Persecution of Christians is Coming to America
As I see the moral rot in America, I know that the future must be bleak. The people are caught up in their own thing, not caring about our nation’s future. All they worry about is their stock portfolios, their football games, and their celebrity gossip. More and more its becoming like the “bread and circuses” of the Roman Empire. The average Roman citizen was given food to keep them content and entertainment to keep them occupied. And look at the kind of entertainment they received, brutal violence and the shedding of Christian blood!! And in their society, the loafers and bums got in free, but the paying viewers got the better seats. The emperor got the best seat, located on the south side of the coliseum, where he would be out of the sun. Like so in America, where people can get ABC, NBC CBS, FOX as well as many degenerate radio stations for free, but pay for the more coveted CNN, Fox news, ESPN, MTV, Hell’s Box Office, Sin-a-max, ect. The internet and all it’s thrills is also available free, but if you want better and more reliable connections, more time online, and faster speeds, you pay more.
The “circuses” that are available today show just how far this society has sunk. All of the “popular” music is full of profanity and licentiousness. Much of the “music” produced by these people is packed full of inordinate affection. Just look at what is shown on the major TV networks (the free circuses), and you will see more propaganda for these kinds of filth. I need not mention all the fornication/sodomy/lust/abortion/murder/violence promoted on primetime TV. It is so bad that advertisers will appeal to people’s carnal lusts to get sales, AND IT WORKS. This is how far our society has fallen.
Why is this important? The Bible says that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall be persecuted. As the world gets worse and worse, we Christians will stand out form the crowd more and more (unless you compromise and go along with the world, but that is another story entirely.) We are not of the world. As we continue in the ways of righteousness, and the world continues in it’s downhill slope towards even more wickedness, we will stand out more and more from the world. And as we stand out, we will be marked for persecution. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. (John 15:19). The unsaved will not understand why we won’t do the same things that they do, why we won’t run to the same excess of riot that they do (I Pet 4:4), and they will persecute us for it.
We Christians will be persecuted; you cannot deny it. Just look at the following scriptures.
Yea, and ALL that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. II Tim 3:12.
For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; Phil 1:29
12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.
16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. I Peter 4:12-16
It isn’t abnormal for Christians to be persecuted; it is abnormal for Christians NOT to be persecuted.
10 Blessed are
they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and
persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my
sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your
reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Matt 5:10-12
To make it through this, you must first make sure that you are right with the Lord. The wrath of the Lord is coming on the ungodly and the hypocrites. Let not this be you. The Holy Ghost can help us through this. God says not to be afraid.
Fear NONE of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Rev 2:10
Fear thou not, for I am with thee, be not dismayed, for I am thy God, I will strengthen thee, yea, will I help thee, yea, will I uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness . . For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, fear not, I will help thee. Isaiah 41:10,13
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Phil 4:6,7
Don’t worry and be frightened about these things. The Bible says that men’s hearts will fail for fear of the things that are coming on the earth, but it doesn’t have to be that way with us. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. II Tim 1:7. Fear is not of God. Yes, we may experience terrible persecution, but Christ advises us to Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Rev 2:10. We will be persecuted, but it will only be for a short time (i.e. “ten days”), and our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; II Cor 4:17.
Remember what our Lord said in John Chapter 15
15:18 If the world hate
you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
15:19 If ye were of the
world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I
have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
15:20 Remember the word
that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have
persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they
will keep yours also.
15:21 But all these
things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that
sent me.
15:22 If I had not come
and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for
their sin.
15:23 He that hateth me
hateth my Father also.
We should not worry about these things; worrying won’t make the coming persecution go away. Cast all your cares upon the Lord and he will sustain thee. Pray to God about it and He will give you His peace to endure. He has helped MILLIONS of Christians as they faced torture and martyrdom; what makes you think that He can’t help you now?
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Phil 4:6,7
And maybe you’re “This can’t be possible, I’m supposed to be raptured before all this happens!” There are many Christians in prison around the world today for the crime of preaching the gospel. Why weren’t they raptured before they faced persecution? Were the Christians raptured out of Nero’s arenas? Were they raptured out of Roman Catholism’s Inquisition? Were they raptured out of Communist Russia or China? Then what makes you, as an American Christian, think that you’re not going to suffer persecution?
Yea, and ALL that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. II Tim 3:12.
The Christians have been persecuted worldwide for millennia, why do you think that it won’t be the same in America? We are . . .in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; (Phil 2:13.) Our Lord said …ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. (Matt. 24:9) Does not ALL NATIONS include America? We are going to suffer persecution, the Bible says: That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know. I Thess 3:3,4 It is clear that we WILL suffer persecution and tribulation. . . .[I]n the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. (Jesus Christ, John 16:33b)
If that is not convincing enough, read Matt. 24:6-13
24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not
troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
24:7 For nation
shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines,
and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
24:8 All these are
the beginning of sorrows.
24:9 Then shall they
deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be
hated of all nations for my name's sake.
24:10 And then shall many
be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
24:11 And many false
prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
24:12 And because iniquity
shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
24:13 But he that shall
endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
The Bible clearly says here that we will hear of wars and rumors of wars, and but these are just the beginning of sorrows. Soon after this we will be hated and killed in all nations for Christ’s sake. And this is before the rapture, rise of the antichrist, ect!! We should be prepared spiritually and physically for coming persecution. Ignoring it won’t make it go away!!
In the coming days let us pray to the Lord to help us endure to the end and for wisdom of how we should prepare for the things to come. Get all sin and worldliness out of your life. Don’t be caught up in the world, lest when the persecution comes, you are tempted by your world loving ways to depart from the faith. Don’t be like Demas (II Tim 4:10). Focus on Jesus and all the thrills of this world will fade away.
Jan 18, 2003