WHO WON”T INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD?

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Paul wrote: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:9-10, emphasis mine).

I’ve read that passage many times, but the word “revilers” jumped off the page. The Greek word, loidoros, means “one who reviles; one who speaks profanely or rails at abusively.” It refers to irreverent speech that is hurtful and crudely disrespectful. The verb “rail” can also mean “to complain loudly and bitterly,” and it implies that the criticism contains nasty rumours or untruths.

Whether you listen to news broadcasts, talk radio or political commentary or read online forums or Facebook comments, it is common place now to hear/see hurtful and crudely disrespectful speech. Revilers can’t just disagree politely. They have to shout, and they have to lace their comments with vicious attacks and malicious jabs. Revilers also feel a need to drop F-bombs and use vulgar language in every sentence to make sure their words are as vile and hateful as possible.

Revilers have no respect for people in positions of leadership, either. Whether they are talking about a president, the CEO of a company, a college president, an athlete or a stay-at-home mother, revilers pounce on their prey and skewer their victims with abusive words that have been dipped in the acid of hate.

Comedian Kathy Griffin watches as her attorney Lisa Bloom (L) speaks at a news conference in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, June 2, 2017. (Reuters/Ringo Chiu)

Kathy Griffin is one of only three women who’ve won a Grammy for best comedy album. Her profanity-laced stand-up comedy routines made her a hit on HBO, and she was voted one of the funniest women alive by the Oxygen network a few years ago. Her popularity soared in recent years because of the way she irreverently pokes fun at politicians and celebrities.

But few people were laughing last week when Griffin posted images of herself holding a model of President Trump’s head dripping with fake blood.

Even though Griffin apologised for her botched attempt at political humour, saying, “I beg your forgiveness,” venues around the nation quickly cancelled her scheduled appearances.

As could be expected, within a few days, she declared that she was the victim and blamed the Trump family for trying to destroy her career.

 

KEY QUESTIONS ON A PREWRATH RAPTURE

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Alan Kurshner of Eschatos Ministries on the Prewrath Rapture.

What are key passages that best represent the Prewrath Rapture position?

I think the strongest passage is 2 Thessalonians 2, where Paul reassures Thessalonian believers that they are not experiencing the day of the Lord’s wrath. Paul explains that they are not experiencing the day of the Lord’s wrath because two discernible events must happen first—the revelation of Antichrist and the apostasy. Since they have not happened, Paul argues, the day of the Lord has not materialised. This passage eliminates the possibility of a  Pretribulation Rapture.

Image result for pictures of the rapture of the saints

I also see Jesus’ Olivet Discourse as a key passage that supports the Prewrath Rapture position. It depicts all the key elements: the Antichrist’s great tribulation, cutting short of the great tribulation, celestial disturbances, Son of Man’s return to the clouds, rescue of God’s people, and the impending wrath of God.

I would argue, as well, from the book of Daniel and Revelation, but the former two passages, in my view, form a strong case for the pre-wrath position.

What role does Daniel 9 have in your understanding of the timing of the rapture?

I do not see Daniel 9 informing a particular eschatological sequence vis-à-vis the rapture question (but I do in Daniel 11:36–12:4). There are at least two points that Daniel 9 informs us on: (1) There will be a future seven-year period during which time key events will unfold, and (2) the fulfilment of the salvation of Israel will happen when the seven-year period is complete.

How does your understanding of the rapture affect your life?

Jesus ominously warns believers, “See, I have told you beforehand” (Matt 24:25). This is not a cliché, but a real warning to God’s people. The great tribulation will be a concrete event occurring in the future just before the Lord returns. Jesus says it will be characterised by martyrdom, hatred, apostasy, betrayal, deception, and lawlessness. So much so that he says, “such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be” (Matt 24:21).

To be sure, if we do not experience this event in our lifetime, there are still important faith-principles that we can use to apply to our lives in the present time.

Since God has ordained that the last generation of church will experience tribulation before she meets her Rescuer bride-groom, should this not be an urgent warning for the church? The temptation during the great tribulation to capitulate to persecution, false teaching, and slothfulness will be intense. There will be two imperative duties for the believer during the great tribulation: to overcome the adversity through faith and to encourage the fellow believer to do the same.

One final implication is saliently portrayed in the angelic warning not to take the beast’s mark, lest they suffer eternal punishment in hell (see Revelation 14:9–12).

God perseveres the faith of his people through concrete warnings, so it is incumbent on Christian leaders not to dismiss these eschatological warnings for their people that God has entrusted to them. So the practical implications for the basic correct interpretation are sober for the believer.

This information is taken from Alan Kurshner’s book Antichrist Before the Day of the Lord: What Every Christian Needs to Know About the Return of Christ.

PERSECUTION IS COMING FOR THOSE WHO STAND ON THE WORD OF GOD

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In 1 Peter 4:12-13, the apostle Peter says, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though some strange thing happened to you. But rejoice insofar as you share in Christ’s sufferings, so that you may rejoice and be glad also in the revelation of His glory.”

The same Peter who wrote these words once rebuked Christ for declaring His intention to go to the cross (see Matthew 16:21-23). Peter once found suffering abhorrent, but now he tells us we should rejoice. Peter had grown in his understanding of the role of suffering in the Christian life. He had seen that the suffering of the cross was not the end—but only the way to the resurrection.

The persecution of the church is not new. In fact, history proves again and again that Christianity flourishes best under persecution. How then are we as Christians to respond to persecution?

On February 12, 2015, 21 Egyptian Christians were beheaded on the coast of the Mediterranean at the hands of ISIS fighters. Just before they beheaded each man, they offered him his life—if only he would deny Christ. But these brave men loved Jesus more than their own lives.

In this age of tolerance, we must love those who persecute us—but never surrender the truth. We must invite all people to come to the one who loves them and died for their sin. We must “implore [them] in Christ’s stead: Be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20). Above all, we must resist the temptation of being ashamed of the Gospel.

In the midst of suffering, God makes us some incredible promises:

  • “If you are reproached because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” (1 Peter 4:14).
  • “In the world you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
  • “Our light affliction, which lasts but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

There is an indescribable blessing that can only be received through suffering for Christ. When you trust in Him, even amid persecution or difficult circumstances, you will experience His presence with you in a unique and powerful way. And as you walk with the Lord in obedience, He promises that He will never leave you or forsake you—in the fiery furnace, the lion’s den, or even in your workplace.

This article originally appeared on Leading The Way.

ANOTHER AWESOME MESSAGE FROM JONATHAN CAHN

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Are you in a church that understands where we are on the Biblical timeline? Is it preaching Jesus second coming and the prophetic events surrounding His return?

Is it it compromising with the world and its values (e.g. gay marriage) or is it standing on God’s Word.

Listen to Jonathan and be encouraged that current world events demonstrate that God is in control down to the day, hour and even minute.

God has put you on the planet at this time in history for a purpose, are you in step with Him? If not get into prayer with like minded believers. Don’t waste another minute.

https://youtu.be/5eZDqBOup3k

AMERICA IS ON THE VERGE OF A BREAKDOWN

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Report by Bill Bonner, author of New York Times best-sellers (Empire of Debt, Financial Reckoning Day, Mobs, Markets and Messiahs) and now his latest book (When The ATMS Go Dark).

A meeting with Greenspan (centre), myself, Bill Bonner (left from centre), and other experts at my office

In Baltimore, the stadium loudspeakers sounded again: “Ladies and gentleman, due to an ongoing public safety issue, the mayor of Baltimore and the Baltimore County Police Department have asked all fans to remain inside the ballpark until further notice.”

Then silence… Except for a distant white noise… the sound of an enraged mob tearing through stores, police, and bystanders…just outside the stadium walls.

Something had gone terribly wrong in the city that night…

Image result for picture of riots on the streets of Baltimore

By that time, the cell networks had started to go down.

In New York City, a man wearing a red Make America Great Again hat was choked on the subway as fellow passengers did nothing to help.

In Chicago, a 50-year-old man was dragged from his car and beaten. Instead of helping, onlookers accused him of voting for the wrong political candidate.

In Washington, a young woman who showed up to support the new president had her hair set on fire by “black bloc” radical leftist protesters.

In Berkeley, California, a Patriots Day rally turned into a battle for the streets between black-clad anarchists and a right-wing militia group.

A website by the anarchist group “black bloc” (the same ones who smashed windows, threw Molotov cocktails at police, and set Berkeley on fire) asks for donations to “send reports to uprisings and rebellions in so-called North America.”

Another “resistance movement” lists 5,983 local cells spread across the country – and they’re not just confined to the coasts, either, as you can see… The red dots are for upcoming “actions”, the blue dots are locations of the cells.

Now, we’ve had unrest before in this country. Many times.

During Holy Week 1968, the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., set off riots across the country.

In 1991, the Rodney King riots resulted in 1 billion dollars’ worth of damage, 50 deaths, and a vicious attack on an innocent truck driver.

But this is different. There is an anger brewing here. One I have never seen in my lifetime.

In Middlebury College, VT: A visiting scholar is attacked by a mob of students after a left-wing think tank incorrectly labels him a “white nationalist.” (A charge that turned out not to be true.) When a professor tries to intervene, the students turn on him. “I feared for my life,” the professor later says, still wearing a neck brace and nursing a concussion. “They couldn’t look at me directly, because if they had, they would have seen another human being.”

We have protesters caught on camera saying: “people have to die”…

Meanwhile, protected elites like Maxine Waters and Chelsea Clinton, safe in their million-dollar homes, egg the crowds on…

As of writing this, I count at least seven mass political actions scheduled in the next few months alone. Which of these will explode into a riot, I don’t know. Hopefully none will.

But a recent conversation among members of an extreme resistance group on the social media site Reddit shows an alarming trend…

Here’s a sampling of what they said:

  • “I honestly think we need a campaign to get more [of us] armed.”
  • “A shocking number of comrades went in there with absolutely no combat training.”
  • “We need more than flags and bats. […] I know getting firearms in states and cities we have a presence is usually a hassle, but even handguns would help.”

Is it any wonder then, that these same groups are setting universities on fire, while students who refuse to go along with the crowd are threatened with violence?

And it’s not just happening in “dangerous” cities like Baltimore and Chicago. Violent crime is now rising in places like Denver, Salt Lake City, and Louisville. In the small town of Tiburon, California, a 74-year-old conservative radio host and his 12-year-old dog were assaulted and knocked to the ground while out grabbing a bite to eat. In Ohio, another 74-year-old man was murdered live on Facebook, as he walked home from Easter lunch, young kids are putting police officers in the hospital. People are broadcasting racist attacks and murders live on Facebook.

And here’s the thing…

I think what we’re seeing here is merely Act One

As the magazine Foreign Policy recently explained:

“There appears to be…a sense that these are not just scattered outbursts, that all this is escalating somewhere.”

What it’s all escalating to…the magazine’s editors aren’t so sure.

In this report, I’m going to tell you what’s really causing this unrest…

…and why it’s leading to a disturbing conclusion…sooner than anyone expected.

  • I see nearly half the population paying no taxes and dependent on aid from the federal government,
  • I see more Americans are dying of drug overdoses than ever before and suicides just hit a 30-year high.
  • I see a majority of Americans favouring wealth redistribution and higher taxes…which is probably why a Congress full of Republicans is unwilling to guard the rest of us against these things.
  • And I see the increasingly vocal and even violent opposition to traditional American values in our streets.

Sadly, Bonner like John Adams has got it wrong by thinking that the root cause is economic mismanagement alone.

John Adams said at the Constitutional Convention of 1787:

“All the perplexities, confusion and distress in America arise not from defects in the Constitution or Confederation, not from a want of honour or virtue so much as from downright ignorance of the nature of coin, credit and circulation.”

Universities espousing a godless worldview, based on a totally false evolutionary theory of origins, has produced a younger generation that has no fear of their Creator God, nor respect for His values.

If there is no purpose or meaning in life, then what else would you expect but a ME generation of self centred, self serving young people prepared to do whatever it take to wrest control from the previous largely corrupt generation that has racked up debt that is unsustainable by providing services that cannot be maintained. This is the recipe for disaster that we see being played out. Moreover, this “end times” scenario is prophesied in the Bible, the book our Creator provided for us.

As I have pointed out in two recent posts, the reestablishment of the State of Israel back in 1948 (and its miraculous ( Six day War) retaking control of Jerusalem in 1967) is the first and major sign Jesus gave of His second coming, His return to earth at the place He left it, a little over two thousand years ago.

The Bible provides more prophecies of His second coming than His first. All of those were fulfilled, so you can be sure those of His second coming will be as well. Are you prepared for His second coming? Is your church prepared for His second coming? The Bible tells us there will be a great falling away in the “last days”. Even the elect deceived. As persecution intensifies, and it will if you take a stand against abortion,  gay marriage and transgender issues, will you stand firm. Sadly, much of the church has already given up on Biblical inerrancy particularly on issues such as Creation, adopting evolution, homosexuality, gay marriage and the related issues of God given roles for male and females in the family and church.

MOVIE ‘IN OUR HANDS’, Tells the Miracle Story of the Six-Day War

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Following my last post on Israel – ONE UNDENIABLE SIGN THAT PROVES JESUS SECOND COMING IS IMMINENT, a new movie about to be released in the USA, “In Our Hands”, tells the actual miracle story of the Six-Day War when Israel reclaimed Jerusalem.

Fifty years ago, a miracle happened. Israel defeated their neighbours in what has become known as the Six-Day War and reunified Jerusalem for the first time in approximately 2,000 years.

Gordon Robertson of CBN had the vision to create a docudrama drawing from the actual journals, recordings and interviews with survivors of what happened in those fateful hours. It is showing on Tuesday, May 23, in more than 700 theatres around the USA—for one night only.

It tells the story from the Jewish perspective and reveals a great deal of little-known but very interesting information, such as how the soldiers who took the Temple Mount were actually reservists rather than an elite military team. The film also gives some insight into the personalities of some of those involved.

On our calendar, the anniversary of the beginning of The Six-Day War is June 5, but because the Jewish calendar is different, it is actually May 23 when the Jews celebrate Jerusalem Day worldwide. This significant day, Yom Yerushalayim, is the day the movie is being released. I will let you know when it will be released in Australia.

Listen to the Steve Strang, Report podcast of the interview with Gordon Robertson of CBN, it is exciting content concerning end times events unfolding in our day.

In 1967, Gordon was only 9 when his father, Pat Robertson—who has been a strong supporter for Israel for decades and is a real student of Bible prophecy—sat the family down and told them the significance of what was happening in the Six-Day War.

https://www.charismapodcastnetwork.com/shows/strangreport/b6fb0c96d2eece7565ee738081adef14/embed?template=web&embed_id=podcast_content1153396821

ONE UNDENIABLE SIGN THAT PROVES JESUS SECOND COMING IS IMMINENT

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Israel Back in the Land
Centuries in advance, God foretold the modern day nation of Israel. He promised to bring the Jewish people back into the land and re-establish the ancient nation.
Moses declared God’s promise when he said God would gather the Jewish people back from the nations where He scattered them and bring them back into the land of Israel (Deuteronomy 30:3-5).
Jesus also foretold the rebirth of Israel. He said Jerusalem would be destroyed and the Jewish people taken away to serve as slaves in all parts of the world (Luke 21: 24). He then said non-Jewish people would control Jerusalem until the Jewish people come back into possession of it (Luke 21:24).
The prophets also foretold the re-emergence of Israel. Hosea said the people of Israel would go a long time without a king, sacrifices, sacred pillars, or priests.
Then, in the last days, they will return to the land (Hosea 3:4-5). Joel said God will judge the world at the time when He restores Judah and Jerusalem, bringing His people back from among the nations where they were scattered (Joel 3:1-2).
This regathering of the Jews back into the land of Israel is repeated over and over by the prophets. Jeremiah said God would gather them back in the land just before His return (Jeremiah 23:7-8) and restore them to the land of Israel from distant lands (Jeremiah 30:2, 10).
Ezekiel said God would call them from “among the nations” (Ezekiel 39:28) and welcome them home from the lands where they were scattered (Ezekiel 20:34). Isaiah said God would call them from “the farthest corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:12).
King David said God would gather them from “north, south, east, and west” (Psalm 107:3). And Zechariah said, though “scattered among the nations,” God will bring his people back into the land of Israel (Zechariah 10:9).
Jeremiah said a day will come when people will no longer refer to the God of Israel as the one who rescued His people from the land of Egypt. Instead, they will refer to Him as the one who brought His people back into the land of Israel from all the countries in the world where He had exiled them (Jeremiah 16:14-15).
Everyone alive on earth today is a witness to this fulfilled prophecy. It’s an undeniable sign of the Second Coming.
Israel in the Last Days
The regathering of the Jewish people in Israel is a miracle in our time. But the prophets had much more to say about this monumental sign of the last days. They said Israel would be reborn in a specific way. Not only would the people be regathered, but the nation would have specific traits.
1) Born in a Single Day – Isaiah said the reborn nation of Israel would come forth in a single day. He likened it to a woman “who gives birth in an instant without labour pains” (Isaiah 66:7-9).
Written more than 2,500 years ago, Isaiah’s prophecy seemed ridiculous. No nation had ever come into being in a single day.
But Israel did. On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion read the Israeli Declaration of Independence, a document which declared Israel to be an independent state. That same day, the United States recognized Israel as an independent and sovereign nation.
2) One, United Nation – When Solomon died almost three thousand years ago, Israel broke into northern and southern kingdoms.
It remained divided throughout the lifetimes of both Isaiah and Ezekiel. Yet both proclaimed the regathered nation of Israel would be a single, united nation – just as we see today with the modern day nation of Israel.
Isaiah said Israel and Judah would no longer be rivals (Isaiah 11:13). And Ezekiel said the regathered people would be unified into one nation (Ezekiel 37:22).
Image result for picture of Israel desert will bloom
3) The Desert Will Bloom – Through the prophet Isaiah, God promised Israel would blossom agriculturally and fill the whole world with its fruit (Isaiah 27:6). He repeated this promise eight chapters later when He said the desert will bloom (Isaiah 35:1).
Through Ezekiel, God said His people would re-enter the land, produce much fruit, and be more prosperous than ever before (Ezekiel 36:8-11). Do we see this today? Yes. In a 1869 visit to what is today known as the nation of Israel, author Mark Twain described the land as “barren,” “dull of color,” and “unpicturesque in shape.” All he saw were “unsightly deserts fringed with a feeble vegetation.”
Yet today, the tiny nation is an agriculture giant. The land is fruitful and prosperous, and Israel is one of the world’s leading fresh citrus producers and a net exporter of more than forty varieties of fruit.
4) Surrounded by Enemies – The Bible said the regathered people of Israel would be surrounded by enemies. “Come, let us wipe away the nation of Israel. Let’s destroy the memory of its existence,” they’ll say (Psalm 83:4). “Let us take for ourselves these pastureland’s of God” (Psalm 83:12). Ezekiel said Israel’s neighbors would say “God has given their land to us” (Ezekiel 11:1417), and “Israel and Judah are ours. We will take possession of them. What do we care if their God is there?” (Ezekiel 35:10).
This is what we see today. Ever since the rebirth of Israel in 1948, the daily headlines have included these Bible verses. The surrounding Muslim nations claim the land of Israel for themselves. They have no regard for the God of Israel. The prophets foretold this exact situation more than 2,000 years ago.
5) A Small, Powerful Military – Centuries in advance, the Bible said the reborn nation of Israel would be a great military power. Ezekiel said the regathered nation of Israel would field “an exceedingly great army” (Ezekiel 37:10). Zechariah said it would be like a fire among sheaves of grain, burning up the neighbouring nations (Zechariah 12:6).
It would be so successful even the weakest Israeli soldier will be like David (Zechariah 12:8). Since 1948, Israel has fought no less than four conventional wars against its neighbours. Despite being outnumbered more than 50 to 1, and despite being surrounded on all sides, Israel has experienced overwhelming victory every time.
A Miracle in Our Time – The reappearance of Israel on the world stage is a modern day miracle. More than 2,000 years ago, God promised over and over again to bring the Jewish people back into the land He gave Abraham. For 1,878 years, the nation of Israel did not exist. For all those years, the Jewish people were scattered throughout the world. Yet they remained set apart for God.
Unlike the Hittites, Amorites, Jebusites, and other conquered people, they did not assimilate into the nations where they lived. Then, in 1948, God fulfilled His promise and made Israel a nation once again. It was reborn in a single day (Isaiah 66:7-9). It was unified as one nation (Ezekiel 37:22). It transformed a desert wasteland into an abundant land of fruit (Isaiah 27:6). And in the face of many enemies, God has given Israel military victory after victory just as He promised (Zechariah 12:6).
We are all witnesses to this miracle. How could anyone see the nation of Israel and not give glory to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? How could anyone deny this is anything less than God’s doing? God promised to bring His people back into the land, and He did.
The rebirth of Israel as a nation is more than just a fulfilled prophecy. It’s one of the biggest events in world history. Why? Because it’s an undeniable sign of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
Next to the convergence of all end times signs (Luke 21:28), it’s arguably the biggest sign of all. For 1,878 years, Christians could not point to this sign. Since 1948, they can.
Isaiah said Jesus will return and establish His everlasting kingdom after the Jewish people return to the land of Israel (Isaiah 11:11-12).
Joel said, after the restoration of Israel, God will gather the armies of the world into the valley of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3:1-2 ). This is a direct reference to Armageddon (Revelation 16:16) which occurs just before the return of Jesus Christ. Micah said God will gather His exiled people and make them a strong nation, and then, God will rule from Jerusalem as their King forever (Micah 4:6-7).
The message is clear. It’s undeniable. Israel is back, and Jesus is coming (Revelation 22:20)!
Learn more about the converging of prophetic events at this unique time in history with our brand new DVD release – The Coming Convergence.
The signs of His Second Coming are all around us. When His disciples asked Jesus to describe the signs, He gave them several. The Jewish people back in possession of Jerusalem (Luke 21:24-28)…  the Gospel preached throughout the world (Matthew 24:14)… the arrival of the exponential curve (Matthew 24:3-8)… and more.
The Old Testament prophets also pointed to a number of signs. An increase in travel and knowledge (Daniel 12:4)… the rise of a united Europe (Daniel 2:42)… the rise of the Gog of Magog alliance (Ezekiel 38-39)… and more.
Today, all these signs are either present or in the process of being fulfilled. Yet for 1,800+ years, none of these signs were present. Think about that. None of the signs. But today? Today, they’re all around us.

Read more at http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=1240#2eH58kEXq73eObqv.99

 

IN THE LAST DAYS MANY WILL COME TO CHRIST

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Most of us are familiar with the story of the 21 Coptic Christians from Egypt who held fast to their faith and were beheaded by ISIS in February, 2015. But did you know that only 20 of them were actually Copts from Egypt? Did you know that one of the martyrs was from Chad, and he had not been a Christian prior to the day of his beheading?

All 21 men had been working in Libya when they were kidnapped by ISIS. But as can be seen in pictures where they are lined up on the beach to be killed, one of them had darker skin and different facial features. This was the man from Chad.

The Coptic Christians were given a choice to deny Jesus or die. They refused to deny Him, knowing it would cost them their heads.

When the terrorists ordered the man from Chad to deny Jesus or die, he answered, “Their God is my God,” thereby sealing his fate.

That’s how moved he was by the faith of these Christians. Their refusal to deny their Saviour, even at the point of death—literally, at the point of a knife to their throats—moved him to make a profession of faith, one that would cost him his head as well. Can we grasp the intensity of this story?

The man had not been a believer. All he had to say was, “I don’t believe in Jesus” or “Jesus is not the Son of God,” and he could walk away a free man.

He would be with his family again. He would not die a brutal death. He would live to see another day.

How many Christians would be sorely tempted under such circumstances? How many would waver and, for that moment, deny their Lord, just to avoid beheading?

Yet this man, who had not been a follower of Jesus before then, was so moved by the dedication of these Christians that he became a believer on the spot.

“Go ahead and behead me,” he was saying. “Your god is not my God. Their God is my God.”

That is the power of the gospel, and that is how we overcome Satan, by not loving our lives to the point of death (Rev. 12:11).

That is why this story needs to be told and retold until the faith of those martyrs becomes our faith, until people look at our lives and say, “Your God is my God, whatever may come my way.”

And here’s something striking. As I have listened this week to the stories of persecuted Christians, even hearing from family members of martyrs, I have not heard a word of self-pity. Not a word.

I have heard words of courage and dedication. I have heard words of great love for Jesus. I have heard requests for prayer and help. But I have not heard any self-pity.

The daughter of an Iranian pastor martyred 20 years ago spoke of her own life experience and of her father’s refusal to back down. Now, 20 years after her father was buried in an unmarked grave, she could speak of multiplied hundreds of thousands of Iranian Muslims coming to faith in Jesus. Her father’s blood was not shed in vain.

That is how a seed planted in the ground first dies and then produces much fruit (John 12:24-25).

A Syrian Christian leader shared how a radical Islamic group offered to arm them to fight against another radical Islamic faction. He replied, “We already have two arms: love and forgiveness. We don’t want to become another militia.”

That is how we overcome evil with good (Rom. 12:21). Some Christians even said to ISIS, “Thank you for helping to unite us!”

Yet it would be wrong to think of these suffering believers as super saints, which is another lesson for us all.

Most of them are just ordinary Christians, not preachers or pastors and certainly not big-name evangelists. They are mothers and fathers, young people and old people, laborers and housewives, educated and uneducated. Yet they have remained faithful under hellish pressure, enduring unspeakable suffering.

Yet rather than curse God, they bless Him, and rather than retaliate against their enemies with hatred and vengeance, they offer forgiveness and love.

Earlier this year, a couple told me about their trip to Ethiopia where they met with family members of the Ethiopian Christians beheaded by ISIS. They spoke with the widow of one of the martyrs, who was pregnant when he was killed, making his death even more painful.

But when they talked with this young woman, rather than bemoan her terrible loss, she said to them, “How is it that I had the privilege of being married to a martyr for Jesus?” She was an uneducated woman with no social status, and she was humbled beyond words that she was chosen to be the wife of a martyr.

This is why radical Islam will ultimately fall before the name of Jesus, and why every other force that seeks to wipe out the church will fail in the end. It’s also why we should stop feeling sorry for ourselves when things get a little rough. Are we not also more than conquerors through Him who loved us? (See Rom. 8:37)

Extract from article by Dr Michael Brown in Charisma News

PERSECUTION GROWING THE CHURCH, SAYS FOUNDER OF YWAM

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Founder of YWAM, Loren Cunningham sees persecution of Christians increasing across the world but the good news is, he says, “wherever we see persecution, God uses it to grow His church. We are seeing it in the Middle East, where more Christians are being born again now, than the last thousand years. The same is true in China and now India”.
He makes it clear that he believes we are in the “end times” as he talks about other “end times” signs such as natural disasters on the increase, wars and rumours of wars, all happening in our time.
Listen to this podcast – Steve Strang of Charisma Media interviewing Loren Cunningham at the YWAM headquarters in Hawai.

https://www.charismapodcastnetwork.com/shows/strangreport/5c3a0d4cd2b6f9a7f4673935590671b1/embed?template=web&embed_id=podcast_content636786116

PREACHING IN THE LAST DAYS – BE ENCOURAGED

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Know God is in control, He is still on His throne. Jonathan Cahn is God’s prophet for these last days. Listen to what happened when God took him to Cuba. Wake up church, start preaching Jesus second coming.

It is time to go all out for revival, start living out revival. You must listen to this sermon. These are momentous times – the days of Elijah. Get in step with what God is doing and what He is calling you to do in these last days.

https://youtu.be/zg-47moVPtM