Those historical figures who took brave and sacrificial initiatives and started the Protestant movement were aiming to break the bondage of dictatorial religiosity or theocracy so that ordinary people could read, evaluate and make personal decisions. They encouraged Christians to take personal initiative in order to discover for themselves the reasons for their faith in Christ and why Jesus was the only Way, Truth and Life. This resulted in a new intellectual freedom, the discovery of previously censored treasures of life in Jesus Christ and, ultimately, cultural enrichment. Consequently, in the West, that freedom became a catalyst for producing the best of values for society. As a result, quality of life for the great majority began to improve; the rule of law became more democratic, and creativity, productivity and prosperity became the hallmarks of western societies. It was the qualities of Christ-like living and the Protestant work ethic that caused western societies to flourish.
However, new intellectual movements like Communism and Darwinism emerged and challenged the Christian foundations that had been laid. Both movements embraced relativism and the doctrine of chance. They rejected pre-existent absolutes and challenged the need for any religion, but particularly Christianity, and its foundations on absolute truth. Evolutionary theory that was embraced by Marxist Communism rejected the existence of God as the Creator. Without the need for a god, man was in full control. But the capacity for humans to make decisions in their best interests could not be guaranteed without centralized control. Social order was about a ‘struggle’ for the equitable distribution of wealth. Human existence was like a machine for them. With the abolition of religion, freedom vanished in these countries and economies suffered. Though Communist leaders claimed at the beginning to be committed to establishing a better life for their citizens, that was soon abandoned. Freedom of choice was restricted and people were exploited for economic purposes. For those who challenged the new order, persecution or death was the solution.
In contrast to the Communist vision, the free-market economy in the West has been able to produce a society where employees have shares and participate in the distribution of the revenue of companies. They enjoy protection through insurance and health benefits. They can invest in retirement funds and, for a significant majority, own their own homes. Western societies reward creativity, initiative and effort that have been the building blocks of success in businesses and organizations. So the West has progressively and consistently prospered, largely because of underlying Christian beliefs and values. Those values and that prosperity has, in turn, become a blessing to the poor in the world who have experienced aid and relief and healthcare and education, mainly from western governments, businesses, organizations and individuals – many of them Christian. Meanwhile, communist countries have gone backwards on almost every measure.
Many influential relativist leaders in the West also hold the view that there are no absolutes. Their influence has been so persistent that relativism has now become the dominant mindset in western society. The most prominent relativists press their ideas on society at every opportunity. Logic and reason have not consistently been their tools. Rather, the pragmatism of ‘the ends justifying the means’ has been the instrument by which they have gained the upper hand. Integrity and transparency have become casualties of misrepresentation and deception. Even though they may be relatively few in number, they have had significant influence in government, education, entertainment and media. Incrementally, they have brought about changes in legislation that reflect a significant decline in the Christian influence that once guided law-makers. Whereas Christian beliefs have historically underpinned the legal framework of harmonious, freedom-loving societies for many centuries, there is already evidence mounting that the way of relativism will require a serious loss of freedoms for people with strong religious beliefs, particularly Christians.
This is the situation in the West now. The relativists are now the most powerful group and are fighting tooth and nail to erase the historic bases of values that have proven themselves to be the most enduring and attractive in the whole world. These relativists have proven by their words and actions that they are opposed to Christ – ‘antichrist’. Increasingly, they are funding their war against traditional Christian beliefs and values with the support of taxes that, ironically, are provided by a population that, according to research data, is nominally 75% Christian. It is worth noting that Christian defenders of freedom have either been silenced, sacked, jailed or even required to undertake psychiatric treatment in hospitals. Tragically, these antichrists have Christian supporters too. But, when appraised against the clear message of the Bible, there is no doubt that these Christians are far from what Christ desires them to be. In effect, their undiscerning role is significant in making the enemies of the Bible much stronger.
Why aren’t these anti-Christian militants satisfied with the multitudes of non-Christian supporters who are fully in their service? Why do they want to enlist Christians into their campaigns as well? How would the presence of Christians make a difference to their mission?
The Antichrist’s (Satan’s) major enemy is Jesus Christ. For this reason, he loves to attract followers of Jesus Christ who can be easily fooled and used to help erode Christian values. The Antichrist is well aware that an enemy can penetrate an army much more effectively when there are some insiders (traitors) who favor the enemy. No antichrist can be confident against an army (followers of Jesus Christ) who use their consciences to weigh things and distinguish between good and bad, right and wrong, honour and deceit. Conscience can never be sanctioned by the Antichrist since his main weapons are blind obedience, indifference, negligence or the compromise position of political correctness. The followers of Christ are the only group who are called to use their consciences and encourage others to do the same. The Gospel says:
We have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor adulterating the Word of God, but by the revelation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. (2Corinthians 4:2)
Pragmatism, not conscience, is top of the list in an antichrist’s code of conduct. This means that any non-Christian or unethical compromise is a legitimate strategy for reaching one’s goal. The relativist antichrist therefore welcomes any Christian who is ready to justify some of the beliefs of the enemy such as same-sex marriage or abortion in order to make them acceptable to entire Christian communities, especially the next generation. This is the pathway to changing a whole community’s culture. The relativist never tells Christians that his ultimate goal is the destruction of the values of Christ. He rather introduces himself deceptively as a truly democratic and tolerant person. In this way, he rolls out his plan until the overwhelming majority bow to him. He will not give up his deception and lies, even if one group remains that does not bow to him, because full power and control is his ultimate goal. Every lie and deception he manages to enshrine in legislation in the West gains power for him. We clearly see how his antichristian values are progressing in the West and the result? The gradual but sinister destruction of freedoms – freedoms of expression, of association, of belief, of conscience, of choice in education, of rights of parents, etc.
The major reason that freedoms are being incrementally eroded in the West is because of the dominance of relativists in the affairs of western countries. Their claim of protecting freedom is superficial. However, it is not central to their agenda. They are the best of deceivers. Even the best leaders in the West get involved in the political correctness these opponents of Jesus perpetrate. For example, they naively support Islamist plans, or even madrasas that teach subversive fundamentalism. In doing so, they foolishly risk the security of their own nations and the rights of their own citizens. At the same time, they preside over the erosion of freedoms for Christians. Why? Because Christians have not been strong enough in their stand for Christ. They have been deceived by the rhetoric of the relativists and become unable to discern, let alone defend, their rights. Christians have been manipulated into allowing Christian values to be shackled. Some have even allowed themselves to become the perpetrators of injustice and persecution of fellow (true) believers in Christ.
The Antichrist is well aware that the torturing of a follower of Jesus Christ by a Christian is more painful than by a non-Christian adversary of Jesus Christ. Jesus has already expressed the depth of such pain to us. He was heartbroken when one of His own followers, Judas Iscariot, cooperated with the politically correct leaders of the day, who called themselves godly, yet tortured Him mercilessly. Jesus said of Judas:
He who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me. (John 13:18)
Judas not only brought about destruction in his own life, but also facilitated emotional and physical pain for Jesus and His disciples. This is a lesson from the Gospel for us - avoid any collaboration with politically correct people who serve the Antichrist. Again Jesus said,
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many will become cold. (Matthew 24:12)
His comment here was about the future followers of Christ - including us – and we must be diligently on guard so that we do not become a fulfillment of these prophetic words
Satan knows that the love of truth is the personal characteristic of Jesus Christ. He also knows that if Christians become cold and do not enter a personal life with Jesus Christ to have an intimate relationship with Him, not only will they be unable to follow His values, but they may also be duped into acting in an un-Christ-like and unethical way, thereby making life difficult for the real followers of Jesus. Therefore, those Christians who unthinkingly cooperate with politically correct leaders are open to becoming cold in their love for Christ, thus pleasing the Antichrist.
Recently Ted Cruz, a well-respected conservative American Senator, who is also a Christian, said in his flimsy defense of a Christian lady, "When President Obama resigns, then we can talk about Kim Davis". (Kim Davis is a Christian clerk in the State of Kentucky who refused to issue a marriage license to same-sex couples and was therefore jailed by the judge of the area for not following the federal law.)
Would America be really better if President Obama resigns? It is hard to believe this, since many Christians have aligned themselves, consciously or unconsciously, with the dominant culture that is driven by political correctness and President Obama certainly appears to be a leader who embraces such a norm. In recent months, several Christian presidential nominees, including Ted Cruz, were provocatively asked whether they would attend a gay wedding. One said that he would if the gay person was a member of his family. Another said that it would be a violation of his faith. But Ted Cruz’s excuse was that he had not faced such a circumstance and therefore did not respond. If Christians like Ted Cruz and others showed courage, were not afraid of risking their reputations for Christ and were willing to speak about their faith boldly, people like Obama would need to be far more discerning and respectful given that they are leaders of a country with more than 75% Christians.
Every committed Christian knows the beginning of Romans chapter 12 in the Gospel which says:
I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what is that good and pleasing and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1-2)
Christians in leadership must be prepared to apply these strong words to their public lives.
While there is a golden opportunity for many Christians to stand firmly for their position in Christ and speak biblically, they say “it depends.” When it came to abortionists they did not use biblical reasoning to help people understand that a limitless freedom is the cause of disaster. Now, not only abortion is legalized, but mothers can even find ways to sell the parts of their aborted babies. This is the result of indifference, silence or the unwise stand of many Christians. As the seed of indifference, silence or political correctness has the capacity to produce unlimited chaos, ruin a society and create a fortune for antichrists, so a seed of courage has actually more capacity to enlighten that society with the truth. If we do not stand for the truth boldly, the untruth will rule over us.
You either need to stay with Jesus and be victorious, OR be a champion of silence, indifference, political correctness and fear, or a double-minded person, thereby making antichrists prosperous. Freedom in the West is based on the suffering and blood of Christians who understood its significance and payed the price. Because of them we have freedom, not because of those whose 'end justifies every kind of means'. We must therefore honor their courage and do the same no matter the cost.
America’s major problem, therefore, is not Obama or others who openly oppose the values of Christ. The problem is the cold love in Christians who do not know how to please God nor to pursue what the renewal of mind and heart means. That’s why many Christians, including church elders and pastors representing almost every denomination, supported the election of Obama, notwithstanding his open non-Christian stand on same-sex marriage and abortion and his pragmatic support for terrorist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas who have created chaos in Egypt, resulting in the slaughter of many Christians.
The church in America, as in other western countries, is not mature and therefore not ready to pave the way for a godly person to rule over this nation. The only message of many churches is ‘Salvation’ or the ‘Gifts of the Spirit’. Of course salvation of humanity is the central point of Jesus Christ’s mission, but His salvation is not just a spiritual salvation. It is a salvation from the Antichrist’s political, social and moral chaos in this world. In other words, salvation necessitates a truthful and courageous life in this world. If a truthful life for God did not matter in this world, then it would not be necessary for Him to reveal Himself to humanity. He could just save people with a bang without showing Himself to us on earth as the role model of life. Salvation is about the whole of life not just the kingdom of heaven. Satan was forced out of heaven. He must also be cast out of our hearts in every corner of our life on this earth. We must stand for Christ in every circumstance, sacrificially and with reason. The reason that Christ overcame Satan at the cross was meant to deal with his evil influence in every aspect of our lives. That’s why churches need to be the universities of Christ and teach His truth about everything, including leadership, culture, economy, ethics, (all in comparison with other belief systems) so that people may come to understand with reason what to follow and what to reject. If we do not teach our people to understand the best leadership values for our world and we do not prepare righteous leaders for our societies, of course people like Hussein Obama of America or Malcolm Turnbull of Australia will become leaders in our countries and oppose or restrict Christians. If we were mature Christians, America, Australia and the West would be much healthier societies than we are now. Non-Christian leaders are succeeding because we are sliding back in our mission for heaven and becoming self-centered and undiscerning. Secular relativists are targeting our zealous brothers and sisters in Christ because we are cooperating with their agendas at the cost the truth.
Compromising the truth grieves Christ and lets down His followers. Keeping silent toward the presidents and prime ministers who love their jobs more than the laws and rights of their people is as if we were torturing Christ all over again. Jesus Christ did not keep quiet towards the injustice of the leaders of his time. If He had, it would have become a torture to the Father’s heart. He spoke out and taught how an unjust, non-loving and proud leadership would end in destruction. He revealed everything so that His followers would stand behind a humble leader, not behind those who sacrifice humility for personal gain and who reject Him and persecute His followers.
I have been shocked time and again by the number of Christians who have said to my face that president Obama is a follower of Christ. Recently I was in a church where a school teacher approached me and said that he still believed that Obama was a Christian. I reminded him of the simple measuring tool of the Gospel that says a person is known by his fruits. I asked him what about the president’s support for abortion and same sex marriage? His response echoed strangely as if Christianity needed a reformation to tolerate everything.
This man, a teacher, a member of an evangelical church, did not understand that the Bible was given to us not to be changed but to change us so that we would be able to understand what the best role model or standard is. He had no idea that Satan loves Christians to ignore the teaching of their Bible and make up their own ill-considered religion. They have forgotten what happened to the Israelites when ‘they did what was pleasing in their own eyes’. Satan loves every religion that strips Jesus of His holy identity. Satan is not against religion. Nor is he against churches. Why? Because a church can go astray and unwittingly fall into his service. Satan is against Jesus and His truthfulness. He knows that Jesus never compromises the truth and further builds His church and kingdom with those who follow in His footsteps and do not compromise. That’s why Satan acts in exactly the opposite way to Jesus and builds his kingdom with those who compromise the truth.
History demonstrates that there is a strong link between Christianity and freedom in the West. It also illustrates very clearly that antichristian movements in countries like Cuba, Russia, China and similar socialist countries have diminished the value of human life and blocked the capacity for human initiative and creativity. The winner in these countries has been the Antichrist, not people. We in the West have also personally experienced how relativist and politically correct leaders, who call themselves civilized and democratic, have blocked the way to truth and allowed some minorities to impose themselves on others. May we Christians wake up and prevent America, Australia and other countries from sliding more and more into inhuman policies, thereby inadvertently prospering the Antichrist because of our foolishness and indifference. It is time to speak louder and bring the walls of the Antichrist down. It is time to pave the way for the coming King, Jesus Christ.
