Bible Prophecy

14 hrs

Persecution is Increasing in America - Part VII

"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" II Timothy 3:12

In this post, we will continue a message titled “Persecution is Increasing in America.”

4. When Persecution Comes Through Government Christians Must Fight Spiritually

a) You Must be Baptized in the Holy Ghost.

New Christians In The Days Of The Bible Were Baptized In The Holy Ghost - On the day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter preached a powerful message that pricked the hearts of many people. Through his message, many were saved, baptized in water, and baptized in the Holy Ghost. In Acts 2:37-39 it says "37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." In verse 39 it shows this promise is for people today.

Let's look at two more examples in the scriptures about people first being saved, and then getting baptized in water and baptized in the Holy Ghost. In Acts 8:12-17 it says "12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. 14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: 16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost."

Also, in Acts 19:1-7 it says "1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. 4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. 7 And all the men were about twelve." From all these scriptures it is very clear that without the baptism in the Holy Ghost there is no power in the church.

In future posts I will share more about this topic.

1 w

Persecution is Increasing in America - Part VI

"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" II Timothy 3:12

In this post, we will continue a message titled “Persecution is Increasing in America.”

4. When Persecution Comes Through Government Christians Must Fight Spiritually

In II Corinthians 10:3-5 it says “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”

Also, in Ephesians 6:10-12 it says
“10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

Even though we are in the last days, we as Christians must fight the spiritual fight to get the victory over all situations. To “be strong in the Lord” you need to have several things in your life. Two of these things are the baptism in the Holy Ghost, and the true word of God. We will be looking at both of these today.

a) You Must be Baptized in the Holy Ghost.
The baptism in the Holy Ghost is a fundamental requirement for any Christian who wants to be strong in the LORD. (see post titled - Why The Church Has No Power)

Many Churches Have Rejected The Baptism In The Holy Ghost -
If the church does not have the baptism in the Holy Ghost, it will never have any power. In Matthew 3:11 John the Baptist said "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:" We can see from the scriptures how Jesus Christ, the apostles and the new believers all received the baptism in the Holy Ghost.

Jesus Christ Was Baptized In The Holy Ghost -
We see Jesus Christ being baptized in the Holy Ghost after John the Baptist baptized him in water and the Spirit of God descended on him like a dove. In Matthew 3:15-16 it says "15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. 16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:" Also, in Acts 10:38 it says "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." In Acts it shows this confirmation about Jesus Christ being baptized in the Holy Ghost.

The Apostles Were Baptized In The Holy Ghost -
After Jesus Christ was risen from the dead, He told his disciples to wait to be baptized in the Holy Ghost. In Luke 24:49 Jesus said "And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." Also, in Acts 1:3-5, 8 it says "3 To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: 4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.....8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." In Acts 2:1-4 the disciples received the baptism in the Holy Ghost. In Acts 2:1-4 it says "1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

In future posts I will share more about this topic.

2 w

Persecution is Increasing in America - Part V

"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" II Timothy 3:12

In this post, we will continue a message titled “Persecution is Increasing in America.”

3. Persecution Comes Through Government Against Private Businesses

In another article titled “Crowdfunding Seeks $200K to Help Colorado Christian Baker Forced to Make Gay Marriage Cakes” (Note 6) it says

“A crowdfunding website has been set up for Christian cake artist Jack Phillips, who last week was told by the Colorado Court of Appeals that he will not be allowed to refuse to make same-sex wedding cakes if he wants to keep running his business. The website also notes that Phillips has said he would not make Hitler, pornographic, Halloween, or other cakes with themes against his beliefs. ‘As stated in court briefs, for 20 years, Jack has declined to make Halloween cakes, pornographic cakes, profane cakes, etc. Nor would he make Hitler cakes, KKK cakes, or anything of that kind if he were asked,’ the campaign on the Continue to Give website states. Colorado Christian Cake Artist Forced to Bake Gay Marriage Cakes Despite Religious Beliefs, Court Rules. The page has identified a goal of $200,000 in support of Phillips, noting that the money will be used by the Masterpiece Cakeshop owner and his family as they ‘fight for their freedom of religion and freedom of speech.’ The appeals court upheld two previous rulings last week that found Phillips guilty of discrimination against a same-sex couple that requested a wedding cake from his store in 2012. Phillips said due to his religious beliefs that marriage is solely between a man and a woman, he cannot make them such a cake, but offered to make them other items from his store. The Continue to Give page says that Phillips has been harassed heavily ever since that incident, with the phone at his bakery receiving "the most vile, hateful" messages, both about the baker and about his faith. ‘The calls were so vile, Jack would not allow the employees to answer the phone for weeks. The second day, a caller threatened to kill Jack as well as anyone in the bakery,’ it states. The Colorado court ruled that Phillips cannot use his religious beliefs or free speech rights to refuse to make such cakes, however. The baker has stopped making wedding cakes since last year, which the crowd-funding website noted has cost him significant business. ‘These attacks are intended to drive Jack out of business. To avoid further harassment and lawsuits and because of the ruling, he has chosen to follow a law that takes away his freedom of speech and freedom of religion, and he has stopped making wedding cakes while his case goes through the courts. Revenue has fallen by about 40 percent since he stopped making wedding cakes,’ the message stated.”

A business has always had a right to reject business. One example would be “no shirt, no shoes, no service” but these are the last days and the sodomites want to try to destroy the Christian and his or her business. "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" II Timothy 3:12

Notes:
Note 3:http://tinyurl.com/px7aylp

In future posts I will share more about this topic.

3 w

Persecution is Increasing in America - Part IV

"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" II Timothy 3:12

In this post, we will continue a message titled “Persecution is Increasing in America.”

3. Persecution Comes Through Government Against Private Businesses

Jesus said in John 15:18-20 “18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.”

Since the Supreme Court’s lawless act, we are seeing an increase in persecution against Christians who own private businesses. Here are a few recent examples. In an article titled “Christian Florist Targeted For 'Personal Ruin' Fights Back” (Note 4) it says

“Justices Ruth Ginsburg and Elena Kagan argued at the Supreme Court hearing Tuesday that granting a right to marriage to same-sex couples does no harm to the marriages of heterosexual couples. But they apparently didn’t address the injury to citizens whose religious beliefs forbid from supporting what the Bible describes succinctly as sin. Barronelle Stutzman could fill them in. A notice of appeal has been filed in Washington state in the case against the florist who declined to provide flowers for a same- sex ceremony on religious grounds and since then has been targeted by the state attorney general for ‘personal and professional ruin’ . . . She said the trial court’s ruling ‘affects all Americans who wish to remain free to live and work according to their faith without fear of punishment by the government.’ ”

In another article titled “Fearing Another Lawsuit, Christian Business Owners Stopped Hosting All Weddings. Now Their Business Is Dead” (Note 5) it says

“Charged with discriminating against a gay couple, the owners of another Christian family-run business are being forced to shut their doors. ‘We can’t pretend it’s going to get better,’ Betty Odgaard told The Daily Signal in an exclusive interview. ‘There wasn’t enough business.’ Betty and her husband, Richard, are the owners of Görtz Haus Gallery in Grimes, Iowa. In 2002, they purchased the 77-year-old stone church and transformed it
into a bistro, flower shop, art gallery and wedding venue. On August 3, 2013, a gay couple from Des Moines asked to rent Görtz Haus for their wedding. Because of their Mennonite faith, the Odgaards told the couple they could not host their wedding. Within 24 hours, the couple filed a discrimination complaint through the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. ‘We knew that the business was going to be in trouble almost immediately,’ Richard, 69, said. ‘We had to get rid of the wedding business to avoid another complaint and possibly a higher penalty.’ The Odgaards never admitted to any discrimination, but agreed to a $5,000 settlement. They also returned two non-refundable deposits for couples who, after hearing media reports, didn’t want to use their space for their weddings anymore. ‘It was just the right thing to do,’ Richard said.”

Notes:
Note 4: http://www.wnd.com/2015/04/flo....rist-targeted-for-pe fights-back/#!
Note 5: http://tinyurl.com/oaxfa4q

In future posts I will share more about this topic.

4 w

Persecution is Increasing in America - Part III

"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" II Timothy 3:12

In this post, we will continue a message titled “Persecution is Increasing in America.”

2. Persecution Comes Through Government

In another article titled “Atlanta Fire Chief Fired for ‘Anti-Gay’ Views ‘Absolutely’ Wants His Job Back”(Note 3) it says

“After being fired for writing what’s been described as an ‘anti-gay’ book, former Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran says he ‘absolutely’ wants his job back. ‘In the United States of America, Americans should not have to choose between keeping your job and living out your faith,’ Cochran told The Daily Signal in an exclusive interview. ‘And that’s the position the city of Atlanta actually has taken—that I have to have a choice to live out my faith or to keep my job.’ Cochran was fired in January 2015 for publishing a men’s devotional book for a Baptist church group. In the book, ‘Who Told You That You Were Naked?’ Cochran addressed issues of homosexuality, gay marriage and premarital sex from a biblical perspective . . . . ‘Many Christian men struggle with issues of sexual sin and sexuality, and so I spoke to that in the book—why God created sex and that God’s purpose for sex was for procreation, and to do it his way it has to be done in holy matrimony,’ Cochran explained. ‘That led to the controversy’. . . . In his 34 years of service, Cochran had never been accused of discrimination. The controversy with his book began in late 2014, when gay activist groups caught wind of the literature and demanded that Cochran be dismissed. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed then acted to suspend Cochran and ordered him to undergo ‘sensitivity training.’ ‘I profoundly disagree with and am deeply disturbed by the sentiments expressed in the paperback regarding the LGBT community,’ Reed said in a statement. ‘I will not tolerate discrimination of any kind within my administration.’ After being fired for writing what’s been described as an “anti-gay” book, former Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran says he “absolutely” wants his job back . . . . The case is still ongoing.”

We see the persecution increasing in America, the Christians must continue to grow stronger in the Lord Jesus Christ. In II Timothy 3:12 it says "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." For more information on growing stronger in the Lord see the post titled “Why The Church Has No Power.”

Notes:
Note 3: http://dailysignal.com/2015/07..../06/atlanta-fire-chi

In future posts I will share more about this topic.