I’ve started this post several times and no words seem to be right. I want to thank those men and women in Oregon who stood for their faith when they stared death in the face. Thank you for your witness. Thank you for showing what it means to give all for your love of Jesus. There is nothing I can say that would ever be enough to thank you for what you did and for the witness you are to the millions who have now heard of your sacrifice.

I want to thank those like Chris Mintz who were courageous and took action to stop the massacre.

What angers me about this whole thing is the fact that, 1.) our president has used this tragedy to further his political agenda against gun control. If there were no guns involved, if the killer used rocks to stone these people to death, would Obama call for a ban on rocks? Would he work to rid our nation of all stones big enough to hurt anyone? No. Of course not. Because the gun did not kill, the person wielding it did. Inanimate objects can have no motivation by themselves. As evangelist Clayton Jennings says, “it’s not a gun issue, it’s a sin issue. 

And 2.) there is no outrage. Ten Christians were targeted and murdered for their faith in Jesus Christ, but is this a hate crime in the eyes of our government? No. But refusing to bake a cake for a gay wedding…That should hailed as hate. And  refusing to host a gay wedding on personal property is also considered hatred. And taking away taxpayer money that allows Planned Parenthood to murder 327,653 babies last year alone…That’s almost 900 babies a day— one child every 90 seconds… No! Never! Our country is targeting Christians. There is a witch hunt for those who are willing to stand up for their love of Jesus Christ and a hunt for those who stand up for those who cannot stand for themselves.

I’m burdened thinking about how I’m going to teach my children to stand up for their faith like the ten who gave their lives in Oregon. How do I instill in them the strength it would take for them to charge at a killer who’s targeting people of faith, no matter the faith? The answer is, I can’t. I can only pray that God would instill in them the necessary strength and courage. Every day I pray that they would have the courage and boldness to stand strong in the midst of adversity and persecution because we know that in today’s society that targets Christians, they will face that persecution and they will need a faith so deep it settles into their bones and shakes the very core of who they are. They cannot live on my faith. They have to possess their own.

Will you join me as I pray for our children?