We are in a time when nearly every day the headlines talk about someone coming out of the closet about their sexual identity or about some skeleton coming out of the closet. Things that were hidden for years are open for all to see and hear. Some of those things should have stayed hidden. People have told me things they should have kept to themselves. Lewis Grizzard has a song about day time shows where people bring things out to the world and he basically says,“Don't believe I would have told that!” I agree there are some things that just need to kept private. Naked pictures ought not to be taken, but if you do, then don't put them out on the cloud to be hacked and revealed to the world. Put them on a DVD and lock them in a safe that is bolted to the floor and would take a nuke to open if you just want to remember what you looked like at 20 when you're 90.
While some things need to be in secret until Judgment Day, there are some times when the closet needs to be emptied and exposed to full daylight. When it comes to sin, it is best to bring it to God to confess it and be cleansed. Hiding it here only fools you as He has seen everything you did and will ever do from eternity past. You cannot hide from God nor can you hide anything from Him. Trying to hide sin in your closet only makes the darkness in you that much stronger even deceiving you that it will never be found out. You may even adjust to the weight of the guilt, but it is still an unnecessary burden you can be relieved from if you just bring it out of the closet to be removed by a merciful and loving God.
Too many Christians keep their Christianity in a small closet. They heed the old admonishment to not discuss religion or politics. Really? The two major things that shape a person's life are not be discussed? Balderdash! People complained about the Baptists in the early days of this country because every time you met one they had “a Scripture to cast in your teeth.” In a way, that should be said of everyone who knows Christ as Savior. The Bible has the answer to everything so when subjects present themselves we should be able to speak into a person's or group's life the answer.
Jesus did not call us to be closet disciples. Indeed, He gives some stern warnings about denying Him. Matthew 10:33 being one of them. James says that faith without works is dead. Keeping your faith to yourself like a Japanese house shrine is not a living faith. Jesus wants to be in your home, but He also told you to go into all the world with Him. Our faith was made to be made public because we are called to evangelize the world and you cannot do that silently.
Admittedly, there have been times from the 1st century until now when it was not very advantageous to be publicly known as a Christian. Indeed, Joseph of Arimathaea was a closet believer until he came forward to claim the body of Christ. Peter denied he knew Jesus when things got sticky. The Disciples did hide until Pentecost. During the days of the Inquisitions, it was not good to be known as a Christian that was not a Roman Catholic. In Nazi Germany, it was good to be a quiet Christian and certainly one that did not hide Jews. Being a Christian in communist countries from Stalin on was very treacherous. Christians in areas dominated by Hindus or Muslims live in a day-to-day brink of death mode. In the USA, it is certainly not popular to be a real or biblical Christian that lives the faith, votes their beliefs and engages in the public forum calling people sinners and naming sins. Warning people about Hell and Jesus being the only way to salvation will not get you invited to many places. Indeed, the media will only want to speak to you to make you look foolish and mock you.
Christ did not call us to a comfortable Christianity. In all those not so convenient times God has called His people to stand up for Him and be the ambassadors and witnesses He saved them to be until He returns or calls them home. Joseph of Arimathaea did come out in public. Peter did repent and when filled with the Holy Spirit he stood before thousands of people boldly preaching the Gospel. Paul's conversion cost him his position in the religious hierarchy and his resume in 2 Corinthians 11 shows it also caused him great physical abuse. Men like Girolamo Savonarola and many others spoke out during very difficult times and were martyred. Indeed, read “Foxes Book of Martyrs” to see the list of others who “loved not their lives unto the death.” ( http://www.gutenberg.org/files/22400/22400-h/22400-h.htm ) That book has been updated to include the 21st century. ( http://www.christianbook.com/new-foxes-book-of-martyrs-softcover/john-foxe/9780882708751/pd/08759 ) Only in glory will know all of the martyrs since those days as the number increases every day.
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." Martin Luther King, Jr.
Indeed, the summer and sunshine Christian finds it easy to attend church and praise God, but let things get sticky and they will run off to another church like a bar hopper or quit church completely and either deny their faith when asked or just keep silent. Some people cannot handle a church split or having their feelings hurt. What will they do if persecution like the early church started here in the states? I try to be very compassionate when people tell me they have been hurt in church and that is why they no longer attend. I usually respond with, “Would you like to compare scars?” Thankfully, I have not yet suffered anything like Paul, but for living in Christian America I have experienced some strange abuses in the Church as well as from those who are not believers.
At one job, I had to sit in a parts cage with a headset on while I read my New Testament to drown out the jeers and taunts of my co-workers who claimed to be a part of two different church groups. I had personal property destroyed, harassing pictures placed on my desk and even had my life threatened. At the same time, the pastor of the church I was attending became paranoid and had people spying on my conversations at church and even misquoting me to him causing him to accuse me of heresy.
One night he and three deacons had me backed up against a car accusing me of trying to split the church. Considering the violence I knew was part of two of the Deacon's testimony I considered that I might get beaten up that night. Fortunately, that did not happen and I left the church. Even after I left the church, he spread rumors about me to pastors around several counties. Two years after I left a Deacon came to my door and asked if I was trying to split the church. I told him I did not have to do that as the pastor was doing a fine job on his own. Add to the bullying and beatings I received in school from teacher and kid alike I think I have graduated at least from the first grade in the school of persecution.
I have had other issues in churches, but I keep going because I go to worship God, learn about Christ and hopefully be used of Jesus to edify the saints and win others to Him. After all, it is not about me. Have I had some good experiences in Church? Absolutely. Yet, God commands us to attend and if I was in an area where the only church was less than ideal, I would be obligated to attend and use my gifts for the benefit of that Body.
Have I ever thought of quitting? Yes, I did drop out for a couple of months, but every window had crosses in the panes, sticks on the ground would be lying together in a Cross format, looking up between two buildings there would be a steeple with a cross on it so I could not escape. Finally, God asked me what was wrong with me and I laid out my list of grievances. Then He asked what He had done to me and I said, “Nothing.” Finally, He asked. “Then why are you taking it out on me?” I replied, “Because I'm stupid.” I returned to Church and while I may change local groups when necessary, I am determined to never quit again. I do not want to be a sunshine or summer Christian.
We are also called to fight the good fight and you cannot do that by staying at home or denying the faith when it looks like it will not go well. One thing I am glad about my Internet ministry is that if Christianity ever becomes illegal there is plenty to convict me. I won't have any defense. I cannot say that I was involved because my Momma or my wife made me. I can't say it was just a business network thing or I went because I liked the music or the food.
There are a thousand conspiracy theories running around and I don't follow them. Some would make a great Sci-Fi or other short story or even a book and a movie, but if they have any facts at all we will never know until something happens. As I have told others that have shared these stories or had fear because of them if they are true there is nothing you can do and if not true you are living in fear for nothing.
Let's say if they are true, will God not be in the midst of His people? Yes! At worst, we shall die and if we enter into Glory a martyr will that be a bad thing? Indeed, since many have been building with wood, hay and stubble, including me, then that crown may be the only thing that will survive the fire described in I Cor 3:12-15.
Rather than walk in fear maybe we should start a different trend than WWJD. Maybe we should all start wearing yellow crosses with Christian or Christ written on them. Messianic Christians could use Y'shua on a Star of David. If we want to show the Jewish roots of our faith we could put a cross on a Star of David and the word Y'shua. Indeed, there is a worldwide Christian holocaust that we could identify with by wearing one of these symbols.
Jesus/Y'shua has already sealed/marked us with the Holy Spirit. Indeed, if we came out of the closet and submitted ourselves fully to Christ allowing the Holy Spirit to fill us our works would be manifest so that we would stand out. If that would happen we would not need our bumper stickers, our jewelry or bibles on our desks at school or work. Jesus would be seen in us because we would do what Jesus would do and they would still hate Him and us because we are in Him and He in us.
Christian, let's come out of the closet! First, check to see if your Christianity is real. I grew up with a denominational tag and attended church on and off and if you would have asked me if I were a Christian, I would have said look at my dog tag and besides I am an American. At that time, the majority of people at least claimed Christianity. I was saved at 21 and struggled with switching and getting baptized until God asked, “What do you owe them?” I had to say nothing since I would have went to Hell with that name on my dog tag. No one is born a Christian. Your particular group may have a name and yet is dead like the church at Sardis that Jesus warned. Many founders of old sects would not be welcome in the churches that bear their name or claim them as founder. Indeed, find some sermons or doctrinal books from fifty years ago and see if the teachings are the same. I know they are not in the denomination I was in fifty years ago and certainly not a hundred years ago. Truth does not change.
Are you truly saved? Then come out of the mundane life that you live or the Pharisaical group that you may belong to and have adopted their ways. You may have been born into or raised in that group, but you need to search the Word and be sure there are not more doctrines of men being taught than the rightly divided Word. If all your gig is avoiding the dirty dozen of sins and wearing the right clothes while singing the right music you may be still be Lost or missing out on the blessings of a relationship with God. The group says it preaches grace, but lives under strict rules and constantly on judgmental rants majoring on the exterior but neglecting the weightier things that affect the inner man. Ask God to teach you through the Word and the Spirit and come out of that dark closet of legalism and iron fisted control mess to experience real love and grace.
Indeed, I know what that is like as I spent forty years in such a group thinking we were really the only ones going to Heaven. Fortunately, God started showing me how much was taken out of context or only taken so far to prove a point and not to the full conclusion that would have proven them wrong or condemned as well. Some points of theology when looked at in full context started to look much differently than what was taught.
God sent some people into my life that I was not happy about when they arrived, but God has used them to open my eyes or forced me to see what I had already been kicking against the pricks for some time. I was hearing things from the pulpit that I knew was not true, but I was comfortable and someone considered an authority within the group having served in every office in a church except for treasurer and secretary. I would say that the issues were personal convictions or not major heresy so I hung in there though I was not happy while being a Pharisee yet condemning Pharisees.
Finally, after having prayed that I might be purged and cleansed for His use, a breaking point came and God asked me, “Will you let me be God?” I said yes and went seeking. I have not arrived, but I am happier now than I have been in forty years. I have hope of God truly using me in His power to bring forth more fruit in whatever years I have left than I have had in the last forty years. While I have not hid the fact that I have changed, I have not publicly announced it either so this message is a coming out for me as well. God also told me to exit or make an end so this piece will accomplish that as well.
For a few months, I attended church with my son, but it was a distance issue which makes it hard to serve and get to know people as well. When I moved to my present address four years ago, I found out that my neighbor across from me was an Assembly of God pastor. We had some good chats in the driveway and I shared with him some parts of my journey. I joked with him from time to time that he better be careful or I might be a member of his church. Well, that became official a few months ago.
I no longer identify myself as a Baptist. I am not saying that all Baptists are going to Hell or that they are all bad people. I do think they are missing out on some blessings because of some of their theology. I am also not saying that all Pentecostals/Charismatics are going to Heaven. Matthew 7:21 indicates that fairly strongly. All valid groups have their nut cases and heretics. Jesus said that tares would be planted in the wheat by the enemy hence our need for discernment.
Do I speak in tongues? No, although it has been prophesied that I will and I am OK with that. I have asked God to give me whatever is of Him so what gift he chooses to give or what gift He has already given me that will be fruitful as I seek Him is fine with me. I said that I would let Him be God. Indeed, I heard God more when I was first saved and I think Bible College and some other things put wax in my ears while stealing my joy. Maybe I am embarking on a journey that will restore my first love and I will hear more than I could have ever imagined.
A young Black woman from Long Island, NY told me back in 1998 that I would pastor one of my churches, but would one day pastor a Pentecostal church. I laughed and told her that is highly unlikely. I am not laughing anymore. Being I am 63 and new to this path, it would take a miracle of God for that to happen, but then He still does miracles so whatever He wants from me I want. What does He want from you? Will you come out of whatever closet you are and take a stand for Him? Will you let Him be God and guide you into truth even if you think you are good to go? I pray that you will! Shalom! Maranatha!!!
