Persecution in the West

There is a great persecution coming to the Western Church. A short while ago I gave a word that mentions persecution coming to the West. Since that time, I believe the Lord has been showing me more about this fast approaching end-time event – in fact its upon us now!

The (Western) world has finally got so sick and tired of the Church’s hypocrisy, its political meddling, its greed, and quite frankly its own sin, that they have turned on us. As Steve Gray spoke in his book, “Strike the Match” (p53)

“When the followers of God are not all that different from those who don’t follow Him, what is there attract the non-believer? When we are a powerless, unethical people in opposition to the standards of God, how do we hope to spur anyone to salvation? It is hard to convey the hypocrisy, self-indulgence, and greed that are engulfing our churches as worthwhile adverts for Jesus.”

That is not quite an exact quote as I have changed a word here and there for clarity. What truth and wisdom in those words. Steve Gray has not been alone in revealing this but, like all the rest, he has been roundly shunned and ignored by the great majority. Alas, the Church has not heeded these words in the slightest and the world has finally said “Enough is enough – the church has had its say, and yet the Church has never once followed its own preaching.” Why do you think so many people turned towards other religions or no religion at all. Why do you think those other religions, Islam in particular, have grown at such an alarming rate. Why do you think that their, still very much minority, voices are being given so much freedom? Could it be – could it just possibly be, that the Lord has allowed this so as to start the shaking He has promised??

I believe that the Lord has been showing me that there is coming a persecution to the Church of Europe and America, and to individual Christians. It will be of such magnitude that we will discover first hand what it was like to live under a repressive regime like the old Stalinism or Mao-ism. Christians in Europe and, particularly, America will be imprisoned for their faith. They will be publicly reviled for their religion and for their support of Israel. Many many thousands will flee Christianity as it becomes, to them, a stumbling block. As it was said by Paul in scripture :-

Romans 9:31-33 (NIV)” Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone." As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

These statements referred to the prophecy in Isaiah

Isaiah 8:14; “... but for both houses of Israel he will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”

Yet there is hope for later in Isaiah it says -

Isaiah 28:16 “So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed.”

It is my belief that there is a truth here that we have long tried to ignore simply because we don’t like the sound of it. Jesus Christ is not only the Son of God, He is not only our Lord and Saviour, He is not only the one who died for our sins that if we believe in Him we might have eternal life. Like it or not, Jesus Christ is also the stumbling block that will cause us to be persecuted , beaten, put in prison, humiliated, humbled before all men – in almost exactly the same way as the first church did 2000 years ago.

So why does scripture also say that the one who trusts in Him will never be shamed nor dismayed? We will never be shamed nor dismayed before God !! His Grace always was, still is, and always will be sufficient for us. He always was, still is, and always will be the way the truth and the life. No matter what persecution we may suffer in the days ahead, we will, like many before us, bear it with faith intact, we will bear it with dignity, and we will bear it for His sake and we will NOT be shamed nor dismayed before the throne of God. He will acknowledge us and be our fortress, our strong tower, our peace, and our all in all.

And this is our hope, that in whatever the coming persecution throws at us we may :- “Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13 NKJV

One last thing for you to consider – I believe the Lord is saying that this is NOT the great tribulation spoken of in the Bible – this is going to happen before those days.

CGB 25 July 2009