The Battleground of That Name

This week, in Pennsylvania State Legislature, a female Christian Republican in her opening prayer mentioned the name Jesus thirteen times before the state swore in its first Muslim woman at the statehouse. And this Christian Republican, who is also a pastor's wife, when she invoked the name of Jesus, she opened a hornet's nest. The Democrats were outraged at her bigotry, and the Muslim woman said, and I quote, the entire invocation was offensive, but to use Jesus as a weapon is not okay, end quote.

Ironically, another Muslim lawmaker opened the session on Tuesday by reading from the Koran, prompting applause in the chamber. I want to say something, friends. I don't normally jump into politics, but what took place in the legislature of Pennsylvania this week is a portent of things to come.

The battleground in this country will be waged at the name of Jesus, just like the early church had to find out the hard way that they had to proclaim either Caesar is Lord or Jesus is Lord. And if they said Jesus is Lord, they were promptly arrested, put in chains, and dragged to the Coliseum to be fed to the lions as a public spectacle. There's a day fast approaching in this country where if you pray in the name of Jesus, you will be considered an enemy of the state.

Don't you believe for one skinny minute that I am exaggerating, friends, but I am telling you the truth of common persecution to Christians in this country. There will be a sifting that will separate the goats from the sheep. Listen to me loud and clear that this day is coming that will empty out our congregations as they run for the doors to save their skins.

The hypocrites in the churches will be found out as this battleground is more firmly drawn by a line in the sand that runs to the name of Jesus. The Muslims have rights in this country, and the homosexuals have rights in this country, but Christians do not have those same rights. You may think you do, and you can hide under cover by just talking about the Creator or mentioning God, and most folks will leave you alone, but the minute you do what that Christian woman politician did in the Pennsylvania legislature and mention the name of Jesus, then the fur will start to fly, the snakes will start writhing, and the devil will use his human dupes to destroy you because the devil hates the name of Jesus.

This is the battleground, friends. The fight will be here. The churches will begin to feel the heat, and we will have in this country what has taken place in China as I speak.

There are two churches in China, one above ground, which is called the Three-Self Church, and it's backed by the Communist government, where you are not allowed to mention the Holy Spirit or the blood atonement of Jesus, and there's the underground church in China, which meets in barns late at night or haylofts or in abandoned buildings and houses, and it is the underground church where the vital Christianity is and where the hot persecution flies. In America, in the not-too-distant future, there will be the above ground church sold out to the state, and there will be an underground church that meets in houses to pray up the name of Jesus. The battleground of that fight will be formed by lines in the sand that lead to the name which is above all names.

My Bible says in Philippians 2.10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth. The battleground of that name will grow hotter and hotter as the lead starts to fly in this country as hot persecution comes to those who follow the crucified Christ and who are not ashamed of him and who are willing to lose all for him, even their own lives if necessary. Let me tell you something, friend.

You better get out a spiritual thermometer and take your temperature to see if you'll be able to stand what is coming down the pike at the crossroads of the name Jesus. The wheat will be separated from the chaff. Let us pray.