They Needn''t Fear




“(an actress)...has said of her religious views: "I''m an atheist ... I regard religion with fear and suspicion. It''s not enough to say that I don''t believe in God. I actually regard the system as distressing: I am offended by some of the things said in the Bible… and I refute them.”
What is it? What are we doing wrong? Why do people in ever increasing numbers regard all religion with suspicion – being distressed and offended by it?
I don’t really think it’s the “extremist” that turns people from all religious views. Wickedness and hatred is easily recognizable as a perversion of God’s goodness. No, it’s something they see in the day to day life that turns people away.
SOMEHOW THE SALT AND LIGHT IS GETTING IN PEOPLES EYES AND CAUSING AN IRRITATION!
It’s not like we haven’t given them enough options! We have religions that require complete submission and ones that require nothing from you at all but to be loved. We have the ultra-legalistic hoop-jumper’s god, that gives a person all manner of things to do to earn their way to an exciting eternity. And we have the deistic grandfather belief system that loves everything and wants your best life now!
And we have anything and everything in between...so what is the problem?
It can’t be the rules. Everyone who has encountered the human race is glad we operate under some form of moralistic guidelines. Even if we ourselves want to break the rules we are glad they are in place for the other guy.
It can’t be the disagreements between religions. Atheists fight in wars; atheists kill each other and dominate each other and fight over their diverse belief systems.
It may simply be that pointing to any deity sounds judgmental because it says we are not perfect. Not that most of us think we are perfect, but we like to believe we can get pretty close without a creator who owns us and controls us. We seem to think we can do just fine on our own and we resent some spirit being telling us we can’t. People are medicating themselves with whatever they can find just to face life, or hide from it. No matter what the news says, in the worst of times, Americans still want to believe there is a God they can reach out to. IT IS THE WORST OF TIMES PEOPLE…Christians, take the lead, Pray!
Many religious pacesetters are on the sidelines making unwelcome noises that do more harm than good and THEY get the press while the prayer vigil is only a local story.

While others make noise for the media let His people make noise in the heavenlies – PRAY!
The first bible most people read is the life of the Christ follower. They watch, they notice… Let them find us talking to God, not just talking about God.
Christians need to stop demanding the right to pray and just pray. God makes no guarantee of civil rights for His people. In fact He says to expect the opposite and endure it with joy.
Why aren’t you happy? Why aren’t we getting along? The world is divided and most people blame religion...Why? They may think God does not care, so show them God’s people care…Pray!
There is something demonically opposed to the teaching that you can be happy in spite of the world. Christians, be happy! Be down-right Joyful! Show the world there is nothing to fear in true faith.
Looking at God from the outside-in distresses everybody. Show people the peace that comes from the inside-out view of God. Invite people to realize a relationship unlike anything they have ever known.
Make the Christian life something worth keeping in a society that demonizes faith. Don’t just give them any god; give them Jesus, the One who casts out fear.