Short Take #5: Will Persecution Increase?

Here is another sort taken from the Christian worldview with Dave and we very interestingly hair and she you know this but the message that Pastor James Coates gave the Sunday before she was arrested back in February was on Romans 13 and the role of government and so far they haven't had a chance to hear the whole message but there was actually more to it.

This church grace life church actually wrote a public statement that they dealt with the theological issue that we've been talking about with the explicit and implicit examples of how churches are to meet in person so that there was that there was a whole theological basis why they opted to continue to worship in person, but there is also we have this public statement linked in our website the Christian worldview.org they address the government overreach and the exaggeration of just how dangerous this particular virus is and how many people exactly affect affected and they wanted might actually be the individual liberty aspect of this and saying this is way, way overblown, and it wasn't just opinions. They were using annual health department statistics and everything else so I may try to get a chance to just read some of that the listeners can read the entire statement to me. This church is on its it wasn't purely like this.

Just what my conscience says which would be good enough for a pastor, but there were there was more to it than that.

I just want to close Eric with one more question about persecution. Paul writes to Timothy in second Timothy chapter 3, starting in verse 10 he says to his younger man in the face. He says now you Timothy followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patients love, perseverance, persecutions and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch at I Coni a minute Leister and Paul was constantly getting in trouble from authorities for his missionary work, preaching the gospel what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! It says in verse 12.

Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted last verse, but evil men and imposters will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. Now I'm not sure of interpreting this right.

You're the pastor so you correct me if I'm wrong, but evil men and imposters, evil men seems to be perhaps nonbelievers you never call a Christian and an evil man.

So maybe nonbelievers and imposters has to do with someone who's kinda faking being a believer. Correct me if I'm wrong and that that interpretation there they will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. So can I extrapolate from that that there is going to be governmental leaders who are just evil and hate the kingdom of God organ or proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived is also to be imposters inside the church professing to be Christians well known Christian leaders.

There can be deceiving and being deceived as well and so the question is do you think persecution is going to increase for Christians pastors and churches here in America to make a great observation from the reader. Certainly would include governmental leaders and look to kingdom the kingdom of light in the kingdom of darkness right and and Satan is not tired is a long leash, but he is not tired and doing its thing, and on the basis of the authority of Scripture. You just read as well as others. I do believe we have what we have reason to conclude that persecution will increase the way things are going. And as far as inside and outside the church. You made a great point that there will be imposters.

Jesus said in his parable of the the week.

The terror that there's going to be tears of the evil one will so tears in the church that will fall away that will deceive and be deceived governmental authority that even professing Christians who are not will come and they will under the guise of love to the under the cloak of compassion falsely cloaking their deeds in care and in unity will do evil things, that it's not love, because love is how God is defined love that line up with all the scriptural definition qualification for that's happening now probably I'm not a prophet but probably it will increase, but for the Christian we can we can take Peter's advice and first Peter 412 orderly says, beloved, don't be surprised. They know he's taken in the first century, when the new Iranian persecution was cranking up with the Coliseum and doing terrible, terrible things the Christian faith is don't be surprised that applies to our day to at these fiery ordeals which come upon you for your testing of the thumb, strange or bizarre things will happen if you felt if and when it does increase the probably will. God is for us, hallelujah, that the creator of the universe for us. All they can do. Jesus says in Luke 12 kill the body to give you anything more than that.

Hear him have the ability of the body of full will probably get more difficult, what a great God we have and in eternity look back on these things and praise. This is been a sort taken. The Christian will be with David Wheaton. Find out more about the Christian worldview resources make a donation, monthly partner will contact us visit the Christian worldview.org you can also call us toll-free 1-888-646-2233 right to us at Box 401, Excelsior, MN 5531 that's Box 401, Excelsior, MN 551