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It's Time to Walk the Walk - Part V
To the readers of this series, I must apologize, especially to those of you who have chosen to become a more active agent of good change in our society. At the very beginning of the series, I should have given you a clear warning as to what could happen to you should you choose to act upon your beliefs. Perhaps better late than never will suffice. Once the warning is given I will feel that the burden is off my shoulders. So here it is: Warning! Should you choose to take a stand for what is right and decent, should you choose to act upon your God-honoring beliefs, should you choose to speak out against the wrong you see and speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves, you will be shot at! If you doubt me, ask Ohio’s Joe the Plumber who dared to ask a presidential candidate how that candidate’s redistributionist’s tax policies would impact on a working man’s chances to improve his station in life. Ask Governor Sarah Palin who dared to advocate for the life of all children, including those with special needs. Ask Governor Palin who stood before a national and even an international audience and without compromise held to her God-honoring principles. Even though the presidential campaign has been over for six months she and her family are still bombarded by spurious and slanderous attacks. Ask Carrie Prejean, Miss California. When asked by militant gay activist, Perez Hilton, at the Miss USA Pageant what her position was on gay marriage, she dared to answer the question honestly. With an “aw shucks” demeanor and not wishing to give any offense she stated that she believed that marriage should be between a man and a woman. (Hilton should be real happy he didn’t ask me.) You would have thought that she was calling for the murder of 40 million children. I’m sorry, that’s the position of Hilton and his ilk. Can you believe it? The young woman actually believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman. For taking this stand she has been viciously attacked and like Joe and Governor Palin, enemies of our beliefs have left no stone unturned to find something scurrilous about her reputation and character. And typical of these scoundrels, they will never permit the truth to stand in the way of their vile assaults. Ann Coulter said it well when she noted, “Take a Christian position in public and Satan's handmaidens will turn all your secrets into front-page news.” Don’t forget, sometimes Satan’s handmaidens wear religious clothes. We must also realize that as we stand strongly for Christian principles we should not be shocked when some of our friends begin to stand a little farther away from us. They sometimes fear that they will be caught in the cross fire. There are too few who are willing to take a stand regardless of the cost. Most of all, we must remember Jesus and His words to us. “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. This is why the world hates you. …If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also.” (See John 15:18-26.) When Jesus was taken from the Garden of Gethsemane, John went with Him to His so-called trial. Peter followed afar off and after arriving on the scene, and acting out of fear, denied his Lord three times. The rest of His disciples fled in fear and hid in terror. But Jesus, “who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. [Emphasis mine.] (See Hebrews 12:2-4.) As you stand with Him for those principles for which He died, never forget that He who died also rose from the dead insuring you of the victory that is in Him. On this reality, those disciples who had cowered before men before His death stood boldly before those same men after His resurrection. Friends, its time to stand boldly with and for Him.
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