by Paul McGuire

There is a coming a wave of persecution against Bible believing Christians in Western nations such as Great Britain, France, Germany, the United States and other nations. The Church in all of these nations is totally unprepared for the level and intensity of the assault that is to come against true Christians. First, of all the primary reason for such persecution is that the Church in Western nations has in many cases forsaken the true God and has turned to false gods. They have chosen to leave the truth of God's Word for the philosophy of humanism. They call themselves and Christians, but in reality they are worshippers of what Dr. Francis Schaeffer used to call the "gods of personal peace and prosperity."

Pravda, the leading publication in Russia, which is still a Communist country, published an article by a blogger Mat Rodina. Rodina writes. "American Capitalism Gone with a Whimper," dated April 24, 2009. Rodina writes, "Then their faith in God was destroyed, until their churches, all tens of thousands of different "branches and denominations" were for the most part little more than Sunday circuses and their televangelists and top protestant mega preachers were more than happy to sell out their souls and flocks to be on the "winning" side of one pseudo Marxist politician or another. Their flocks may complain, but when explained that they would be on the "winning" side, their flocks were ever so quick to reject Christ in hopes for earthly power. Even our Holy Orthodox churches are scandalously liberalized in America."

Like it or not, whatever his motives, what Rodina has written in Pravda is true and this is why we are on the verge of an intense persecution in America and other Western nations. In America, we recently had a Pastor fined in San Diego County for holding a small Bible study in the privacy of his home. A government worker allegedly asked his daughter things like "Do they say Praise the Lord?" Do they sing Christian hymns?" and "Do they pray etc." By God’s grace it appears this fine will be rescinded but for how long?

In the United States we have Hate Crime legislation that will result in the arrest of thousands of Christians and their pastors, when this legislation is enforced. Hate Crime legislation will shut down entire churches and some pastors will go to prison for preaching the truth of the Gospel. In addition, we have stealth versions of what is called the "Fairness Doctrine" ready to be legislated. This legislation will effectively shut down the preaching of God’s Word when it comes to morality or simply saying, "Jesus Christ is the Way the Truth and the Life no man comes to the Father but through Me."

June 1, 2009 the Associated Press ran an international headline of "Accused killer raged against abortion. The story began by saying, "Ex-wife says suspect in doctor's murder had virulent anti-government views WICHITA, Kan. - Scott Roeder harbored a burning, "eye-for-an-eye" anger toward abortion doctors. He once subscribed to a magazine suggesting "justifiable homicide" against them, and apparently likened Dr. George Tiller to the Nazi death-camp doctor Josef Mengele." Now, I do not know of any Bible Christian who would in any way condone, approve of or promote the killing of Dr. George Tiller. I certainly do not, and I have never met anyone who does. But, pay very close attention to the wording of the Associated Press article when it uses terms like "rage against abortion" and "virulent anti-government views." This is almost word for word the terminology that the Department of Homeland Security uses in classifying a terrorist and it is the legal language defining anyone who could be prosecuted for a "Hate Crime." If you disagree with the United States government you are now "anti-government" and a terrorist. There is clear cut strategy coming to play here.

The United States Department of Homeland Security, and what are called "Fusion Centers" issued documents which classify individuals or groups who are "pro-life," "concerned about a single issue like the sanctity of marriage," "critical of the United Nations," and groups and people who believe in "End Times Bible Prophecy" are profiled as terrorists and "anti-government." According to these publications, if you are critical of "Communist countries," critical of the Federal Reserve,’ "critical of Obama," critical of the economic prosperity of China and India," or any other single issue than you are "anti-government" and a "terrorist."

Now, anyone with a third grade education would understand that this is in clear violation of the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights. In America, we have the Constitutional rights of "freedom of religion," "freedom of the press" and "freedom of speech." But these Constitutional freedoms are no longer legal certainties because the Constitution is perceived as an "evolving document" and judges are appointed who enact law based on their own feelings and international law. In this Alice in Wonderland legal world, any law is possible. Any law!

The U.S. Government passed legislation for what is called the "Americorps," which some critics are calling a potential "Hitler Youth Movement." According to the law, if you are part of a church, attend worship services, sing in a choir or share your faith in Jesus Christ, than you are not allowed to be a part of the Americorps program which means you would be denied certain jobs and government benefits. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

In nations like France, Germany, the United States, Great Britain, Australia and Canada there is sweeping legislation designed to restrict, fine and imprison Christian’s who believe the Bible literally. In Germany you had Christian Home Schooling children seized from their homes and sent away to secret psychiatric hospitals while their Christian mothers were strip searched by "storm troopers." German police now escort German home schooling children to public school because the German courts have ruled that Germany cannot tolerate "parallel societies," which simply means that the German government does not want Christian children taught Christian morality and a belief in God. They want all children of the German State, as Hitler did, to be taught humanism and an anything goes sexual "morality."

Christians must stop being so na ƒ ¯ve and understand that this is all part of an organized global plan driven by organizations like UNESCO, the United Nations and international legal documents like the U.N. Convention of the Rights of the Child.

A friend of mine, and prominent Constitutional authority, John Whitehead, founder of the Rutherford Institute, recently wrote a legal opinion of what happens under Martial Law. Under Martial Law, Whitehead explained all of your legal rights are gone. Thus, if you have been arbitrarily labeled a terrorist because you believe in "Bible Prophecy," you can be arrested without any appeal or trial.

Christian’s in America are very na ƒ ¯ve, they have little or no understanding of the realities of history. What happened in Nazi Germany, can easily happen here. In fact, there are many disturbing parallels between what is happening here economically, theologically and politically and what happened during the Weimar Republic.

This is how it will play out. You are beginning to see very quickly two kinds of Christians emerge in the United States and Europe. First, you will see an "Emergent Church," that goes with the flow of humanistic secularism. In Nazi Germany, the term "Emerging Theology" was a term that was actually used. This will become the State approved Church, like the one Hitler approved of in Germany and currently exists in China. This type of Christian Church will be approved by a totalitarian state because it will empower that state through its complicity. Secondly, you will have the true Bible believing Church that will be persecuted because it stands for Biblical truth. This true Church will largely be driven underground as it is in China.

It is absolutely crucial that we perceive current events through the lens of Scripture. The Bible is very clear about what is going to happen in the last days. There will be a one world economic system, a one world government and a one world religion. All of that "Beast" system is emerging before our very eyes. Christian pastors and individual Christians who believe that they will find safety through accommodation to the culture are no different than the Jews who believe that giving up land will bring about peace. Both Christians who claim to know their Bible and Jews who believe a two-state solution and surrendering Jerusalem will lead to peace and safety will quickly discover that accommodation leads to persecution, death and slaughter. Let us remember that both Jews and Christians were saying right up until their deaths "it can’t happen here." This is what most American Christians are saying, "It can’t happen here."

The fate of Israel and the fate of the Christian Church are inexorably linked together. The failure to stand for Israel by the Christian Church in America could easily lead to a terrorist attack which would bring in Martial Law and terrible persecution.

In America I constantly here Christians say that "we are going to be Raptured out of here" before any of that happens. That is not sound exegesis. I believe the Bible teaches a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. I believe that Christ, the Bridegroom, is coming to get His Bride, the Church before the seven year Tribulation Period occurs. I do not believe that the Church will be here during the Tribulation and I do not believe that the Church will see the revealing of the Antichrist. But, we must remember that Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul never taught that the Rapture was strictly an American Rapture. The Bible does not teach that the minute things get difficult in "America" that God is going to Rapture the American Church. The Bible simply does not teach this. Persecution and tribulation (not the Tribulation Period) are coming very quickly and the American Church, especially, must be prepared in practical ways. The Bible does not teach fatalism. It matters very much to God what we do now. Jesus Christ said, "Occupy until I come." That word occupy has many implications, which does not include attempting to establish a theocracy. Jesus is coming very soon! Israel is God’s prophetic time clock. The nation s are about to be judged. But, we have been called to minister the Gospel Jesus Christ fearlessly. However, we must wake up! The hour is far later than we think. The Bridegroom cometh. Even so come quickly Lord Jesus!

---

Paul McGuire is the author of 16 books and a conference speaker. Paul can be reached at http://www.paulmcguire.com