Preparing For End Time Persecution
Or
Desiring To Live Godly Lives
Lesson 2
An End Time Warning To Consider:
We will further discuss the E-Bulletin from Asia Harvest that was posted April 26, 2021, entitled, “Preparing For Persecution – Lessons To Help From China”. The article explains that during the pandemic of 2020 and into the beginning of 2021, Asia Harvest was contacted by many believers around the world. The inquiries were concerning how Christians could survive persecution.
Their request assures us all of the universal concern that the storm clouds of affliction and tribulation are gathering overhead, especially for those of us within Christendom. The article confirms six decades of persecution in China and yet with that persecution came great revival to the nation.
In responding to the world’s concerns relating to spiritual persecution, the leaders at Asia Harvest discovered a hesitancy in the organized church of the west to receive the biblical truth as it relates to Christian affliction, persecution, and coming tribulation. Most were more concerned about how they could survive persecution and maintain the organized and institutionalized denominational status, which evolves around corporation style buildings and franchising-like unbiblical attitudes and fleshly means of numerical growth.
Scripture To Consider:
“Then they [religious and or political leaders or both] will deliver you [true born-again end time believer in Jesus] up to tribulation [affliction through persecution] and kill you, and you [those desiring to live godly in Christ Jesus] will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” Matthew 24.9
Something To Consider:
This spoken of by Jesus in our Scripture to consider is already taking place around the world as it did within the 1st century of Christendom. What will this look like in America? What will organized religion look like when true Christians finally align themselves with the Word of God and the teachings of Jesus Christ? What will the organized corporation style church do when its members and financial supporters are beaten, arrested, imprisoned, and killed according to the prophetic and predicted words of Jesus in Matthew chapter 24?
Let us read and understand this quote from the E-Bulletin by Asia Harvest. “Gone will be the denominations, their emphasis on church buildings, reverends, [a religious leadership hierarchy], and the divisions between clergy and other believers, and all kinds of church traditions and outward imagery that are not found in Scripture. They will be swept away.” And that is something to consider!
Something Else To Consider:
The second biblical concept proclaimed in the E-Bulletin dated April 26, 2021, is as follows according to the leaders of the China church. “Persecution is the last thing our flesh desires, but our faith must rest on the fact that the Lord Jesus will not let us down, and He will never leave us nor forsake us. Persecution cannot destroy our relationship with Him.”
Quite the contrary, affliction, tribulation, persecution, and suffering actually draws the hungering and thirsting soul toward God and closer to His Word. James, the step brother of Jesus instructed us to draw near to God in James 4.8, by stating; “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners [me included], and purify your hearts, you double minded.”
Just prior to James directing us to draw near to God, He proclaimed in verse 7 of James chapter 4; “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James continued his discourse on drawing near to God by declaring in verse 9 and 10; “Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.”
Something More To Consider:
In other words, desiring to live godly lives, and preparing for end time persecution begins with; 1) Submitting ourselves to God; 2) Resisting the devil, Satan, Antichrist, and anything that attempts to keep us from enduring to the end and living godly lives; 3) Drawing near to God, which we do as we draw near to His Word; 4) Cleansing our hands from our sin, iniquity, and trespasses against God; 5) Purifying our hearts by way of the cleansing power of God’s Word and the symbolic blood of Jesus.
And added to the above, 5), 6), and 7); Be afflicted, mourn, weep over our sin and God’s gracious atonement which is only available in and through Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. And finally; 8) Let us humble ourselves in the sight of our gracious Lord and Savior with the promise that He will lift us up. And yet, Jesus was willingly lifted up upon an old rugged cross which culminated in His atoning sacrifice being acceptable to His Father.
A Few Final Words:
Jesus said in John 16.33; “These things I have spoken to you that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation [sufferings, affliction, and persecutions]; but be of good cheer, I [Jesus] have overcome the world.”
After predicting His death and resurrection in Matthew chapter 16, Jesus said to His devoted disciples who had pledged their allegiance to living godly lives in Christ Jesus; “If anyone desires to come after Me [anyone who desires to live a godly life], let him [or her] deny himself [or herself], and take up his [or her] cross [that spiritual emblem of earthly suffering for a heavenly kingdom], and follow Me.”
In Closing:
What will the persecution in America look like as we fast approach the end of this age? Just look around the world as we face the mandated restrictions placed upon humanity due to a manufactured by man coronavirus. We are moving forward towards another great divide between the haves and the have nots concerning the so-called covid-19 vaccines.
We are being prepared for the coming of the Antichrist one world ruling system that will not function in the best interest of humanity. Yes, we are anticipating the second coming of Jesus Christ. But according to His end time warnings of Matthew chapter 24, His coming will not be until immediately after the tribulation of those days.
Therefore, Jesus instructed us in Luke 21.36, “Watch therefore, and pray always that you will be counted worthy to escape all these things [God’s righteous judgment of man’s refusal of the truth] that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man [Jesus].”
Are we prepared for end time persecution? Are we praying to be counted worthy to escape the wrath of God? Are we therefore desiring to live godly lives while taking up our own cross, while denying ourselves, surrendering and submitting ourselves to God, while resisting the devil, and drawing near to God by way of His holy Word?
Let’s Pray:
Our Father in heaven, prepare us as end time true believers in Jesus, to be ready, spiritually, emotionally, and physically, for end time events. Teach us to pray always to be counted worthy to escape the judgment of our Almighty God. Make us worthy in our remaining in Christ and willing to endure to the end. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 