Be strong and of great courage.

     Most of the time this is easier said than done.  That's because we don't practice being strong and courageous.  Nor do we teach our children and others to be strong and of great courage.  We would like to say that we did but we haven't.  How do I know?  Look at the world around us.  Our world is filled with everything but strength and courage.  There is an illness spreading around the world called political correctness.  Don't offend.  Don't oppose.  Don't take a stand.  You might upset someone.  This could fall in the faith or world arenas.  What does it mean to be strong?  What does it mean to have great courage?
     I would like to pose a situation where both of these will be weighed in the balance.  We all know the story and the ending of the story.  God wins.  In the meantime, we Christians will be called upon to have strength and great courage.  The Bible tells us that families will turn against one another.  That is already happening.  The Bible tells us that Christians will be persecuted.  That is already happening.  The Bible says the world has to become worse than he days of Sodom and Gomorrah before Christ returns.  The world is getting there.  We will be faced with demands that we are to give up our faith.  Already happening.  We will be charged with crimes because of our Christian stance.  Yep, that's happening too.  The journey to Christ's return is to get worse and worse before it gets better. 
     Here is THE question.  Where is your faith?  How will you handle the personal nature of attacks leveled against you and your family/friends?  Imagine, if you will, that you have been arrested  for being Christian.  You are ordered to recant your faith.  You refuse.  They threaten you and torture you and yet you refuse to recant.  So, the bring out your child and threaten to kill your child unless you recant.  Is your child ready for this?  Are you ready for this?  It's already happening!  Look around you!  What are you going to do as they put a knife to your child's neck?  Are you going to be strong and of great courage or are you going to cave?  Does your child know that you will die for your faith?  Do they know that they might have to die for their and your faith? 
    "Oh, that won't happen here."  Really?!  It's already happening here.  It's just not happening to you.  Yet.  Children, women, men and the elderly have all been targeted for their faith in Jesus in various countries of the world.  Millions have already died for their faith.  The religious cleansing began when Satan was cast out of Heaven.  It's been downhill for the believer ever since.  The end will come.  Where will you be found when your "end" has come?  Will you and your family stand proudly for Christ who died for you?  Will your children and family know that you will die for your faith and that you would want them to do so also? 
     It takes strength and great courage to make any stand.  From the smallest event to the largest we will have our faith assaulted and abused.  No one can take away our faith.  If taken that faith was surrendered.  Do you believe so strongly in Christ and the Gospel message that you would die for that belief?  It's a tough question.  Not like deciding what is for dinner.  Now is the time to stand for Christ with great courage.  Others salvation depend on those who have faith.