?

I write this as one who fails – more often than I want to acknowledge. But I offer this as a reminder that “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9, HCSB)

The Global War on Christians: Dispatches from the Front Lines of Anti-Christian Persecution

John L. Allen, Jr.

New York: Image 2013

Allen, a reporter for the National Catholic Reporter, has provided an excellent overview of specific persecution against Christians around the world. The first section of the book gives a brief overview of different regions of the world and how persecution is being carried out against Christians in those areas. Each chapter provides a regional overview and specific stories of martyrdom. As one might expect the chapter detailing events in the Middle East occupies the most pages. While his information is timely as of the publication of the book, the organizations he cites in his overview are important sources for up to the minute details and statistics.

The second section of the book outlines several myths that Western Christians tend to hold regarding persecution. For example Allen reminds his reader that persecution is occurring even in countries with a majority Christian population. He writes, “By far the largest concentration of martyrs was in the Soviet Union, with as many as twenty-five million killed inside Russia and an additional eight million in Ukraine. Both…are profoundly Christian societies….”(p. 176). He goes on to identify a number of martyrs from the 20^th and 21^st centuries from societies where Christians are indeed considered the majority of the population.

Other myths Allen seeks to destroy are that persecution is related to the growth of Islam and  all persecution directed against Christians is religiously motivated. He points out that “the highest number of casualties has not come in the Muslim world. That distinction belongs to the Democratic Republic of Congo, a nation of seventy one million people that’s overwhelmingly Christian” (p. 201). He identifies a ‘galaxy of threats’ against Christians, including Buddhism, organized crime, and other Christians as legitimate threats.

Allen wraps up his observations with some observations from his years of reporting and some suggested actions that might be taken as a result of his research. He suggests that persecution has created theological breakthroughs as believers grapple with suffering as the normal understanding of Christian discipleship. He also seeks to rally readers around a broader ecumenical understanding of the ‘church,’ particularly from a Roman Catholic understanding. Finally, he suggests basic responses such as prayer, political advocacy on a global scale, and institutional reforms making it possible for refugees to flee to safer environments.

The title “Global War” attracts attention as does the subject matter. Written well and researched meticulously Allen’s book is a welcome addition to the growing body of research on persecution against Christians.