As a former molecular biologist at the CDC, I've been sought out frequently of late and asked for my opinion on the current Ebola crisis. Here it is. Concern is warranted. Not panic. And if you want to know the truth, the apocalypse developing in Houston scares me a whole lot worse than the one in Dallas.
By now, you've probably heard that the lesbian activist currently serving as the mayor of Houston, Annise Parker has the "goo" for a handful of evangelical pastors in Houston that had the audacity to oppose a civil rights ordinance proposed by Parker. One that was supposedly needed to protect the civil rights of the LGBT community.
Said ordinance, specifically, would allow males to use the women's bathrooms in the event that they felt female. And vice versa.
You'd think that any rational person could see the potential problems involved in allowing males free access to women's bathrooms (Can you say child molestation? Among other things? )
But no, hurting the feelings of the LGBT community by classifying bathrooms by molecularly determined gender (and we're the science-deniers?)-- instead of the intimate impulse of the day in a Houston resident-- trumps criminal sexual imposition of a child any day.
At least, in liberal la-la- land.
So we'll just stay out of Houston, right? Unfortunately, it's not that simple. The problem here is that the problem isn't limited to just here. It's not just liberal nut jobs like Ms. Parker. In fact, the whole world, seemingly, is rapidly adopting her way of thinking. But I'm not referring to her position on LGBT rights.
I'm talking about her position on those to who dare to uphold the Bible as truth. Because, if you haven't heard, what Ms. Parker did, when five pastors in Houston dared to challenge her potty proposal, was subpoena the sermons written by those pastors so that she could examine them for evidence of discriminatory rhetoric towards the LGBT citizens of Houston.
Translation: for evidence that they might have said that homosexuality is wrong.
In the interests of complete disclosure, what Ms. Parker actually demanded was:
"...all speeches, presentations, or sermons related to...the Petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity, prepared by, delivered by, revised by, or approved by you or in your possession."
Even sermons they just happened to have in their possession. Apparently, so she could ultimately put every possible Christian who represented imminent danger to the LGBT community in jail.
Here's the bright side, they'd be in good company. Christian persecution, is at its highest level in recorded history, doubling, in fact, just last year, with Christians killed just in Syria in 2013 totaling more than all Christians martyred in 2013. Even Pope Francis has weighed in, saying that more Christians are being persecuted, even martyred now than all the Christians persecuted and martyred in the days of Rome. And, even though the world now holds more than 2 billion Christians, they are being persecuted (active persecution or restriction of rights) in 111 of the world's 196 countries.
Mostly by the nearly 2 billion Muslims.
With apologies to Joel Osteen (author of Your Best life Now and Every Day a Friday), we shouldn't really be surprised. We were abundantly warned that, as we see the day approaching, we should expect persecution.
Jesus Himself said, "If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you." (John 15:20 NKJV)
And, "Yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service." (John 16:2)
And Timothy reminded us that, "All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (II Timothy 3:12)
And I'm pretty sure that it's mostly just us U.S. Christians who are really taken by surprise. Because certain American preachers (Oral Roberts, A. A. Allen, Robert Tilton, T. L. Osborn, John Osteen -- Joel's father--, Creflo Dollar, and Kenneth Hagin, for a few) were the main progenitors of the prosperity gospel.
I think it surprises us for two reasons:
First, because, perhaps unique to of all of history, the US, was founded by the pilgrims. And the pilgrims, refugees from the religious wars raging in Europe, absolutely saw an opportunity to begin again with a country based on Biblical principles. (I've been to the museum in Plymouth, and their own writings prove it.) The museum doesn't display them anymore though, because they might offend people like Ms. Parker.
So because of the pilgrims, these mere 246+ years of American history have been, like Camelot, "one brief shining moment", wherein most everybody embraced Biblical principles and morals. And that's been nice and comfy.
But that one brief shining moment, to some extent, was a gilded cage. Because, as the saying goes, a ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what a ship is built for. We're not supposed to be nice and comfy. We are supposed to fight the good fight of the faith.
But what does that really mean? What we do know is this, being in the Lord's army doesn't necessarily mean that you are in the battle. And the battle is for men's souls, "the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."
Secondly, we know that, "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. (II Corinthians 10)
What does that mean? That ultimately, our weapon is the Lord's strength with us in the battle.
"The Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands." (I Samuel 17:47)
The battle is His. So we come alongside the Lord in prayer, asking Him to bless our fight.
Finally, we know we have a secret weapon: we don't fight evil on its own terms. (Like mud slinging on facebook.) We are to overcome evil with good.
What does that mean? Fortunately, in context, the passage makes it pretty clear.
Repay no one evil for evil... If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,"says the Lord. Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:17-21)
In the light of that passage, I have a proposal of my own. Not a potty proposal, but a postal one. When JFK was president, he once made the statement that discrimination in Federal Housing could be obtained by the stroke of a pen.
Three days later, he got thousands of pens in the mail.
My postal proposal (well actually Huckabee proposed it Saturday night) is that if Mayor Parker wants sermons, let's give them to her. Mail her all the sermons in your possession. Mail her Bibles. Mail her cards that tell her God loves her. Let's overcome evil with good. Her address is:
Mayor Annise D. Parker
City of Houston
P.O. Box 1562
Houston, TX
77251
And let's get ready for what may come. Because with ISIS rampaging through the Middle East, unchecked, it would seem that real persecution may soon be on our doorstep. (There's a reason the scriptures talk about Christians being beheaded in the end times.)
That's the second reason, I think, that we're surprised. We seemingly went from Camelot to criminals so fast. But we knew, I think, that our time would come.
Well, most of us. The church that John Osteen pastored, following the "best life now" prosperity thinking that Joel inherited, proclaimed to the world that God loved John so much that, "God has promised him that he will be preaching into his early 90's, and he is only 77 now".
Two weeks later he died.
Maybe they never read Revelation 2, where God tells the church at Smyrna that their good news is that they are going to die. But if they die once in the Lord's service, they won't die twice.
So no worries. To conquer death you only have to die. When the sword falls, (or Ebola crawls) we're in Heaven with our Savior...
With that, I'll leave you with a great poem penned by a missionary (later decapitated in China).
Afraid? Of what? To feel the spirit's glad release? To pass from pain to perfect peace, The strife and strain of life to cease? Afraid? Of that?
Afraid? Of what? Afraid to see the Savior's face, To hear His welcome, and to trace, The glory gleam from wounds of grace, Afraid? Of that?
Afraid? Of what? A flash - a crash - a pierced heart; Brief darkness - Light - O Heaven's art! A wound of His a counterpart! Afraid? Of that?
Afraid? Of what? To enter into Heaven's rest, And yet to serve the Master blessed? From service good to service best? Afraid? Of that?
Afraid? Of what? To do by death what life could not - Baptize with blood a stony plot, Till souls shall blossom from the spot? Afraid? Of that?
There's a storm gathering on the horizon. Time to put on the full armor of God. And let our hearts take courage.
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