Oct 5th, 2020: Afflicted but Not Crushed, Persecuted but Not Forsaken...

Struck Down But Not Destroyed | Living in The Spirit

We live in a confusing time in Canada. A young person who is under age cannot smoke or drink but can decide on his (her) sexual orientation without any proper counseling. The parents now can be charged for trying to find help for their children. So what is next? We cannot teach our kids about Biblical truths because the government might look at it as practicing emotional coerciveness? How about teaching our kids what is right and wrong according to our Christian values? Many Christians in Canada do not doubt that there is a systemic attack towards our convictions from our government. Here is the passage to ponder on when we go through such a time.

"We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed." (2 Corinthians 4: 8-9)

The affliction is real. We cannot say "Merry Christmas" to others when you work at a store. We cannot have prayer meetings in school. We cannot have book tables about ProLife's Views on university campuses. We cannot use any images to portray the gruesome reality of abortion because that is communicating hatred.

We have to continue to learn how to reason with people about their decisions and choices. We should not allow this ungodly legislation to deter us from talking about what is essential in being human. We will continue to respect other people's decisions while expressing our disagreement. Our spirit will not be crushed by the power that be. It is the spirit that helps us to love unconditionally.

We are certainly perplexed by the direction of our government has taken when it comes to our Christian moral understanding. But the real despair is not with us. It is with the world that we continue to see the struggles in our society as it takes steps to turn away from God. We have to be the people of hope and comfort when we reach out to our broken world. C.S. Lewis put his thoughts this way in "God in the Dock": "Jesus Christ did not say, ‘Go into all the world and tell the world that it is quite right.'"

Christians in Canada now begin to have a better understanding of what Christians in China had to go through under the cultural revolution. There is an intense revolution that has been started by the government with the intent to destroy any Christian fabric in our society. Let us be ready for that day, the day the government is going to name the Bible as Hate Literature so that we won't be destroyed. We will continue with God's help and protection.







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