Another Attack on Christians and Most are largely Sleeping

A former cashier for The Home Depot who has been wearing a "One nation under God" button on his work apron for more than a year has been fired, he says because of the religious reference.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33505354/ns/business-local_business/from/ET

Does this upset you?
Well, it should because the problem is that this kind of thing has been on the rise and so few people are doing anything about it. from Islam being presented as a harmless worldview (for truth on this go to http://www.answeringmuslims.com/ or http://www.jihad-watch.org/ ) to a child being taken out of her home-school and forced to go to public school because a judge ruled she needed to get her faith "sifted!" For updates from an honest Christian perspective I’d go to http://www.askdrbrown.org/ <-radio show: line-of-fire radio, www.cbn.com/CBNNEWS/CWN/ or http://onenewsnow.com/ .
It is good to have a clear understanding of how our country (founded on Christian principles) is being aggressively attacked from all sides and most Christians are being passive and allowing the enemy to steal our land right from under our noses. This reminds me of the passage from Ephesians 5: 1-21 (I will post 11-14 but read full passage here http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ephesians%205&version=NASB )

11Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;
12for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.
13But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.
14For this reason it says,

"Awake, sleeper,

And arise from the dead,

And Christ will shine on you."

We are called to be light, therefore let us then raise up a cry to let people know what an evil plot the devil is carrying out for destroying the children of God created in His image. It starts with us first; allowing the Lord to have His way (John 15) and then we can change a world with the light of God and allowing people to see that Light shining on us, through us, and from us and they will desire that same freedom, purpose, completeness, and salvation we have in Christ. There are many ministries doing something about it, i.e. http://www.ihop.org/ , http://www.thecall.com/ , and http://www.coalitionofconscience.askdrbrown.org/ just to name a few. But they all point to prayer, fasting, and most importantly being connected to the Body of Christ. This is why I extend an invitation to Bible-study at my house on Saturdays or my friend’s house on Thursdays. This is why I have friends who are actively pleading with people in the streets to give their lives to Jesus every week. This is why I am pleading with Muslims in their own mosques to follow Jesus every Friday. This is why all of us should do similarly aggressive methods, if not then more. This isn’t a moment to say one is less of a Christian because they aren’t involved in street evangelism, but this is a call to acquire a holy anger about what is going on around us and most “Christians” are largely sleeping. This is a call to awaken a bride. Get involved some way or another. Prayer, fasting, preaching, teaching, mentoring, evangelizing at your workplace, short-term missions, just do something that will make an impact in this world.
This is why we do it, because of the price He paid for us:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmxiI22GjTc

If you have a question, or if you agree, just hit me up down below.

Grace and Peace in the
Name of our Lord Jesus Christ
Your servant and fellow worker
-Richard Valencia

Refined in the Fire to Shine Bright

I’m sure all of us, when faced with a little hardship or when we do not get things the way we want it, we usually act like a child who is angry at the whole world and even God. I think one misconception many people have is that God is made for us rather then we are made for Him. They might not say it like that, but they act like it.

I’ve been in that season where stuff just keeps happening... last Thursday I got stuck in the mud while I was suppose to go to bible study (that I was going to lead) I didn't make it. Monday again, stuck in the mud and I missed the first half of school. And today... well let’s just say the mud was not an issue, but I now am using my mom's car. But to be honest, the first couple of times I was pretty mad. Asking God why He was allowing these things to happen and wondering whether He even cared. I later apologized to God for losing my cool. I remembered He is the God who fashioned me in my mother’s womb, who had me in mind before the formation of the world, who numbers the hair on my head, and who made us in fear and wonder (read all of Psalm 139). How can I, the creation He designed in love- for the purpose of love, fuss at an awesome God.

Finally, I realized the Lord is doing something in me to take out any aggression and allow me to see it so I can be cleared of it... to be a better witness. So today, I wasn't really mad. I am waiting to see the good that'll come out of it, but I can honestly say I am acquiring perfect peace in Him. I know examples like this will benefit me in the future when I’m across oceans and the degree of testing and refining will be several times intensified, so I can share the love of God with the same peace Jesus had during the storm out in the sea.

Most people do not want a bandied for a wound that goes deep, they need a lot more. They do not need “the God shaped whole in their heart to be filled.” They need an encounter with a living God. They need their lives radically changed by the Creator of the cosmos. What I’m trying to say is, when we look at our lives compared to others, of course God cares, but our problems are nothing compared to the children in Africa dying of AIDS, villages in Sudan being raided and pillaged and women and children being taken as slaves after all the men are killed, or the Christians in China and Iran who are being tortured and killed because they cannot have Jesus on their radios, television sets, or on every other street and bookstore like we do. We can’t afford to look at ourselves, unless it is to see what needs to be refined and purged in fire, while there are a hundred thousand people dying and going to hell everyday out there! So, when we allow our emotions to completely take over ourselves, “children of God,” and we begin to throw a temper-tantrum in front of a lost and dying world, they are not going to want anything to do with a faith we do not even hold to ourselves. If we did, we would live like it:

2 Corinthians 6
4but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses,
5in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger,
6in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love,
(please go back and read the whole chapter)

2 Peter 1
5Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,
6and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,
7and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.
8For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
10Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble

When we reach that, people will truly see we believe in everything we preach because we find perfect peace in a living God, and then they will be willing to hear the Gospel of our Savior.
Please watch these videos, as they will truly bless and stir you up:

Go by Jackie Pullinger
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0wKdLq-QKc
Obsession by Stephen Manley
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8vFGp8QpJk
Truth by Al Martin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gub5uaiT3fo
Salvation in 2mins by Paul Washer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMlv21zGARM

Love you and please feel free to ask any questions that you might have acquired while reading or watching anything I post.

Grace and Peace
In Jesus name
Your servant
Richard