We’ve all heard the saying that history repeats itself. And as we stand in this new era for the United States, we may think Christians have never faced the types of attacks we see from all sides today.
Yet when we consider history, we realize there were many times when people made efforts to snuff out Christianity. From the Roman persecution of the early church to the tumultuous Middle Ages to the days when our Puritan and Pilgrim forefathers sought religious freedom, we know the church has long prevailed against its foes. And just as those early believers stood firm, we too can stand on the truth that no matter what happens, the Lord loves His children and promises to work all things together for good.
Yes, many of us were disappointed in the election results and what I believe was the pervasive election fraud, but the attacks I’m referring to extend far beyond the presidency. As someone whose life’s work has revolved around reporting on what God is doing in our culture, particularly from the charismatic and Pentecostal angle, I’ve witnessed the rise of a widespread disrespect for Christian beliefs and values.
That disrespect has led to various occurrences, many of which we’ve reported on charismanews.com. We’ve seen faith-filled, conservative leaders like Franklin Graham attacked publicly for his support of former President Trump. We’ve watched others such as MyPillow’s Mike Lindell or Jonathan Cahn suffer under what has become known as “cancel culture,” where the prevailing forces in social media attempt to de-platform someone by locking them out of Twitter or Facebook or refusing to include their videos in Google searches.
Though all of this disturbs and saddens me, I have a greater concern. I don’t want to see Christians intimidated into silence. This has already happened to some extent with the issue of what constitutes a true marriage. What we now call “cancel culture” can’t cancel everyone, but its proponents can cancel some of the key people and thus strike fear into the hearts of everyone else.
Once again, history repeats itself. During the era when crucifixion was a regular method of punishment, the Romans lined their roads with the bodies of those who had been crucified for their faith. We don’t face physical crucifixion today, but we do face it in a moral and ideological sense, and we must follow the example of the early church in refusing to allow others to intimidate us. Once again, the truth I cling to is found in Paul’s letter to the Romans: “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28).
I share more of my thoughts on the election, how believers must respond and the many prophecies that said Trump would win in this episode of the Strang Report podcast, so please listen and share with others who may need a word of encouragement and clarity in a season of negativity. I also urge you to subscribe to the Strang Report on Apple Podcasts and right here on the Charisma Podcast Network. {eoa}
