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 The great persecution that is soon to come upon the remnant Church

Hi Saints, I would like to speak about a subject that really has been the driving force behind much of what I have written in the last few years and this piece will be of no surprise to those who have read even a small amount of what I have written. Obviously I am not of the pre-trib rapture position. And that is the last you will hear me mention any such phrases because I believe if we use certain phrases then we simply get pigeon- holed. Enough to say that I would soundly reject the very premise of the ” Left behind” series. We will go through the great tribulation and we will suffer and most of us who are alive at that time will be martyred.

Now, the many positions that Christians take on last days are well documented. I would encourage everyone to read the Scriptures and allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you into the truth. Do not follow men and the teachings of men on these matters. You must be convinced in your spirit of these things that are shortly to come to pass. Now, as one who went to Bible school and who aced his ” premillennial dispensationalism,” class ( should have got the A just for being able to say and spell it) I could certainly give you the historical views of the three main positions and would also be able to tell you about the birth of dispensationalism and the pre-trib-rapture theory. But, I am not going to do that. You can certainly do the research yourself and come to your own conclusions. As I said, ultimately the Holy Spirit has to teach you and lead you and guide you. In this article I am just going to share with you my burden and what I believe is shortly to come to pass. You, of course, are free to agree or to disagree or take what you will and leave the rest.

I believe that persecution is coming to the Church, the remnant, whoever truly belongs to Jesus. I do not believe that God’s hand will be stayed in this because I believe that He has His purpose and that it is part of the prophetic calendar. So let me lay out for you how I ” see,” the times that are approaching. There is something that we call Christendom. To me, that is everything that calls itself by the name of Christ. This would include every denomination, including Catholics, Pentecostals, Baptists, Evangelicals a host of Non-denominational churches and the man in the street who does not go to any church but if you were to push him, he would call himself either a believer or a Christian.

Now let me say plainly, I believe that only a very small percentage of that which calls itself Christian is in fact true born-again, new creature in Christ, sold out disciples of Jesus. Various men have given numbers over the years, Ravenhill once said that he reckoned only 7% of professing Christians in America were actually Christians. The truth is, I have no idea. I do know that Jesus said that many were called but few were chosen and that the road to heaven was a narrow one and few there were that found it. That’s not so complicated and I see no need to complicate it further by adding to what Jesus said.

And so, how will the persecution come about and who will persecute the saints of God, martyring them and believing they are doing God a favor by doing it? Well, I believe that the vast majority of Christendom that is not saved will soon morph into the great whore church. What is this great whore church? Well it will be a church that will bring together the major religions of the world under one roof. Islam, Judaism and Christianity will join together under a false prophet who will testify to the authenticity of the man of peace, the anti-Christ. Tumultuous circumstances in the world will give rise to this anti-Christ. People of every nation will be mesmerized by him and by his displays of power. Only the saints will not falL for this grand delusion. And as they refuse to follow him they become the targets of hatred of the world in general and specifically the religious.

Now I believe that there will be a direct correlation between the rise of persecution of the pouring out of God’s Spirit upon His people. What will come first I do not know. I lean towards persecution coming first and God pouring His Spirit into His people in order for them to deal with this, yet I also believe that prior to the beginnings of the great tribulation that God will pour out His Spirit upon His people in measure and that this will really be the beginnings of a deep hatred from the religious people. You see, there are many who desire to see a great outpouring of His Spirit but there are few who embrace the cross of Calvary, few who embrace the hard narrow path of the Word of God.

And so who amongst us can embrace a God that has martyrdom in mind for us? Some may see this kind of thinking as some kind of doom and gloom preaching. Yet, the people who I am writing this article too know very well that this is not so. You see, the Bride-groom is coming back for His bride the Church. We know that the time is short. And so we would celebrate the end of the ages because the Lord is coming. We know that we have been walking through a dry and thirsty land, a land in the midst of famine, and whatever it takes for God to pour out His Spirit in power, then the child of God embraces that.

If it takes a mighty confrontation on the mountain for the rain to come , then so it must be. If the word has to go out ” choose ye this day whom you will serve,” then that word must go out. If the five virgins without oil must be warned then they must be warned. If there is a generation of saints that are alive at the culmination of the ages and that generation has to be us, then praise the Lord for He knows what He is doing.

Saints, we know that we do not battle against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers. When those principalities and powers know that their time is short, what would we expect from such a great darkness? If God increases the light in His children, if He pours out His Spirit as in the latter rains, what would we expect the enemy of our souls to do? Sit idly by? No, we know that there is a time coming such as has never been before. The time is coming when every child of God will be hunted down and killed by the anti-Christ.

Yet I want you to know that this scenario also includes the filling of saints in such a fashion that they could not even imagine. The power that we will have will be the power to resist the greatest evil that the world has ever seen. We will be filled with a hell-shaking love, the same hell destroying love that we witnessed on Calvary. The same hell shaking love that we saw in our brother Stephen as he was stoned to death.

If you have ever experienced the presence of God, the manifest presence of God then the scenario of being filled with such perfect love that casts out all fear is one that is to be relished. To walk in the power of our Lord, to walk in the Spirit in such a fashion that has yet to be witnessed on the earth, this is a glorious prospect for God’s children. The genuine saint has spent all of his walk with the Lord with an earnest desire to be more like Him. Genuine persecution and refining fire only kills the flesh in us, it does nothing to the Spirit of God in us. And so the more the genuine saint is persecuted, the more of Christ the world will see. As the world comes against us with all of the fury of hell behind it, it will only see a greater expression of Jesus. This is the paradox, the irony, the ultimate weakness of evil, the ultimate triumph of good over evil.

Now brothers and sisters, are we that people? Can you say that the desire of your life is to be more like Jesus and to follow Him? Do you love Him above all else? Are you worthy to be His disciple? Now is the time to have your Gethsemane. The battle of Calvary was won in the garden of Gethsemane. Will you turn back when these things begin to unfold? And so the question bears repeating ” Who amongst us can embrace a God that has called us to martyrdom?” Remember, when it became clear that the Lord Jesus was to become a suffering servant, one who was to be despised by the multitude, rejected, humiliated, tortured and then crucified, how many stood with Him?

If you have to face the same things in the coming persecution, will you still stand with Him? Jesus urged His disciples to pray because He knew what was about to come to pass, He Himself prayed and overcame the flesh in the garden before the time came and He found victory in the Garden. He had made up His mind that He would bow to the will of His Father. Can you do the same now saint? Can you make up your mind now that come what may, if events of the end time are not how you supposed them to be or have been taught that they will be, that never-the-less you will bow to the will of your Father and embrace the God that calls you to martyrdom?

 2016/3/3 22:31
AbideinHim
Member



Joined: 2006/11/26
Posts: 5185
Louisiana

 Re: The great persecution that is soon to come upon the remnant Church

"Now I believe that there will be a direct correlation between the rise of persecution of the pouring out of God’s Spirit upon His people. What will come first I do not know. I lean towards persecution coming first and God pouring His Spirit into His people in order for them to deal with this, yet I also believe that prior to the beginnings of the great tribulation that God will pour out His Spirit upon His people in measure and that this will really be the beginnings of a deep hatred from the religious people. You see, there are many who desire to see a great outpouring of His Spirit but there are few who embrace the cross of Calvary, few who embrace the hard narrow path of the Word of God."

Whatever we are going to face in this great
persecution, there will be a corresponding
outpouring of the grace and power of God
to overcome in all things. I believe that many
saints will be preserved from martyrdom
that are being led by the Spirit and live in
Psalm 91.


_________________
Mike

 2016/3/3 23:21Profile









 Re:

Dear brother in the Lord, my Spirit filled brother in Christ let me respectfully disagree with you when you say that many saints will be preserved from martyrdom. This is not the story of the saints down through the ages and it will not be the case at the end of the age.

This wonderful psalm that you speak of is the psalm of the martyr, the saint the witness. For he that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high is the greatest enemy to our common enemy, Satan, and they shall indeed abide in the shadow of the almighty.

Consider brother if you will these verses from that psalm..............For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
(Psa 91:11-12)

Now we know and Satan certainly knew of whom that psalm spoke of. Yet we know Christ was crucified, willingly and it was there that He makes an open shame of Hell and all its fury and breaks the power of sin and death. He did that because of His willing sacrifice, refusing to render evil for evil but rather crying out " forgive them Father for they know not what they do."

Consider another psalm, equally as famous, psalm 23. Even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we shall fear no evil. Even in the midst of that He will makes us to lie down in green pastures ( under the shadow of the Almighty) and we shall dwell beside still waters. He prepares a table before me after He takes care of all my enemies? No, in the very presence of my enemies I triumph and not as the world considers triumph, no our triumph is foolishness to the world. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimonies and we love not our lives unto death, this is our power and our triumph over our enemies, not that our mortal lives and bodies are some how preserved, but that whether we live or whether we die we glorify God...............bro Frank

 2016/3/3 23:57
savannah
Member



Joined: 2008/10/30
Posts: 2265


 Re: The great persecution that is soon to come upon the remnant Church


Frank,

This "great persecution" and "great tribulation" of which you speak, is now and has been, the experience of His people(remnant).

God's people in the USA may not know it by experience, but as I said, it is and has been.

One cannot ignore the fact that your own personal eschatological view is evident by the presuppositions in what you've written.

There is, among other things, this certainty that all His saints believe, this present world hates us and it is not our home.

Bless the LORD all ye His saints.

 2016/3/4 8:29Profile









 Re:

Good post, Savannah. I don't know about Frank's eschatological views but do agree with everything else you said. The Remnant has been under persecution for all of the "Last Days", up until today.

 2016/3/4 9:31









 Re:

Savannah, I agree that my personal view is evident in what I have written. Is there another way to write? I am sure you would agree that Christ is coming back and prior to His return, as written in Matt 24, things will be like in the days of Noah? Or perhaps you would not agree with that, I may be presupposing :) ............bro Frank

 2016/3/4 9:43
dfella
Member



Joined: 2010/7/9
Posts: 295
Canton, Michigan

 Re:

Brother Frank,

I agree with what you have written 100% as this has been my belief since I received the baptism in 1997.

Yes I have already embraced a Jesus who may very well call me to martyrdom. If one were to read Foxes Book of Martyrs, Martyrs Mirror, The Pilgrim Church, there is one unmistakable element in each and every story of the many who have been put to death for Christs name and that is GRACE.

One cannot read these stories and not see that Gods grace was so VERY sufficient for each and every one of these dear saints. The grace (A God given divine enabling) of the two witnesses in Revelation 11 is the same grace all of those who have already been martyred and those who WILL BE martyred and are BEING martyred. GODS GRACE for martyrs I believe is special and unique, I can't prove it, but it is something that I just know that I know.

Thank you for sharing this Frank, I could not have said it better myself. Yes there is an outpouring coming and I agree that I am not sure if it is pre, mid, or post the persecution of Gods true saints.

I have also known that it is going to be professing christians putting confessing Christians to death in their jesus' name thinking they will be doing their god a favor.

For some, what you wrote, is a fearful thing but I pray it not be so. When many of the martyrs were being led to their deaths, they sang, they prayed, and they were at peace. People saw it and heard it. Gods grace will be sufficient in that hour.

Praise the Lord brother for being obedient and stepping out in faith to share, I for one am so very blessed in knowing I am not alone regarding the things God has called me to mark in my heart regarding the things will soon be coming to pass.

Peace!




_________________
David Fella

 2016/3/4 9:46Profile









 Re:

Savannah writes......

"This "great persecution" and "great tribulation" of which you speak, is now and has been, the experience of His people(remnant). God's people in the USA may not know it by experience, but as I said, it is and has been."

Savannah that is just simply factually incorrect. Can you give us a time and place where there has been a worldwide persecution against the saints? Perhaps the closest was Diocletion prior to Constantine where there was an attempt to wipe Christians out in the known world. Outside of that persecution was regional. There will come a time shortly where the whole world will persecute the saints as opposed to the limited regional persecution we see now. Now, all men have their opinions but let us leave Jesus with the final word...........bro Frank

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
(Mat 24:4-33)

 2016/3/4 9:51









 Re:

I think that is kind of a "canard", Frank.

Wherever Christ lives in the hearts of people, Satan has persecuted them. True Believers in all nations have always been persecuted.

2Tim 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

Don't look to the worldly church, they will not be persecuted.

 2016/3/4 10:33









 Re:

Brothers I have no desire to engage in sophistry or debate. But to stay abreast and informed in my prayer ministry I read reports from various sources regarding worldwide persecution believers. The consensus of these reports agree that there is a global persecution of believers in Jesus. More so now than at the beginning of redemptive history.

I will not bore you with the latest statistics save one. On a conference call regarding persecution. It was reported that believers come under some sort of persecution in 151 nations. The United Nations estimates that there are 192, give or take, geo political entities that are considered nations.

When Jesus said that you will be hated by all nations on account of my name. It seems to me we are two thirds of seeing that prophecy fulfilled. It can be argued that there has always been persecution of believers since the birth of the church at Pentecost. But what we are seeing is the increase of persecution of believers. And that at the global level.

Again brothers simply my thoughts.

Brother Blaine








 2016/3/4 10:40





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