This message is typical of Quebec.
This is what Christian Quebecois are up against, and this is the message that non-Christian Quebecois are saturated in, all.the.time.
Dominique works at a prison; I asked him recently if he has opportunities to witness for Christ at his workplace.
“Yes,” he said, “but the opportunities are rare. Everyone at my job knows I am a Christian but none of my coworkers truly believe in Christ.
“I have preached the gospel more than once to many different coworkers over the years but I have never yet seen anyone get converted at my job; some are not interested at all, and have asked me not to preach to them anymore. Others have been more receptive and have allowed me to talk about Christ.
“But I never try to accommodate the truth in order to please them. I preach the gospel as it is and let the cross be an offense to them. I am not afraid of the scandal of the cross. I am not afraid of being tagged negatively by some of my coworkers because of Jesus. It is not always easy to make a stand for Jesus-Christ when you are alone, but by God’s grace, I stand firm.
“I have been confronted with many situations at my workplace: One example was when two of my colleagues wanted me to help them provoke an inmate who was a real rascal to say something in order to beat him up. I told them I would not allow that and would not lie to cover it up if it happened. One of my colleagues went to the trade union and talked about me negatively, saying they could not trust me. So the president of the trade union asked to meet me and tried to convince me that I should lie to cover my fellow co-workers if something bad happened. I told them that they could not ask me to lie and that I would not lie.
“That episode alienated me from a few colleagues who did not appreciate my stand and saw me as a threat; some co-workers have even tried to reason with me about not letting my religious convictions interfere in my work, but I have always told them that Jesus Christ is my life and I will always obey God first.
“Time has passed since that episode and I feel like most of my colleagues accept me now, but I know some are still reluctant to work with me. Yet I always recall what Jesus said: ‘And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake’…”
Do you have a strong church?
“Well, that is not easy to answer. I could say yes and no at the same time for various reasons.
“I could say no because there are not many people who have good biblical discernment. I could say no because I do not find many men who could drive me toward more holiness and Christ likeness. I do not see anyone who could encourage me or who strive to be more like Christ in every aspect of their lives.
“However, I could also say that I have a strong church because we have a new pastor who has begun to preach God’s Word powerfully.
“Our new pastor is trying to preach on God’s law, which is very good, but at the same time, I fear that he will downplay some of his teachings over time when facing opposition in the church. That has already begun to happen.
“Our new pastor is also more aware of the importance of the family and children and is open to parents who want to keep their children with them during the worship service. But that was not always the case before that pastor came in; I have witnessed personally a brother in Christ who was threatened to be under church discipline for keeping his children with him during the worship service.
What is your vision for raising a Godly family, despite being surrounded by such darkness?
“My only vision is Jesus Christ crucified. All I want is for my children to know the Lord and follow the Lord; I want my whole family to serve the Most High with all our hearts, soul, might and strength.
“It is very important for me to be involved in every aspect of my family’s life. I am always improving as a father and as a husband. I study the Bible in order to know what a biblical father and a biblical husband must be and what he should do to lead his family.
“Raising a Godly family in an environment that is hostile towards God takes time and a lot of investment.
“We are at war and the war is spiritual. It is an honor for me to raise an army of soldiers for Christ.”