I wrote back and answered:

I am so pleased to hear from you. Thank you for confiding in me and pouring out your heart about what you are going through. Your crisis is a common one for people of all races and creeds who find themselves entering into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ while those around them are strongly of a different persuasion.

Jesus knows what you are going through and empathises with you. He Himself suffered rejection and rough treatment at the hands of His own people.

Mark tells us in the Bible,

"His friends heard what was going on and went to rescue him, by force if necessary. They suspected he was getting carried away with himself."

Mark 3:21 - The Message Translation

It was even worse with the folk of His town. When He revealed Himself as the Christ (the Anointed One) the Bible says,

"They rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff."

Luke 4:29 - NKJV

However when they attempted to do this a wonderful thing happened,

"Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way."

Luke 4:30 - NKJV

Jesus does not just want to be your Lord. He also wants to be your Shepherd to feed, guide and shield you. He wants you to be able to reveal yourself as a Christian and then know the same protection from both family and the mob that He knew when He revealed Himself as the Christ.

Jesus wants you to get to know Him as your Shepherd, your Light, your Salvation and your Strength. King David of ancient Israel knew our Lord this way and so was able to say,

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?"

Psalm 27:1 - NKJV

The disciples of Jesus came to know Him this way too. At first, after Jesus was taken and crucified they were afraid. However, once the Holy Spirit came on them they became bold and unafraid.

Peter and John for example, though their background was as mere fishermen, stood up before the rulers of the people and elders of Israel to defend their position in Christ. They spoke with such free and fearless confidence that the Bible records,

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus."

Acts 4:13 - NKJV

The answer to your fear at being known as a Christian is not to flee. Nothing motivated by fear ever has a right or good outcome to it! Actions based on fear play right into the hands of the devil who uses fear to get a connection on people and lead them into disaster.

The answer to your fear is to know Jesus intimately as your Shepherd and Saviour, to know the love of God for you through Him and to receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

How can you know the love of God for you through Jesus?

Firstly, by considering the great love God had for you in sending Jesus to save you from your sins and bring you back into a real relationship with Himself. (1 John 4:9-10.) Secondly, by laying up God's Word in your heart as you would lay up treasure.

When you treasure God's word you will be constantly be receiving a revelation of God's love for you. (1 John 2:5.) When you have a revelation of God's love for you it will cast out all fear from your life! (1 John 4:18.)

Later you may be directed to move from where you are living to another place but then, if it happens, it will be at the prompting of the Holy Spirit as an action of faith on your part that will lead into the plan of God for your life to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

How can you know Jesus intimately as your Shepherd and Saviour?

Firstly, by receiving Him into your life to be your Shepherd and Saviour. You can do this by praying like this,

"Heavenly Father, I accept your Son Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I invite Jesus to come into my heart and life. I believe that Jesus is alive today because You, Father, raised Him from the dead. I accept Him and with Him I accept life - eternal life, the life of God. I now receive my privilege of becoming your child, I renounce citizenship of the kingdom of darkness and receive citizenship of the kingdom of your Son. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen."

Then, secondly, you can begin daily taking to heart His words that you find in the Bible. Jesus said,

"If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you."

John 8: 31-32 - The Message Translation

How can you receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit?

Jesus said,

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Luke 11:13 - NKJV

The Father gives the Holy Spirit to those Who ask Him and the Father sends the Spirit in the Name of Jesus. (John 14:26.)

If you haven't already done so, ask now in the Name of Jesus for the Holy Spirit to come on you and live always in you. Pray in this way,

"Heavenly Father, in the Name of Jesus, I ask you to send your Holy Spirit to come upon me. I ask that I now receive your power by the Holy Spirit. I ask that the Holy Spirit come to live in me and be my heavenly Companion forever in life. Amen."

What I have written to you here is a little manual on how to be born of God into His kingdom, how to receive His Spirit of love, power and a sound mind, and then how to begin to grow from a spiritual baby in Christ to full adulthood in Him.

I will pray for you as you commence on this path of life.