Persecution against Christians is real and it’s growing stronger by the day. Christians are being crucified, beheaded, and imprisoned for simply believing in Jesus Christ. This persecution seldom makes major news headlines, but a simple investigation will reveal this demonic vendetta is real.

Why is this happening?

“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” (John 15:20).

Jesus faced much persecution from His family on earth (who didn’t believe who He truly is until after His death), and neither did the religious leaders who plotted His death. Why should we expect to avoid persecution? He told us we would face persecution. As we draw closer to the Rapture we can expect the persecution to get stronger.

The god of this world is getting bolder in his attacks and Christians aren’t standing strong against him. Instead of being separate from the ungodly world, many who claim to be Christians join the enemy’s side.

The persecution against Christians is demonic in nature. Demons are real entities and are pure evil. They are Satan’s minions who have the ability to possess the people who invite them in. It’s a spiritual war and Christians should be on the forefront of the battle against the wickedness of this world, but it seems as if many of us don’t recognize the spiritual battle we face.

Even if we do we fear the persecution that comes from speaking out, far too many Christians join the world in lifestyle and attitude—rather than being separate from the world and honoring God Almighty. The Bible gives us many examples of men who were not ashamed of God and stood against anything that was in opposition to Him. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced persecution in Babylon because they would only worship the one true God.

When Nebuchadnezzar built a huge golden idol and decreed that everyone was to worship it, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused. There were tattletales who went to the king and said

“There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee, they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou has set up” (Daniel 3:12).

These honorable men were thrown into an extremely hot furnace because they refused to worship the demon gods of Babylon. There are Christians today who are being forced under penalty of torture and death to worship demon gods. Muslims behead and crucify Christians who refuse to embrace their evil religion.

The good news is that there are many testimonies of miraculous conversions of Muslims to Christianity. When they turn to Christ they risk their lives. I pray that there will be many more who shun the hate-filled religion of Islam and turn their lives over to the love of Christ. May God strengthen Christians around the world who choose to be persecuted rather than bow to a demon.

Men and women around the world are being tortured because of their faith in Jesus, but we need to be aware of who really is being persecuted. The evil may be directed towards Christians, but it is Jesus who is truly the target of the hatred. As the days rush on to the end of time, the anger towards Jesus will continue to grow. This isn’t unique to the times in which we live; it began with those first brave men and women who embraced Jesus as their Savior.

We owe so much to Paul for the letters he wrote which encourage us in our walk with Jesus and strengthen our faith, but he wasn’t always a defender of Jesus. In those early days when Christianity was beginning to take root, Paul was known as Saul and he persecuted those early believers with vengeance. His name struck fear in the hearts of those first Jewish believers because of his vicious attacks on them.

Many Christians fled from Jerusalem to escape the persecution, but Saul hunted them down. When he was headed for Damascus with authorization to arrest Christians, his time of persecuting came to an end. A light from heaven suddenly surrounded him.

“And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks” (Acts 9:4-5).

Saul had convinced himself that he was doing God a favor by going after the Jewish believers in Christ, and he was filled with hatred towards them. Jesus knew his name and what all the wrong that he was doing, but He also knew that Saul was capable of doing great things for the Lord. Go back and read that verse again. In all of the persecution Saul dished out, it wasn’t the people he was persecuting, it was Jesus.

Saul’s conversion was dramatic and complete. From then on he was known as Paul and was himself the victim of persecution because he served Jesus. The hatred directed towards Christians today is really directed towards Christ. The god of this world is behind all of the persecution, and there is no love in him. We are in a war, a spiritual battle that has raged throughout time.

“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” (Ephesians 6:12).

This spiritual battle manifests in the natural world. Government leaders kill their own people, Muslims hate everyone who is not Muslim, North Korea continues to make threats, and Russia is always a problem. What about America?

The evil that is residing in the White House is astounding. The president of the United States embraces child sacrifice through abortion (which is no different than placing a baby in the red hot arms of Moloch as a human sacrifice to a demon), promotes the homosexual agenda (which is an abomination to God), and he is not a Christian so he therefore does not worship God Almighty.

Although Christians feel the ill effects of the Obama Administration, it is Jesus whom Obama hates and it is Jesus who is being persecuted. The Ten Commandments are being removed from public display and are being replaced by statues of the Baphomet—which is a satanic part goat, part human, part male, part female demonic idol.

Prayer in government meetings is forbidden and we can see the fallout from this ban by the fact that many government officials are openly corrupt and laugh at morality. Crosses are being removed from cemeteries because a few people complain, but t-shirts are worn in public that have vulgar messages on them.

Through it all, it is Christians who are criminalized and made out to be evil, but it is truly Jesus who is being persecuted. God has standards but the lost people of this world, over whom Satan rules, mock those standards.

Prayer was removed from the classrooms and our children are being taught the lie of evolution. They are being force fed the acceptance of sexual perversion. Brothers and sisters, doesn’t it make you worry that you send your children to a public school where Satan is embraced but God is not welcome?

The Bible is banned, Satan’s ways are taught, and then we wonder why depravity is everywhere. God created everything in six literal days. Adam and Eve lived in a perfect place where God was welcome. The only rule was to not eat the forbidden fruit. Then Satan entered the picture and sin began. Satan confused Eve by using lies and deception, and that is still his tactics today. Adam chose to eat the fruit, and so mankind was separated from God.

It didn’t take long before persecution began. Abel gave a proper offering that honored God, but Cain ignored God and did things his own way. Cain’s offering was not accepted by God. Cain became angry and murdered his brother, then was worried that he would also be persecuted. Times haven’t changed much. It’s still those people who rebel against God who persecute those of us who honor God.

“Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:16-17).

What will the end be of those who don’t obey the gospel of God? Death. Eternal death in which the torment never ends. Only faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ will bring eternal life, yet He is still being persecuted. Brethren, if we don’t stop being ashamed of Jesus we will never lead anyone to obey the gospel of God. Persecution may result, but if a soul is won it’s worth the suffering.

If you claim to be a Christian and live your life by denying Him in your lifestyle, words, and actions, then you are mocking Him, and therefore you are a part of persecuting Him. As Peter said, don’t be ashamed to suffer as a Christian. That means don’t worry about persecution that may come because you live in obedience to God.

[Jesus said,] “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12.)

Remember, persecution isn’t new; it has been going on since time began. Anyone who serves God instead of Satan is subjected to persecution. Keep in mind, though, it is Jesus who is being persecuted.

“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed” ( 2 Corinthians 4:8-9).

Who is the persecution against? Jesus. Don’t be ashamed to live for Him.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

We all know that the Bible is God’s Word, but do you really understand what that means? The words written in the original languages were inspired by God and He desires for us to understand what He said.

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished into all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The men who held the pen were directly inspired by the Holy Spirit and we need to take all Scripture seriously. Not only has God given us the guidelines for Christian living, but He’s also given us a look into the future through the many prophecies spoken by the prophets of old. Can we trust these prophecies? Absolutely. The above verse confirms that God spoke the Scriptures and they are given for our edification.

Prophecy is just a way of showing us what lies ahead. If we study it we can get a good idea where we are in relation to the final seven years. The Rapture will precede those final years and you’d be smart to study prophecy in order to understand the times in which we live. It’s been said that “Every generation since Jesus died on the cross has been sure of Christ’s return during their lifetime.”

That may very well be true, but it’s also true that we need to eagerly anticipate His return. It’s important to honestly study Scripture and not twist it to say something that isn’t there, but we shouldn’t close our eyes to what God tells us through His Word.

When we study prophecy we can see that certain events need to unfold prior to Jesus’ Second Coming. In centuries past, those who diligently studied Scripture should have understood that the signs (such as Israel being back in the land) which were to precede Christ’s return weren’t in place yet.

It would have been a mistake to anticipate Jesus’ return during any other generation than our current generation. Also keep in mind that the Rapture will happen before the Tribulation. Now that’s exciting!

Prophecy can be a tricky subject to study. Interpretations change because we interpret it according to our human knowledge of the time. God inspired those prophets of old to write about future events, and since He sees the beginning from the end He’s able to know exactly what a future event looks like. This verse from Zechariah would have been very hard to understand even a century ago.

“And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth” (Zechariah 14:12).

This was written at a time when swords and arrows were the weapons of war, but today this could easily describe a neutron bomb or some yet unknown weapon of mass destruction. Very often God describes what the writer couldn’t understand, but as we draw closer to the end of time we’re able to understand more clearly.

Daniel was given an incredible prophecy concerning the last days. A careful study of this prophecy will help you to understand the days in which we live. When Daniel lived the Jewish Temple had been destroyed, but the 70 week prophecy talks about the Temple as if it were standing.

Daniel could not have known how this would be accomplished, but he faithfully wrote the words he was given. The Temple was rebuilt but even that one was destroyed. We can be sure that it will be rebuilt because prophecy talks about still future events involving the Temple.

“But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased” (Daniel 12:4).

Jesus expanded on Daniel’s 70 week prophecy and even more is revealed in the book of Revelation. We can understand more of prophecy today because our knowledge has increased.

In order for the Temple to be rebuilt, Israel would need to be back in the land God gave them. Until 1948 most Bible teachers twisted Scripture to say that Christians are the “new” Israel. Never twist Scripture; God knows what the future holds and can be believed.

“For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land” (Ezekiel 36:24).

“ And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land” (Ezekiel 37:21).

“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea” (Isaiah 11:11).

“And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God” (Amos 9:14-15)

These are just a few of the verses that clearly state that Israel will be back in their God–given land. Today we can see that prophecy is being fulfilled exactly as God said. By studying prophecy we can be sure that the war and hatred directed towards Israel today is only the beginning of what they will face in the very near future. Prophecy also says that when they finally turn back to God, He will fight for them and win. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Prophecy has been placed in the Bible by God to bring us to a deeper understanding of just what the future history of the world holds. Peter saw wondrous miracles as he followed Jesus, but he tells us that prophecy is a light shining in the darkness.

“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19).

We can get confused if we believe Man’s contrived interpretations of prophecy rather than understanding that the Holy Spirit meant what He said. Many erroneous ideas are put forth when mankind twists the meaning in order to make it fit a certain idea (such as replacement theology).

“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:20-21).

God’s Word is true, and prophecy tells us that we are very near to the end of time.

The Bible is replete with prophecies both fulfilled and yet to be fulfilled. The First Advent of Jesus fulfilled numerous prophecies, as did His crucifixion. The religious leaders of the time were blind to who He was and like many people today they thought the prophecies were not for their time. If you have any doubts be sure to read Jesus’ words concerning the end of the age.

“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you” (Matthew 24:4).

Then He goes on to describe the signs to look for alerting us to the fact that the end of the age is near, including the Great Tribulation. Jesus was not talking about Christians in these verses, but He was talking of a time soon after the Rapture. The Temple will have been rebuilt because the abomination of desolation will be put there.

“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, whoso readeth, let him understand” (Matthew 24:15).

The Temple is now ready to be rebuilt as soon as an agreement is made, and as we watch the news that agreement could soon come to pass.

The signs of the times are upon us and for those have not accepted Christ as their Saviour, the horrors of those coming days will be unfathomable.

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21).

If you’re curious about what will happen during the Tribulation, then read Revelation beginning in chapter 5.

Are you too intimidated to read the Book of Revelation? If so you’re missing out on a blessing.

“Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand” (Revelation 1:3).

True faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ will keep you from the events described after chapter 5. If you know Jesus, you are very blessed indeed. We all know people who don’t know Him and they need the blessing of reading Revelation. It will show them what they will face if they don’t repent and turn to Jesus for salvation. Christians are a unique group of people.

We live in the world, but are not a part of it … or we shouldn’t be a part of it. Sometimes it’s impossible to tell Christians apart from the non-Christians. When we truly accept Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as the atonement for our sin, our salvation is secure. Then we need to study His Word and apply it to our life.

The Rapture is a promise to Christians that won’t face God’s wrath and we will be called Home prior to Daniel’s 70th week.

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-52.

The Rapture was a mystery, a hidden truth, until Paul was chosen to reveal it. Christians may face persecution from other humans, but we won’t suffer God’s wrath.

“And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10).

The Bible is filled with evidence of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, from the taking of Enoch prior to the judgment of the Flood, to Lot who had to be removed from Sodom prior to God’s judgment, to John hearing a voice like a trumpet saying “…Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter” (Revelation 4:1b).

Take comfort in this truth, and talk to your friends and relatives who need to come to a saving faith in Jesus. You don’t want them to go through the Tribulation or face eternal death.

Prophecy is being fulfilled right in front of our eyes; signs of the times show us that the end of all time is upon us. You won’t find answers on CNN, Fox News, or MSNBC. Truth is only found in God’s word. Should we take prophecy seriously? The answer is a resounding, “Yes.”

God bless you all,

Ron and Nathele Graham