Complimentary Story
May 2024“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” (2 Timothy 3:12-13 ESV).
This world is descending further into chaos with each passing day. It is no wonder that Jesus Himself asked, “Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8b KJV).
We have a riotous and rebellious generation who protest what they do not understand and demand what they do not deserve. We have made “up” to be down and “down” to be up. Our sins keep piling up even as the train of judgement roars, unseen, down the very tracks we dance on unrestrained in the madness of pride and iniquity that this nation is given over to.
The passage in 2 Timothy 3 makes it unequivocally clear to anyone with eyes to see that in the last days perilous times will come. We have arrived in those perilous times, should that have been questioned by anyone, and judgment is upon this nation. Even now the axe is laid to the root.
As believers, we cannot expect to live a life disconnected from the Word of God, nor can we as a nation expect to prosper while openly mocking and defying the One True Living God. We have kicked God out of the schools, out of the courts, out of the public square and yet we expect, even demand, that He bless our nation. The average lifespan of an empire is 250 years, yet we somehow think we will outlast that average while openly defying God.
I want to see freedom and liberty live on but we must recognize that freedom, liberty, and our rights come from God alone and not governments. We must determine what master we are going to serve. As Joshua challenged the Israelites to choose who they would serve, I challenge each one who reads this article to choose who you will serve.
“And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15 ESV).
A time is coming, it is even here on the threshold, when persecution will be a reality in this nation. The life we have thus far experienced of abundance and relative ease which brought ignorance and apathy is soon to be a footnote on the pages of history. I find it odd to think we could believe that we could be exempt from persecution, unlike the faithful of all ages whose greatest times of growth were under persecution. Persecution is not coming, it is already here. What is coming is the intensity and increasing frequency of said persecution.
Each one of us must search the Scriptures in pursuit of God and draw the line in the sand which, at the direction of the Holy Spirit, we must not cross. Dear brothers and sisters, determine through passionate pursuit of Christ that you will not back down from the truth in the face of the onslaught that is now at our doors. If you do not resolve now to stand for Christ even if everyone around you should bow to the golden image, how will you, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, stand in the fiery furnace? What you will not stand for in a life of relative ease you will not stand for when persecution increases in frequency and intensity.
The only remedy that will help us to overcome the coming persecution is the Word of God and the direction of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. To overcome wicked and evil men, seducers, and deceivers we must use the very same remedy that the Apostle Paul told Timothy, “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:14-15 KJV).
We must continue to earnestly contend for the faith. We must walk in truth. If we are not standing firmly in the Will and Word of God we will be deceived, weakened, and compromised by the corruption of this world.
Serving Christ will cost you something. If it does not cost you the complete and total surrender of your life to Christ, are you truly saved? What cost is too great for the one who gave His life for you?
Email: AliveMinistriesUSA@gmail.com
