BY
Pastor Mike Taylor
“ 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.” (Matthew 5:10-12)
21”And the brother
shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and
the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to
be put to death.
22 And
ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth
to the end shall be saved.
23 But
when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for
verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of
Israel, till the Son of man be come.
24 The
disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.”
(Matthew 10:21-24)
When
I was growing up, I never occurred to me of all the persecution that
goes on in the world. To me it was just history and really didn't
concern a growing boy in the Midwest. I often wondered, “why would
anyone persecute another person, just because they believed in Jesus
Christ”. It was very puzzling to me.
I knew about historical
persecution that has been with us for the last 2000 years, since the
Roman Empire and I knew that the early Christians were slain because
it was perceived that their exclusive religion was a threat to the
balance of power within their rule.
It wasn't because these
new “Christians” as they were come to be called, were introducing
a new god to their already many pagan gods that they worshiped. They
knew about many gods that came and were borrowed from the Greeks.
They just changed the names that were more popular to their own
culture. Most of the time, the Romans were happy to add more gods to
their pantheon of religious observances. The more the merrier. They
adapted from other cultures including Greek art and literature, and
historical myths.
So to the pagan Romans,
another god, just didn't make much difference, as the Romans extended
their rule throughout the Mediterranean and policy was just to absorb
the local deities and cults of other people they conquered, rather
than eradicate them.
Rome never felt obligated
to promote one pagan god over another, or accept one particular cult.
They were a very religious people, although blind to the truth, they
were tolerant of other people's beliefs. They actually believed that
their devotion to these gods, were the reason why they were able to
conquer most of the known world. They based their religion on
knowledge, prayer to these gods, and ritual sacrifices, rather than
faith and doctrine.
So why did the Roman
Empire turn against those who proclaimed Jesus Christ as their only
God? Because Christians were not like the rest of religious Rome.
They promoted the belief in One True God that provided them all
things. And that is where the problem AROSE from. If Jehovah God was
the One True God, that meant that the rest of their gods were false.
They didn't have rituals, but relied on prayer and faith.
Jesus claimed He was the
only God, and that “No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.”
It
logically follows then, that the Roman polytheist was doomed,
according to Christian
theology. The population in those days found that sort of
doctrine threatening, even hateful. In fact, that was the
charge under which they were persecuted -- they called it
a hate crime. Hmmm...where have I heard that before?
Now how could this be?
The fact is, the claims of any Christian in the time period made it
the enemy of every other belief structure promoted on earth.
Why is that? Because,
according to Jesus, any worship of any other god, idol, or anything
in creation was in fact, worshiping of the devil. Satan was the cause
of the persecution that resulted from those who embraced and made
Jesus Christ the center of their religion and we know Satan hates
anything to do with Jesus Christ.
Remember what Jesus said
concerning pagan worship, and the worship of false gods?
"Think not
that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but
a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father,
and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against
her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own
household." (Matthew
10:34-36)
ROME
MAKES A QUICK DRESS CHANGE
When
the Roman Empire imploded and was taken over by the new Caesars who
renamed themselves “popes” and changed their soldier uniform for
a robe and fish hat known as the miter, modeled after the fish god
Dagon, persecution continued unabated and surpassed the
level of
persecution that the Roman Empire committed by millions. The amount
of those who died at the hands of the “holy” Roman Empire, known
then as the so called “church” has flucuated from 50 million on
up, but you will find the priest of today who attempt to minimize the
amount of carnage and try and justify the amount slain as
insignificant. When is even one life killed out of desire for
complete control and power, a minimal incident? Not to mention that
one person was over 50 million people or more. This carnage
continued to include the Protestant Reformation when many of their
priest and followers became fed up with their “terrorism” of the
population who would not follow the letter of their “law”.
FALL
OF THE “HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE”
The
fall of this Gnostic religion came at the hands of a general in
Napolean Bonapartes siege of Rome, including the Vatican when in
1809, Pope Pius VII was held prisoner at Castle Savona at Genoa, and
was taken to France in the cold winter and left outside for days
outside its gates. Thus the papacy was broken.
Not
until the United States Constitution First enumerated freedom under
the Bill of Rights, protecting freedom of religion, did persecution
take a downward trend. As those who came to this country were
looking for religious freedome and ability to worship God however
they chose.
America
had not known religious persecution during my years of growing up,
but all that is slowing changing in our modern times as Christianity
is numbered along with terrorist groups, especially Fundamental
Christianity as a hate crime group. IN the past, Christianity was the
default religion of this nation, so no protection was needed, because
our Constitution guaranteed those rights, but all of that is
changing.
We
see Christian businesses that refuse to lower their Christian beliefs
to accommodate unbiblical behavior, whether it be same sex marriage,
homosexuality, or anything that goes against a Christian's beliefs.
Was a time that no one thought of marriage as anything but one man,
one woman for life. But as the divorce rate has sky rocketed, and
life of anyone from the womb to the grave was not deemed sacred, then
the nation, this nation has gone further down the road to political
and religious ruin.
In
this last election, the Christian of this nation finally woke up and
saw the peril this nation was in, and their choices were limited to
two candidates, one who was an obvious criminal and not fit to be
voted as POTUS, and another who although not perfect, as he had many
things in his past that the liberal left has tried to sway the
opinion of America, as they just could not believe that their
democrat darling would not be elected and continue the past
administration slide to a one world government and our abdicating our
sovereignty for a one world coalition through the United Nations. But
thank the Lord, the right man got into the White House....Love him,
or hate him, he has a vision to make American Great Again, and no one
can say that he hasn't begun just that in the last year and the first
year of his presidency. May God give him 7 more.
I
truly believe, that POTUS Trump slowed the downhill slide of this
nation, at least temporarily and has become a staunch friend of our
only ally in the Middle East that is a democratic government. I
remember what God said to Abraham when He made him promises
concerning his coming offspring who would become as numerous as the
stars of heaven.
2
“And
I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make
thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3,
And
I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee:
and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis
12:2-3)
Because
of our becoming a friend of Israel, the blessing will come to this
nation, if and I say if, Trump steers clear of dividing Isreal for
any reason. God will bless us, if we bless Israel. Anytime that
Israel was put into a corner, or action taken trying to take land
away from God's people, which is God's land, catastrophe hit these
shores. It's high time that we treat Israel for what she is. Many ask
me why I support Trump. I believe even though he is flawed, (but
aren't we all) God may use him to further benefits to Israel and
defend her. He may even be a modern day King Cyrus for the near
future benefit of God's people and His land. That is until God pulls
everyone out of the way for the Gog-Magog war, but I believe that
happens in the coming Tribulation.
THE
COMING PERSECUTION IN THE TRIBULATION
As we wind down this age,
called in the religious community, “the Age of Grace, or the Age of
the Church”, the return of Jesus Christ becomes more apparent, but
as we don't know the exact time of His return things could get rather
dangerous in the coming years. The label of being a Christian
Fundamentalist could be the most dangerous label to affix to any
person having the misfortune of living through the horrific time
known as the Tribulation.
But what is a Christian
Fundamentalist? It is a person or persons who stand for the
fundamental doctrines found in your Bible and are believed by faith.
By the turn of the 20th
century, American theological conservatives had identified five basic
Christian fundamentals which most of you will recognize from the my
basic statement of faith:
The
Divine Authorship, inspiration and authority of Scripture.
The
Virgin Birth of Christ.
The
Atoning Work of the Cross.
The
historical reality of Jesus Christ and His earthly ministry.
- The historical
reality of Jesus' bodily resurrection and ascension.
If one holds to those
five basic Christian truths, then one is a Christian fundamentalist
and therefore, a "intolerant hater" that the Department of
Homeland Security considers a threat to national security. But
only Christian fundamentalism is viewed by the federal government as
a threat. They are the ones that advocate the rebuilding of the
Temple in Jerusalem and are against dividing God's land, including
Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The secular world is going awash again
for anti-semitism and being against the only people that God has
called “His people”
They have believed the
promises of God when speaking of Israel and supports Israel's right
to exist and to defend herself. To the Christian community this
belief exist in their doctrine as well as in their politics. And as
we know, the world hates us for that.
This position will not be
tolerated in the coming Tribulation, as the horrors that abounded in
the Middle Ages will return on steroids headed by a man they call the
False Prophet. As Jesus told His apostles in Matthew 24.
15 “When
ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by
Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him
understand:)
16 Then
let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
17 Let
him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of
his house:
18 Neither
let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
19 And
woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in
those days!
20 But
pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath
day:
21 For
then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning
of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And
except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be
saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.”
(Matthew 24:15-24)
Here
Jesus was speaking to Jewish men relating what will happen to their
nation in the end of days. In this chapter, the focus is on Israel,
not on any other people, but this terror will spread to all other
religions who do not bow the knee to the same Gnostic Church that
inhabited the Middle Ages, and will come to power once again, all but
for a brief flash of their former glory, which will end in flames.
To be a Jew or a
Christian in this horrifying 7 years will be an immediate death
sentence. As we read the book of Revelation, we don't know exactly
when the mark of the Beast will be poured out on the people of the
Book, and the remnant who come to belief in Jesus Christ, but the
book of Revelation gives us a good clue what will happen.
2 “And
I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had
gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his
mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass,
having the harps of God.
3 And
they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the
Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty;
just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.”(Revelation
15:2-3)
“
And
I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an
hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in
their foreheads.
2 And I heard a voice
from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great
thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
3 And they sung as it
were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and
the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and
forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
4 These are they which
were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they
which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed
from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the
Lamb.”(Revelation 14:1-4)
There
are many verses in this apocalyptic book that gives an impression of
mass executions, although the last two passage quoted remind me of
those who are Jewish by birth, but there are others that speak of
worldwide persecution of all who call on the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
“If
the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because
you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore
the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, "A
servant is not greater than his master." If they persecuted Me,
they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep
yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name's
sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.” (John
15:18-21)
“And
I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto
them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness
of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the
beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their
foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ
a thousand years.” (Revelation20:4)
But
as we learned in the past series of the study of Revelation, the True
Church of the Living God who believes by faith in the sacrifice of
Jesus Christ will not be on this earth to see the culmination of the
most horrific time in all of man's evil history. The Bible is full of
verses that support that even though we have tribulation on this
earth every day, we have to put our faith and trust in the only Way,
the Truth and the Life, back to God our Father in heaven. Let us
quote just a few, that says that the coming persecution of the
Christians and Jews during this coming Tribulation of 7 years will
not touch us.
“For
God hath not appointed us to wrath,
but to obtain
salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ”, (1st
Thessalonians 5:9)
8 But God commendeth
his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us.
9 Much more then, being
now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 For
if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of
his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his
life.” (Romans 5:7-10)
“
19 Thy
dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise.
Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of
herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
20 Come,
my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about
thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the
indignation be overpast.
21 For,
behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the
inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall
disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.” (Isaiah
26:19-21)
Jesus
proclaimed our coming reward and a companion verse, I believe of the
above passage.....
“
Let
not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In
my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And
if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive
you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4 And
whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.” (John 14:2-4)
What
is the way? I will tell you in a moment........
And
a big one, in just a short verse tells us that the True Church of the
Living God will NOT see the coming wrath of God that starts in
chapter 6 of Revelation when Jesus opens the first seal for the title
deed of all Creation.
“
10 Because
thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from
the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try
them that dwell upon the earth.
11 Behold,
I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy
crown.” (Revelation 3:10-11)
The
above verses giving a Divine promise from our Lord and Redeemer that
the church will not see any portion of God's Wrath. As I have
mentioned in the past, the phrase in Revelation 3:10, “Keep thee
from” is a Greek word “EK” is translated “out of being
separated from the event by time and space” not through the
Tribulation as some believe, but removed from its having anything to
do with God's Church.
Sadly,
on earth, tribulation has overcome those who still live. They either
take the “mark of the beast” whenever it is foisted upon the
people, or reject it and pay their rejection with their lives. How
do I know that the church is not on earth, besides the obvious verses
above? Jesus told us,
33 “These
things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the
world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have
overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
Each
person on this earth that belongs to Jesus Christ, has a deposit, an
earnest of the Holy Spirit residing within himself, or herself. Satan
cannot overcome the Holy Spirit, so this side of the Tribulation, the
Church who follows after Jesus Christ cannot be overcome by Satan .
But wait a minute, the coming of the Anti-Christ says he will
overcome the saints?
“And
it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and
to overcome them: and power was given him over all
kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” (Revelation 13:7)
If
Satan cannot overcome the saints while they are indwelt by God's Holy
Spirit, then the only explanation, is that the Tribulation saints
have no such guarantee. They are not sealed as the Church is and has
been. They must guard their salvation at every event that comes
against them. But on the flip, if God allows us to overcome within
the church, then how can Satan overcome us, or has the Holy Spirit
been removed and left us defenseless as Paul told us?
6 “
And
now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
7 For
the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth
will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8 And
then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with
the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his
coming:
9 Even
him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and
signs and lying wonders,” (2nd
Thessalonians 2:6-9)
Since
Jesus only spoke truth, then He will not leave us defenseless and if
the AC can't overcome those with God's Holy Spirit seal on their
lives, then it further proves, the church is not on this earth. Only
those who accept Jesus as Savior, after the Holy Spirit is pulled
back to Pre-Pentecostal times will allowed to be overcome by the
Anti-Christ and Satan. Pre-Trib Christians cannot be overcome.
TRIBULATION
ON THE HORIZON
Make
no mistake about it, reader. Tribulation and its persecution is
coming. It will make what that Gnostic Church did in the Middle Ages
pale in comparison. Not to mention all the plagues, and destruction
from God's wrath raining down on the nations who are in rebellion
against a Holy God. At that time, God has been most patient, but the
judgments grow stronger and stronger in an ever crescendo type of
judgment, as God attempts to turn men to repentance and give Him
glory. But sadly, millions will not and will swim in their idolatry
and unrighteousness. When it becomes clear that the remnant of
mankind that is left on the earth cannot be redeemed, Jesus will come
and finish wiping this planet clean of all human life that are in
rebellion against Him. (Revelation 19:11-15)...
Will
you escape what is coming upon the earth? Will you be able to claim
VICTORY in Jesus?? Frankly, you will not with the coming judgments of
God's wrath and the depravity of sinful men who take human life
indiscriminately, unless you repent and turn to Jesus. How can a
person get this victory? By believing on the One whom God hath sent.
28 “Then
said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of
God?
29 Jesus
answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe
on him whom he hath sent.” (John 6:28-29)
That's
the key, my friend. Jesus has already come to this earth. He has
already paid the price for your salvation. Jesus is at the right hand
of the Father now, just waiting for the go ahead and come to bring
God's Children home, and His own bride. Will you be among them? Or
will you succumb to the wrath and worldwide death that men will bring
upon humanity, and the wrath of God who slays rebellious mankind as
grapes are crushed in the winepress? I would say that it is an easy
choice, if you know your destination. That destination would be
heaven in acceptance or hell in rebellion. I call on those who
believe that this world is headed for sure destruction, to come to
Jesus while you have the chance in this life, as there is NO OTHER
chance once death sweeps over your face. How do you receive Jesus in
this life? Glad you asked?
16 “
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.
17 For
God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that
the world through him might be saved.
18 He
that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the
only begotten Son of God.
19 And
this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men
loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”
(John 3:16-19)
Then
out of sheer joy, you wish to tell others. Tell your loved ones, tell
your friends, tell your co-workers, or anyone you happen to meet.
Jesus said, “if you Me deny before men, I will deny you before my
Father in heaven”....Tell everyone.
8 “But what
saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart:
that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That
if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou
shalt be saved.
10 For
with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation.
11 For
the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be
ashamed.”( Romans 10:8-11)
The
END of this age is right in front of you...you only have a short time
left, should you live, to make a decision for Jesus Christ, as you,
and none of us are promised even tomorrow. Jesus could come tonight,
so we must be ready all times. I ask you......ARE YOU READY?
Persecution during the tribulation is just over the horizon or right
around the corner. It's close, very close.
TILL
WE MEET AT JESUS FEET
