Oh Say Can You See

By Brenda Black

How far we've wandered from “We the people of the United States” to “We the fragmented and foolish.” How ironic that in the midst of celebrating National Constitution Week, we find ourselves under siege around the world in opposition to free speech. And how appropriate that this week should conclude with another historical marker of American history, the composition of the Star Spangled Banner on Sept. 21, 1814, to remind our U.S. citizens once again that freedom is never a guarantee. It is won and preserved gallantly and staunchly by fierce determination.

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

This land of the free and home of the brave is governed by a great document as a complement to God's Holy Scriptures. The United States Constitution proclaims: “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Written more than 200 years ago and upheld by generation after generation, the ideals of forward thinking and freedom seeking individuals provided the foundation for this country. It breaks my heart to see such disregard for her monumental accomplishments and long-established nobility.

As much as I love this country, what disturbs me more is the parallel I see between the disrespect for the Land of Liberty and the deliberate disregard for the Lord of Eternity. Just as the masses have profaned and marred our flags abroad, they have simultaneously shouted hate toward Christians. Is anyone burning embassies or killing people to refute such hateful actions? I didn't think so.

All around the world, Christians die every day at the hand of violent radicals, just because they profess faith in God. Multitudes of citizens in the U.S. slay Christianity with disrespect. They live protected within America's borders, but shamefully spite the land that shelters them. They live under the blessings of God, but disregard His heavenly provision. They blaspheme both history and the God who wrote it while brow-beating His believers. What a double standard!

So from within and without our battles rage, pointing to God's coming judgment. How long will He tolerate such unholy conduct? I have no idea. But I do know this, I'd rather stand for this country and stand for my Lord than blindly follow the fools headed for captivity and/or hell!

Oh, say, can you see – where this country is headed? If we don't wake up and stop the insanity of socialistic programs and the dumbing down of America, our broad stripes and bright stars will cease to gallantly stream.

Oh, say, can you see – eternity is certain and the here-and-now is critically important. God is patient, but He's also just. It's time to open our eyes and turn from our wicked ways if we want true freedom to last!

President George Washington once said, "A primary object should be the education of our youth in the science of government. In a republic, what species of knowledge can be equally important? And what duty more pressing than communicating it to those who are to be the future guardians of the liberties of the country?"

Another president by the name of George – George W. Bush – said it this way when he proclaimed in 2002 this third week of September as Constitution Week, “As we face the challenges of a new era, we remain resolved and vigilant in the defense of life and liberty against tyranny and terror. Drawing strength and guidance from our Constitution, we will work to ensure that the blessings of American liberty endure and extend for generations to come.”

Do you see? It comes down to you and me living in such a way that we honor God who alone makes it possible to be truly free. The prayer from David to “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law,” found in Psalm 119:18, takes on a whole new meaning. When you look at God's law in His Word, all other laws have to align themselves under that Holy authority. If the law or the lawmaker fails, all is in jeopardy. We honor God and country when we open our eyes to see this great need for liberty.

What Will It Take to Awaken

By Brenda Black

"Pastor Nadarkhani has done nothing more than maintain his devout faith, which is a universal right for all people," the statement released by the White House read. "That the Iranian authorities would try to force him to renounce that faith violates the religious values they claim to defend, crosses all bounds of decency, and breaches Iran's own international obligations. A decision to impose the death penalty would further demonstrate the Iranian authorities' utter disregard for religious freedom, and highlight Iran's continuing violation of the universal rights of its citizens. We call upon the Iranian authorities to release Pastor Nadarkhani, and demonstrate a commitment to basic, universal human rights, including freedom of religion."

Nadarkhani is currently the most notorious Christian facing hate-driven persecution, but he is not the only one. Worldwide, brothers and sisters in Christ die for their faith every day! They risk their lives, their families and their homes, yet cling to their convictions. They gather for worship in spite of death threats. They share their faith, knowing it may cost them everything. Four times, Nadarkhani has been pressured to renounce his faith. Four times he defended the cross of Jesus Christ and refused to deny God's saving power in his life.

Could you do it? Would you do it? Christians who live in the “land of the free and the home of the brave” cave under far less duress. Why, we won't say God bless you if somebody sneezes for fear it's not politically correct. Employers at certain retail stores will forbid staff to wish customers Merry Christmas in the days ahead lest some shopper complains. And choose to go to church on Sunday morning? Half of those who profess Christianity won't darken the doors. Not because there is threat to life and limb. Inconvenience or indifference is usually the excuse non-persecuted believers use, as humorously depicted in the following announcement:

To make it possible for everyone to attend church this Sunday, we are going to have a special "No Excuse Sunday": Cots will be placed in the foyer for those who say, "Sunday is my only day to sleep in." There will be a special section with lounge chairs for those who feel that our pews are too hard. Eye drops will be available for those with tired eyes from watching TV late Saturday night. We will have steel helmets for those who say, "The roof would cave in if I ever came to church." Blankets will be furnished for those who think the church is too cold, and fans for those who say it is too hot. Scorecards will be available for those who wish to list the hypocrites present. Relatives and friends will be in attendance for those who can't go to church and cook dinner, too. We will distribute "Stamp Out Stewardship" buttons for those that feel the church is always asking for money. One section will be devoted to trees and grass for those who like to seek God in nature. Doctors and nurses will be in attendance for those who plan to be sick on Sunday. The sanctuary will be decorated with both Christmas poinsettias and Easter lilies for those who never have seen the church without them. We will provide hearing aids for those who can't hear the preacher and cotton wool for those who think he's too loud! Hope to see you there!

The ludicrous hoops the church must jump through to awaken its slumbering body is truly insane! People are dying to know Jesus across this planet and walk for miles to hear the Word preached! People are dying to defend their faith and smuggle the Word in scraps of paper past guarded borders to impart the Truth! People are dying while sharing the message of the cross with hungry, searching souls and count it all loss except for knowing Christ! And we can't get our behinds out of bed into a padded pew for a couple of hours once a week to just let God know we give a hoot! We won't leave our comfortable homes, get in our climate-controlled cars and enter a chapel to worship the One who made every stick and brick and every tire and tank and every steeple and stained glass window possible in our safe, little neighborhoods.

What will it take to awaken our souls? Must we be faced with death that we might express devotion. Though my heart aches for those who endure such abuse for the cause of Christ, I have to wonder if they aren't far and ahead more blessed and more fulfilled than me on any given day I live. For they are closer to God in their trial than I will ever be in tranquility. They are in the company of the saints and martyrs like Stephen, who “full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:55)

Lord, forgive our complacency. Forgive our selfish, misplaced priorities. God help us to risk it all for Your sake and fall before You in worship! May we care enough to gather and praise, to go and tell, to never deny you no matter the risk. God save us from ourselves and awaken our souls.

A good place to wake up is in the Lord's house. Don't wait until your freedom to worship is threatened. Worship now!

Death of a Salesman

Death of a Salesman
By Brenda Black

I quickly turned the channel the other night. I didn't want to see a woman dismembered by the cranking, torturous pull of winched chains secured to shackles that clamped each of her arms and legs. The set-up for the illusion employed brave volunteers with strong stomachs to buckle down the apparatus and stand nearby as witnesses. I watched the prep and the promise of the magic man, but decided I could live my life without seeing the trick fully played out under stage lights and before a live and gullible audience. I don't have a strong stomach.

A few of the mourners who accompanied Mary to the tomb of her brother, Lazarus, probably felt the same way when they heard Jesus ask them to roll the stone away. It's going to stink, warned the practical Martha. But others, no doubt, crept in closer to see all the gory details.

Over the next few days, the novelty of the born again Lazarus beckoned crowds to come and see. They wanted to meet the magician, but they also wanted to see this man he raised from the dead. And between the two of them, their fame presented the Pharisees with a perplexing problem in need of a strategic remedy.

“So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.” (John 12:10)

Here in John 12 is a passage of Scripture filled with the miracle of a man brought back from the dead and a woman anointing the Lord with expensive perfume and wiping his feet with her hair. We hear the Lord predict his own death and learn of people enamored with the One who has power over the grave. Christ directly challenges the crowd to “Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light.” (vs. 36)

Still, even after all this, most did not believe in him.

The Lord's latest attempt to save foolish and hardened hearts came just prior to when the Christ would ride into Jerusalem to the sounds of cheers, but also to the leering looks from those who despised him. While some shouted “Hosanna!” Other were thinking hang him! As his adorers pronounced blessings on him as King of Israel, his enemies cursed him beneath their breath.

Then, nearly almost to the end of this same chapter we find a very revealing and humbling truth. No matter how great the King or how marvelous his exploits, man will only believe as far as they do not bear any risk. “Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.” (Jn 12:42-43)

In my tiny corner of the planet, I have been privileged to live my entire life in places where people are unashamed to profess their faith in Christ, though not everyone I know, knows the Lord. I was in college before I ever met a self-proclaimed atheist. I'd love to find out if she's still breathing since she never thought their was Anyone behind that very basic variable of life.

Though I still live pretty much in the same small space we call the Midwest, the world is now at my fingertips. With changing technology and changing times, it is obvious that more people than that one bitter chick in college have issues about God. And they are free to spew their hateful, irreverent comments on blogs and talk shows, and in articles and sit-coms. I shudder at the audacity of some of the crude and ignorant verbiage. And then I remember what else John 12 warned: “'He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn – and I would heal them.'” (vs. 40)

This is not about God ostracizing a group of religious leaders. This is not about eliminating their opportunity for salvation. These are the words of a prophet who saw in advance that this is how they are going to treat HIM. Christ's actions and perfection left them faced with a life-or-death dilemma: Believe or kill him!


They killed Him. But, like Lazarus, He was risen from the dead! And now what do the haters and naysayers, the pagan and perverse, the atheists and agnostics have as a back-up plan? They kill the messengers like they wanted to kill Lazarus.

The following is just one of their most recent schemes according to The Voice of the Martyrs at http://www.persecution.com :

Neshan Saeedi, a 27-year-old Christian, has not been seen since his arrest by government authorities in July, according to the Farsi Christian News Network.

On July 24, Saeedi was at home with his wife and young daughter in the city of Ahvaz, Iran, when plainclothes security officers entered his house and arrested the family. Security officers searched the home and seized personal belongings, including a computer, CDs containing films of Christian seminars and teachings, Christian books, Bibles and family photo albums.

The family was taken to the Chaharshir detention center in Ahvaz, where they were interrogated for several hours before Saeedi’s wife and daughter were released. Officers threatened Saeedi’s wife, saying if the family continued its Christian activities their daughter might be taken away. The family was accused of threatening Iran’s national security by participating in anti-government activities. They were further accused of being spies of foreign powers and of leading people to a pro-Israel ideology.

The house church that Saeedi’s family attended has stopped meeting out of fear for their lives and the possibility of further arrests. Government authorities are thought to be actively seeking the arrest of two of the house church leaders.
This incident is the latest arrest of believers in Iran in recent months. VOM encourages you to pray for Neshan Saeedi’s physical, mental and spiritual well-being. Ask God to protect his wife, daughter and the other church leaders, and pray that God will grant courage and boldness to all Iranian believers.

Pray for those who are persecuted for the cause of Christ. They die every day somewhere in the world.

Whaddya Know

Whaddya Know
By Brenda Black


An upright man wronged must still do what is right. That's not an old proverb. It's the plot for a 1956 Hitchcock classic, “The Man Who Knew Too Much.” James Stewart and Doris Day encounter international espionage, fight to find their kidnapped son and thwart the assassination of a foreign diplomat. And it's all done as innocent tourists. Had Stewart's leading character not been so trustworthy, their Moroccan vacation may have been considerably less eventful and far more safe. But along with upright living, comes responsibility.

From the movies to current events, a few leading headlines easily communicate that standing for something in the real world demands one be prepared to fight for it. Persecution and political pressure compels Christians to take the high road. Sometimes at great cost.

Headline: “Officials Cleared in Prayer Injunction Case.” This story comes from The Washington Times writer Julia Duhin, who recounts the trial of two Florida school officials. “The ACLU complained to Judge Rodgers after Mr. Lay asked Mr. Freeman to offer mealtime prayers at a Jan. 28 lunch for school employees and booster club members who had helped with a school field house project. The judge then issued a contempt order for the two men.

“When asked Thursday why he agreed to give the prayer, 'It was just out of reflex,' Mr. Freeman told the judge, according to the Pensacola News-Journal. His testimony was part of a 10-hour hearing involving several witnesses.”

If the men had been found guilty, their penalty would equal six months in jail and a possible loss of their retirement benefits and $5,000 each in fines.” For thanking God for the booster club!

It gets worse: “Christian Hotel Owners Hauled Before Court After Defending Their Beliefs in Discussion with Muslim Guest.” This story takes place in England, but sounds frighteningly probable right here in the U.S. According to reporter Jonathan Petre of the London Daily Mail, the hotel owners do not believe they were threatening, abusive or insulting. David Whiting, their defense attorney said “They are committed Christians and it is the defense’s contention that they have every right to defend their religious beliefs and explain those beliefs to others who do not hold similar views.”

The article goes on to say, “The use by the police of the Public Order Act to arrest people over offensive comments has dismayed a number of lawyers, who say the legislation was passed to deal with law and order problems in the streets. Neil Addison, a prominent criminal barrister and expert in religious law, said: ‘The purpose of the Public Order Act is to prevent disorder, but I’m very concerned that the police are using it merely because someone is offended.
“‘It should be used where there is violence, yobbish behaviour or gratuitous personal abuse. It should never be used where there has been a personal conversation or debate with views firmly expressed. If someone is in a discussion and they don’t like what they are hearing, they can walk away.’ He added that the police had a legal duty under the Human Rights Act to defend free speech ‘and I think they are forgetting that.’”

What do you know? If a Christian invokes a blessing it is a crime. If a Christian defends his faith it is a crime. And still an upright man wronged must do what is right because we ultimately count it all loss for the sake of Christ.

“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10-11)

Christ was upright. He was crucified. We are called to carry His cross every day we live.