HOSTILITY AGAINST CHURCHES

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In December 2022, Family Research Council (FRC) released an extensive publication documenting a sharp rise in acts of hostility against churches in the United States. Analyzing publicly available data from the past five years, FRC found a total of 420 documented acts of hostility that occurred between January 2018 and September 2022.

The types of acts identified include vandalism, arson, gun-related incidents, bomb threats, and more. There also appeared to be an increase in frequency over the course of the reporting period. FRC’s report identified 137 acts of hostility against churches between January and September 2022. By comparison, there were 96 incidents in all 12 months of 2021. FRC also identified 54 incidents against churches in 2020, 83 in 2019, and 50 in 2018. Since the launch of that report, FRC has continued to track acts of hostility against churches. The fourth quarter of 2022 saw an additional 54 incidents, for a total of 191 in 2022. That number is nearly double the previous year’s total of 96. In the first quarter of 2023, 69 incidents have already occurred. If this rate continues, 2023 will have the highest number of incidents of the six years FRC has tracked, continuing the upward trend. Most of the 2023 incidents occurred in January (43); 14 occurred in February, and 12 occurred in March 2023.

Criminal acts of vandalism and destruction of church property are symptomatic of a collapse in societal reverence and respect for houses of worship and religion—in this case, churches and Christianity. Some people appear increasingly comfortable lashing out against church buildings, pointing to a larger societal problem of marginalizing core Christian beliefs, including those that touch
on hot-button political issues related to human dignity and sexuality. The anger and division that increasingly characterize American society are endangering churches and eroding religious freedom. When congregants feel targeted by members of their communities or church buildings bear the brunt of outrage over political events, the very ability to live out one’s faith safely is
under attack. Violent or destructive incidents that interfere with an individual’s lawful free exercise of religion at their house of worship present a significant nationwide challenge.

The above report is to be expected as we fast approach the Biblical prophesied time before Jesus returns to restore righteousness to the world. Lawlessness, deception, many abandoning the faith, apostasy, Antichrist, and the Mark of the Beast are all prophesied to take place before His return. Christians need to prepare for these coming events and be faithful to proclaim the GOOD NEWS, the “gospel of the kingdom” until Jesus returns to rapture faithful believers and pour out His wrath upon an unbelieving world.

“And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:12-14

“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.” Matthew 24:21-22

“Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him … For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God … The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:1,3-4,9-12

PROPHESIED “END TIMES” EVENTS ESCALATING

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Just a few days ago I posted AUSTRALIA IS FAST BECOMING A GODLESS NATION: A NATION UNDER GOD’S JUDGEMENT. That post was prompted by the re-election of Daniel Andrews to a fourth term as Premier of our second-largest State in terms of population, Victoria. If you have not read this post take a look to see how radically he has changed the State. Christians are now under intense persecution.

This morning I read that in the Northern Territory, parliament has passed major amendments to the anti-discrimination laws that remove protections from Christian schools. Hence, they now face an uncertain future after Parliament removed an exemption allowing faith-based schools to refuse to hire staff who do not agree with their values and ethos. Schools can no longer legally discriminate against staff and students if they disagree with their religious beliefs, sexuality, and gender identity. The anti-discrimination laws go further than those in any other Australian jurisdiction. The Bishop of Darwin Charles Gauci has previously threatened to close down all 18 Catholic schools in the Top End if the amendments were passed. The Christian Schools Association has also voiced concerns that it is an existential threat to faith-based schools. It’s NT chief executive Phoebe Van Bentum told the ABC the reforms would “completely remove the protections for religious schools to employ people of the same belief”.

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles defended the legislation saying: “We are putting equality into our workplaces and we are ensuring that those vulnerable Territorians when they are vilified, that they have protection.”  The Opposition Country Liberal Party said the bill “erodes freedom of speech and freedom of religion”. It has vowed to overturn the legislation if elected in 2024. The Australian Christian Lobby’s National Director for Politics Wendy Francis observes: “The NT Government has broken ranks with the Federal Labor Government, revealing a biased and hostile attitude against people of faith.” “The NT Bill forces religious schools to hire staff who do not adhere to the school’s beliefs. This is in direct opposition to Attorney General Mark Dreyfus’s public statement this month that religious schools can continue to build a community of faith by giving preference, in good faith, to persons of the same religion as the educational institution in the selection of staff.“

“The Bill also prohibits any act that “is reasonably likely … to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate another person or group of people”, meaning a person could find themselves in trouble for merely expressing their opinion in an email or social media post if it offends someone.” “Territorians will not forget this overreach by the Labor Government at the next election or the welcome commitment by the NT Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro to repeal the discriminatory elements of this bill”. Ms. Francis called on the Albanese government to “immediately deliver a Religious Discrimination Bill to protect every Australian’s right to freedom of association, religion and speech.”

Source: Vision Christian Media

How wonderful it is to have Biblical prophecy because Christians know what comes after the persecution and tribulation of these days. Many Scriptures tell us that celestial signs precede Jesus’ return first to take His elect to heaven before He pours out His wrath on an unrepentant world.

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:29-31

BE PREPARED – END TIMES TRIBULATION

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Persecution of Christians is escalating just as the Bible prophesied would happen before Jesus’ second coming. For simply stating the truth that natural marriage between a man and a woman is the fundamental building block for a successful society, Maureen Martin lost her job as a Housing Manager with the London & Quadrant Housing Trust (L&Q).

A recent article in Christian Post stated: “A housing trust in England has doubled down on its decision to terminate a housing manager who voiced her belief in the biblical definition of marriage while campaigning for mayor of her local community.”

The L & Q which houses over 250,000 people, issued a statement this week in response to legal action filed by former employee Maureen Martin, who claims she was terminated this spring after voicing her beliefs on marriage in a leaflet during her campaign for mayor of Lewisham.

The alleged offensive copy in the election leaflet:

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” Genesis 2:24

“Marriage: I pledge to cut through political correctness and simply state the truth that natural marriage between a man and a woman is the fundamental building block (ordained by God) for a successful society and the safest environment for raising children,”

In a statement, the Christian Peoples Alliance, a political party formed in 1999, said Martin’s beliefs on marriage are “what millions of people believe and is a belief that is protected in U.K. law.”

Someone posted an image of the leaflet on Twitter, calling it against the law and hate speech. Three complaints followed, telling L&Q’s chief executive that Martin’s beliefs should have no place at the company. The Christian candidate was described in the complaint as “bigoted” in need of “anti-oppressive training.”

Martin was soon “suspended, investigated, hindered from campaigning as part of the election and then dismissed for allegedly bringing L&Q into disrepute, breaching social media policy and failing to declare political interests.”

The Bible reveals that losing one’s job is just the beginning of tribulation as the following Scripture reveals. This warning is given by Jesus on what will occur in the end times before He returns.

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:9-14