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At times in recent years it seems like Christians are sleeping away their lives when it comes to taking a stand for Christ. We have allowed the Supreme Court to take away the reciting of the Lord's Prayer in schools, we have allowed the Ten Commandments to be removed from some public buildings, and we have not made much of a fuss about Nativity scenes not being on public grounds during the season of Christmas. However, not lost.

The things that are happening to Christians in the United States are mild when compared to the rest of the world. For centuries Christians have suffered for their faith, our missionaries on the foreign fields now are often in danger for their lives, missionaries are often killed and/or maimed for their faith. Yet here in America, we have freedom to call upon the God we know and worship Him without fear.

We are a nation that was founded on Christian principles and have forgotten to teach those principles to the children. Vance Havner, a great preacher, once said, "The things we tolerate today will be accepted as the normal tomorrow." I have seen many of these changes in my lifetime. There was a time when it was unheard of for a man and woman to live together without being married. Today, young people are told to try it out before they commit to marriage, so they live together. There was a time when being pregnant and nor married brought shame to a family, today, we give baby showers, our blessings and best wishes for the unwed mother. Women today deliberately have children with no father in the picture, thinking they can raise the child without a full family and the children are the ones who suffer with identity crisis and discipline problems as they grow older.

Try as hard as they can, Christianity can never be totally removed from the United States as long as there is one Christian left standing. Our history will not let us forget, the buildings in Washington are monuments to our country's initial belief in God. There are statues of Moses and the Ten Commandments on the Supreme Court in Washington, DC, the Library of Congress and the Ronald Reagan building. On the floor of the National Archives building we find the Ten Commandments. A window in the US Capitol shows the image of George Washington kneeling in prayer. References to "Almighty God" are found in all of the speeches, writings and monuments of Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and every other great American leader. When the President of the United States takes office, his hand is placed on the Bible. It is sad that our current leaders in Congress have forgotten about our Christian heritage.

It is easy to complain about our images and statues not being displayed but while we are arguing this point, we forget to do the things that Jesus told us to do. He said we were to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and those in prison, visit the orphans and children and love one another as He loved us.

John Whitehead, president of the Rutherford Institute recently wrote, "If Christians really want to have a positive impact on the world around them, let them return to their communities and tend to the sick, feed the poor, and stand up for the weak and defenseless." Israel was judged harshly by God in the Old Testament for not doing these very things.

During this Christmas season, let's become prayer warriors for our country, for our military, for the freedoms we enjoy, for our church and our neighbors. Let's show the world how much we love the Savior whose birth we celebrate, that the gift God gave was not wasted on a few but was meant for the whole world. Let's demonstrate the love of God in our lives and in our hearts by being obedient to the commands of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Let's expand the borders of our faith and watch God work miracles in our lives and the lives of our neighbors. Many do not believe God still does miracles but He does. As we pray, let's pray expecting that God is going to act on our faith. "Without faith, it is impossible to please Him." If we don't have the faith, there is a problem. We have to believe.

Celebrate this Christmas season with peace and joy in your hearts and never forget that it is all about...

Sharing God's Love,

Peggy