Christian Persecution and the Power of the Truth

Persecution is increasing globally due to the decline in moral values.

The Bible teaches that calling evil good is a sign of spiritual darkness.

Christians are facing challenges in speaking out against evil due to government threats.

The importance of standing firm on God's standards of righteousness in the face of opposition.

The title of our message today is called persecution follows the truth. We are living in a time or an age where nothing seems very stable, not only in the United States of America, but all around the world. The economy is shaky, and many people have been laid off their jobs, and doors to many businesses have been closed. The moral decline in the United States is at an all-time high. Unwed mothers' statistics are the highest they have ever been. And the latest report on divorce says that 70% of Americans believe divorce is morally acceptable, according to a Gallup poll taken last year, that is in 2008. Leading the world, America is number one in the divorce rate and Puerto Rico is second. homosexuality and gay lifestyles and marriages are endorsed by more and more states in America abortion approval is on the upswing at the same rate we see more and more involvement in the way of the occult in movies, television, books and music this evil thread of saint and the devil doesn't stop at the curious teenager or the older generation but it has filtered down to the very young in cartoons, books, movies and games. We see young children making gestures with their hands like they are putting hexes and curses on their siblings, parents and anyone they are angry with. Sensitivity to the kindnesses that used to be in the way of courteous manners like thank you, or no thank you, or please, or respect for the elderly, and so on, are far and few between these days. We have seen an increase in vehicles going down the road, with satanic signs and emblems, with the symbols of death, skull and bones, and advertising the fact that they are a witch or a warlock, and blatant and blaring music ranting about rebellion, death, and hatred. Those versed in the knowledge of the Bible know where this darkness leads and the fateful end of those who do not repent of their heinous, abominable sins and accept the free gift of life everlasting through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Savior. In the news recently, there was a pastor in California who was holding a Bible study in his home. A local authority from the county came to his home and demanded that he and his wife stop holding these Bible studies based on the fact that they would say, Amen, praise the Lord, and raise their hands in worship. the official representing the county said it was illegal for them to be holding the Bible studies and that if they continued they would be fined $1,000 our rights and freedoms of speech as Christians are being stolen right in front of our faces and our present government leadership is threatening prison sentence awaits us if we speak about homosexuality and gay lifestyles Dear saint, these are condemned by the word of God. How can we keep our mouths shut and be silent when God Almighty, the maker of the heavens and the earth, says, This is evil. Today, good is now being called evil, and evil is called good. God, the author of life, decrees that there is a judgment, a woe, A sentence for those who are wise in their own eyes and call evil good. Isaiah 5.20 In Isaiah 5.20 The word declares woe to those who call evil good and good evil. Who put darkness for light and light for darkness. Who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes. and prudent and shrewd in their own sight. Woe to those who are mighty heroes at drinking wine and men of strength and mixing alcoholic drinks. 23. Who justify and acquit the guilty for bribes, but take away the rights of the innocent and the righteous from them. Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble and as the dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root shall be like rottenness and their blossoms shall go up like fine dust because they have rejected and cast away the law and the teaching of the Lord of hosts and have not believed but have treated scornfully and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. May I tell you that there are those in the body of Jesus Christ who have endorsed abortion and I am speaking of well-known ministers who have endorsed and approved of present leadership in government, who have built a platform on these evil and present agendas, God says, Woe be unto you who call evil good. These pastors and ministers have joined together in a partnership with the promoters of those who choose to kill innocent little unborn babies who are the Lord Jesus Christ's inheritance. and I say to you who do you think you are? A woe is a sentence of deep sorrow of grief, of distress and affliction. Woes were pronounced on those in scripture who in the Old Testament betrayed God's righteous standards and in the New Testament were those who betrayed His Son Jesus Christ and the Word of God that Jesus brought to the earth as a spokesman for His Father in heaven. Murder is defined by Nelson's Bible Dictionary as the unlawful killing of one person by another, especially with premeditated malice. Abortion is always premeditated, and it is illegal in the eyes of the author of life, who is the one true and living God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For a believer to agree with something so heinous and contrary to God's word is to actually partner with Satan the devil and his evil world since Satan is the author of death and the grave and is the one who comes to steal, kill and destroy. The world has its judgment already. But can I tell you this kind of betrayal for the so-called professors of the faith and especially for those who call themselves minister of the gospel in the church of Jesus Christ, is a great and horrendous crime, and eternal damnation in the darkest and deepest punishments of hell's fire for eternity await them. All this to be heard and seen. All this so that your ministry might be acknowledged and noticed, so that you might be able to write another book and or fill more seats in your congregation? All of this for mammon or money? Jesus Christ pronounced a woe on the man who would betray him. Judas Iscariot, the very one who shared Christ's communion table with him and the one who held the money bag and helped himself to it whenever his lustful passion and greed for more stirred his insatiable appetite. Let's see what the all-knowing and all-wise God said about him, and as a warning for all those with the same kind of betraying heart, because they really did not have a deep and sincere love for their Savior. In Matthew 14, verse 18, And while they were at the table eating, Jesus says, Surely I say to you One of you will betray me One who is eating here with me And they began to show that they were sad and hurt And say to him one after another Is it I? Or is it not I? Is it? He replied to them It is one of the twelve apostles Who is dipping bread into the same dish with me For the Son of Man is going as it stands written concerning him but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would have been good, profitable and wholesome for that man if he had never been born. Unless there is a deep and bitter repentance for these people who have trespassed against the righteous decrees and laws of God Almighty and His Son Jesus Christ, they will be likened to a Judas Iscariot or a Balaam's greed or Korah's rebellion. Dear Church, God sets the standards of righteousness for all people to live by, but the world chooses not to conform nor to obey God's authoritative laws which determine and govern the way man shall live. And this is why we must speak out. This is why we must not be silent. The world must hear the truth. There is only one authoritative standard. It is holy and upright living in accordance with God's ways of righteousness. God's character is the definition and source of all righteousness. And so because of this, then man's righteousness is defined in terms of God's holy standard or yardstick. And this yardstick measures and defines man's relationship with God and man. And this measuring stick also defines man's righteous actions which will promote peace and well-being of human beings in their relationships with one another. May I tell you that homosexuality, gay lifestyles and gay marriages and abortion does not fit into God's holy standards of righteousness. after Cain and Abel's parents committed high treason by disobeying God's command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil then it was sometime later that Cain murdered his brother Abel this is a very sobering verse in Hebrews 6.4 which states for it is impossible to restore and bring again to repentance those who have been once for all enlightened who have consciously tasted the heavenly gift and have become sharers of the Holy Spirit. Verse 5. And have felt how good the word of God is and the mighty powers of the age and the world to come. If they then deviate from the faith and turn away from their allegiance, it is impossible to bring them back to repentance for, because while as long as they nailed up on the cross the Son of God afresh, as far as they are concerned and are holding him up to contempt and shame and public disgrace. It is always a sure thing to note that when a professor of the faith deviates from the path, they begin to show signs of betrayal, of perversion, of error and apostasy. They become blinded to the truth and the artificial tastes of the carnal reason begin to take charge and their senses now lead and guide them saying, if it sounds good, tastes good, looks good, smells good, it is good. This certainly shows us that the highest form of holiness and righteousness offends man's love for his own sin. God's laws and ways, or we could say his plumb line of perfection, becomes distasteful and much hated and these rebellious renegades, although now deceived, believe that they are right and begin to call evil good and good evil. It is an easy thing now to accuse and persecute those who speak the truth of God in love in order to bring correction and possible insight to the error of their ways. It was King David who said, Lord I am hungry and thirsty for your justice It was also David Who shows us in Psalms 15 verse 1 Who will dwell on the high places with God Psalms 15 verse 1 Lord who shall dwell in your tabernacle Who shall dwell on your holy hill He who walks and lives uprightly and blamelessly who works righteousness and justice and speaks and thinks the truth in his heart. He does not slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his friend, nor take up a reproach against his neighbor, in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he who honors those who fear the Lord, who revere and worship him, who swear to his own hurt and does not change. Jesus Christ came for vile sinners, and we were all sinners in the eyes of God until we acknowledged our sins, repented of them and were saved by the grace of our Savior. Justice is the desire to be corrected and measured and perfected in order to mature into the fullness of Christ. Justice is God's method of correction and the word tells us that God corrects and disciplines every son he receives. this correction if it is received purifies refines our lives and brings about true holiness or perfection in Christ God through his inspired words through Paul shows the necessity and importance of this perfection or better called maturity in Ephesians 4 verse 11 Ephesians 4 verse 11 and his gifts were varied he himself appointed and gave men to us, some to be apostles, special messengers, some prophets, inspired preachers and expounders, some evangelists, preachers of the gospel, traveling missionaries, some pastors, shepherds of his flocks and teachers. His intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of his saints, his consecrated people, that they should do the work of ministry towards building up Christ's body, the church. Verse 13, that it might develop until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the full and accurate knowledge of the Son of God that we might arrive at really mature manhood, the completeness of personality, which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ's own perfection, the measuring of the stature of the fullness of Christ and the completeness found in Him. Verse 14, So then we may no longer be children, tossed like ships to and fro between chants, gusts of teaching and wavering, with every changing wind of doctrine, the prey of the cunning and cleverness of unscrupulous men, gamblers engaged in every shifting form of trickery, inventing errors to mislead. Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly. enfolded in love let us grow up in every way and in all things into him who is the head even Christ the Messiah the anointed one for because of him the whole body the church in all of its various parts closely joined and firmly knitted together by the joints and ligaments with which it is supplied when each part with power adapted to its need is working properly in all of its function grows to full maturity, building itself up in love. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! But if we do not allow the justice or the correction and reproof of the Lord to purify us while today is called today, we will remain in the place of being offended at the truth when it comes to us and will actually become accusers of the brethren and haters of God. Jesus in his pronouncement of woes to the Pharisees in Luke 11.42 is the same judgment that will befall those who refuse to change. The Pharisees or pretenders of the faith were the very ones who killed Jesus Christ because his gospel offended them and convicted them of their sin He was the Messiah who was prophesied to come and bring freedom to the captives, but rather than repent, they killed him. They persecuted the righteous saints of God who were approved of God to take the gospel tidings, the good news of salvation to all the world. Read with me, please, Luke 11, verse 42. Luke 11, 42. But woe to you, Pharisees, for you tithe mint and rue and every little herb, but disregard and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done without leaving the others undone. Woe to you Pharisees for you love the best seats in the synagogue and you love to be greeted and bowed down to in public marketplaces Woe to you for you are like graves which are not marked or seen and men walk all over them without being aware of it and are ceremonially defiled One of the experts in the Mosaic Law answered him saying, Teacher you reproach and outrage and affront even us. But he said to them, Woe to you, the lawyers also, for you load men with oppressive burdens hard to bear, and you do not personally even gently touch the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe to you, for you are rebuilding and repairing the tombs of the prophet whom your fathers killed and destroyed. Verse 48, so you bear witness and give your full approval and consent to the deeds of your father for they actually killed them and you rebuild and repair monuments to them. For this reason also the wisdom of God said, I will send them prophets and apostles. Some of them will be put to death and be persecuted. Jesus says, if they hated me, they will hate you. the world hates the truth of the gospel because it brings conviction that sin is evil and is condemned by God this is why the atheists and God haters are trying to write everything out in our nation's government and national monuments that speak of in God we trust or the Ten Commandments or the symbol of the cross our world today is offended at the cross of Jesus Christ Jesus actually annulled the covenant of death and the agreement that we had with Satan the devil when we accepted him as our Lord and Savior. Isaiah 28, verse 16 declares, Therefore thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am laying in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone of a sure foundation. He who believes and trusts in and adheres to that stone will not be ashamed or give way or hastened away in sudden panic. Verse 17. I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plummet. And hail will sweep away the refuge of lies and waters will overwhelm the hiding place, the shelter. And your covenant with death shall be annulled. And your agreement with Sheol, the place of the dead, shall not stand. when the overwhelming scourge passes through, then you will be trodden down by it. How unfortunate it is today that many reject Jesus' teaching which His heavenly Father had given Him to bring to the earth and declare to all that He was indeed God's answer and atonement for our sin and eternal salvation. Salvation by the cross, by our crucified Christ, was and still is a stumbling block and offense to many. How unfortunate that so many hate and loathe a message and an act of love that was meant to set them free of the prisons that confine them and keep them from enjoying true peace, joy, and love. We can see that this offense of the cross is shown in the way of actual persecution of believers but most often by slandering believers, mocking them and calling them old-fashioned, foolish, weak-minded, conceited and self-righteous. Offense of the cross is also shown by great and horrendous persecution of Christian believers who are tortured and unmercifully beaten and thrown into prison for their testimony of Jesus. Persecution for righteousness sake is defined by the hatred and affliction That follows the witness and the holy lives of God's people in a hostile world The New Testament teaches that God's people will suffer persecution Jesus taught that God's prophets always face persecution And his disciples should expect the same In Matthew 10.22 Jesus said You will be hated by all for my name's sake But he who endures to the end Will be saved from spiritual disease and death in the world to come And when they persecute you in that one town That is pursue you in a manner that would injure you And cause you to suffer because of your belief Flee to another town For I tell you You will not have gone through all the towns of Israel Before the Son of Man comes the world and the pretenders of the faith or those who just use Christ's name for their own greedy purposes call true Christians crazy weak minded and needing Jesus as a Savior and Lord and say it's like needing a crutch to lean on and as a futile and empty religion we get what we ask for when we speak about the gospel and confess the truth knowing that it courts danger and brings upon ourselves the hatred and animosity of the whole world. They say, is this not foolishness? Apostle Paul did not mind the hatred of the world coming to him in his day. It made him all the more bolder to confess Jesus Christ. And the hatred of the world, in Paul's estimation, was prophesying well for the future growth and success of the truth, which always prospered best in the times of persecution. And when the offense of the cross ceases, when the anger and rage of the enemies of the cross lessens, and when everything is quiet, it is a sign that the devil is the doorkeeper of the church and that the pure word of God has been lost. prophet Isaiah says in Isaiah 38 verse 17 behold it was for my peace that I had intense bitterness but you have loved back my life from the pit of corruption and nothingness for you have cast all my sins behind your back for Sheol the place of the dead cannot confess and reach out the hand to you death cannot praise and rejoice in you they who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness to your promises. The living shall thank and praise you as I do this day. The Father shall make known to the children your faithfulness and truth. And the Lord is ready to save, to deliver me. Therefore I will sing my songs with my stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the house of the Lord. Well, Prophet Isaiah says in verse 17, Behold, it was for my peace that I had intense bitterness. He says, Yes, now I see it was all good for me to undergo this bitterness. For you have lovingly delivered me from death and you have forgiven all my sin. For dead men cannot praise you. They cannot be filled with hope and joy in your peace, O God. well Apostle Paul looks with suspicion upon a doctrine or a gospel that does not provoke antagonism it was not too long ago that we had hate mail on our website from a man who had an antichrist spirit and who ranted at the messages that I was teaching and we felt that there was an undertone of a threat when in one part of his blistering and haranguing letter, he said, Patricia, just shut your mouth and get a life while you still have life. Well, we did not bother to respond to his letter, but instead we prayed for his soul that the Lord God would have mercy upon him and open his eyes to the truth in his word. King David petitioned the Lord for his mercy and for deliverance from his enemies when he said, Lord, I believed your truth and I spoke it out and now I am greatly afflicted for it. Psalms 116 verse 1. Go there with me, please. Psalms 116 verse 1. I love the Lord because he has heard my voice in my supplications, because he has inclined his ear to me. Therefore, I will call upon him as long as I live. The pains of death surround me And the pains of Sheol laid hold me And I found trouble and sorrow And then I called upon the name of the Lord O Lord, I implore you, deliver my soul Gracious is the Lord and righteous Yes, our God is merciful The Lord preserves the simple I was brought low and he saved me Return to your rest, O my soul For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. Verse 10, I believed, therefore I spoke. I am greatly afflicted. Persecution always follows on the heels of the word of God as David had experienced. He said, I believe, therefore I was greatly afflicted. David is referring to his faith when he says, Lord, I believe and therefore I have spoken. And Apostle Paul referred to these very words of David in 2 Corinthians 4.13 as he was speaking of the persecution that he himself and the others face daily. 2 Corinthians 4.13 Yet we have the same spirit of faith as he who wrote, I have believed and therefore have I spoken. We too believe and therefore we speak Assured that he who raised up the Lord Jesus Will raise us up also with Jesus And bring us along with you into his presence Verse 15 For all these things are taking place for your sake So that the more grace, divine favor and spiritual blessing Extends to more and more people And multiplies through the many And more thanksgiving may increase and redound To the glory of God Verse 16, Therefore we do not become discouraged, utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out through fear. Though our outer man is progressively decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being progressively renewed day after day. Verse 17, for our light and momentary affliction, the slight distress of this passing hour is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory, beyond all measure excessively surpassing all comparisons and calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease. since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are visible are temporal, brief and fleeting but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting. Praise God. Praise the Lord. Paul was referring to himself and his fellow ministers of the gospel who although they suffered for Christ's sake They were not ashamed to own him and make him known. King David believed the very being and providence and promise of God, particularly the assurance God had given to him by prophet Samuel, that he would exchange his shepherd's rod for the kingly scepter. And this would be after a great deal of hardship with Saul pursuing him and seeking to kill him so that he would not inherit the throne. And it must be noted here, with these two great men, that is King David and Apostle Paul, that they believed with all of their hearts and confessed with their mouths for the glory of God, the encouragement of others, to the evidence of their own sincerity, that those who live in the hope of the kingdom of glory must neither be afraid nor ashamed of their obligation to Jesus Christ who purchased it for them. We have an obligation to our Lord and must never be silent as to the wonderful gospel of truth and freedom found only in Jesus Christ that he will set men and women free those who will receive it. Paul says in Romans 10 verse 9 because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes, and so is justified, and with the mouth he confesses and confirms his salvation. The scripture says, No man who believes in him will ever be put to shame or disappointed. Verse 12. No one, for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. The same Lord is Lord over all of us, and he generously bestows his riches upon all who call upon him in faith. All over the world today, Christians are accused and slandered without mercy. Murderers and thieves receive better treatment than Christians. The world, which is Satan's system, regards true Christians as the worst offenders for whom no punishment can be too severe. the world and its antichrist spirit hates Christian with an amazing brutality and without qualm commits them to the most shameful deaths congratulating itself that it has delivered God and the cause of peace a noble service by ridding the world of the undeserved presence of Christians and Jews there is an account of a woman named Christiana Oluwassin who on March 21st, 2007, looked forward to the ending of that school day. That's because the Christian teacher was to leave the government high school in Gombe, a city in northern Nigeria, be reunited with her husband, Femi. But first things first, she had to give her female students their final exam. The exam would test the student's knowledge of Islam. to prevent cheating she collected the book bags of each student and brought them to the front of the class one of the students began to cry she told the class that there was a Quran in her bag and by touching the bag the Christian teacher had desecrated the Quran inside it tears turned to outrage and anger and soon the class was shouting Aloha Akbar which means God is great they began threatening the teacher A fellow teacher rushed Christiana to the principal's office, and the official locked the schoolteacher in the bathroom to get her away from what was now an angry mob. But outside, the anger was growing. Radical Muslims who lived nearby heard the commotion and ran to the school. Eventually, a mob of Muslim extremists dragged Christiana out of the school and clubbed her to death and then burned her body. Another account tells of a 10-year-old Hun Joo who was different Few Northern Korean children know about God But Hun Joo believed in God and trusted him Hun Joo's parents were Christian They shared their faith with their daughter Even though they knew they might be punished if officials found out The country's leaders want people to honor them, not God Hun Joo's parents wanted her to know about Jesus in spite of the obstacles, and they prayed that God would use her to change North Korea. One day Hun Joo aunt Miss Kim came to her home for a visit But the house was empty The family had vanished A friend later told Miss Kim what had happened Hoon Joo's teacher at school had asked her, How did you get such good grades on your test today? By the grace of God, Hoon Joo answered. The teacher was angry. She dragged Hoon Joo out of the classroom, and then her family disappeared. No doubt the government took them away, and no one has heard from them since. There's an account that tells about a man whom God instructed to speak out about his faith. Latif was born and raised in a Coptic Christian family. He became a quiet Christian. In Egypt, where proselytizing is illegal, Latif rarely shared his faith. Then in 1994, he says he heard God's voice compelling him to tell others about Christ. That is when he zealously began sharing the gospel with Muslims in his upper Egyptian village. Soon after, Latif was arrested and jailed. When released, he returned to evangelizing. He was put back in jail. This had gone on for the last 14 years with Latif's most recent arrest and release occurred in 2008. Often when Latif is arrested, he undergoes extreme torture. During one arrest in 1996, an Egyptian state security officer punched him in the mouth and broke two of his teeth. He shouted, don't talk about Christ, don't preach, don't evangelize, recalled Latif. He said, this dog will no longer talk about Jesus. Once he was locked in a toilet stall where guards urinated on him, Repeated electric shocks injured his feet and his lower abdomen was sliced so severely with the knife his intestines spilled out. Guards allowed jailed Muslim soldiers to extinguish their lit cigarettes on Latif's arm and shoulder. But Latif could not remain silent. Even in prison he shared Christ. On one occasion while he was in jail, incarcerated Muslims asked Latif to lead prayers from the Koran. They assumed he was part of a conservative Islamic group, the Muslim Brotherhood. Latif agreed, but he prayed using Bible verses. He was able to do this for four months. Many Muslims do not know what is in the Quran. They only know what the Muslim teachers have told them. One inmate even told him how Latif's prayers were the first time he ever heard prayers that were real. When Lateef was caught evangelizing in prison, he was tortured. Once he was tied to a ladder with ropes, and the ladder was turned upside down, Lateef said. Three security offers beat me all over my body with wooden sticks, and said I was a kafir, an unbeliever, and deserved the beatings. I prayed for my persecutors because they did not know Jesus. I asked God to reveal the truth to them. Lateef says God has allowed his repeated imprisonment and torture in order to be glorified. I am like garbage. The glory is for the Lord only. The Lord said they will hate me without reason, but I cannot stop talking about him, Lateef says. I do not share these stories with you to play on your emotions or to cause you to feel inferior in your walk with your Savior or to intimidate or to shame you. But how many of us need a wake-up call in the body of Christ today as to the persecution that comes to true believers in Jesus Christ when they live what they believe and share the faith with those around them? Dear believer in Christ, we are not to let such treatment and threats cause us to stumble in our faithfulness to Jesus. As long as we experience such persecutions, we know all is well with the gospel. Jesus told his followers and held out this same comfort to them when he spoke in Matthew 5.11 and said, Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Many of us will never experience the persecution that our precious brothers and sisters go through in these nations that we have just heard about today. But may I tell you that the move in this nation as well as other nations with the infiltration of radical Muslims whose belief is that if you do not believe in the Koran, you should die. We as the church must not come short of this joy that Jesus is speaking about. When we are persecuted for righteousness' sake, Jesus says, Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven. We cannot compromise to be at peace with anyone unless they agree and consent to the truth in God's word. God's word is found only in Holy Scripture and is the ultimate authority in all source of truth. Truth is the conformity to fact or actuality. It is faithfulness to the original standard. Truth is a fundamental moral and personal quality found only in God. God proclaims in Exodus 34 verse 6 that he is merciful and gracious, that he is long-suffering and abounding in goodness and truth. He is a God of love and not a God of hatred. He is a God of truth. That means he is without any injustice altogether. truth is a moral and personal characteristic of God Isaiah 65 verse 16 declares and so shall it be that he who invokes a blessing on himself in the land shall do so by saying may the God of truth and fidelity the Amen bless me and he who takes an oath in the land shall swear by the God of truth and faithfulness to his promises because the former troubles are forgotten and because they are hidden from my eyes. Because of his perfect will, God has to speak and act in truth. He cannot lie. And so it is for we, the church of the living God, we must step out and speak the truth and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and suffer the persecution that comes along with the territory because the gospel alone declares the mercy, love and glory of God Almighty who is the creator of all things. People need to hear about Jesus and the love that he has for them. And because of our sharing the gospel, it stirs up the devil and his cohorts because the truth shines the light on who Satan really is. Those who preach and teach and evangelize the gospel of Jesus Christ should not be surprised or offended when all hell breaks loose. Jesus says rejoice because ultimately it is a joyous indication that all is well with the gospel of the cross. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. As missionaries in a nation that is a territory of the United States of America, we lived in a very dark part of the island where there was a great satanic stronghold. We learned that there were as many churches as there were satanic covens in this town. The persecution that we experienced came in the way of having our utilities shut off for months at a time. Witches and warlocks coming on the property to plant their curses and incantations against us. Gunfire to intimidate us into leaving the property where we lived and held our Bible study. prayer meetings and services. We endured the slander and gossip from those who were said to be brothers and sisters in Christ. But oh God forbid that the offense of the cross should ever be removed. If the offense of who Christ is, what he did and what he has provided were to be removed or watered down, Satan and his followers would have the advantage. Jesus Christ came and spoke about men's sin and said that we must repent of our evil ways and accept his blood sacrifice in order to have eternal life and the world does not want to hear about their sin because they are happy with it so when we talk about abortion homosexuality adultery fornication satanism false religions which are Satan's inventions and systems and speak about the truth from God's word, we will be persecuted all around. You see, dear church, we have not received a gospel from man, but a gospel from the very mouth and heart of God. 2 Timothy 3.16 declares, Every scripture is God-breathed, given by His inspiration and profitable for instruction, for reproof, and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, and for training in righteousness and holy living in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose, and action, so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well-fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work. We must continue to receive the truth in the only way in which it was designed and purposed, that we would receive it, and that is by the divine inspiration of faith. The gospel of the cross brings offense to those who hear it. We must not change the truth to fit what carnal minds want to hear. Jesus didn't and he is our example. He was crucified for speaking the truth. It is the truth that offends and causes stumbling and brings on persecution but it is also the truth that will set men free. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! it is the truth that will save and we too must admit that we were once offended by the message of the cross but now find it to be the very joy and life and hope of our hearts and souls we find that we cannot help but speak of the one who saved us and set us free we cannot help but give offense to those who do hate the cross by virtue of our Christian way of life that is the way we believe how we live and act and by what we say many Christians who profess they are believers never cause offense to those who are godless without Christ they do not live any differently than the godless nor do they speak about the one who hung on the cross and died for them it must be because they are not truly crucified with Christ they have no real trust or faith in their Savior nor any true knowledge of him to share with anyone Apostle Paul declares in Romans 9.33 As it is written, Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone that will make men stumble, a rock that will make them fall. But he who believes in him, who adheres to and trusts on him, shall not be put to shame nor disappointed in his expectations. Dear one, the love for your Savior will inspire and awaken voluntary self-sacrifice within your heart and soul to surrender your whole entire life to him. You will not stumble over what he commands you to do. You too will, with longing in your heart as you grow in him, will desire to see others come to the cross freely without guilt or offense and accept the beautiful sacrifice of love, one for them, two, by our precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 3.12 says, You, however, know all about my teachings, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance persecutions and sufferings what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch and Iconium and Lystra the persecutions I endured yet the Lord rescued me from all of them indeed all who delight in piety and are determined to live a devoted and godly life in Christ Jesus will be met with persecution will be made to suffer because of their religious stand but wicked men and imposters will go from bad to worse deceiving and leading astray and others being deceived and led astray themselves. We as Christians today cannot just go to church once or twice a week and think that we have done our duty. We do not belong to a social club, but we belong to the family of God who is called a family of love. The love of Jesus Christ in your heart and the holy gratitude of what He did for you cannot remain locked up in your heart and be a selfish spiritual picnic just for yourself. Opportunity for Christians to bear witness exists every day whether or not there is persecution. If we lack faith and trust in stepping out and sharing Christ, then we fear the opposition that may come. But when we walk by faith and not by sight, We will see the many and wonderful opportunities to share Jesus' precious sacrifice. Then we will not see the walls, but we'll see opportunities. Today, all across our nation, Christians are being tested in their faith. What will our children and grandchildren learn from us? The key in sharing Christ and withstanding any persecution that comes along is being grateful for the gift of salvation that you have personally received. When this true and genuine in your own heart and life, God will plug in a passion and zeal to see other souls saved and redeemed from Satan's hold and bondage. Remember that God allows and permits Christians to be despised, rejected and hated by the world so that we are set free and cleansed from its pollution so that we may grow in holiness. Revelation 18, verse 4 declares, Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out from her, my people, so that you may not share in her sins, neither participate in her plagues, for her iniquities, her crimes and transgressions are piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her wickedness and her crimes and calls them up for settlement. as we are truly cleansed from the world's plagues and crimes we are filled with the love of God and for the unsaved we must love those who do not love God we cannot in this process of reaching the lost conform ourselves to their standards just to reach them and have their approval and acceptance this is always disastrous Many use the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 9.19 to justify their far out evangelism approaches to reaching the lost. 1 Corinthians 9.19 Paul says, Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone to win as many as possible. To the Jews I become like a Jew to win the Jews. To those under the law I become like one under the law, although myself I'm not under the law, so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I become like one not having the law, though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law, so as to win those not having the law. Verse 22. To the weak I become weak to win the weak. I have become all things to all men, so that by all possible means I might save some. I do this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. Now, Paul did not compromise the truth. He did not tattoo himself, nor use vile and gross language from his pulpit, because it is relevant for our times. Nor did he become a fornicator or an adulterer. But Paul humbled himself to go into their camps under the power of the Holy Spirit who was upon him and leading him in his message. The Spirit of the Lord stirred the minds of the hearers and their hearts to be persuaded that the gospel of truth that Paul was delivering was of God. may we all be wise and grow into the maturity of the prayer that Paul prayed in Ephesians 1 that was inspired by the Holy Spirit of God and shows the very heart will and mind of God for every believer in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1.16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers. For I always pray to God, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that he may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation, of insight into mysteries and secrets in the deep and intimate knowledge of him by having the eyes of your heart flooded with light so that you can know and understand the hope to which he has called you and how rich is his glorious inheritance in the saints, his set-apart ones. I would like to pray with those of you who desire to step out of your comfort zone and places of confinement where you have grown to be a silent Christian afraid to share your faith, your Savior, Jesus Christ, with those around you. Let us bow our heads, please. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, our precious Lord and Savior, we come to the throne of grace and mercy today, repenting of our sins of complacency, our neglect and indifference our disinterest our coldness and aloofness to sharing the greatest message the joyous good news of salvation found only in Jesus Christ our Messiah who you have sent to rescue your people from the captivity of Satan the devil Lord I repent of having fear and intimidation of facing persecution or unfavorable responses in my testimony of Jesus I now understand that if I do not walk by faith then I fear opposition that may come Father make me bold and strong in the power of your Holy Spirit and forgive me for my weaknesses make me an ambassador of truth and a representative of the Christian way of life that you are pleased to call your very own Holy Spirit I pray that you will fill my mouth with the words of truth and pour out your love as I witness my Savior to the hurting and dying around me. Inspire their hearts to receive the precious, life-saving, joy-filled gospel of glad tidings as they hear it since eternity awaits them. Lord, I pray that you will make me a brave witness for Christ, who is not afraid to give a public witness for Jesus even in the most difficult times, so that I may share your love. Father please deliver me from all fear I pray in the name of Jesus Amen In Matthew's Gospel, chapter 25, verse 32, Jesus made a statement that had little impact or crunch, I like to say, or meaning. for the modern, institutional, lukewarm church today. Jesus' prophetic, eminent, forthcoming, and unavoidable declaration is that he was going to separate the people of every nation as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. The sheep would inherit eternal life, where the goats would be thrown into the eternal lake of fire prepared for the devil and his evil angels. Never in the time of history have we ever been so close to seeing these prophetic words spoken by our precious Savior so close at hand in being fulfilled in our day today. Separating the sheep from the goats is to be another of the divine predictions of God which will be ushered in in the time of history where the will of God will be fulfilled so that the return of his Son the second time will take place and complete the messianic promise of the kingdom of God being set up on the earth with his Son, Jesus Christ, reigning and ruling as King forever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Now, separating the sheep from the goats is one of these prophetic utterances that will come to pass or occur at the end of the tribulation. Jesus Christ in his office of the Lion of Judah will gather all nations before him for judgment. Each and every person will be judged on the basis of how they showed love for Jesus Christ, and that is how they treated and obeyed the gospel of truth and how they treated their brothers and sisters in Christ. in the day of judgment when all of the world is summoned before Christ and he divides and separates the sheep from the goats he will ask the goats where are your wedding garments? They will begin to defend their actions and say we perform mighty deeds and works in your kingdom we healed the sick, we fed the poor and we did nice things for people But Jesus will say, I don't know you, and you are not permitted to taste the wedding feast prepared for those who prove their love for me by obeying my commands. You did not honor me, he will say, with reciprocal love and reverent fear. You are only a wicked imposter and intruder. And from there, Jesus will cast them into the lake of fire because they abused his grace and profaned his name. Understand, please, your good works are not the basis of your salvation, but rather they are the proof of salvation. Many unbelievers and atheists do good works for humankind, but they are not saved from eternal damnation. We have a message which deals in depth with this very subject, and it's called Tangible Evidence of My True Christianity. You can access that message by going to the audio messages on our website, www.shininglight7ministries.com. That is a numerical number seven, ministries.com. Please understand, good works will not save us. Only faith in Jesus Christ and Him alone will save you. Good works are the fruit of salvation and are called good because they spring forth from the principle of love to God. You see, faith and love in the obedient follower of Jesus Christ are the essential elements of all true obedience in yours and my life. It is a proven fact that God loves each and every one of us with an undying love. And this fact has been proven because the book of life tells us that Jesus Christ, who is the eternal living creator of all things, divested himself of his glory and came in the form of mere man and died a horrible and brutal death upon the cross as the atoning sacrifice that God his father required. and by which would restore relationship of harmony and unity between himself and human beings. This selfless act of love by Christ's blood sacrifice on the cross covers man's sins, and by admission of our sin, God the Father provides his grace and forgiveness, which frees us from the penalty of his divine judgment and also the penalties of our own sin. Now, since God Almighty has already proven his unconditional love to mankind through his son's remarkable love story in dying for his beloved and prized creation, then we should, in return, should reciprocate and show him our love, first of all, by being obedient to his commands in order to inherit this precious gift of eternal life that he offers. Jesus said in John 14, 21, The person who has my commands and keeps them is the one who really loves me, and whoever really loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and will show, I'll reveal, I'll manifest myself to him, and I will let myself be clearly seen by him and make myself real to him. Now, the most solid proof that you and I can present as evidence of our attachment and affection for Jesus Christ as our Savior is to keep and live habitually in his commandments. Overall, this warm, ever-increasing love and affection for our precious bridegroom is called living in Christ. All of our tears of emotion, our profession, and good works pale into insignificance in comparison to showing real proof and evidence of our love to Christ by diligent, devoted, and habitual conformity and uncompromising allegiance to his orders, by obeying all of his precepts or authoritative prescriptions in order to obtain this most wonderful and prized utopia of paradise or eternal bliss. You see, again, there is no greater proof of love for Jesus Christ than our willful submission to his commands, and that is, first of all, to love him with all of our hearts, all of our minds, our entire being, and secondly, to love our neighbors as ourselves. And this summed up is called carrying our own cross and following hard after Christ through every difficult and trying situation and circumstance without complaining, without grumbling and hesitation. The beautiful visual evidence that we have of this is when a child demonstrates his love for his parents by his willing and immediate obedience and does all that the parent requires of him or her to do. So it is, with the disciples of Jesus Christ, we are required to show that we are supremely attached to him by yielding all that we are and all that we have to his requirement even in the face of ridicule and opposition. Please turn with me today to 1 John 5, verse 2. By this, we come to know, recognize, and understand that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commands, his orders and charges, when we keep his ordinances and are mindful of his precepts and his teachings. for the true love of God is this that we do his commands keep his ordinances and are mindful of his teachings and precepts and these orders of his are not irksome burdensome oppressive or grievous for whatever is born of God is victorious over the world and this is the victory that conquers the world even our faith now we must understand that God is due our highest esteem because of what he has done personally for each one of us through his son's death on the cross, his burial and resurrection. He has proven his unconditional love for us without a doubt of any kind. The Bible outlines and frames the record of the greatest love story ever written, and nothing could ever top it and nothing ever will. It must be understood that love is not only one of God's attributes, but it is also an essential part of his nature. This is the greatest personification of perfect love. This kind of divine love surpasses the powers and capability of our understanding. This God kind of love is an everlasting love. It is sacrificial and an enduring love which has no end. Love is the most important and essential part of God's nature. In fact, we can see a picturesque and graphic depiction or illustration of the importance of this kind of love, which is inherent and intrinsic in God alone. and also that which he expects in return from each one of us as his redeemed and saved children. You have heard this account many times. This is the story where Jesus asked Peter this most important question that could portray the highest relationship between God and man. On probably the most important and crucial day and time in Peter's life, as far as his future relationship with his Savior and Lord, Jesus asks him, Peter, do you love me more than these? Remember, Peter denied Jesus three times, not just once. So in this account told in John 21, verse 15, Jesus asked Peter three times, Do you love me? Peter was pushed to the max in accountability in this face-to-face encounter with the all-powerful and almighty master and creator of the universe. Upon Jesus' question to Peter, he bitterly recalled having denied his Lord. And we can think probably that through this series of Jesus' inquiry of Peter's love for him in this personal face-to-face encounter. Peter must have had a breakthrough in spiritual revelation in seeing the difference between a brotherly kind of love called filial love versus a godly kind of love, which is called agape love and is known as the highest form of love because it springs forth only from the divine nature of God and it is by his will alone that he loves us. This understanding is a mystery and is far beyond the realm of this earth and beyond the dimension of human comprehension. This transcendent, supreme, and holy understanding is beyond the realm of our imaginations and is far out of reach for any one person to endeavor or entertain the idea that he or she could wrap their minds around this one, dear church. Many have tried and have presented twisted and perverted philosophies and doctrines which identify them as those who are tethered to the earth and are known as wolves in sheep's clothing or the goats whom Jesus spoke about in Matthew 25, verse 31, when he said, When the Son of Man comes in his glory, his majesty and splendor, and all the holy angels with him, and he will sit on the throne of his glory. Verse 32. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them, the people, from one another, as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats. And he will cause the sheep to stand on his right hand and the goats at his left. now the goats represent the wicked men and women of the earth who fleeced the sheep and made themselves fat off of them by peddling and marketing their wares and perverted lies and new mysterious intriguing doctrines they say have come from god . The I'm going to be so. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. The End and slavery, the only storehouse of heaven's hidden riches and secrets and treasures, which is spoken about in Proverbs 2, verse 4, and says, If you seek wisdom as for silver and search for skillful and godly wisdom as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of our omniscient God. This precious understanding and insight into the secret mysteries of godliness can only enter into the hearts of men and women who have been privileged to have their spiritual eyes opened up by the prerogative of the Holy Spirit because, please catch this, don't miss it, because these people have seen the wretchedness of their own sinful nature and state and have caught the glimpse of the holiness of the incomparable and perfect love of the one who has willingly laid himself upon the cross and died a horrible death by pouring out his life and blood to have and own them personally. these have submitted in brokenness and humility to the will of god and have been found habitually obedient to the commands of god and therefore they have been honored with the privilege to peer into and have unmasked the hidden secrets and revelation of god's eternal plan which is revealed to his sanctified people in accordance with his plan and timing. In Ephesians 1, 17, we read an account of one of the greatest prayers ever prayed, which shows the heart and mind and will of the Eternal Father. Verse 17, I always pray to God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that he may grant to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation of insight into mysteries and secrets in the deep and intimate knowledge of him by having the eyes of your heart flooded with light so that you can know and understand the hope to which he has called you and how rich is his glorious inheritance in the saints, his set-apart ones, verse 19, and so that you can know and understand what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of his power in and for us who believe as demonstrated in the workings of his mighty strength. On Jesus' third and final repetition of his question, Peter, do you love me? Peter literally broke down in uncontrollable tears because he was ashamed of his sinful offense once the divine revelation of Christ's agape love for him personally came within the hearing of his ears. Jesus' precious words bypassed Peter's mind and penetrated deep within his heart and spirit. And upon hearing the electrifying and resounding revelatory words of his Christ, these divine words hid his spirit and opened up a whole new realm or world and meaning in life for Peter. And since agape love springs from God and expresses his nature and is only acceptable to God the Father through love to his Son, it is then found only as the perfect expression of reciprocal love back to God as we live in Christ and demonstrate it by the fruit of his Spirit. this fruit has visual viable and living evidence called kindness in words deeds and actions and this fruit flows from the love of god through a soul that has been broken through the deep heart-rending and purging work of the holy spirit and has grown to hate sin as much as God hates it. The heart of these people have experienced a divine, sobering, and deep work of God's Spirit who has laid bare the wretchedness of their own hearts and souls. And now, this secret heartbreak is known to them alone and has left them totally aware and powerfully humiliated and graciously thankful of the consolations and compassion of their Savior, which the proud, insensitive, and unthankful ones are not privileged to know or receive. It distinctly and selectively belongs to the chosen and faithful elect of God Almighty and to them alone. the lax, lame, hypocritical goat crowd will never know the deep agony of this sin-purging work of the precious Holy Spirit in their lives because they were too busy giving deceptive, external, religious manifestations of supposed and alleged godly righteousness and charitable contributions which are only looked upon by God as odious self-righteousness and prideful works of a deluded and deceptive mind and heart with evil intentions. These will have their day of judgment all too soon because the Holy Spirit did not work the fruit of righteousness in His love and goodness and graciousness in their hearts. They never were sold out to the command of obeying the will of God as Jesus Christ, our pattern, had requested when he demonstrated his Father's mercy to the world. John 6, 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will and purpose, but to do the will and purpose of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should not lose any of all that he has given me, but that I should give new life and raise them all up on the last day. And this is my Father's will and his purpose, that every one of us who sees the Son and believes and cleaves to and trusts in and relies on him should have eternal life. And I will raise him up from the dead at the last day. This was the most important and specific work and purpose for Jesus in coming. He came down from heaven to do only his Father's will, and even though most of those who heard and saw him rejected him, yet he did the will of God and was given all power and authority to execute it. Salvation, then, would come to those who come to Jesus and live in him, proving their love to him by their habitual conformity to his will. Jesus was faithful to achieve, to complete, to consummate the will of his Father, knowing that his Father's will is always right and fitting. Jesus set the pace and course for each one of us who lives and dwells in his example of being a faithful son or daughter who obey the will of our Father in Heaven and who would never think to misuse and abuse the Word of God for our own advantage because we know too well that out of this God kind of love we have come to know through the Holy Spirit's divine miraculous and astounding heartbreaking work of laying bare the wretchedness of our own sinful and naturally proud nature and clearly showing how abhorrent and despicable it is to god almighty when we do our own thing which is contrary to his will as a result as i had previously said This heartbreaking revelation is known to these alone and has left them totally aware of the powerfully humiliating, gracious thankfulness of the promises, the consolations and compassions of their precious Savior, which the proud and insensitive and unthankful will never be privileged to know or receive unless they come to true repentance and live in God's will, as Jesus Christ, our pattern, has demonstrated. Just like Peter, the true saints of God have experienced Jesus' precious words of love, which have bypassed their minds and penetrated deep within their hearts upon hearing the electrifying and resounding revelatory words of Christ as his words hit their spirit and open up a whole new realm or world and meaning in life for them. Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me? These are powerful words which Jesus puts forth in question to each one of us and has a right to do so to those who profess to be his because he considers it a right of his to ask since he requires it. And it is a prerequisite, so to speak, in the act of yours and my initial salvation experience. The grounds for this claim of love for his people lies in the fact that the most important bottom line paramount commandment in both the Old and the New Testament is, you shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your entire being, and with all of your might. Now, for what our Savior has done, and what he has given, and who he is as God's Son in bestowing peace upon men, and having made eternal life possible, He then sets a value on his people's love. If somebody else asks you, do you love Jesus Christ? The impact of their inquiry could not possibly carry the weight of impact more than when Jesus Christ himself asked you that question just as he did Peter. You see again, since agape love springs from God and expresses his nature and is only acceptable to God the Father through love to his Son, it is then found only as a perfect expression of reciprocal love back to God as we live in Jesus Christ and demonstrate it by the fruit of his Spirit. it distinctly and selectively belongs to the chosen and faithful elect of God Almighty and to them alone it is here where we see and know the difference between the sheep and the goats this kind of love is like oil to the wheels of obedience it empowers the faithful ones to habitually walk and run in the way of God's truth according to his commands and not according to the rules and dictates that come by way of men's imaginations or intellect, which will only lead us away from the truth. Scripture tells us in 1 Corinthians 13, verse 3, without this kind of love, we are as nothing and proves to be so because the Holy Spirit-inspired love will never fail, but rather will always flourish in producing fruit that is in keeping with one's initial repentance. And this is saying that the one who professes to be a Christian is always moving forward in maturity and conformity which the scriptures teach and demand for Christ the holy and upright people In Luke 22 verse 32 Jesus prayed that Peter faith might not fail And scripture reveals also that Peter's faith did not fail, and thus his love did not fail either, because true, sincere faith in God will work by a compassionate, ardent, and loyal love for him. After Peter's heartbreaking test and astounding revelation of his Savior's deep love for him and his own personal attachment and love to Jesus Christ, Jesus committed to Peter's care his lambs and his sheep. Jesus entrusted his flock, the church, into Peter's hands. Peter received a special leadership assignment and was consecrated to do the Lord's work after he was tried and tested. It is only in this place, then, can we be assured that our good works for God's kingdom will be acceptable to him and within the confines of his will and that we will not be guilty of corrupt teaching and error because we did not build upon the foundation as instructed throughout Scripture. Good works can only spring forth from a sincere believing heart, which can be worked and accepted by one who is truly reconciled to God. Ephesians 2 For we are God's own handiwork, His workmanship, recreated in Christ Jesus, born anew, that we may do those good works which God predestined beforehand for us, taking paths which he prepared ahead of time, that we should walk in them, living the good life which he prearranged and made ready for us to live. Good works have the glory of God as their objective, and they have the revealed and proven will of God as their only rule and conduct. Good works are an expression of gratitude in the believer's heart and are fruits of the Holy Spirit's promptings. And it must be understood that without holiness, no man or woman shall see the Lord. Neither adulterers or thieves or liars or covetousness or drunkards will ever inherit the kingdom of God. Their good works a

Playlist coming soon.