January 20, 2011 Forward Motion Faith

Alabama Governor Robert Bentley made the news today.  He didn’t make the news for fraud, money laundering, prostitution or immoral politics.  He got in trouble because he stood up for his faith.  Shortly after he took the oath of office at the Alabama Capitol on Monday, Bentley headed across the street to a service honoring Martin Luther King Jr. at King’s first church, Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.  Again, he was in a church, not a public venue, a high school auditorium or a city arena.  He was in a church.  And while in the church’s pulpit he made the following statement: “Anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, I’m telling you, you’re not my brother and you’re not my sister, and I want to be your brother.”

According to the news savages and godless information leaches out there you would have thought he called the Pope gay and cursed Jesus Christ.  With all the name calling, the violent accusations and character slashing that has been done in the past several weeks you would think the media would welcome a righteous remark like Bentley’s.  Nope.  They missed the opportunity to support a man and his faith convictions.  Bentley spoke truth.  He just didn’t speak a faith opinion – he spoke truth.  Truth as my brother knows it and I know it because the truth he spoke is based on Scripture. You know…that book that we know as Holy Writ.  The book that the media crazies are dead set against.  Governor Bentley spoke truth.  For doing so he has taken a “hit”.  I stand amazed at how Christians in the United States of America have become the minority.  We are being attacked in our own front yard and there seems to be a spirit of approval which is the identical twin to the spirit of antichrist.  If they think Bentley’s remarks were terrible and out of line – they’re really going to have a hard time with what Jesus said.

John 3:16-21

16  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

17  “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

18  “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19  “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

 20 “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

21  “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

Can you imagine if Jesus were alive today and made these comments?  Oh my!  Jesus is the ONLY way to heaven. There are not multiple ways to get to heaven.  There is only one Savior – his name is Jesus!  That’s it.  No other way to put it.  Why is this such a “bad” statement to make?  Because it threatens darkness and those who live in darkness.

Governor Bentley was right according to what Jesus said.  Non-believers are judged by their non-belief.  Simple.  Not difficult to understand.  It is imposing.  It is offensive.  No doubt about it – but it is truth.  Serious truth.  Jesus said that men who live in darkness love the darkness and hates the Light.  Why? Because real Light points out sin in our lives.  Real true Light reveals the sin nature which Jesus said men love.  So there are men and women out there who really do love living in darkness.  They love their sinful ways.  They love to find fault with righteousness.  Jesus said men who live in darkness are afraid of the Light because it will expose their deeds.

For the most part anyone who finds fault with Governor Bentley’s remarks is in fact afraid of Bentley’s  remarks.  They probably favor darkness.  Light has threatened them.  I’ve seen it over and over in and out of church. 

Someone once said that Jesus will do one of two things: 1) convict you or 2) anger you.  Let me say that the part of our population that would find fault with Bentley’s remarks need to understand why.  Darkness. They are in darkness and they don’t like Light exposing their evil deeds.  This massive campaign against Christianity is about those who do evil deeds and resist being found out.  Bottom line.  It’s real simple  Evil men hate light.  Christians are “light”.  We just don’t represent Light – we are light.

Ephesians 5:8

8  for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light.

We are light in a dark place. While it upsets me to know there are men and women who operate in darkness and love it and therefore hate not only the true Light – they hate us because we are light. Actually, that’s a compliment.  Let me thank all of those who are in darkness.  It’s an honor to know that Christianity is upsetting to you.  It just proves you are evil and need a Savior.  Trust me, He’s awesome!  He and He alone can forgive you of your sin nature and bring you into His marvelous Light.  Lights on – I hope everybody is home!