September 18, 2009
“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will confess before My Father in heaven. But whoever DENIES Me before men, him I will also DENY before My Father in heaven (Matthew 10:32-33).
Continued from August 28, 2009; September 4, 11, 2009
Dear Brethren,
In face of the trials and tests to come upon God’s people, will be—
The Soon-Coming Persecution —
“Then
they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be
hated by [in] all nations for My name’s sake.
. . . [Mr. Armstrong stated this apples to both
physical
Israel and the Church]. And
then many will be
OFFENDED, will BETRAY one another, and will HATE one another”
(Matthew 24:9-10).
These Scriptures make known there will be a repeat in the near future of the persecution such as the people of God experienced through the centuries from both faithfully proclaiming God’s message as well as to their belief and faith in the true Christ— only this time it will be far worse (Matthew 24:21-22; Daniel 12:1-2).
“Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who ENDURES TO THE END WILL BE SAVED. A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household? Therefore DO NOT fear them ... And do NOT fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. But rather FEAR HIM who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Gehenna – the 2nd death) ...The very hairs of your head are all numbered, DO NOT FEAR therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will confess before My father in heaven. But whoever DENIES Me before men, him I will also DENY before My Father in heaven. ... And a man’s foes will be those of his own household. ... He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. ...” (Matthew 10:21-39).
Based on these and other Scriptures— whether members of Laodicea, Sardis, or Philadelphia Eras of God’s end-time Churches— during the soon-coming terrible times ahead, each one will be subjected to the worst in name-calling, experience slander, shame, and physical abuse for their beliefs, and even death, before the departure of the members of the Philadelphia era to the place of refuge, and just prior to the Great Tribulation.
Scripture Reveals History Will Repeat Itself
A lesson can be taken from the persecution the people of God experienced in 70 A. D. before their departure from Jerusalem to Pella, Jordan; just before its fall to Titus and his Roman armies (Matthew 24:9-10).
ANCIENT HISTORY IN BIBLE LIGHT, Dorothy Ruth Miller, Page 256, ‘Nero’ 54-68 A. D.
“.
. . The PERSECUTION
to
which they were subjected because of their adherence to those
principles was doubtless a contributing cause, T
WO
OR THREE YEARS LATER, to their REMOVAL from Judea, and their
consequent ESCAPE
FROM THE HORRORS OF
THE SIEGE!” (My emphasis
throughout these
historical writings).
Lessons from History and Duality
We would do well to seriously think about what we have read in those brief paragraphs of the history of God’s early Church because for the very same reasons the Church of God in days ahead will experience the same persecution as was brought upon them by both Nero and the Jews.
What Will Your Answers Be When Accused as Were the Christians by Nero Regarding their Lack of Belief in the following Holidays?
Haters of Humanity— Nero accused them of being haters of humanity due to their not participating in the heathen feasts, such as Christmas, New Years Days, Easter, Valentine, Halloween, etc.
L
ikewise,
we as Christians do not have Christmas lights on our homes and no
tree in view in the large window of the living room. This plainly
marks our houses as people who are different and completely out of
step with the Christian world. It is already believed that we do not
believe in Jesus Christ!
We are conscientious objectors to participating in warfare; we do not involve ourselves in politics; and we do not vote nor serve on juries. Our people do not join in picket strikes or attend Union meetings.
Notes are sent by parents to the teachers in the public school system asking to excuse our children from participating in Christmas parties, and from exchanging cards on Valentine Day, etc.
From these historical writings, we should be able to clearly see that the same charges that were leveled on those early Christians that brought about persecution, great sufferings, and death, apply to all of us today! Haters of humanity!
Think about this with the future in mind.
W
hether
God sees fit to deliver His ELECT, sooner or later, preparation must
be made as much as possible both spiritually and mentally in order to
faithfully endure unto the end regardless of whatever is ahead of us!
And we must not be offended because of whatever the source of the
persecution comes, or even if some of us have to suffer martyrdom
(Luke 21:34).
Christ Will Be There to Aid His people—
First and foremost we need to realize in the face of any trial Jesus Christ said He would be there to aid and comfort each one (Matthew 28:20). He also said our Father would give us the words to speak just as He did with the apostles Peter and Paul:
“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as A TESTIMONY [witness] to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up DO NOT WORRY about HOW or WHAT you should speak. For it will BE GIVEN to you IN THAT HOUR what you should speak. For it is NOT you who speak, BUT the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you” (Matthew 10:16-20).
T
his
should be a great source of encouragement to each one. At the same
time this will be a frightening and intimidating time. And when it
comes we must be like Elijah when King Ahab tried to intimidate him
upon their meeting together when Elijah was sent to Ahab to make
known the end of the famine in Israel (I Kings 18:17-18).
Preparedness and Endurance—
It is to be understood that one need not be afraid even though we will be called a lot of bad names as well as false charges will be directed at us. Whatever reputation we might have will be tarnished, muddied, and discredited, just as were those who testified about President Clinton’s misbehavior with them personally before he was elected to serve as president.
M
r.
Armstrong was called a lot of bad names—accused of terrible
sins. This was done while he was alive, and disrespectful things are
still being said about him today. The same has been true with all of
God’s prophets and apostles. These dedicated men are held in
great esteem by God and will be with Him in His soon-coming Kingdom.
Jesus Christ said about Himself: “If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub (the devil), how much more will they call those of His household” (Matthew 10:24-26; John 10:2). Many will run from name calling. Please know we will be TESTED trying to break us! We must not give way!
From what Scripture reveals we must expect this to take place. And when it does it will be easy to lie or deny as did Peter— cut and run (Matthew 26:69-75; John 21:15-19). Know this— those who do, better repent quickly as did Peter and stand up to be counted, as did he, or you will be headed for the Great Tribulation which will be far worse than whatever we may have to undergo and endure before that time.
The Glenn Beck Program
F
or
those who listen to the Glenn Beck’s radio and his television
programs on the FOX News Channel know that he bravely speaks of the
problems facing this country and lays the responsibility for it on
the President, his czars, along with congress – both the
democrats and republicans.
From what he says his daily programs are being heard by many of these same people and he hears from some of them with scorn and disdain. He also has said he is continually being investigated with the effort of trying to find dirt that would discredit him.
This is a tactic that Satan the devil uses against any reputable leader who speaks the truth for either civil or religious causes.
In spite of this, and not knowing whether attempts of violence may come his way, along with his wife and children to suffer persecution and be ostracized by many, he courageously continues to makes known the potential dangers hovering over this nation.
Counsel Given to Glenn Beck
In one of his recent programs, a professional psychiatrist enumerated the steps Glenn Beck should take to prepare himself and his family for whatever potential problems he may yet be facing.
Listening to what was being said I could not help but think the precautionary steps that was offered to him can very well apply to us as God’s people. It is with this in mind that I will enumerate these steps for all of you to consider for as Jesus Christ said we will be hated, persecuted, and some even murdered for what we believe and preach. (John 16:1-4).
Preparation In View of the Coming Persecution and Martyrdom
Just as Glenn Beck is preparing his family and himself for whatever happens so we must do the same.
In addition to seeking the strength needed from Jesus Christ to face whatever, as did He in fervent prayer just before He was arrested in the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew26:36-44; Luke 22:41-44), we would do well to consider seriously the counsel given Glenn Beck as a means to further aid and strengthen us mentally from all of the smearing and wrongful charges that Satan will use his instruments to viciously hurl at us just as they did Christ.
Satan is the Real Enemy Using His Human Instruments to Try and Break God’s True People
Counsel Offered to Glenn Beck with Edits and Modifications to fit God’s People
In view of all the terrible things prophesied to take place in this time of the end of this age (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21). Jesus Christ lovingly and caringly made known how critical it is that we remain faithful to Him and His way of life:
“But he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13; 10:22; II Timothy 4:7).
This Generation Will Not Pass —
After Jesus Christ had enumerated all of the major events to take place before the actual time of the end, which includes the persecution, He then spoke of these coming sufferings on the Church, along with the horrors to come on Israel, and later the world:
“So you also, when you see all these things, KNOW that is near, at the very doors. Assuredly, I say to you, THIS GENERATION (in which these prophetic events will take place) will by NO means pass away TILL all these things are fulfilled. Heaven and earth will pass away BUT My words will by no means pass away” (Matthew 24:33-35).
Though we are fast approaching the time of these end-time prophetic events, we are yet to experience the persecution shortly before the time of God removing us from it all.
Each of us would do well to think about the very possible duality with the early Christians in Jerusalem in 70 A. D. They had to endure the persecution for two or three years before God removed them. Will it be the same with us?
This present time is the lull before the storm and we should be using it to be drawing close enough to our God that our LOVE FOR HIM AND HIS TRUTH will be so deeply engrained within our very hearts and beings that nothing “shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” – just as the people of God clung faithfully to His LOVE from the beginning of the Church unto our time (Romans 8:31-39; Hebrews 11).
In Conclusion —
Though much can be written and added to this subject it is my hope that this series of writings will be enough to make us think deeply about our priceless calling and not let anyone or anything deter us from the glory and endless life that will soon be ours— ours, by enduring faithfully unto the end!
Please remember and think about the following Scripture: “If you faint (or quit) in the day of adversity, your strength is small” (Proverbs 24:10).
Let
us be building our spiritual strength through a right and close
relationship with our God and our Savior Jesus Christ who said He
would never leave nor forsake us (Matthew 28:20; Psalms 34; Hebrews
13:5-6).
With this promise from Christ firmly in mind, each of us must continue committed in putting forth all of our effort with determination to faithfully finish the race to glory and honor as those have before us, and will be ours upon the return of Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:24-27; Hebrews 11; 12:1-3; Philippians 3:7-15).
Don Billingsley
http://bodyofchristonline.us/ http://cog-ff.com http://www.ezekielwatchman.org/ http://worldnewsbulletin.com
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