Franklin Graham: Christians should prepare for persecution

It matters zero whether anyone thinks America is this or that, shining or dark, whatever.

Let's deal with realities:

1. Most people in this country are not followers of Jesus. They are moral or immoral to different degrees. They are nice and they are monsters. But, there are relatively few followers of Jesus.

2. The church in America looks more like America than it does the bride of the Lord Jesus. Our megachurches, medium churches and middling churches and their pastors and "Christian leaders" are consumed with "engaging the culture". The culture continues to engage itself without the least regard for anything a capitulating church has to say to it, which is precious little that matters. Biblical truth -- propositional and experiential -- is no longer a controlling authority here.

3. Today's SCOTUS decision has been a long time coming. For at least 10 years, anyone who did not expect today's decision has been burying their head in the sand. Anyone who did not want today's decision for the sake of the name of Jesus Christ and the reflection of the image of God in this society has defined their want in terms of political philosophy rather than biblical truth. Here's what I mean. While Christians identified and participated in this doggedly devilish system as "conservatives" and "Republicans" and as the long-forgotten "family values" people, Christians embraced a world-view saturated in the same secularism that they accused their opponents of serving. Christians have voted and sat down at the tables of power -- or approved pet persons who did in proxy for them. We made ourselves a constituency and a commodity in a political battle, and we liked it. We didn't speak truth to power. We spoke about power and truth was something we said as a footnote to assuage the guilty pangs of knowing that political power has never been part of our Lord's mission. We can't have failed to expect this. We caused it. We set the table for a compromised gospel that is bootstrapped to political power; the powers that be loved our money and our votes, and when it came time for truth, our money and votes were spent. And, you know what? We'll keep doing it.

4. There are a handful of Christians in this country who are determined to persevere in prayer and in speaking an unvarnished gospel to an unregenerate world. We won't pretend to be friends with it. We won't try to fool it by telling it and ourselves that we just want to have a conversation with it. We will pray and fast and love and proclaim the whole gospel of Christ. We will meet in churches and homes or wherever we can gather, throwing off the chains of denomination and institutional history and uniting in Jesus Christ. We will ignore the large conferences and get small before the Lord our God. We will seek to be unrecognized but certain of who He is and certain that anyone around us knows who He is, too. We will not build properties and pastorates, but we will edify one another in the Lord Jesus and in His Way. We will not give into despair or think of today's SCOTUS decision as the end of the road for anything; if it is the end of a road for America at the judgment of God, then so be it. Let's look forward to and hasten the coming of the Day of the Lord.

Today is noteworthy. The SCOTUS opinion harped on and on about marriage, unafraid and nonplussed in its cavalier blasphemies. A society celebrates, and the churches in America will march right along with it. But, who will go to the Lord and repent? Who among us will take off our self-righteous robes of being offended and sit in sackcloth and ashes at the failure of the church of Jesus Christ? Who will wait for a new baptism of power from on high?
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"Human government bears the same relation to hell as the church bears to heaven." -- David Lipscomb\t

Whew Tim you said a mouthful.

I suspect God will impose some form of judgment upon the USA and I personally cringe.

Isaiah 26:9:
"At night my soul longs for You, Indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently; For when the earth experiences Your judgments The inhabitants of the world learn righteousness."

There is no other way to get evil men's attention except through God's judgment. Being sweet, mushy kind will be interpreted by them as one accepting their lifestyle.

I pray that God would keep me strong and faithful regardless what happens. I know my weakness and the devil knows it, too. So, then, this means I must walk with God closely now and not wait until it gets really bad.

I am a tad bit old but do cringe for our grandchildren - it takes a lot of trust to believe God can and will keep them for Himself.

Sandra Miller

Will the judgment be for the sinners, the Church or both?

Personally I don't see the GLTB lobby saying "oops we were wrong and it's all our fault" despite any judgment on the USA.

Todd I agree. Some scant few might maybe perhaps. But they won't repent. Rev 9:21 if my reference is right suggests a repentance-resistance in men that judgment does not correct.

(Quote) Today is noteworthy. The SCOTUS opinion harped on and on about marriage, unafraid and nonplussed in its cavalier blasphemies. A society celebrates, and the churches in America will march right along with it. But, who will go to the Lord and repent? Who among us will take off our self-righteous robes of being offended and sit in sackcloth and ashes at the failure of the church of Jesus Christ? Who will wait for a new baptism of power from on high?

AMEN!!!

RESPONSIBILITY: Brethren, our preaching will bear its legitimate fruits. If immorality prevails in the land, the fault is ours in a great degree. If there is a decay of conscience, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the public press lacks moral discrimination, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the church is degenerate and worldly, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the world loses its interest in religion, the pulpit is responsible for it. If Satan rules in our halls of legislation, the pulpit is responsible for it. If our politics become so corrupt that the very foundations of our government are ready to fall away, the pulpit is responsible for it. Let us not ignore this fact, my dear brethren; but let us lay it to heart, and be thoroughly awake to our responsibility in respect to the morals of this nation. --Charles G. Finney, December 4,1873

Technically, Christians should have been preparing for persecution over 2000 years ago...

A good question to consider, is how do we prepare for persecution?

Judgement is coming to America, and I believe that it is already here.

What about the Church? Will the Church be judged in the light of scripture?

What is the difference in the way that God judges the Church and the world?

"There are a handful of Christians in this country who are determined to persevere in prayer and in speaking an unvarnished gospel to an unregenerate world. We won't pretend to be friends with it. We won't try to fool it by telling it and ourselves that we just want to have a conversation with it. We will pray and fast and love and proclaim the whole gospel of Christ. We will meet in churches and homes or wherever we can gather, throwing off the chains of denomination and institutional history and uniting in Jesus Christ. We will ignore the large conferences and get small before the Lord our God. We will seek to be unrecognized but certain of who He is and certain that anyone around us knows who He is, too. We will not build properties and pastorates, but we will edify one another in the Lord Jesus and in His Way. We will not give into despair or think of today's SCOTUS decision as the end of the road for anything; if it is the end of a road for America at the judgment of God, then so be it. Let's look forward to and hasten the coming of the Day of the Lord."

Very sound council brother! Thank you!