Dear editor:
In my Sunday, July 9, letter, I stated that "It's too bad that so many Christians are choosing to remain silent in this intense spiritual battle that is taking place in our nation." That brings to mind one of my favorite quotes: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Sir Edmund Burke)
Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. also made very similar statements to that effect. And they were certainly good men who believed in doing something!
God's arch enemy, Satan, must absolutely love it when God's people remain so largely unengaged, so passive and apathetic concerning all of the problems and evils overtaking us! Satan doesn't have to do very much whenever he finds so little opposition from most Christians!
Actually, I do not believe that Christ himself is very pleased whenever we do so little to help! Just listen to what Christ said to the church in Laodicea: "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm -- neither hot nor cold -- I am about to spit you out of my mouth."
"Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent." (Revelation 3:15, 16, 19)
And here is some of the Bible commentary on these verses: "Lukewarm water makes a disgusting drink. The church in Laodicea had become lukewarm and thus distasteful and repugnant. The believers didn't take a stand for anything. ... Don't settle for following God halfway. Let Christ fire up your faith and get you into the action."
Hot Springs is very much a part of the "Bible Belt" in the heartland of America. I was looking on the Religion page of The Sentinel-Record (in the Saturday edition) and there is a listing of all the many churches here. I looked at them all and counted almost 70 valid Christian churches.
That's a very large number of churches for a town this size! So I ask this question: Where are all of the Christians who could write at least a short, occasional letter?
Some folks say -- Why, I could never write a letter! I will concede that not everyone can write a long, complex kind of a letter, but why not write a short letter of praise, thanks and encouragement for those Christians who will speak up?
It is a very biblical thing for Christians to encourage one another! In 1 Thessalonians 4:18 it says, "Therefore encourage each other with these words."
An excellent example of a great, brief letter of encouragement was from Winnie Mae Manning in Pearcy who showed her support for writers M. Wayne Spencer and Mary Robinson (Saturday, July 15)!
So many of you folks could at least do that much.
Perhaps when Christians start fearing God a lot more than they do other people, we might start seeing more Christians who are willing to stand up and be heard!
Lloyd Hoffman
Hot Springs
Editorial on 07/23/2017