20 years later - Center of Christianity Shalom

I do not want to analyze the system of governing or the society we lived in, others can do this. I am more interested in the spiritual sphere and the freedoms of Christians in that period and after it. I know one thing, AN IDEA THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE GOD AS THE HIGHEST AUTHORITY CANNOT SURVIVE, BECAUSE SINCE THE FALL OF MAN AT EDEN MAN HAS BEEN CORRUPTED AND SPOILED.

Then, in the 90's, afeter the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 we went OUT from our small churches with dimmed windows into public spaces, congregation halls, sports halls, movie theaters and other open and public spaces where we began to WORSHIP GOD for the promisses he has started to fullfil. In those years God has given us an important revival and many were encouraged, enjoying the FREEDOM in which CHRIST has CALLED them. These events started to scare the evil one... Unfortunately, destabilization of the country, the wars in our surroundings, the expansion of nationalism and the attacks of the official church on 'all things different from ourselves' have all brought much fear and many problems at the end of the 90's and the start of the new millenium. Problems in society, disruption and bad relations which influenced the relations between churches have disturbed and eventually stopped the wave of God's leadership over our country... That is when many people got scared and gave up sliding back into their little, divided groups.

Into this sphere of arguing, fearfull, scared and misslead people all with their own 'ideas' came in the 'idea of the EU' with its materialism, individualism and consumer's mentality.

One ism has fallen but three new ones came in its place...

The US administration together with western Europe and the Church from the West have done all they can to TEAR DOWN communism, but what have they brought instead?!

TODAY, after 20 years, our country looks like a ruinous house (no matter how good it looks on TV). The Traditional Church has not used its opportunity to bring Christ's freedom to people, but has tied them with 'religion and nation' while CHRIST, the good GOD, JESUS is still waiting and 'knocking on the doors of our hearts'.

The idea of Capitalism which carries in itself absolute, Godless materialism has been used by a certain number of people to further impoverish our already poor nation.

Impoverished and without spirituality we have been fenceless and open to manipulation and malversation of 'friends' who sometimes come as if they were 'angels of light' offering solutions to our problems. Sometimes it is the EU toghether with USA, in other times it's Russia, China or the rest of the worlds... Yes, we need friends, but still if you will; This society needs SOMETHING ELSE!

The gospel - 'God's power for SALVATION to all who believe' has a new chance in this region. The good news of the Gospel that brings FREEDOM and PROSPERITY cannot come without RECOGNITION of errors made in the past and TURNING towards the future. If Tito's 'system' where religion and gospel were restricted and tied down was no good, let's have the present authorities show themselves as BETTER and more OPEN than the governing system that came before them and allow the gospel to be PROCLAIMED and DECLARED freely in this land... I wouldn't discuss whether the traditional Churches are proclaiming it or not at this time, but I would like to say just one thing; the GOSPEL contains in itself the COMPONENT of RECONCILIATION.

Therefore, after 20 years, let this be a moment of converging and going towards the NEW-OLD gospel, which holds the VALUES that this nation has lost. Next to act is the CHURCH and the SOCIAL AUTHORITIES as well as Christians who have a MANDATE. For the good Lord is waiting upon Serbia and its people.

Jan Demiter