by Jason Kirk Bartley

To be a Christian means we’re Christlike,
not perfect yet, but you’re forgiven through Jesus’ blood,
which covers you and makes you
a Son of God.
You’re as bold as a lion through 
Christ’s mighty name.
Jesus seeks to empower Christians.
We know Christ works in and
through us,
Christ’s spirit dwells in our hearts.
The world is becoming more and more
wicked.
As this darkness abounds,
a Christian’s light shines even more.
Religious freedom isn’t what it used to be.
We have only to look at schools.
God is no longer welcome.
They’ve taken away the pledge of allegiance,
prayer, and told God to leave. 
To be a Christian in this time,
means to have our beliefs tested,
to be tried over and over again,
to just follow and trust Jesus Christ in the midst of adversity.
To be a Christian....
We were created for a time such as this.

Jason Kirk Bartley is a Christian poet from Chillicothe, Ohio. He is 47 years old and married to Nila, his forever love. He has been published poems and won awards. Jason holds a Master’s degree in Ministry from Ohio Christian University in Circleville, Ohio.