Doing The Will Of God When Your Faith Is Under Fire - Part 1

Background

(1 Pet 1:1 NKJV) Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

In this letter, the Apostle Peter is addressing Jewish Christians who had been persecuted and fled their homes and lands. These people were called the Christians of the Dispersion and lived in the Asian provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.

1 Peter was a circular letter that was meant to be read and passed on to these Christians who were scattered. Peter wrote this letter to encourage these Christians in the midst of their suffering.

The Holy Spirit was preparing the believers of Asia for the fury of the neurotic Roman Emperor Nero that was about to be unleashed. In 64 A.D., a great fire broke out in Rome which destroyed much of the city and economically devastated the Roman population. Most suspected that the Roman Emperor Nero intentionally set the fire himself. In his record of the events of this time, the historian, Tacitus, states that "to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace" (Tacit. Annals XV).

By implicating the Christians for this massive act of arson, Nero successfully capitalized on the already-existing public suspicion of the followers of Christ and executed many. The forms of execution used by the Romans included systematic murder, crucifixion, and the feeding of Christians to lions and other wild beasts. Tacitus records the following in his Annals: "...a vast multitude, were convicted, not for the crime of starting fires but for being haters of the human race. And in their deaths they were made the subjects of sport; for they were wrapped in the hides of wild beasts and torn to pieces by dogs, or nailed to crosses, or set on fire, and when day declined, were burned to serve as lights for the streets at night."

In this letter, Peter attempts to provide an explanation for the "fiery trial" these first century Christians were already starting to experience and the fiery trial that was to come (1 Peter. 4:12).

Today Christians all over the world are under fire for their faith. Even in the United States of America, Christians are being persecuted because of their faith in Jesus Christ. You see, the Bible says the “Faith without works is dead…” A song says, “If you call yourself a Christian, show some sign.”

Many Christians in the USA aren’t being persecuted because they call themselves Christians per se, but because of their Christian practices; because of their Christian testimony or lifestyle.

If you witness Christ in your life—somebody is not going to like it.

If you stand against unrighteousness—somebody is not going to like it.

For example, in February 2010 two street preachers were shot and killed in Florida. Tite Sufra, 24, and Stephen Ocean 23, were shot and killed in Boynton Beach, Florida, where they evangelized, after meeting 18-year-old Jeriah Woody, local police said.

"They witnessed to Jeriah Woody for fifteen minutes until he got a phone call and told the preachers he 'had to go'. "As they walked away, Woody suddenly started walking back toward them. Sufra walked up to greet him and was killed with a shotgun blast at point blank range. When Ocean ran, he was shot in the back. After he fell, Woody shot him in the head execution style."

Not only are Christians being shot on the streets they are being gunned down in our churches." In March of 2009, Pastor Fred Winters was murdered while preaching in his pulpit in Maryville, Illinois. In September, a pastor and associate pastor were both shot in a Lakeland, Florida church.

Last year Jim Pullion was killed while holding pro-life signs in front of his granddaughter's Owasso Michigan high school.

In the public school systems across the nation teachers are being fired for expressing their personal beliefs on Facebook.

In one case, gay right activists are calling for a Christian teacher to be expelled from her job after she described homosexuality as sinful on her Facebook page.

This month the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Oct. 5 in a case that could have a serious impact on what the definition of a minister is and who has defining rights. The deeper issue in the case is whether the federal government should have the authority to decide for faith-based institutions what defines a minister and who can be hired and fired.

In April 2009 the U.S. House approved a federal "hate crimes" bill that would provide special protections to homosexuals but leave Christian ministers open to prosecution should their teachings be linked to any subsequent offense, by anyone, against a "gay [person]."

A Christian couple from Orange County, Calif., was fined in September for holding Bible studies and for what city officials called “a regular gathering of more than three people” in their homes. The city said the couple violated a municipal code that prohibits "religious, fraternal or non-profit" organizations in residential neighborhoods without a conditional-use permit."