Being the Body of Jesus Christ

Yesterday, I spent my morning getting ready for church. This might not sound very abnormal, but in our increasingly secular U.S. society, this truly is.

Christians, that is TRUE Christians, are a minority in the U.S.A. now! A recent Pew Foundation poll had listed that although 75% or so of Americans claim to be Christian, when 'push comes to shove,' only about 25% of Americans actually believe that Jesus is the only source of salvation!

Whether it is the Catholic Church's internal apostasy (i.e. priests and academics who no longer believe the Historic Faith as found in Acts of the Apostles 4:12) or whether it is Southern Baptist Military Chaplains who trade prayer in Jesus' Name for comfy "rank & privilege" to include health insurance and retirement pay, the folks who actually believe that Jesus Christ is the ONLY source of salvation are about 25% or so of Americans!

In the future, however, I wonder if TRUE APOSTOLIC-CATHOLIC Christianity will not flourish! Yes, yes, many deny the name Christ (Jesus said if you deny me before men, so I will deny you before the Father!). Yes, many will seek to "pressure" you through intimidation, demotion even, BUT, in spite of such bullying tactics, TRUTH prevails!

I have seen a student, a Methodist believer, intimidated into a corner by another apostate student, BUT what I was able to do in a secular university setting was simply affirm the Religious Freedom principle of the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment! The state is not to impose a religion, including the denial of Christian identity, upon we the people! If one believes that JESUS is the ONLY source of salvation then one should not be bullied into believing otherwise! Likewise one should not be bullied into a 'personalistic' view either--i.e. "Jesus is savior for me."

No, Jesus is SAVIOR for ALL PEOPLE!

Now, whether it was Billy Graham or Pope Benedict XVI's recent visit to the U.S.A., the universal Lordship of Christ Jesus is not to be denied!

KURIOSIESUSCHRISTOS = "Jesus Christ is LORD" in Greek! Martyrs of the Christian Faith have died for this claim! Whether it was Polycarp who dared to say that Jesus Christ is GOD and NOT Caesar or whether it is our brave Evangelical and Catholic Chaplains who will not deny Christ Jesus' Name before men (e.g. former navy Chaplain Gorden Klingenschmidt), one's salvation is at stake concerning whose Name one is willing to live and die for!

For Pope Benedict XVI this meant opposing Hitler during WW II by literally leaving the German army!

For Casey Bernall this meant admitting her Christian allegiance when a gun was placed in her face by fellow students involved in occultic activities--i.e. the Columbine Christian martyr.

As Tertullian (Early Church Father . . .) once wrote, "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church."

This was true in the first three centuries of Christianity and is still true today!

PEACE IN CHRIST JESUS! Rob J. King