In just ten months this year, 7800 Christians have been been killed for their faith in Jesus Christ in Nigeria. Despite this wickedness, the church in Nigeria continues to meet together, pray together and share the gospel of Jesus Christ. May God lead us to pray for them and change our perspective on life and faith, as we consider their faithful example.
Recently the new Syrian government, which replaced an old regime, sympathetic and protective to Christians, has begun a campaign of persecution against our Christian brethren. The killing, imprisonments and torture are horrific. The government executing this plan of terror against our brethren, was put in place and supported by the U.S. government. May God open the eyes of ministers close to politicians, that they may carry the cause of our Syrian brethren to those who can make a difference.
Just today, I came to understand that the Ukrainian Government led by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has been persecuting Christians across Ukraine, through expropriating congregational gathering places, and burning church buildings. The Ukrainian government is persecuting the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, accusing clergy of being sympathetic to Russia (even though they are not), by raids, banning activity, and arrests of clergy and laity. The Ukrainian government is supported by the United States Government. Let us pray for the the Holy Spirit to give us the heart of God for our Ukrainian Christian brethren.
Hebrews 13:3 3 Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.
Christians are systematically persecuted across Africa, the Middle East, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, North Korea, and South Eastern Asia, with growing numbers daily. In addition, the beginnings of persecution are being felt across central and south America, England, Ireland, many parts of Europe and in small ways in the United States.
It is time Christians in America wake up to the truth…
Romans 8:35-39 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
There is persecution in America from secular society and government, in pockets, but that is not the genesis of what will be the most harsh persecution to come. the harshest persecution to come will arise from the apostate Christian church, which is tied to Christian nationalism that has redefined our faith, in error, since the era of president George W. Bush.
The apostate church is in line with president Donald Trump’s vision for America and is watered down to accept sin, and false doctrine, contrary to the doctrine of Christ. The apostate church (or the “falling away” as defined in II Thessalonians 2:3) diametrically opposes God’s call to holiness, promoting salvation without repentance and faith toward God. This apostacy, promotes a shallow moralism and will justify the plan future plan of antichrist, as we wee in the CO-Exist religious movement. This of course is the for-runner to the Antichrist’s once world government, religion and economy.
This is based in apostate Christianity’s dispensational understanding of suffering tribulation, which is dead wrong,. The basic understanding is that Christians will not suffer the tribulation (the last seven years of the world as we know it prior to Christ’s visible return), because we will be raptured prior to that time.
Never-mind there is little scriptural basis for this (quite the contrary), because tribulation is not he wrath of God, and we are not appointed to wrath (I Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 14:17-20) but this foundation leads to Christians believing that we’ll be gone before it gets to bad. Consider Jesus words in John 16:33.
John 16:33 In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
Some will say that the word “tribulation” means something different than passages concerning the “tribulation” of the last seven years of earth’s history; but it is not. John 16:33 is the Lord Jesus revealing that Christians in every generation, until Jesus returns, will face tribulation like circumstances.
Here is the solid and undeniable truth for followers of Christ in any generation…
2 Timothy 3:12 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
understanding the last two passages, in relation to the end-times is so important. These fall in line with what we have also read from Romans 8:36 “As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
There is a crossroads coming to the church of Jesus Christ, in America. This crossroads is where the church needs to choose to follow Christ alone, with His word and will, as opposed to the nationalistic Christian populism, which is mixed with conservative politics.
This crossroads was clearly seen at the memorial for Charlie Kirk, where there was a clear delineation between true faith and apostacy. Charlie kirk was said to have truly loved his enemies and to have forgiven them, while the president expresses his desire to hate and see his enemies come to harm.
Interestingly the remark of Trump divided the crowd with cheers, comfortable and uncomfortable laughter and silence and bewilderment from many.
Soon and very soon, the apostate church, which holds sway with a majority of Christians in America, will rise against those who will not walk in the mixture of conservative nationalism and the faith once delivered to the saints.
Many pastors in so-called evangelical denominations have felt this growing persecution and have lost ministry positions, and credentials. Many who are not “yes men”, are kept from ministry opportunities, having merely obeyed God rather than men.
Oh Church of God, the time is upon us.
1 Peter 4:17-18 17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 Now “If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?”
Let us pray for our brethren world wide, who are persecuted.
Let us pray we will be found faithful when His testing comes upon us.
