PREPARING FOR PERSECUTION - Prequel 1

NOTE: Tomorrow, November 9, is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Pray for American Christians, too, that when we become part of the Persecuted Church, we will be faithful, bold and filled with joy.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

A few weeks ago, a friend had me listen to a CD by Dr. David R. Reagan of Lamb and Lion Ministries, speaking on "50 Reasons Why We Are Living in the End Times." Ever since I attended Multnomah Bible College over 40 years ago, I have heard many people talk about our being in the last days but the evidence then never convinced me. This did.

Dr. Reagan organizes the Signs of the Times that point to the Lord's return into six categories: the signs of Nature, Society, Religion, World Politics, Technology, and Israel. The first of these signs was fulfilled by the birth of the state of Israel. Some of these signs were recorded by prophets who did not understand what they meant. But God told them, "The people to whom they happen will understand!" And sure enough, signs such as the ability of everyone in the world to see the death of the two witnesses in Jerusalem during the coming Tribulation are no mystery to us, living as we do in the era of satellite TV! You can order this CD for $12 at 50 Reasons.

I don't think it is coincidence that hard on the heels of that DVD, through two strangers and two friends on three different days, God put four books into my hands, all written by Christians who have suffered persecution, a subject I have feared and normally try to avoid. The books were Things We Couldn't Say by Diet Eman, The Man in the Fiery Furnace by Freddie Sun, Clay in the Potter's Hands by Dorothy Sun and The Heavenly Man by Brother Yun. Though I have many other books to read, I was drawn to read these first. Things We Couldn't Say is written by a woman who helped organize the Dutch underground in World War II. The other three are written by Chinese Christians who developed the underground house churches in China. These saints each suffered severe decades-long imprisonment, unrelenting hard labor and excruciating torture and deprivation under Mao Zedong throughout the so-called "cultural revolution," which was really a reign of terror and societal and cultural devastation.

I think the results of our recent election may mean we are on the cusp of the Great Tribulation and we Christians should prepare to go through it. God took each of the saints in these books through a time of tribulation; he did not remove them from it. If our pre-Tribulation theology is wrong (I'm "pre-Trib" but as Dr. David Hocking says, I can change my theology fast if the Tribulation starts and we're still here!) in a few years we may face real persecution for the first time. These books made me visualize what might lie in America's future under an Obama administration, even leading ultimately to a police state, with Christians and Jews having to go underground for their lives. I could see it! I could feel it!

I identify with C.S. Lewis, who wrote, in his Preface to The Problem of Pain, "I have never for one moment been in a state of mind to which even the imagination of serious pain was less than intolerable." It was, is, like standing on the high dive realizing it may be my turn now, my turn to be ridiculed, demeaned, accused, attacked, tortured. Over these past weeks I have found myself, in my daily prayers for the persecuted church around the world, starting to pray not just for them but for us: "Lord, make US faithful, give US boldness, keep US from betraying You or each other." I hope never to forget how that feels no matter what happens in this new administration. I hope to use whatever freedom remains to me to share Christ more boldly every single day.

I think the stage is set and everything is coming together for the appearance of the anti-Christ. President-elect Obama has the charisma, eloquence, agenda and profile consistent with someone who could become the anti-Christ. (Perhaps even the psychological profile.) I am not saying Obama is the anti-Christ but for the first time I can see clearly how someone like him will be exalted to a position of world-wide prominence--and Biblically, the time seems ripe. Obama is getting the uncritical respect, adoration and even worship of people around the globe. Front page headlines in major newspapers around the world greeted Obama's victory in our country as if it were their own. In his DVD on signs of the end times Dr. Reagan says all it would take to fulfill the Biblical prophecy of an international economic union would be for one man to replace the committee which now heads the European Union.

We all have friends who refused to see the disturbing facts about Obama's background, associations, beliefs and voting record, who insisted on voting for him regardless. They see him as bigger than life, almost divine. Don't these people seem bewitched? Have you read Frank Schaeffer's rave review of Obama? (If not, I can forward it to you.) He's the son of Francis Schaeffer who founded L'Abri and decades ago Franky led the Protestant pro-life movement. Now he's championing, idolizing a man who stands for abortion for any reason through all nine months of pregnancy and even beyond--but he's willing to ignore that in Obama! The devil certainly seems to have sown the prophesied "strong delusion" in millions of minds. Not only Black Muslim leader Louis Farrakhan calls Obama the "Messiah." Many Americans do, too. Is Obama the Messiah? Even if Obama is not Muslim, if his ethnic heritage is derived from Abraham through Ishmael, he would be eligible to be the Muslims' expected Messiah, our anti-Christ. The Left Behind books could become contemporary reality sooner than we know.
     Stay alert. If intolerance for Biblical values keeps growing and more and more pressure is exerted on Christians and Jews to tolerate what the Bible does not tolerate, when every other faith unites and merges into one world religion and we still hold to Jesus as the only way to God, expect persecution. If Obama is able to end poverty and bring about peace with terrorists and nations militant to us, if he begins to perform miracle-like acts which bring him almost universal awe and reverence, brace for persecution. If he then turns against Israel and is invited to expand his power over other countries, bringing about one world government, persecution will follow! "For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps" and "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you. . ." (I Peter 2:21, 4:12). God has long delayed America's participation in the persecution many of the world's Christians are experiencing. I believe this delay is about to end.
     The four books I mentioned read like Richard Wurmbrand's experiences in Tortured for Christ but I have come away from reading each one not with a gloom and heaviness over the atrocities they suffered but with amazement and relief, knowing that Christians, just normal, weak, scared Christians like I feel myself to be, CAN endure to the end, staying faithful to the Lord and that He WILL be sufficient! If the worst comes to worst from our perspective, it will just be a way God can draw us closer to Him and to the rest of the Body, teaching us more about Himself. Suffering really can be a means of blessing and cause for joy! Look at how often the Bible connects suffering with joy! In the meantime, I am dedicating myself to appreciating the freedoms we still have (though being more aware we could lose them almost overnight!) and taking advantage of them to share Christ in every way I can.
     In the letter or two to follow, I hope to share practical suggestions, culled from survivors of and victors over persecution, on how to prepare for it, including what could make you more vulnerable, what to avoid. I also want to send examples of God's grace under persecution and how persecution can bring joy.

May we be lights in the coming darkness! May God sweep across this country with a mighty revival!