Live by Faith Not by Fear

Have you been following the story out of Houston about pastor's being issued subpoenas for sermons and other communications with church members?

As I read this, it is pretty scary stuff.  Just to give you a cliff notes version, the Houston City Council passed an ordinance that prohibits businesses with public bathrooms from denying people access to either gender's bathroom.  To put it simply, if they choose, a guy can use a women's bathroom and vice-versa.  It was a bill intended to give transgender people the option to use either bathroom.

Obviously, push back occurred and churches led the charge.  They filed a petition to get the issue on the ballot, which was dismissed a midst charges of fraudulent signatures.  The opposition then sued to get the petition validated with led to legal filings.  Part of the legal filings included the city attorney filing subpoenas with five local pastors asking for sermons and any other communications regarding homosexuality, transgender, the ordinance or the mayor.

Legally, this was part of the lawsuit.  They filed to see if pastors were telling congregation members to falsify names on the petition.  The problem is that none of the five pastors are part of the lawsuit.

To make matters worse, comments by several elected city officials (i. e. government officials) make it clear that they don't consider preaching about those topics as religious conversation but political conversation, and thus, not protected.

It makes it abundantly clear that some folks in power (not all, but some) view these issues as political issues and possibly as hate speech.  It's scary that government officials now issue legal documents seeking sermon notes in a country where we have the Freedom of Religion.

(As an aside, I find it funny that those who support a liberal interpretation of the Separation of Church and State now are try to impose the State upon the church.  Interesting, but I digress.)

While it is scary, it is tame compared to persecution Christians face around the world.  ISIS is attacking and killing Christians in the lands they conquer.  In many Muslim countries (even the ones "friendly" with the United States), converting to Christianity is illegal and punishable by prison and/or death.

Yet, we are not to fear.  Why?  Because Jesus is in control of everything.

He makes that clear in his message to the church at Philadelphia in Revelation 3:7-13.  They were doing good work and winning the lost because Jesus opened the door of opportunity for them.  They didn't see the obstacles facing them, but saw the opportunties Christ provided.  As a result, they even won over some of their enemies.

What a great example.  It's one for us to follow.  We must love our enemies and serve them.  We must live by faith and not by fear.  We must see opportunities and not obstacles.  We must trust Christ, because he is in control.

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