Which are you? What do you belong to?
If you haven’t already, you will have to make a choice whether to cooperate with the government’s control over your church and what you preach from the pulpit, OR to preach what the Lord wants His people to hear, and to do what God wants His true worshippers to do.
Our Father is not going to let any of His children continue in the ‘fear and unbelief’ of compromise, tolerance of evil, silence with the truth and half-hearted commitment to the Lord. This is all rooted in the fear of unbelief of who God is and the promises our Father has given to His faithful children.
Persecution and hardship forces us to choose what side we are going to commit to and stand on; for there is no in between place, no gray area to abide in. Truth is truth. Right is right. God is the same today as He was in the beginning.
We abide in Christ Jesus; we remain in His love and truth, and He will remain in us, abide with us. We are either in God’s light or in the world’s darkness. Persecution and hardship will either strengthen or ruin our faith, it’s up to us. We have been given all that we need from our Father in order to remain faithful to the Lord, and to the end. We still have the Lord’s saving grace for when we do what Peter did three times: denied the Lord out of fear of persecution.
Makes me wonder, how many times I’ve denied the Lord out of fear of being persecuted, and how many times the Lord will forgive me for it. I’m reminded of how the Lord answered Peter about forgiving others, how many times? As many times as they ‘repent’ and ‘ask’ to be forgiven! What amazing grace! If Jesus required that of our first church father, the apostle Peter, I have to assume that Jesus will do the same for me. What a Savior; the Author and Perfector of our faith in God!
We will each have to choose what we will be known for ‘at the end of our time on earth:’ faithful or unfaithful, and we will each receive from God what is due us, regarding faithfulness or unfaithfulness.
God still tests the faith of each and every person who has called on the world’s one and only Savior – to be their personal Savior forever. Either we believe HE IS the great I AM, the ROCK of all ages, or we show that we don’t believe – by our fear of persecution. Satan is the god of fear and persecution.
Did Jesus NOT claim that He came to destroy these works; the works of the devil and his cohorts? John, and all the disciples, heard Jesus say this. And, the Holy Spirit (who reminds us of everything the Lord said) led John to write it down FOR US:
Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”
“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven,“I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” John 12:24-32
John wrote by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit:
“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is…Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” 1 John 2, 7-8
So, what do we have to fear? Why should we be silent? What are we afraid of losing? What are we hoping to hang on to in this life? What will we leave behind for the next generation? What will you, and I, be known for when we stand before the Lord Jesus Christ?
“In the last days, God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” Acts 2:17-21
“With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’” Acts 2:40
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2:42
It’s important to note: they devoted themselves to the teaching of the Lord’s apostles, not pastors/teachers/prophets/healers, etc., but to the teaching of true church fathers, not denominational hirelings – like we have in America today.
The Lord’s prophets of our day are of the same Holy Spirit office of the Lord’s prophets of the Old Testament, once again warning God’s ‘covenant’ people of falling away, the coming judgment and of the Lord’s soon return; to be prepared for what is coming, and ready for the Lord, both in use to Him and to see Him as we hope to see Him.
Does this describe the united Church of Jesus Christ in America?
“Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:43-44
We read this, but does it really describe the church in America today?
So, what are you, or what are you involved with: Non-Profit Organization of Religion or Biblical Standing Church of Jesus Christ?