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2014 Worship Guide
A Lincoln Daily News.com Publication
Lincoln Church of the Nazarene
Christmas
‘Twas a Nightmare
Before
A
s disturbing dreams go, this one was a doozy. Recently my sleep was
troubled by a nightmarish scenario: Christianity had fallen out of favor in
our land. In fact, it had become illegal. Christ-followers were stripped of their
freedoms. No longer permitted to assemble to worship and practice their faith
in public, Christians were forced into hiding and cong egated in he shadows.
Heartbreakingly, this is exactly the situation millions of God’s children face in
other corners of the globe, but to think it had come to “the land of the free and the
home of the brave” was nearly inconceivable.
But it gets worse. A summons was issued
throughout the nation calling out Christian leaders
– pastors, preachers, priests, and teachers –
challenging them to prove their allegiance to Jesus
by surrendering themselves to the governmental
authorities at a certain place on a certain day for
public execution. The edict dared these outlaws to
give themselves up instead of waiting to be found
out and brought to ‘justice.’ The details of the vision
are fading, but I can still recall the sick feeling in
the pit of my stomach as I counted the cost on the
eve of this awful judgment day. Would I stand up or
back down? Could I go knowing it would cost me
everything?
By the mercies of God I awoke before the dawning
of that day. My heart was pounding and my mind
raced and my gut churned with mixed emotions.
Continued
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