I Was Just Thinking

by Pastor Vincent Imwensi

I didn’t say so – I read it in the news. A group of over 50 leading scientists, authors and academicians recently wrote an open letter to the Prime minister to challenge him for referring to Great Britain as a Christian country.

According to them: “We wish to object to his repeated mischaracterising of our country as a ‘Christian country’ and the negative consequences for our politics and society that this view engenders…Repeated surveys, polls, and studies show most of us as individuals are not Christian in our beliefs or our religious identities and at a social level, Britain has been shaped for the better by many pre-Christian, non-Christian, and post-Christian forces…We are a plural society with citizens with a range of perspectives and a largely non-religious society. To constantly claim otherwise fosters alienation and division in our society.”

A lot of people agree they are right, some think they are wrong while others couldn’t care less. I believe this indeed is food for thought.

Stating the obvious
One of the ironies of life as I have come to find out is that a lot of times, people don’t want you to say things the way they are. They want you to meander around the truth and make clever indirect references to the obvious. It is called “tact” and often hailed as wisdom.

It is like telling someone that he or she is selfish. That person will hate you for saying so but meanwhile, he/she is someone who thinks only of himself (or herself) and doesn’t care what happens to other people (as long as he or she is fine).

So as far as this matter goes, sad as it may sound, I think there is a lot of truth in their objection to calling Britain a Christian country.

If it is to be based on past history and a few residual Christian traditions here and there, they will be wrong to say that Britain is not a Christian country but if it is based on the lifestyle, interests, priorities and values of the majority of the people in Britain today, I would say, they are more right than they are wrong.

 The Proof Is Everywhere
If you think they are wrong, go to most churches on Sunday mornings and see how few the congregants are.

In comparison, watch any game-show on the television (be it quiz, football or just any game) and see the multitudes that faithfully sit to watch, giggle and laugh in the name of having fun. It reminds one of what a church congregation used to be.

Go out to the street to preach the gospel to passers bye and see the disdain with which you will be treated by most people.

Make mention of God or Jesus in your place of work and see what happens to you.
Recently, a Christian doctor was sacked for emailing prayer to his colleagues to lift their spirits. He went to the employment tribunal and his sack was upheld. He had committed an unpardonable crime.

In 2009, a Christian nurse in Somerset was suspended from duty after offering to pray for an elderly patient in her care. It is not that she prayed for the patient but that she offered to do so. It was the patient who reported her for daring to make that offer to her.

And there are so many other anti-God, anti-Church, anti-Christ and anti-Christian practices that are enthusiastically embraced and accepted in the British way of life today.
Does that sound like a Christian nation? I don’t think so.

Let’s Call A Spade A Spade.
I read a comment on this subject where someone who asserts that this is a Christian nation said that Christianity is not about going to church on a Sunday but rather about values, ethics, etc.

That is like saying that being a student is not about going to school and attending classes; being an employee is not about leaving your home every day to go to work; being a doctor is not about working in the hospital, etc. That is called begging the question.

I think like many people often do, he was trying to explain and justify the deplorable church attendance situation in Britain. According to Gallup International, 90% of people in Britain do not go to church.

And I wonder what Christian values and ethics he is talking about. Is it the gross sexual immorality that has become a way of life among many Britons? Or is it the divorces, the gay marriages, the silent murders of many innocent unborn babies in the name of abortion, the gun and knife crimes to mention a few?

The situation is such that to even say that these practices are ungodly is an offense to many people and I won’t be surprised if anyone reading this article right now is offended at me for pointing these things out as unbiblical and unchristianly.

Britain Was Once At The Forefront Of Christianity.
On a closer look, I don’t agree that it is right to say that Britain is not a Christian country but rather that Britain is NO LONGER a Christian country.

There was a time when Britain was a beacon of the gospel light to many countries and continents around the world.
In school we were taught about people like Mary Slessor, David Livingstone and a host of others who came to Africa as missionaries to bring us the gospel light and to help put an end to many ungodly practices such as human sacrifices and the like.

And shall we forget the giants of the faith that hailed from Great Britain who were mightily used of God to bless the whole world with the message of the gospel?
People like Smith Wigglesworth, David Brainerd, John Wesley, Charles Finney, Evan Roberts, Hudson Taylor, Charles Spurgeon, John Knox, William Booth, John Bunyan, and many others too numerous to mention.

I Will Be Forever Grateful.
Personally, my life was greatly influenced by a British missionary by name Miss Night.
She used to visit my village back then when I was a little boy. She would gather a lot of us kids together in the church building and would teach us about Jesus.

She used pictures and slides to tell us the story of Jesus. Her teachings were so electrifying and interesting and left a big impression on my young heart. I never used to miss those meetings and anytime I was deprived of the opportunity to go, I used to cry.

She demonstrated how Jesus healed the sick, helped the oppressed and turned impossible situations around. That was when Jesus Christ became my childhood hero.

The good seeds she sowed in my young heart laid the foundation for the rest of my life for which I am forever grateful.

How Are The Mighty Fallen!
So many of us grew up thinking of Britain as the home of Christianity and the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and I don’t think we were too far from the truth then.

But to now come to a point where referring to Britain as a Christian country is considered an offence and a misrepresentation, is unfortunate indeed. And it is even more so when you realize that there is a great deal of truth in that.

Even though being a godless and secular nation is hailed by many as a good thing, in the light of truth, that is preposterous.

It is indeed lamentable and regrettable. I can’t help thinking to myself, “how are the mighty fallen!”

How can a nation that used to send out the gospel around the world now come to a point where the mere mention of God in its public life is an offence? That pains my heart. Britain, what happened to you?

Others Protect Theirs, But Britain Throws Hers Away
Many countries around the world are very protective and proud of their religious heritage and identity – especially in the East. Unlike the West, they are not ashamed to bring their religious beliefs into their public life.

I travelled to the East last year and boarded Qatar airways. When you get on board, they leave you in no doubt as to their religious identity. They let you know that the meals they are going to give you have been prepared in accordance with Islamic laws and customs.

When you land at their airports – whether in the arrival hall, check-in counters or departure halls, the workers are dressed in their religious gowns and they are not ashamed of it. And right there at the airport, there is a mosque.
You see, political correctness has not been allowed to replace their religious beliefs.

Many Britons travel there and they see all these and none of them complain – they faithfully follow whatever rules they’re given.

They Visit Temples And Shrines In Other Places
Furthermore, many Britons travel to religious sites and shrines around the world. In some of those places, they are asked to remove their shoes before they can enter the temple and they do so without complaint.

Yes, and that includes high ranking government officials and dignitaries – they pull off their shoes and walk bare footed into these “holy” places to bow down before whatever is worshipped there without questions.

Sometimes, in addition to removing their shoes, they are given religious clothes and paraphernalia to wear and they count it an honour to put such on. But back home, it is a different story – don’t tell them to go to church, it’s an offense and to some, it is even an insult!

Somebody Ought To Ask Why.

The truth is that many of those in Britain today who are anti-Christian, anti-Bible, anti-Christ and anti-Church have their own religious identity where they came from originally and they do not compromise their beliefs.
They do not preach secularism and humanism when they go back home. And who can blame them for doing so here? The fault is not theirs.

Somebody ought to ask: “what happened to our own religious heritage and identity?” Why have we thrown them away? Why has Britain become an empty shell of what she used to be in terms of the Christian faith?

Has God not been good to this country? Why is it an offense to bring God into our public life? Are we smarter and better than those countries where do? If you think we are, think again.

Where Do You Stand In All Of This?
What is happening in Great Britain today – that is, the rejection (or do I say, the deliberate marginalization) of Christianity and everything God, is not the result of one person’s action.  Rather, it is the result of the collective choices, values and preferences that a lot of people living in Britain have decided to embrace.

My question to you dear friend, is, what side do you belong? Are you among those that are turning their backs at God and the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ? Even if you are not living in Britain, this question is still relevant.

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The recent mishap with Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 in which 239 people together with the aircraft disappeared (as it were) into the thin air, is a big slap in the face of modern science.

Most people were (and still are) shocked that in this day and hour with all the technological advancements, such a thing could happen and leave the whole world (including the super powers) scratching around for answers.

Up till this very moment, nearly a month after the incidence, all that the world has to go by are speculations, hypothetical calculations and inconclusive deductions based on some floating debris found in the Indian Ocean.
This is embarrassing to science and modern technology to say the least.

My Heart Reaches Out To Those Affected
For the avoidance of doubt, let me make it clear that this is not an attempt to trivialize the issue or trample upon the feelings of those who lost their loved ones. Far from it!

My heart actually bleeds to think of the anguish that those that lost their loved ones have had to undergo. Just put yourself in their shoes for a moment and you will agree that this must have been a most painful and bitter experience for all concerned.

I therefore extend my deepest sympathy and heart-felt condolences to those affected by this tragic mishap.

I Have Nothing Against Science
Furthermore, I wish to state unequivocally that this is not an attack on science. I have always loved science and even at school I was a core science student. My choice subjects included physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, additional mathematics, etc.
Till today, I am a lover of technology (which is the brain child of science) and it is no wonder that I like electronic gadgets and things digital.

Science And Technology Are A Great Blessing
Science and technology constitute about the greatest wonder of our modern world. This world wouldn’t be what it is today without the immense contributions that have come from science and technology. Just look around – almost in any field of human endeavour, science and technology are redefining the way we live and the quality of the life that we enjoy.
Therefore the value of science is not in question by any means in today’s world.

Where Many Are Getting It Wrong.
The great mistake that many people around the world are making today however, is that they have come to put all their trust in science.

Science has become their God – they believe in it, they trust in it and they totally depend on it. In fact, many are not prepared to believe what you tell them except you can prove it to them scientifically.

That is why many have thrown the Bible out of their lives and why many are not willing to go to church because they will be told to believe what has not been scientifically proven in the science lab.

Many depend on science as if it has all the answers to the issues of human life – but does it?

Science Does Not Know Everything
The disappearance of the Malaysian Flight MH370 is a stark reminder that there is still a big knowledge gap in science.

You will agree with me that a huge aircraft disappearing from the sky is not a spiritual phenomenon – it is physical and material. And there is no reason why with all its technological advancements, the whole world should be caught panting to find answers had it not being that science does not know everything even within its own environment.

Or do you want me to refer to the mysteries around the Bermuda triangle which science has still not been able to solve after these many decades? Let’s not even go there.

Even if all the answers and explanations concerning that Flight were to be found today, that will still not diminish this fact – that science does not know everything. But many people depend on it as if it does.

Even The Super Powers Have Been Beaten Hands Down
If our scientific knowledge was adequate and complete, the answer as to what happened to that Flight should have been provided within the first few hours of its disappearance.

Just think about it – the United States of America, The United Kingdom, Japan, China, Russia, etc – they all struggled to find answers and many still haven’t arrived at any conclusive answer till now!

This is embarrassing – I thought the modern man knows everything (courtesy of science)!

A Pertinent Question
Now here is the big question: since it is clear that there are things that science does not (or does not yet) know even in this physical world, what is the wisdom of resting the eternal destiny of your soul on what scientific knowledge has or has not taught you? What is the wisdom of rejecting biblical truths on scientific grounds?

Like I said earlier, the reason a lot of people are not prepared to believe the Bible these days is because of their reliance on what their scientific knowledge endorses.

What will such people do the day they find out (too late) that there is a whole body of knowledge about their soul that was not within the reach of science? It will be a sad regret. Don’t let that happen to you.

Knowledge Beyond Scientific Proof
Listen to me dear friend, you need to believe the word of God – the Bible. There are many things in it that you may not be able to prove scientifically, but that does not mean that it is not true.

And one of those key truths in the Bible that you need to believe is that your soul needs to be saved. As a human being, you are a sinner (just like anyone else) and one day (when you leave this world), you will stand before your Maker (God) to give account of your life. That is why we all need a Saviour.

If you die and leave this world as an unsaved soul, you won’t like where you find yourself.

This is not intended to frighten you or anything like that (no one gains anything by doing that). This is the simple truth and you need to believe it.

You Need To Be Saved (if you are not already)
That was why Jesus came to this world. He died to pay for your sins and mine.

But since God will not force this salvation on anyone, it is only those who ask for it that get it. So for you to be forgiven of your sins, you need to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and ask Him to save your soul.

When you do so sincerely, He will save your soul. This is knowledge that you must not ignore. Click here to find out more.

Scientific knowledge does not cover everything – especially things that are spiritual, things that have to do with the eternal destiny of your soul. Don’t place a blind trust on science.

Make sure you are saved or born again (if you are not already) and the earlier to get that sorted the better. More information is available here.

By Pastor Vincent Imwensi

I am not a political commentator or analyst but just like anyone else, I do contemplate on issues around me.

And so when it hit the headlines two months ago that the American President made a speech on the national Thanksgiving day (November 24th, 2011) without mentioning God – talk less of thanking Him, it was a matter for concern not only to me, but to many people across the world.

He thanked military personnel, service men and women, pilgrims, pioneers and patriots, cooks, as well as family, community, country and all Americans – but not God! That touched my heart.

Let’s Not Pretend About It

Someone may say that was last year and it is a forgotten issue but I say no! Why? Because the reasons behind what the President did (or did not do) in that speech are still there and they won’t go away by pretending they are not there. There are serious implications in that.

I am not an American but since America has come to be regarded by many people (rightly or wrongly) as the biggest Christian nation on earth right now, such an act provokes some serious thinking in the minds of God-minded people around the world.

This Is Not A Criticism

I am not one of those who like to criticize those in authority. In accordance with the word of God, I endeavour not to speak evil of those in positions of authority. What I owe them is not criticism but respect, prayer and obedience in righteousness.

There are several people who spend a lot of time blaming leadership for their woes. While certain problems are caused by leadership blunders, most of the time the people have more to do with the problem they are complaining about than those in leadership.

There are even those who have made a career out of criticism, fault-finding and finger pointing at those in authority. I detest and hate it. Therefore, the purpose of this writing is not fault finding and criticism – it is to bring certain truth to light.

Who Is Behind America’s Greatness?

America is a great nation and even though there are some people and nations that are ill disposed towards America and Americans, there are many that love America and Americans.
In fact, in many parts of Africa, merely saying that you are from America confers immediate respect on you. Is it any wonder that it is the lifelong dream of many in different parts of the world to migrate to America?

But what or who made America great? Some think it is their clever politicians, or their strong military or their inventors or their industrialists. But it is none of these. Other nations are equally endowed and in some cases, even more. Don’t tell me that the Americans are smarter than the British or the Russians!

I believe that the greatness of America derives from God. Without Him, every human effort, skill, training or experience will come to naught.

The Americans Know Their History Better Than Anyone Else

The American people are intelligent, well read and well-schooled – so I believe they know their history better than anyone else. I am sure they know how the whole idea of a day of national Thanksgiving came about. So turning it into something else is not the doing of one person.

In fact, if we were to postulate that they have forgotten what the national day of Thanksgiving is all about,  their President certainly did not.

A Little Bit Of History:

Thanksgiving Day Was Intended To Thank God

As far as I understand, the whole idea was to thank the Almighty God for His bountiful blessings upon the nation and its citizens.

The Pilgrims started it in 1621 and the reason was to thank God. It is said that it was a tradition they brought with them from England where the idea also was to thank God for His gracious providence and provision.

Then on October 3, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln made a proclamation establishing the last Thursday in the month of November as a national day of “Thanksgiving and Praise” to God … (well, it has since been amended to the fourth Thursday in November).

That God was the object of this Thanksgiving celebration is eloquently expressed in that declaration. After enumerating so many blessings that God had brought upon the nation including that of protection, preservation, provision, prosperity and so on, he said:

“No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People.

I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens”

You can see that the idea was NOT to thank one another but God.

How the whole thing now turned around such that it is all about thanking men instead of God – to the point that He doesn’t even deserve a mention in the President’s Thanksgiving speech, is difficult to understand.

The President Did Not Forget And It Was Not A Mistake

I believe he did not forget that he is supposed to thank God, it was not a mistake that he did not do it, instead, it was a deliberate omission.

Take a look at the American president and you will see that he is smart, clever and intelligent – don’t expect him to forget something like that!

Moreover, do you know how many times that speech was rehearsed and cross examined before it was broadcast? He was simply playing safe – saying what is agreeable to most Americans nowadays and not likely to ruffle many feathers.

In politics, you have to dance to the drum beat of those that put you in power otherwise, if they cannot impeach you before the completion of your tenure, they will not vote for you in the next election.

Don’t Blame The President – Ask The People

I know that many people are quick to pin the blame of the president but in reality, he is not to blame – ask the people what happened to their relationship with God.

After all, when in 1939 President Franklin Roosevelt changed the Thanksgiving day to the 3rd Thursday of the month of November instead of the last, there was a great public outcry (oh well, because of the financial implications).

And that was why in 1941, by an act of Congressional Joint Resolution, the 4^th Thursday of November was set as a national day of Thanksgiving and it has been so ever since.

How many Americans are concerned that on a day set aside to thank God for His goodness to the nation, His name was not even mentioned in the president’s Thanksgiving speech talk less of thanking Him?

What do you think the reaction will be in the Congress right now, if someone was to complain that God was not mentioned (in the President’s Thanksgiving speech) talk less of being thanked? I believe that person will be booed and told to shut up. So don’t tell me the president is to blame!

What Happened To “God’s Own Country”?

Although this phrase has been jokingly used for different nations (including America), it seems to be more true of America because of the abundant blessings and prosperity upon that nation, their open heartedness towards the gospel of Christ (in the past) and their public acknowledgement of the God of the Bible – that is, until more recent years.

Once upon a time, most American presidents were not ashamed to acknowledge their faith in the living God publicly. Till today, the American motto is “In God We Trust” and it is printed on their currency. But all that is now changing.

And I won’t be surprised if a group of politically correct intellectuals and politicians are hard at work to scrap that motto and replace it with something else. Is this still “God’s own country”? Well, I don’t know.

God Deserves More Than A “Mention” In America.

What some complained about in the President’s Thanksgiving speech was that he did not “mention” God – not that he did not thank God for His goodness to the nation.

If he had sprinkled a careless and politically correct “God bless America” on his thanksgiving speech,(as has been done in previous years), many would have been content.

Mind you, saying “God bless America” in a Thanksgiving speech, is not the same thing as thanking God for His goodness to the nation, yet many would have been ok with that – at least he mentioned God! How else can you define superficiality and lip service?

It was even better he didn’t do it at all than being hypocritical about it.

What Evil Has God Done To America?

At last, some smart politicians, opinion leaders, intellectuals and liberalists have eventually come to see that public acknowledgment of the living God is not healthy for the nation: it is offensive, injurious, divisive and unprofitable.

Praying in public places has been banned in schools and public places, it is now forbidden to hang the Ten Commandments in public buildings in most of the States (if not all).

It has become politically incorrect to acknowledge Christmas in America – (it is now called the “Holidays” to strip the season of its association with “Christ” which many Americans now find offensive).

In fact, during this last Christmas, (25^th December, 2011) several people in America took to the streets on Christmas day (it was in the news) to protest against Christmas symbols in public places such as the Nativity scene and Christmas trees. Can you imagine that? What evil has Christ done to America? Has God not been good to that country – well, you judge.

Some Changes Can Lead To  Downfall.

Any river that forgets (or that is cut off from) its source will soon dry up irrespective of how much water pours into it from other sources.

Change is a good thing and making changes is often part of making progress but that is on the ground that the change is a positive one.

There are changes that lead to downfall instead of elevation, demotion instead of promotion, failure instead of success, poverty instead of prosperity and retrogression instead of progress. So there are some changes never to make.

Any change by which any people move away from God instead drawing closer to Him is a bad change and it always leads downwards. Read the accounts of the nation of Israel in the Bible and you will see a vivid illustration of this.

A Call To Repentance

What I have highlighted in this article is not about Americans alone. Many nations are forgetting God and some even boast about it.

As you read this article, I want to ask you dear friend, does God have a place in your life? Or are you among the many millions (if not billions) of humanity to whom God is irrelevant? But He still owns the breadth in your nostril and when you leave this world you will stand before Him to give account of your life on earth – believe it or not.

Now is the time to turn to Him. He loves you and cares about you. He wants you to come into a personal relationship with Him. Click here to find out how.