Following up last weeks lesson, “Speak Up, speak Out, Speak Loud”, I wanted to continue on with the topic of revival and witnessing to the lost. Only this week, I want to put a “End Times” theme to it and ask each of you the question, “What Would You Do”? Not too long ago a popular slogan floated around the Christian world, WWJD, or What Would Jesus Do? If you know the word of God, you know what Jesus would do in most every circumstance, but do you know what you would do? Hopefully after this lesson (if you are honest with yourself & God), you will have a better Idea as to your commitment to Christ and if some serious changes need to be made in your walk with him. Let’s get crackin’…

We are in the last seconds, of the last minutes of the last days…

If you are a veteran of this study group, you have heard me say this many times and as time goes on you will hear it more and more. If you don’t believe we are in the last days then I hate to tell you, you are not in tune with the Spirit of God nor his word. If you agree that we are in the last days before Christ returns, you know that our time to witness to the lost is quickly running out. Right now, we still have the freedoms to openly testify to the world of Gods saving power and his Son Jesus Christ. But with each and every passing day, we as Christians, are quickly losing our rights of free speech and freedom to worship our God as we see fit. Churches are being pressured by our government to compromise the word and accept sin in the name of tolerance…We can not pray in public places (graduations & ballgames)…The ten commandments are being removed from the public arena…We, as well as the Jews have become the whipping board of a world who out and out hates God and all that he represents. In the past, we have had the freedom to go out, witness and make disciples but we have become complacent and lazy and refused to do it. Now, as our freedom to do this openly is being taken away from us, will we dig in and suffer persecution to accomplish it, or will we fall further away from our God given tasks.

In this Country, we have never had to suffer persecution for our faith or fear imprisonment or death for it. We think that someone calling us a Jesus Freak is persecution.. We will soon find out that being called a Jesus freak is the least of our worry’s.

Are we supposed to suffer persecution for our faith?

Matthew 5: 11 & 12...11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

John 15: 20 & 21...20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.

What does Jesus say about our persecution in the last days?

Matthew 24: 9 & 14...9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Now, even though Jesus is talking to his Jewish followers and telling them of the persecution they will endure during the tribulation, you have to know that a similar persecution is in store for followers of Christ leading up to the tribulation…Which is you & I…

If you don’t believe Christian persecution has begun in this country, take the time to read a few of these articles…

Christians Arrested For Proselytizing

Eleven Christians Arrested, Jailed, and Charged Under Hate Crimes Legislation

NY Christian Suddenly Arrested, Jailed In Park Prayer Case

Notre Dame - Pro-Life Christians Arrested While Barack Obama is Honored

Obama Moves away from 'Freedom of Religion' toward 'Freedom of Worship'?

Now these are just a few examples that I found and there are many more out there if you are still in denial. If we are not being persecuted yet, maybe it is because we are not a threat with our apathetic approach to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Understand this though, if you do become a threat, you will soon see the wrath of this anti-god world come crashing down upon you. Soon, we will not be able to even hide within the confines of our safe little churches. We will not be able to openly carry our Bibles or witness to the lost without being fined or arrested.

The return of Jesus Christ is so close and somewhere along the way, we his followers, are going to have to decide if we are in this thing for keeps or just hoping to pass through unscathed. Are we willing to sacrifice for the one who paid the ultimate sacrifice for us or will we remain in a state of limbo? Will we continue to hold Jesus tight to the vest while our neighbors and family go to Hell or will we get off of our duff and start witnessing, prison be damned? As these persecutions become more in our face everyday, I have to ask all of us a few simple questions…

If the world tells you to stop praying…WWYD?

If the world tells you to stop proselytizing…WWYD?

If the world bans the Holy Bible…WWYD?

If the world tells you to reject God or go to prison…WWYD?

If the world tells you to reject God or Die…WWYD?

You may think these things will never happen in your lifetime but I am here to tell you they are already happening now and getting worse each day. Remember Jesus said, “If they persecute you, remember that they persecuted me first”. If persecution is good enough for Him, it is good enough for us. We must stop being ashamed of him and stat sharing him with a dying world that is Hell bound.

If Jesus asked you to share his love…WWYD?

Matthew 28: 19 & 20...19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Ooops…I guess he already has…What will you do?

Prayer…Father, we ask you today to forgive us of our slothfulness in sharing your love and your word. Give us the strength, the courage and the boldness to stand tall in the face of adversity when sharing your love with the world. If we are persecuted for our faith, we ask that you give us the strength and the words to say in our hour of need. We ask that you go ahead of us now and prepare the hearts of all those we will witness to that you might be glorified. We ask this in Jesus Name…Amen

Thank You and God Bless
Tim Barrett