Persecution and Persecutors

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

The current president, as usual, responded to Christianity Today's defection from the ranks of his
his admirers with vicious angry tweets.

At this point, he can only murder his enemies with words: though Jesus says his words are murder
(Matthew 5:21-2).  At this point, his toadies in the Senate are arguing, but have not yet legislated,
the principle that he can do anything he wants.  But it's easy to see they would not be averse to
making that the basis of American government.

It's easy to see too that all his party, his appointees, and his voters would be, to-a-man, amenable
to such a government.

I know some members of his "Evangelical base."  And it's always been amazing to me that most of
them believe that their political faction...even when it held the Presidency, both houses of Congress,
and the Supreme Court simultaneously...was somehow a downtrodden "minority," surrounded by and
under attack from their "liberal" enemies.

Their political self-image as heroic victims plays into the "Evangelical's " proud self-image as Christ's
truest followers, and greatly persecuted for it.  Denied (in their telling) the "right" to not bake a cake
for a gay wedding, or install a replica of the Ten Commandments on a court-house lawn, or utter the
words "Merry Christmas" . . . are they not viciously persecuted for their faith ?

The Catholic Church calls "martyrs" those who are killed for the faith.  "Evangelicals" seem to have a
much-lower standard: anyone who feels their "rights" are the least infringed has "suffered for Christ."

Should the current president continue to live, it's not inconceivable that his Congressional toadies
might legislate the fully-autocratic principle of government he believes in, and that they want for
him.  If they did, the Supreme Court he has put in place could likely certify his autocracy as entirely
"constitutional."

Should any such thing happen, in our day or ever, it's easy to see that the current president, or some
future one, would want (and undoubtedly be given) power greater than Twitter-threats to punish his
enemies: that is, everyone who did not say what he wants to hear, or do what he wants them to.

The dirty little secret of "Evangelicals' " politics is that in such circumstances (to which they have
shown themselves agreeable) they would be the only Christians immune to the measures of perse-
cution that might be set in place: arrest, torture, execution.  "Evangelicals" need not fear persecution:
autocrats only persecute those who dissent from their rule, and "Evangelicals' " track-record shows
they don't, and won't.

It worked that way in Nazi Germany.  Many German Christians remained silent about their rulers' evil
deeds: some even rejoiced at, or took part in, them.  The only German Christians persecuted under
Hitler were those who would not acquiesce in his evil.  If I understand scripture's prophecies, it will
work that way in the reign of anti-Christ, whose "Church" of acquiescent "Christians" will admire and
serve him.  Only those who cleave to Christ will feel his wrath

I have no specific vision of America's future, beyond the certainty of God's promise that He will utterly
destroy all evil-doers and those who follow them.  The certainty of God's promise should make us all
fear for our country's future: and fear even more for the future of the American Church.

I make no prophecy about the persecution of American Christians.  Only to say that those who vaunt
themselves Christ's truest followers, and martyrs for Him . . . while joining with men of lies in their
evil deeds . . . fatally deceive themselves.

The willing eagerness "Evangelicals" have shown to parrot, and believe, the current president's claim
of moral perfection; that he's "done nothing wrong;" evidences the spirit of Nazi Germany's "Christian"
murderers, and the spirit of Anti-Christ's "Church" that will persecute all who cleave to Christ.

Jesus said " . . . a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to
God"  (John 6:12).  Many of today's "Evangelicals" and their superstar "leaders" have joined in the
current president's wrath against Christianity Today.  They show themselves ready to visit his wrath
on every other Christian who will not acquiesce in his evil deeds, as they do.

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

"Christianity Today" Repents ('Bout Time)

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

How impressed should we be that Christianity Today, the self-professed flagship of “Evangelical

Christianity,” has finally published an opinion piece that the current president should be removed

from office, “by the Senate or by popular vote” ?

Not very.  The magazine failed to call out the man's 2015 claim to a “Christian” forum that he never
asked God’s forgiveness, and didn't need to since he’d never "done anything wrong," as the lie
I John 1:8 says it is . . . and the personal affront to God that I John 1:10 says it is.

But maybe the magazine never actually saw its purpose as applying scripture's standard to today's
society, events and culture in America.

If the magazine and its readers had any twinge of spiritual discernment about the man before last
week, they seem to have suppressed it.  Until a few days ago, they continued to approve and
support this president as he “doubled down” on his claim he "did nothing wrong," every time a moral
question was raised about any of his corrupt acts and vicious attacks on others.  (If the magazine had
seen its purpose as critiquing American culture by Christian standards, no doubt they'd have pointed
out that the latter, which is the current president's daily signature activity, is what Jesus defined as
“murder” in Matthew 5:21-22.)

What should impress us is that Christianity Today‘s ballyhooed “break” with the current president is
thefirst one by America's "Evangelical" establishment.  But perhaps we should also be impressed
that the writer can only bring himself to characterize the current president’s continual lies and murders
(which Jesus said reveal the  “sons of the devil:" John 8:44) as only “moral confusion.”

My approbation of that lone voice is also mitigated by the fact that the writer only dared speak out
when he was exiting his position as editor of Christianity Today.  We should certainly rejoice at the
"death-bed" conversion of any “Evangelical:” and we should certainly hope that his example will
encourage more “Evangelicals” to repent.

But death-bed conversions make doing “works meet for repentance” (Acts 26:20) problematic.
How can repentant Evangelicals…should there be a second…ever make even tiny amends for the
evils their moral misguidance has visited on the American Church; from which we (and our country)
are suffering today; and have suffered every day of the past few years, and will suffer for every day
of our future.

I’m skeptical this lone “Evangelical” writer understands repentance as anything more than changing
his opinion.  His professed hope that the current president will be removed by the same political 
system that visited him upon us seems misplaced faith; and (we already know from th statements
of the Republican senators who will judge if the president "did anything wrong") delusional hope. 

It would seem too a writer for Christianity Today should at least make some nod to Christianity's
teaching that God is our One Hope, our only Savior, in this political circumstance, as in every other.

Undoubtedly God can, and will when He chooses, save His people by working through the corrupt
political processes human beings have created for themselves, as the writer hopes.  But scanting
the possibility of God’s instrumentality in those processes, and trusting instead in those processes
themselves to enact righteous.judgement is a deeply counter-Christian faith.

For those of us whose hope is in God's Rule, I think we can trust that His will cannot be thwarted by
politicians.  His judgement of proud evil-doers and rebels is certain, and He will enact it by His Own
power, in His timing, as He chooses.  Those who boast of their own power and greatness are blind,
taking no thought that the very breath of their words is given them by God.

We can trust in God's promise that His enemies will be thrown down, and utterly destroyed.


We can praise Him that we will yet see His righteous rule glorified in all the earth !


Amen !!