Persecution.

Are you ready for soon-coming real persecution? 

The righteous will suffer persecution. That was prophesied over and over.  Though we have a great Father, He does not spare all of us having to go through very rough times.

2 Timothy 3:12-13 promises that those who live godly IN Christ WILL suffer persecution – and it’s going to get worse and worse.  Christ said to rejoice when we’re persecuted for righteousness’ sake, placing us among those who were persecuted and martyred before us.  Paul said he went through much persecution – but in the end “the Lord delivered me”.  But even Paul ended up being beheaded.

A great start for a blog, eh?  Well, take heart.  This life is not what it’s all about.   Paul knew that.  He looked to the prize of the high calling he was offered.  And please remind ME of all of that when I am the one being persecuted.  But in the end, we win when our Leader Jesus Christ – Yeshua the Messiah – returns to take over control of the world. 

With recent events or terrorism in Paris, I thought this was appropriate to talk about. First let’s discuss it generally:  those who are not Muslim are going to be attacked over and over again – and those Muslims will in turn reap revenge strikes from the Western “Christian” world. So you and I are in the bigger target zone simply because we are not Muslim. God can deliver you from those attacks if you stay close to Him.  

But are you ready for more specific persecution that is already happening in Syria and Iraq and many other countries like Pakistan, Sudan, Afghanistan, parts of Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa?

Here’s what I mean, but even here, it’s still aimed at the broader group of believers:

** We’re seeing our own countries setting up laws that require true believers in God’s word to do things against their beliefs – or suffer severe penalties including jail time.  Here are but a few of many examples:

--- Catholic groups are being forced to offer contraceptives against their beliefs

---College students are insisting on speech that only fits into the far left liberal framework.  Someone who speaks up FOR Israel is called anti-Palestinian and a bigot.  Jews and Christians are being spit on and mocked, or given bad grades by liberal professors.

---Already, the Bible is not allowed to be seen or shown in several college campuses.  Thanks to the Freedom from Religion Foundation.  This is also happening more and more in the various branches of our military.

---Bakers are being forced to bake cakes with wording on the frosting that goes against their beliefs.  If you speak your beliefs about one man/one woman marriage, you are accused of “hate speech” against the ever more vocal gay community.

Ironically, the far left can say and do what they please against conservative Christians – and get away with it. Somehow hateful speech against those who believe in the Bible is not “hate speech” -- but just saying you are for traditional marriage does get you labeled and marked as a hateful person!  Go figure!

At some point, every nation’s government will come under the coming world-ruling “Beast” system, spoken of by the books of Revelation and Daniel in particular.  The Bill of Rights of the United States’ constitution will be a thing of the past under the Beast system.  You will not be able to express your true beliefs without being severely persecuted, jailed, beheaded or killed.  That’s the word of scripture as I’ll quote shortly.  Everyone will be required to worship, to work, to speak in accordance to the wishes of the Beast system – or pay a severe penalty including death. That is coming.  The foundation of that system was laid down long ago and we’re seeing the “superstructure” of this system now rising. 

There’s a lot of discussion as to what the “Beast” is, what the “Mark of the Best” is, or what the number 666 means.  Whatever it is, someday it will be clear.  Some want to dogmatically preach their beliefs on these things – and that’s up to them.  We’ll have to see what it pans out to be.

But there is very clear warning to us from scripture: 

The whole world will accept that mark of the best and will worship the image of the Beast power of the end time…whatever all that means.  When it becomes clear, you and I cannot, must not, be part of that.  Those in the Creator’s Book of Life include those who will NOT take on the mark or worship the image of the Beast.  If, out of fear, you accept and surrender to the Beast system, you will incur the Creator’s wrath and not be in the book of Life. 

At baptism, you and I professed that we would carry our cross, follow our Savior, and drink of his cup – and whatever He has in store for us.  Some of you are putting too much stock and faith into a “place of safety”. I pray and hope there is such a place where we can be assured of divine protection.  But don’t forget, scripture is CLEAR that many believers are going to be beheaded and die in the coming martyrdom and persecution.  Christ warned not to seek to save our life as our first priority – or we would lose it (“He who seeks to save his life shall lose it…”  -- Luke 17:33)

If the very son of God was allowed such a painful death, if John the Baptist was beheaded, if James was killed with the sword, and Paul was beheaded, and many apostles were crucified or executed – what makes anyone think they won’t have to be tested as well?  I know, I know about the scriptures to the Philadelphians of Revelation 3, and being spared from the hour of trial that is coming upon the whole world.  What seems clear to me is that those who focus on establishing a strong, obedient and holy relationship with God have the better shot at being spared some or most of the coming trials.  But we must be willing to carry our cross and be crucified with Christ as well – and to be faithful to him to the very end.

NOW is the time to be affirming your faith in the living God. NOW is the time to be making your relationship with your Heavenly Father be ROCK solid. NOW is the time to be spending more time in fasting, prayer, seeking after Him than ever before. HE is not lost, that we must seek him – but WE have gone astray and must return to him and seek him.  Those who seek him diligently shall find him.  He is pleased when we diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6), 

For the promised scriptures about the coming persecution, the Beast system,  the coming martyrdom and what we must do, click on “Continue reading” to the right.

How much time do we have left before all this starts?  I don’t think we’ll have to wait much longer. But the point is we must BE ready, right now, and not just GET ready.  YOUR end and my end could happen at any minute, and we must be ready to meet our Maker with our next conscious breath.  So don’t focus on charts and time lines so much as using that time instead in prayer, repentance and seeking after our God.

Now for believers in Christ in Syria and Iraq, their “great tribulation” has already started. Their girls are being raped and sold into slavery.  Their boys and old men and women are being literally crucified by those butchers called ISIS.  Those not captured have to flee from one city to the next in a horror you and I can only imagine. I hope you pray for them and send assistance to those assisting them.  So how much time before it happens here?  The severe persecution and martyrdom are  already underway in the Middle East, parts of Asia and throughout much of Africa in particular.

Here are the scriptures:

Revelation 20:4-5

 And I saw thrones, and they who sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Notice how all-encompassing will be the powers of this Beast system. You won’t be able to buy anything, pay any bills, have a job or sell anything – unless you have embraced the Beast system.  It’s going to be a very, very difficult time. 

Revelation 13:11-18

Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.

14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. 15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

Daniel 7:24-25

The ten horns are ten kings

Who shall arise from this kingdom.

And another shall rise after them;

He shall be different from the first ones,

And shall subdue three kings.

25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,

Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,

And shall intend to change times and law.

Then the saints shall be given into his hand

For a time and times and half a time.”   (3-1/2 years)

Revelation 14:9-13

Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."

12 Here is the patience of the saints:  here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, "Write: 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.'"

Yes, even though the coming times will be rough, it will be well for us who stay faithful.

Daniel 7:26-27

'But the court shall be seated, and they shall take away his dominion, (of the Beast power)

To consume and destroy it forever.

27 Then the kingdom and dominion,

And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven,

Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.

His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.'

So, are you getting ready for this?  I don’t mean getting ready by purchasing a lot of guns. Those will be confiscated anyway.  I don’t mean by stockpiling huge food supplies, as those also will be confiscated.  I think it is prudent to have a stock of food for a temporary crisis like from natural disasters – but you’re not going to be allowed to have food supplies that last years – when everyone else around you are starving! 

By “are you ready” – I mean:  are you praying as never before?  Or do you still spend more time on Facebook than you do on your knees each day? 

The stage for the coming persecution and the Great Tribulation is being set as I write this.  It may take another 5-10 more years or even longer, or just 2-3 years, or more or less – but it IS coming and we’re watching it already start to unfold in earnest.   

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