Dear
Brethren,
In
this writing I want to pick
up where I left off in the
last one with the subject of
persecution we all need to
be aware and prepared for as
much as possible for it will
become a reality to all of
us who yet live and will
have to experience it to one
degree or another before we
are rescued and later
changed by Christ at His
coming.
Why
Am I Writing About the
Coming Persecution —
I
will state the answer by
quoting Jesus Christ in what
He had to say to His
disciples just before His
own beating and crucifixion
regarding what they would
have to endure while going
to the world with the Gospel
and also feeding the flock.
Jesus Christ not only had
them in mind but all
of God’s people through
the ages right down into our
time:
“These
things I have spoken to you,
that you should NOT be made
to stumble. They will
put you out of the
synagogues; yes, the time is
coming that whoever kills
you will think that he
offers God service.
But these things I have told
you, that WHEN the time
comes, you may remember that
I told you of them.
... (John 16:1-4).
This
is my answer to any who may
ask why I am writing about
this part of the problem
that is yet ahead of us. We
need to be reminded lest we
forget and then stumble in
the faith when we are
confronted with real heavy
problems that will affect us
individually.
The
Soon-Coming Persecution —
It
is too easy to think
persecution will not touch
us before we flee! When we
look at the past history of
the Church through Scripture
along with historical
writings about it, then we
should know that what Jesus
Christ prophesied will take
place at the very end time.
We are badly mistaken if we
feel it is not going to
happen to the Church!
As
you may recall, the apostle
John wrote that when Satan
is cast down he will be
furious and will be striking
as hard as God will permit
him at the Church membership
(Revelation 12:9,12).
For
those who think he will be
solely striking the world,
think of what is written in
the following Scriptures
that specifically deal with
the end-time:
Now
WHEN the dragon saw that he
had been cast to the earth,
he PERSECUTED the woman
(Church) ... BUT the woman
was given the two wings of a
great eagle that she might
fly into the wilderness to
her place ... so the serpent
spewed water out of his
mouth like a flood, that he
might cause her to be
carried away by the flood.
But the earth helped the
woman, and the earth opened
its mouth and swallowed up
the flood which the dragon
has spewed out of his mouth.
And the dragon was enraged
with the woman, and he went
to make war with the rest of
her offspring ...”
(Revelation 12:13-17).
Satan
will continually persecute
the Church even to the
departure of the Church
trying to kill everyone.
Upon seeing his failure he
will then turn back on those
who were not counted worthy
and this will result in the
fulfillment of the 5th seal
– martyrdom!
(Revelation 12:17; 6:9-11)
Persecution
in Recent Years —
In
my previous writing I gave
you some real-life examples
of members who suffered and
endured the trials of
persecution that came upon
them for the truths of God
they believed and upheld in
recent years.
The
trials they experienced were
bad enough but what is
before us will be really
hard and very trying for all
of us.
Jesus
Christ foretold the
persecution all of God’s
people would experience from
the beginning of the N. T.
Church and would continue
through the centuries and
then come down very hard at
the end-time.
“Then
they will deliver you up to
tribulation and kill you,
and you will be hated by
[in] all nations for My
name’s sake [Mr. Armstrong
stated this apples to both
physical Israel and the
Church]. And then many will
be OFFENDED, will BETRAY one
another, and will HATE one
another” (Matthew 24:9-10;
Matthew 10).
These
Scriptures make known that
we, the Church of God at
large, have some very
serious and most trying
times just ahead of us.
The
examples I cited in my last
writing were very minimal
compared to what is going to
take place within all of the
corporate Churches of God.
It will be especially hard
for those of us who are
trying to sincerely reach
out with the warning
messages of what is soon to
take place with the house of
Joseph and all of Israel.
There
could very well be a repeat
in the near future of the
persecution Jeremiah
experienced from faithfully
proclaiming God’s message
to the Jews before the
nation was conquered by
Nebuchadnezzar (604-585 B.
C., Jeremiah 36:; 38:)?
Shifting
Blame —
As
the curses begin to come
down hard on Israel it seems
people have to find someone
on which to place the blame
for what they suffer. This
is true whether an
individual or a collective
group of people. Someone
else pretty much always has
to be blamed.
It
is very difficult for a
person to accept any
personal blame for any wrong
doing on their part or for
having wrong beliefs!
Hitler
blamed the Jews in World War
II for the world’s
problems so he tried to kill
all of them in Europe and
would have completely killed
them all had he conquered
the world. He did succeed in
killing six million of them,
men, women, and children.
From
what I have read the Jews
were also blamed in WWI
during the flu epidemic that
was killing millions. The
Jews were not dying like
other people due to their
habits of cleanliness.
Because of their low rate of
death, it came to be
believed that the Jews had a
hex of some sort on them.
They then came to be the
scapegoat and were
persecuted unjustly.
For
greater understanding as to
why persecution can and will
come upon the Church,
consider a lesson from the
first century of God’s
Church when many Christians
were martyred by Rome.
Persecution
From The Roman Government
—
ANCIENT
HISTORY IN BIBLE LIGHT,
Dorothy Ruth Miller, Page
256 Nero 54-68 A. D.
“In
July, 64 A. D., a fire broke
out which laid more than
half of Rome in ashes. ...
To turn suspicion from
himself Nero PERSECUTED THE
CHRISTIANS. The Christians
before this had suffered
persecution at the hands of
the Jews, but this was the
first persecution by the
Roman government. At the
beginning of the persecution
they were NOT accused upon
the ground of being
Christians, BUT UPON THAT OF
INCENDIARISM AND OF BEING
HATERS OF HUMANITY The
latter charge arose from
their NOT TAKING PART IN THE
HEATHEN FEASTS OR ATTENDING
THE BLOODY GLADIATORIAL
CONTESTS OR OTHER SPORTS OF
THE AMPHITHEATER. This
persecution brought the
Christians into prominence,
and from this time
Christianity began to be
looked upon as a crime, and
to be banned.
“Tacitus
[Roman historian] thus
describes the persecution:
‘They died by methods of
mockery; some were covered
with the skins of wild
beasts and then torn apart
by wild dogs, some were
crucified, some were burned
as torches to give light at
night. Nero had offered his
own gardens for this show,
and also, exhibited a game
of the circus and, dressed
as a charioteer, mixed with
the people, or drove his
chariot himself. ...’”
Persecution
From The Jews —
Within
the confines of the city of
Jerusalem during the latter
60s A.D., the Christians
were unmercifully persecuted
for other reasons than that
by the Romans.
(Same
Book), Pages 258-259 The
Revolt In Judea, 66 A.D.
“...
The Jews rose now in open
revolt against Rome ... At
this time the Christians
SUFFERED FANATICAL
PERSECUTION from the Jews
because they did not
sympathize [or join in with
them] with the determination
of the Jews to revolt. The
Lord Jesus had by example
and precept taught His
disciples obedience to the
temporal powers, and the
teaching of Paul was the
same. The PERSECUTION to
which they were subjected
because of their adherence
to those principles was
doubtless a contributing
cause, TWO OR THREE YEARS
LATER, to their REMOVAL from
Judea, and their consequent
ESCAPE FROM THE HORRORS OF
THE SIEGE!” (My emphasis
throughout these historical
writings).
Lessons
from History and Duality —
We
would do well to seriously
think about what we read in
those brief paragraphs of
the history of God’s early
Church. This is necessary
because for the very same
reasons the Church of God
will experience the same
persecution as was brought
on them by both Nero and the
Jews.
Think
About It —
Caesar
Nero accused the members of
God’s Church as being
haters of humanity due to
their not participating in
the heathen feasts, such as
Christmas, New Years Days,
Easter, Valentine,
Halloween, etc.
Think
about it: All these things
and more is true with us as
God’s people today for we
do not have Christmas lights
on our homes and no tree in
view in the large window of
the living room. This
plainly marks our houses as
people who are different and
completely out of step with
the Christian world. It is
already believed by them
that we do not believe in
Jesus Christ!
A
personal example: I was
asked to appear for this
kind of questioning some
years ago before a leader of
a Church group who had
purchased the hall we were
renting for our Sabbath
services! Whether we could
remain there or not depended
on my answers whether we
really accepted Jesus Christ
as our Savior and that we
believed in His virgin
birth. He was satisfied with
my answers and we remained
there for a few weeks and
then moved to another place.
We
are conscientious objectors
to participating in warfare;
we do not involve ourselves
in politics and do not vote.
Our people do not join in
picket strikes or attend
Union meetings.
Notes
are sent by parents to the
teachers in the public
school system to excuse our
children from participating
in Christmas parties and
from exchanging cards with
other class mates on
Valentine Day, etc.
From
historical writings of that
time we should be able to
clearly see that the same
charges that were placed on
those early Christians that
brought about persecution,
great sufferings, and even
death, apply to all of us
today! We will also be
charged as being haters of
humanity! This presents no
real problem to us as of
now, but think about the
future when Satan stirs up
the world against us!
Preparedness
and Endurance —
Whether
God sees fit to deliver us
sooner or later, we had
better be in this way of
life for whatever time we
have left before then and be
prepared as much we can be
mentally and spiritually to
endure unto the end
regardless of whatever is
ahead of us. We should
not be offended because of
whatever the source of the
persecution comes, or even
if some of us have to suffer
martyrdom. Jesus
Christ tells us we had
better FEAR Him much more
that we do what mankind can
do to us:
“Now
brother will deliver up
brother to death, and a
father his child; and
children will rise up
against parents and cause
them to be put to death. And
you will be hated by all for
My name's sake. But he who
ENDURES TO THE END WILL BE
SAVED. A disciple is not
above his teacher, nor a
servant above his master. It
is enough for a disciple
that he be like his teacher,
and a servant like his
master. If they have called
the master of the house
Beelzebub , how much more
will they call those of his
household. Therefore DO NOT
fear them ... And do NOT
fear those who kill the
body, but cannot kill the
soul. But rather FEAR HIM
who is able to destroy both
soul and body in hell (Gehenna
– the 2nd death) ...The
very hairs of your head are
all numbered, DO NOT FEAR
therefore; you are of more
value than many sparrows.
Therefore whoever confesses
Me before men, him I will
confess before My father in
heaven. But whoever DENIES
Me before men, him I will
also DENY before My Father
in heaven. ... And a man’s
foes will be those of his
own household. ... He who
finds his life will lose it,
and he who loses his life
for My sake will find it.
...” (Matthew 10:21-39).
This
Generation Will Not Pass —
After
Jesus Christ enumerated all
of the major events to take
place before the actual time
of the end, which includes
the persecution, He then
spoke of these coming
sufferings on the Church,
the horrors to come on
Israel, and later the world:
“So
you also, when you see all
these things, KNOW that is
near, at the very doors.
Assuredly, I say to you,
THIS GENERATION (in which
these prophetic events will
take place) will by NO means
pass away TILL all these
things are fulfilled. Heaven
and earth will pass away BUT
My words will by no means
pass away” (Matthew
24:33-35).
Though
we are fast approaching the
time of these end-time
prophetic events, we are yet
to experience the
persecution before the time
for God to remove us from it
all. We would do well to
think about the very
possible duality with the
early Christians in
Jerusalem in 70 A.D. They
had to endure the
persecution for two or three
years before God removed
them. Will it be the same
with us? I do not know for
sure.
No
Sticking Point or Sell Out
—
Brethren,
in my previous writing I
listed only a bare few of
the personal sufferings of a
few of God’s people that
took place just a few short
years ago to illustrate in
part what is soon to come on
the whole Church.
Over
the past years of the
history of our time there
have been sticking points
with some that led to
members leaving the Church.
There were also some sell
outs. Knowing the human
nature we all have, unless
it is overcome, there will
continue to be in the
future. Some will also
stumble because of having to
suffer persecution.
For
those who have, we can only
hope for each one that they
will repent and come fully
back into the Church. At the
same time we need to be
drawing close enough to our
God that His love for Him
and His truth will be so
deeply rooted within our
very hearts and beings there
will be no sticking point,
stumbling, or sell out for
any reason – following the
example of the faithful
people of God who have
endured though history and
are now waiting for the
resurrection (Hebrews 11).
In
Conclusion —
Though
much can be written and
added to this subject it is
my hope that this will be
enough to make us think
deeply about our priceless
calling and not let anyone
or anything deter us from
the glory and endless life
that will soon be ours –
ours, by enduring faithfully
unto the end!
Please
remember and think about the
following Scripture: “If
you faint (or quit) in the
day of adversity, your
strength is small”
(Proverbs 24:10).
Let us be building our
spiritual strength through a
right and close relationship
with our God and our Savior
Jesus Christ who said He
would never leave nor
forsake us (Matthew 28:20;
Psalms 34; Hebrews 13:5-6;
Romans 8).
Until
next time, your brother and
servant in Christ,
Don
Billingsley
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