09/25/2024 – “We Will Not Be Silenced” by Erwin W. Lutzer / 1 of 2/ “Strengthen what remains!” and other concluding comments – pg. # 262 / and more …
Blown away like chaff by the wind!
“We fear suffering — not the flames that past martyrs endured, but the cultural flames of shame and ridicule. It has been aptly stated that a Christianity without courage is cultural atheism…” (John 15:18 ; 16:33)
And in the same concluding section, pgs 261 – 262:
“But Martin Niemoller, who would spend time in a concentration camp for his boldness, preached these words to his congregation:
‘We have all of us — the whole Church and the whole community — we’ve been thrown into the Tempter’s sieve, and he is shaking and the wind is blowing, and it must now become manifest whether we are wheat or chaff! … [we} must see that the calm of meditative Christianity is at an end …
It is now springtime for the hopeful and expectant Christian Church — it is a testing time, and God is giving Satan a free hand, so he may shake us up and so that it may be seen what manner of men we are!
Sata swings his sieve and Christianity is thrown hither and thither; and he who is not ready to suffer, he who called himself a Christ only because he thereby hoped to gain something good for his race and his nation is blown alway like chaff by the wind of time.” Quoted in J.S. Conway, The Nazi Persecution of the Churches 1933 – 1945 (New York; Basic Books, 1968), v.
Other quotes from Lutzer’s book:
“Whatever men build, men will destroy. So let’s get on with building the kingdom of God.” St. Augustine – pg. #68
“Buy truth, and do not sell it”. (Proverbs 23:23) – pg. 153
“The line separating good and evil passes not through states, not between classes, nor between political parties either, but right through every human heart, and through all human hearts.” Alexander Solzhenitsyn – pg. 237
“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor safety.” Benjamin Franklin – pg. 191
“We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:2) – pg. 153
“For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy” (2 Timothy 3:2).
“Boldness comes easily when you are in the presence of those who agree with you; it is difficult when you are standing alone in the midst of people who seek your demise.” pg. 121. (comment – Dennis Prager and Ben Shapiro came to mind here – warriors and “future christians” through prayer.)
“If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” George Orwell – pg. 119
“Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required” (Luke 12:48). “Greater gifts mean greater accountability… God’s fairness is not seen in the distribution of talents but in the expectation of our faithfulness with what we have. We will be judged for what we have; we will not be judged for what we don’t have.” pgs. 76 – 77
Soli Deo Gloria!