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Continuing our discussion from part two, if the Lord's First Century followers experienced persecution of that magnitude, what makes any Christian today think that we will somehow be spared similar persecution? Yes, we could be spared. That is, if we purposely choose to hide our light under a bushel, and fail to faithfully preach the Gospel. But, of course, if we do that, then the Lord will obviously be awfully ashamed of us, as we can determine by this group of verses:

"Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."


"Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven."


"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."


"For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."


"Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf."


"For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,"


"But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city."


With each passing year, as the world grows ever spiritually darker, I believe that the level of serious persecution and discrimination against Christians Believers will continue to rise -- even in the so-called "Christian" USA -- due to the evil endeavors of our antichrist enemies. This begins with the aforementioned Jewish-controlled organizations. As I note in a number of other articles, because they just can't stand our spiritual light, we Christians will be viewed negatively more and more. We will be mocked, despised and hated, as the deceptive spirit of antichrist takes further control of the unbelieving world. As a result, we will become ostracized from society, and we will be social outcasts, as a result of our strong faith in the Lord and in His Word.

In the United States, even now Bible-believing Christians are being accused of being close-minded, biased, prejudiced, out of sync with the times, anti-semitic, unpatriotic, and even a danger to society. Of course, as we discussed earlier, what is happening in the USA is really nothing compared to what is already happening in China, in Muslim countries, and in other nations which hold a negative view of the Christian faith. In those places, our dear brethren already know exactly what it is like to live under an oppressive government.

Given enough time -- and it may occur sooner than we think -- some of our Christian beliefs -- such as our rejection of the gay and lesbian lifestyle -- may eventually be labeled a hate crime. In fact, there are already laws in the United States which make this possible. I find it very odd that the people who hate God, and who hate His Holy Word, and who refuse to abide by His Laws, have the audacity to accuse us Christians of being the haters. But, is that not exactly what the Devil likes to do? That is, twist everything around and distort the truth? After all, the Scriptures inform us that he is a liar, and the Father of Lies. Consider the following group of verses:

"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."


"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"


"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."


"In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."


"Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:"


In addition to the false accusations which are thrown against us by the enemies of Scriptural truth, it's likewise possible that our Christian-based websites may eventually be shut down if our Christian views are deemed to be hateful. As I already noted in part two, Facebook and other liberal social networks are already taking down our posts, and doing other things to hinder our online witness. So pressuring ISP's to take down our websites is the next logical step. Eventually, and in worse-case scenarios, we may possibly even be imprisoned if we refuse to renounce our beliefs. You say that it can't and won't happen? It has already happened in other countries. Under the right conditions, it could happen in the USA as well.

So my message today is a double one. First, if you happen to be a Christian, and if you have any level of computer skills, please don't underestimate the power of the Internet. Perhaps you don't possess the means or the desire to be a missionary in a foreign field, but the Internet can be your frontier for your personal witnessing endeavors, right from the comfort of your own home. Please consider taking advantage of it while we still have the freedom to do so, because it may not last. Who knows. By being a faithful witness of your faith, you may possibly give someone in your own country, or in a foreign land, their last chance to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Second, if you are a person who has not yet come to Christ, I pray that this message, or one similar to it, will cause you to finally open your heart to the Lord. I hope that you will take this chance -- perhaps your last chance -- to make the right decision to accept God's love, mercy and forgiveness, through the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He is reaching out to you right now, even at this very moment. Are you willing to humble yourself, admit your sinful condition, and accept the free Gift of Salvation which He freely offers you? I hope so, because you may not get another chance.

With these thoughts, I will bring this article to a close. It is my hope that you have found it informative, enlightening, and I pray that it has been a blessing in your life as well. If you have an account with Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or with any other social network, I would really appreciate if you'd take the time to click or tap on the corresponding link that is found on this page. Thanks so much, and may God bless you abundantly!

For additional information and further study, you may want to refer to the list of reading resources below which were either mentioned in this article, or which contain topics which are related to this article. All of these articles are likewise located on the Bill's Bible Basics web server. To read these articles, simply click or tap on any link you see below.

For additional information and further study, you may want to refer to the list of reading resources below which were also mentioned in this series, or which contain topic that are related to this series, and which are likewise located on the Bill's Bible Basics web server. To read these articles, simply click or tap on any link you see below.

All Are Given a Chance, But . . .
Are You a Burning Ember for the Lord?
Civil Disobedience and Christian Persecution
Do You Want Love and Light, or Rod and Wrath?
Gaslighting: We Are Being Manipulated and Surveilled
Holy Qur'an and Islam: A Doctrine of Devils?
Is the Message of Salvation Meant for All Men?
Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God
The Children of Light: Are You One of Us?

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Please avail yourself of other areas of the Bill's Bible Basics website. There are many treasures for you to discover.