“There is a heavy burden on my heart: A world-wide persecution of Christians is drawing close.”

That is the message which I did not want to write here for believers to read, but which I felt impelled to post as a warning. It is just so hard to bring a distressing message to others, as Jeremiah knew so well:

“Oh, my anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain. Oh, the agony of my heart! My heart pounds within me, I cannot keep silent. For I have heard the sound of the trumpet; I have heard the battle cry” (Jeremiah 4:19).

As it turns out, however, I do not have to write much about what I believe the Lord has shown his church about what is soon coming, because another believer of an earlier time has already done this. The opening quote above is from her writings of years ago. Her name is Basilea Schlink and she went through the communist years of enslavement after World War Two and thereafter wrote many insightful books based on real-life experiences from persecuting governments. I make much use here of one book in particular, “The Eve of Persecution,” from which many quotes or references will be made in what follows. I thank the Lord that he brought her book to my mind as he alerted me one morning while reading his Book that I should re-read that little book of hers and pass on her insights to the rest of his Body. What follows is my attempt to be obedient to what He showed me.

Though sister Basilea wrote specifically against communism, she knew that that political and philosophical worldview was only a part of a larger rebellion against God; for she also wrote with keen insight that both communism and its anti-thesis, capitalism, actually come from a broader worldview: “materialism, which aims at a life detached from God and in opposition to His authority. . . . Behind it all is the great adversary of God, a fact which mankind in its blindness fails to see.”
She went on to say that Jesus’ prophecies for the end times have begun to be fulfilled and that Christians will soon be persecuted in all parts of the world and that These are highly crucial times.

I have emphasized this last comment of hers because today, as when she wrote it, this is the key fact that so few seem to realize. In her own words:
“It is nearly midnight and Christian persecution is on the threshold. Thus as Christians, we cannot evade the issue. One question is important: ‘Am I ready to suffer for Jesus and to lay down my life for Him?’”

“Jesus’ command, ‘Be prepared!’ is His summons to His disciples today. This command is like a trumpet call to startle us out of our sleep when we are too involved in the everyday affairs of life. The Lord wants us to practise now for tomorrow so that we can stand in the hour of trial.”

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SI Moderator - Greg Gordon