Monday, June 3, 2013

Current Prophetic Events: Persecution of Christians

Nathan JonesMP3By

Will the persecution of Christians grow more intense?


August Rosado and Nathan Jones

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Persecution of Christians

August Rosado: Another question comes to you from Kate. She ask, "I need someone who has pulse on the nation to help me out. I have never heard of this man John McTernan before. He's posted on his website that the United States is going to be persecuting the Christians. It seems we Christians are at the top of the terrorist list these days. Have you heard anything like that?"

Nathan Jones: Kate, I'm sorry that I'm not that familiar with John McTernan. Whether he has or not, I don't know, but there are those Bible prophecy teachers out there who have written their belief that America is the Babylon of Revelation 17 and 18. Their belief is that America as the Antichrist's agent will start persecuting Christians. People fear the government of the United States will one day openly persecute Christians.

Folks in the Church here in the West know amazing religious freedom. It's awesome here! What is the nation in the world where people flee to because of religious persecution? Historically, they come to the United States.

So, what happens if the United States doesn't exist anymore as a place of religious freedom? Well, we know during the Tribulation that there's no place safe for Tribulation Saints. They are hunted down and killed by the masses. There is no country that will protect them. So, we know the United States will continue on its downward course into the Tribulation where inevitably religious freedom will be totally lost. Then the persecution will get far more open and direct.

The first signs of the persecution of Christians comes quietly and subtly through different laws and legislation meant to restrict religious liberty. Next, there is a turning a blind eye to outright persecution. Finally, the government joins in and persecutes directly. We can see that happening in Nigeria right now, where so many Christians are getting slaughtered in scores by the Islamic Boko Haram jihadists. The government generally just turns a blind eye to it. These jihadists are brazenly walking into towns with machetes, chopping people up and throwing children down wells. We have two national missionaries over there that Lamb & Lion supports, and the horror stories that these men tell. This will be the same situation during the Tribulation for the saints of that time.

When I gave you earlier the ten signs of the end times that Jesus gave us in Luke 21, number eight was the persecution of Christians. As bad as it is now for Christians around the world, for the Tribulation Saints it will get far, far worse.

Today, there is much tribulation Christians have to deal with. I say tribulation with a lower-case "t". Before the Tribulation, upper-case "T", and before the Rapture, I can't say how much Christians today will have to endure as we wait for Jesus to return. But, we know from so many verses in the Bible such as Ephesians 5:6; Romans 5:9; Colossians 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; and Revelation 3:10 right off the top of my head, these promise that the Church is not destined for the wrath of God, the upper-case "T".

We must remember that the Tribulation is the wrath of God. Christians today are safe from God's wrath in that we are promised by God that Jesus will take the Church up and protect us from those awful years to come.

But, will there be the wrath of man and Satan before the 21 judgments of Revelation are released? Most certainly. It's definitely happening to Christians all over the world today. I can tell you horror stories out of North Korea, where there are over 70,000 Christians confined to a torturous life in concentration camps right now. There is persecution in China. Christian orphanages are being burned down in India. Clearly persecution is coming on the Christian today.

Because we are persecuted for Christ, we need to stand fast in the Lord. We need to continue to share the Gospel no matter what. Don't lose your faith! Don't run away from Jesus! Stick with the Lord, as our redemption is drawing near.

August Rosado: Amen to that!

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