Persecution is not only something that happens in closed countries; it is all around us and always has been. But despite generations of people and nations trying to stamp out Christianity, it continues to grow and thrive. How? Why? And most importantly, what can we do to help?

“Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop — a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear” (Matthew 13:8-9).

We have all seen them. Maybe they are in our small group. Maybe they are sitting next to us in church. We probably don’t know them, but maybe we remember seeing them once or twice. Or maybe we see them on social media or find ourselves in some type of meeting group they are a part of. But let’s face it, we are all well aware of those who call themselves Christian – but act anything but Christ-like. 

Christians who don’t practice Christianity. To steal a political term – CINO’s. “Christians in name only.”

The thing is, there are many varying kinds of CINO’s (C’s, for short.) Different actions, behaviors, viewpoints and of course, contrasting levels of faith. Maybe they were raised by Christian parents and just automatically carried on as if they were Christian. Maybe they heard a Billy Graham crusade somewhere along the way, but never really went any further. It’s sort of like someone who stands at the door to a house, leans inside, looks around and marvels at the beauty of the home, but never steps inside. 

Have you ever stood on the edge of a pool, wanting to jump into the water, but hesitated – or even decided not to jump – for fear of the water being too cold? Yeah, it’s like that.

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I think we would all agree that unity in the Church is absolutely essential in the message of the Gospel and the glorification of God. Unity that faith in Christ brings us exhibits the love of Christ here on earth, demonstrates the truth of who Jesus really is, and displays the impact He has on our lives.

Personally, I can’t even imagine Jesus praying for me. And yet we are told multiple times in Scripture that He does. This isn’t talked about or preached about a great deal anymore, but Jesus intercedes for every one of us.

Why would a guy the king invited get thrown out because he wasn’t wearing the right clothes? And he wasn’t just thrown out – he was thrown outside “into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” That was an expression Jesus used seven times; it was His description of the fate of the unrighteous at the conclusion of the age. In other words, hell.

“Submit to one another, out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22).

How times have changed. It was not that long ago that we could watch television and see men portrayed as the heads of the family. TV shows like “Father Knows Best,” “Leave It To Beaver,” “The Andy Griffith Show,” “Good Times” and “Family Matters” all presented fathers as the moral, sensible, and responsible leaders of the household.

Now, many shows portray being a father as a bit of a joke. As some have tried to downplay fatherhood and the roles of fathers in the lives of their families. There is no doubt that the portrayal and image of men in today’s culture has taken a beating.

Of course, more than a few questions will be put forth simply by raising such a subject. One is, why can’t women be the spiritual leaders of the family? The fact is, as a result of the sad divorce rate, even among Christians, many women have been left to lead their families in every way – including spiritually.

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Personally, for too much of my life I didn’t know Jesus; I knew about Him. I knew what the priests and pastors taught. I knew His words written in the Bible, and I guess I thought that was enough. But I learned that I didn’t really know Jesus Christ. I had no personal relationship with Him, and thus, He had no impact on my life.

Perhaps our personal comfort and convenience simply blinds us to the truth and are poor excuses. We are called to sacrifice for others, to be Jesus’ hands and feet.

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

The gospel. It is an incredibly powerful word with incredible depth – at least for those who truly believe. But we might all agree that there are also a great many on the fringes who don’t really understand what “the gospel” means or what it is truly all about. This might be especially true today, as more and more people seem to abandon church, while others distort the message of the gospel.

The gospel is nothing more and nothing less than the good news of Jesus Christ. His life, death and resurrection are all encompassed into one word. It is the absolute foundation of our faith, yet, even among those who call themselves Christian, many fail to grow in their relationship with the One who is their Savior. Life is simply too busy to keep up daily habits of reading the Word of God and prayer – all steps to building and maintaining our faith. As a result, many Christians do not truly understand the depth of the message or choose to accept what they have heard.

So yes, there are a few things about the gospel message that seem to be misunderstood – or perhaps not understood at all. 

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From the very start of creation in Genesis 2:9 to the end of creation as we know it in Revelation 22:2, we can see the thread of the Tree of Life. From perfection in the garden of Eden, to the return of perfection in the restoration of Eden.

Nothing – and I do mean nothing – will keep God from pursuing you. You are His beloved child and His love for you is everlasting.

Is it worth it to gain the whole world while we lose our soul? Which words would you rather hear? “Away from me you evildoers, I never knew you” or “Well done my good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:24-29)?

Believers and non-believers alike each want to suppose we are good people, don’t we? Oh, we know we mess up sometimes. We know we do things we shouldn’t. But overall, we’re good people. The thing is – where exactly does good fall between, oh…say, Mother Theresa and Adolf Hitler? Where on that imaginary line is that point where we can call ourselves good?

What does it mean when we are called on a Sunday morning, or Saturday evening, to a worship service at church? Are we attending with the idea that we are going to step into the presence of God? Or are we merely going to fulfill our weekly obligation? Three or four songs and a sermon and, whew, we’re done.