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Courage to stand for Christ in workplace

Many Christian Americans are faced with a choice whether to live out their faith or keep their jobs. One week we are receiving accolades for what God is doing through us in our careers and the next week we are facing termination for expressing what we believe about the Bible.

This same bipolar culture existed when Paul and Barnabas were preaching in Lystra (Acts 14:8–20). As a man who had been lame from birth was listening to the gospel message Paul called out to the man and said, “Stand up!” The man leaped to his feet and walked.

When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they concluded that he and Barnabas were gods and wanted to worship them. Paul and Barnabas were agitated, telling the crowd, “We are human beings just like yourselves.” Shortly thereafter, some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and turned the exact same crowds into a murderous mob. They stoned Paul, dragged him out of the city and left him for dead.

Here’s the disturbing part. Verse 20 says believers were in the crowd. They were apparently afraid to speak out on Paul’s behalf for fear that what happened to Paul might happen to them. They lacked the courage to stand.

Having the courage to stand means living out Christian values publicly. Too many of us proudly live out our faith privately during church activities around other like-minded believers where it’s safe.

When it comes to walking it out openly after the benediction, we are paralyzed. The Bible rightly declares, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!” Sadly many of the redeemed in this untoward culture are silent and passive when it comes to disclosing Christ as the source of our blessings.

Like the crowd in Lystra, they see what has happened to believers who have stood publicly and are fearful of the same circumstances if they took a stand. This fear causes many to conclude the cost for standing is too great. Avoidance is proof we have more fear of worldly consequences than faith in the Kingdom consequences of living out our faith.

God understands our fears. He is a very present help in time of trouble. What He doesn’t understand is how a believer will strategically plan how to avoid being discovered as a child of God when we profess embracing the whole truth of Scripture. What He doesn’t understand is why we don’t stand with other believers who are being persecuted.

Overcoming our fears begins with confessing our fears.

If you’re scared, don’t try to hide it. If you’re scared that you will lose your friends for standing on the truth, say you’re scared. If you’re scared you will lose your job, say you’re scared. If you’re scared you will lose your business, say you’re scared.

If we will simply be honest with God, talk to Him about it and stop trying to avoid the conversation, He will hear us and embolden us with courage and strength to stand.

Don’t be afraid to live out your faith. Stand! God will give you courage and strength. Our back is not against the wall. We are not at the end of our rope. Throwing in the towel is not an option. (BP)

EDITOR’S NOTE — Kelvin Cochran is chief operating officer at Elizabeth Baptist Church, Atlanta. In 2015, Cochran was fired from his job as Atlanta’s fire chief following complaints about his Christian views on sexuality as expressed in a men’s devotional book. A federal court later found Cochran’s firing unconstitutional.

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We honor the Lord when we treat all kinds of music with respect and do it to the best of our ability as an act
of worship.

Thomas Smith
Minister of music
Providence Baptist Church, Opelika

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Believers are on a daily adventure with God. It’s a long-distance hike that requires endurance. So hit the trails.
Darryl Wood
Retired pastor

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Churches are different in their worship traditions and expectations and we must respect that and work with our people. I think we need to let God lead us in worship planning and be patient.
Pastor Buddy Champion
FBC Trussville

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It’s not “my” church because I own it. It’s “my” church because I am committed to it.
Pastor Greg Corbin
Lakeside Baptist Church, Birmingham

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The constant criticism many pastors face is basically death by a thousand cuts.

Thom Rainer
Founder and CEO of Church Answers

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If revival is going to happen, then maybe the first thing that has to happen is judgment on the house of the Lord.
Jonathan Akin, director of Young Leader Engagement for the North American Mission Board, preaching during Etowah Baptist Association’s School of the Prophets at FBC Gadsden

As we engage with your Word, I pray we would leave more like Jesus than when we came.
Pastor Micah Fries
Brainerd Baptist Church
Chattanooga, Tenn.

People ask, how could a holy God allow evil in the world? They make accusations that if God is holy, this or that would not have happened in my life. The difficult valleys of life cannot measure the Lord’s attributes nor can any type of measuring device created by mankind.
D. Jay Powell
Author, “Be Inspired: 101 Thoughts for Every Christian Writer”

When dealing with people, always err on the side of grace.
Mike Jackson, director of LeaderCare & Church Health, Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions

The same Holy Spirit who empowered the first-century church and breathed life into every generation of the church since is still active today. God is not surprised by your Muslim neighbors, your gay coworkers and your stubbornly atheist sibling. And he is calling you to be the very announcement of the gospel to them.
Dan Darling
“The Good and Bad News for Evangelism in Post-Christian Culture”
www.churchplants.com

If we succeed without suffering it is because others suffered before us; if we suffer without succeeding, it is that others may succeed after us.
Edward Judson, son of Adoniram Judson, as quoted in “Upside Down Leadership: Rethinking Influence and Success” by Taylor Field

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From the Twitterverse

@GoBGR
The Bahamas are in need of your prayers. The road to recovery from #Dorian will be long and arduous, and we ask that you join us in praying for the Bahamian people to find hope and comfort in this crisis, as well for the response teams delivering supplies.

@edstetzer
The reality is pastors struggle psychologically, emotionally and spiritually. They struggle sometimes with physiological realities in and around depression and becoming a follower of Jesus and a pastor does not necessarily make those things disappear.

@VOM_USA
COMMUNIST CHINA: [Sept. 9, 2019,] marks 69 years of Communist rule in China. Thank God that His word triumphs despite decades of Communist opposition.

@WeMoKevin
“God never intended for the church to be a refrigerator in which to preserve perishable piety. … He intended it to be an incubator in which to hatch our converts.” — R.G. Lee

@SEBTS
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Colossians 3:16

@LifeWay
“As we give and receive we are reflecting the gospel, which is all about the work of Jesus who gave His life for us so that we might receive eternal life.” — @trillianewbell

@Jeff_Noblit
It seems that the trend every few years is to produce a better version of the church in order to appeal to the culture … what is really needed is a “truer” church that calls the culture out of its sin and error and into the truth!

@EdLitton
Even when evil is done to us it exposes our need for grace. Romans 12:14–21

@joshreavis
Pastors, sow and water today. Trust God with the results.

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Value of a photograph

We have all heard the expression “a picture is worth a thousand words.” At the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission (ABHC), we find it to be very true.

It is wonderful to have a detailed written description of how a church building was designed or how a former pastor looked but it is often more meaningful, informative and powerful to see an image.

One of our most frequent requests is for a picture of a former pastor or church building. Sadly we are often unable to help with these requests. The only way a picture becomes part of the ABHC collection is for someone to provide a copy.

Alabama Baptist churches can help provide an important resource and bless future generations by preserving images for the future.

Please send us photographs or drawings of current and former church buildings and photographs of current and former pastors. We would like to have as many as possible.

Remember to include identifying information such as name, location, date, etc.

Mail your pictures to Alabama Baptist Historical Commission, P.O. Box 293928, Birmingham, AL 35229.

If you have any questions, call us at 205-726-2363.

—Lonette Berg

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My reason for reading TAB is to see what is going on in our state — to stay informed about the work of our churches and people, news about programs we could participate in, places of missions work, what Women on Mission groups are doing in their churches, pastor changes, letters addressed to TAB, reading about our three colleges, happenings in our associations (I have lived in 4) and of course the crossword puzzle (thanks for making it larger!),
My Rashionale and TwitterVerse. I love the new layout!

A retired church secretary