By the grace of God, Christians are experiencing a temporary reprieve in hostilities coming from the Executive branch of our government. Thus far, under the Trump/Pence administration, we have been treated favourably, and many of our positions on political as well as religious matters have been reinforced. Not only has the current administration upheld conservative biblical values, but it is moving to overturn some of the anti-Christian decisions made during the Obama regime.

Evangelicals voted in record numbers to demonstrate their displeasure with Obama and to defeat Hillary Clinton, whom they viewed as a modern-day Jezebel dedicated to carrying forward Obama’s “progressive” agenda. Donald Trump was the beneficiary of this prevailing sentiment and is now doing his best to reward conservative Christians who helped put him in office.

However, President Trump’s actions – together with his unique personality and unpredictable ways – have made him a lightning rod for political controversy. I’m afraid we are just in the early rounds of the increasingly public battle between Progressives and Conservatives – a battle being fuelled largely by the far-left media and their accomplices who seize every opportunity to make Trump look incompetent and Christians look foolish. We always knew these forces despised Christians for standing in their way, but now their once semi-cloaked sentiments are on full display. If you haven’t figured it out yet – They Hate Us!

I believe that the New York/Washington Establishment will continue to do everything possible to force Trump out of the presidency, beating the constant drum of Russian collusion and using every tactic and weapon at their disposal to push him out. Meanwhile, their Deep State allies in the federal bureaucracy will work to undermine Trump from within. There are thousands of federal employees working in each of the departments headed by Trump’s new cabinet appointees (Justice, State, Energy etc.). Over 90 percent of these career bureaucrats were hired by previous administrations and march to the drumbeat of the liberal, anti-Christian, one-world agenda. Some of them have been in place for decades.

In order to root out these enemies of the republic, Trump would literally have to fire the vast majority of Washington bureaucrats, leaving us virtually without a government. Under the best of circumstances, it would take many years to eliminate the Deep State and turn the federal bureaucracy into a pro-Constitution, friendly-to-Christians workforce. My honest opinion: It ain’t gonna happen…not unless there is a massive turning to God and He supernaturally intervenes in our affairs.

If the Establishment is unable to impeach Trump or thwart the implementation of his domestic and international policies, I believe they will attempt to force him into an international crisis – if not in the Middle East, then North Korea or some other conflict. If they can successfully back Trump into a corner where he believes he has no remaining option other than engaging in an all-out war, it would be a trap and would result, I believe, in massive casualties for the United States. (A cyber war or EMP assault could quickly escalate into a nuclear exchange. I know for a fact that this is the number one concern of patriots inside our US military.) The human carnage suffered here at home and abroad would discredit the Trump administration and result in a political and religious backlash against America’s evangelical Christians and conservative Jews. This would be the beginning of true persecution.

Uprisings and Collusion

Have you noticed how political tensions have escalated over the last four or five years? At first it was gradual. Now it seems the hatred is growing exponentially. It’s as if our nation is at war with itself. All of this is going somewhere and could soon reach a climax, a “critical mass” if you will, where any remaining hidden ugliness of the fallen human nature will come forth.

Unless one is completely oblivious, having chosen to bury one’s head in the sand, they can see the obvious “handwriting on the wall.” God’s warnings are clear for all to see. Hard times are coming.

Whatever crisis point is finally reached, the Far-Left (which includes the vast majority of our media and government) is poised to blame Bible-believing Christians for the terrible consequences. They will say, “You put Trump in power…It is because of your intolerance and unwillingness to unite peacefully with the rest of the world that all of this happened!” Israel too will be blamed and hated for refusing to yield to the “Global Will.” It will be open game on conservative Christians and Jews.

The stakes are high. George Soros and other determined globalists are pouring vast sums of money into lawless groups on the Far-Left such as Black Lives Matter, ANTIFA, and others. In some cases belligerent young people from violent inner city gangs are being brought in to fuel the organized uprisings. But it goes much deeper.

I recently learned that Pope Francis has been meeting with some of Soros’ top aides. This was confirmed by Jim Kouri, Senior Political Writer for News With Views. In his article, “Pope Francis Accused of Spreading Heresy and Embracing Radical George Soros,” published September 30th, Kouri writes:

Several dozen Roman Catholic theologians, priests and academics have formally accused Pope Francis of spreading heresy and are suspicious of his relationship with American left-wing political figures. In a 25-page letter delivered to Francis last month and provided Saturday to The Associated Press, the 62 signatories issued a “filial correction” to the pope – a measure they said hadn’t been employed since the 14th century. Under Pope Francis, the Roman Catholic Church has been subtly changing the Holy See’s positions on the definition of sin. He has also opened the Vatican’s doors to some of the most radical people one can imagine such as the multi-billionaire leftist George Soros and his henchman and associates.

Kouri goes on to report that Pope Francis, “who has become the progressive and far-left Democrats’ favourite Pontiff” has sidelined conservative cardinals, installed like-minded allies in key jobs, taken personal control of the Knights of Malta for defying him, and generally sent the signal that behind his amiable smile and humble talk lurks a radically liberal agenda. (This according to Fox News and Newsmax.)

Kouri further points out:

Information obtained from Julian Assange’s WikiLeaks release of Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager John Podesta’s emails and DCLeaks documents from George Soros’ own Open Society Foundation corroborate that Soros’ private intelligence agents/detectives [have been] secretly meeting with top Vatican cardinals…It’s a bold step and presents a very real threat to Christianity, liberty and capitalism.

Political consultant and attorney Michael Baker, who is quoted by Kouri, warns,

Basically, from what we’ve gleaned from the WikiLeaks and DCLeaks material, the Pope is actually colluding with one of the world’s wealthiest – some say wickedest – neo-Socialist[s] who is hell bent in creating a single ruling entity for the entire planet. His vision dwarfs even the world described by George Orwell in his cautionary tale 1984.

I have long believed that for an all-encompassing system of global government to come into being, the Roman Catholic Church would have to support the idea. Without the world’s one billion Catholics on board, how could the one-world agenda be successfully implemented? The fact is, it would be impossible to achieve if the presiding pope refused to participate, and instead, urged his flock to oppose it. Or, to put it differently, the New World Order at the very least needs to be endorsed by the pope if it is to become a reality. This is now occurring. Francis, the first Jesuit pontiff, appears to be an all-out globalist who is openly devoted to the cause of world government. He is also the darling of the establishment media.

Since coming to power in 2013, Francis has embarked on a mission to redefine Christianity. He is determined to force conservative Catholics as well as evangelical Protestants into the new mold he is casting. Those who resist will face the heavy hand of the Vatican – backed by the full force of Satan’s global establishment. Remember, Jesus Himself referred to Satan as the “prince of this world” (John 12:31) and never discounted his ability to foment evil.

Pope Francis is nearly 81 years old. If the powers that be are serious about implementing their agenda, and if Francis is indeed the pope they’ve been waiting for, then they will have to act fairly soon. The pieces of the new world order puzzle are nearly all in place. The only thing needed now is a catastrophic world crisis to seal the deal. A false prophet is eagerly waiting in the wings to promote world government as the only solution to prevent wars and to usher in a new age of world peace and harmony.

Witnesses from Within

The battle being fought in high places over the direction of the world’s governments should be clear to any public servant with a measure of discernment. The evidence of a concerted push toward globalization within our national governments is real – and plentiful. But only a remnant of courageous individuals have been bold enough to sound the alarm. Those who’ve done so have typically paid a price.

Here in the US, the growing possibility of a government showdown has prompted a number of quality people to leave their posts, as they do not want to be around when everything “hits the fan.” I met three such individuals within the space of several months a couple of years ago when Barack Obama was still president.

The first incident occurred when our family was in Costa Rica helping to start a new church in that country. A Christian friend invited me to dinner in order to meet a distinguished couple he had come to know. They were visiting from the United States. As the conversation unfolded I learned that the man had worked for the Department of Homeland Security. Prior to that, he had been a computer company executive. He left his lucrative job in the hi-tech industry to serve his country in the area of “emergency management.” When I asked him what brought him to Costa Rica, he told me the following story.

He shared that a number of things had happened on his job that caused flags to go up. Then one day an internal memo was posted on his computer; it was available within his agency for all to see. Embedded in this memo was a map of the United States. The map had dozens of locations around the country that were highlighted. Some of them were former US military bases. These sites were labelled on the map as “Re-education Centres.” Some of these centres were large enough to “accommodate” tens of thousands of people. When some of his colleagues in the agency began inquiring about the name and purpose of these installations, the map was promptly removed. This was the final straw for a number of patriots working within the emergency management network. He was one of them.

In the months that followed, he resigned his position. He and his wife were in Costa Rica to explore the possibility of moving their family there. They were anticipating a major crisis to hit the US in the not-to-distant future, either from an outside attack or a situation contrived from within, and they wanted to be gone when this happens.

Shortly after returning to the US from my prolonged mission trip, I received a call from a friend in Texas. He had a good friend who worked for the ATF. He had shared with him about my Christian involvement in Central America. His friend indicated that he wanted to speak with me to ask a few questions, and I agreed. A few days later this gentleman called me on the phone, and we talked for an extended period of time.

As it turned out, this man, who was nearing retirement, was very concerned about certain developments he’d become aware of inside our government. He told me his goal was to locate a place that he could purchase in Central America. It needed to be large enough to house his entire family (including his grandchildren) which he wanted to move there in the near future. Because of my knowledge of Costa Rica he was asking for my advice. After answering his questions to the best of my ability, I asked him how urgent the situation really is. He said he believed that time was short and that in his opinion we had a few years at most. Without going into detail he mentioned that a lot of preparations had been made (within certain government agencies) and the pieces were nearly in place. As a Christian, he was deeply concerned by what he knew.

The third incident took place a few months later when I was back in Costa Rica for a time. I was eating at a restaurant, waiting for my vehicle to be repaired at a local shop, when I noticed an American couple sitting at a nearby table. They had prayed before starting their meal. So, believing they were Christians I went over and struck up a conversation. The wife, I soon discovered, had been a believer for many years; her husband was newer in the faith, but was growing in his walk.

After sharing about what the Lord was doing in our lives, the subject shifted to Costa Rica. “Why are you here?” I asked. The man looked at his wife as if to inquire, “How much should I share?” I could tell I was about to get an interesting response.

To make a long story short, this gentleman was the president of a large division for a major US defence contractor (a name that everyone would recognize). He and his wife were in the process of purchasing a home in a Costa Rican mountain village. They were there to close the deal. He had been privy to certain information that caused him to make this decision and to consider early retirement.

Being that I personally had at one point been involved in the emergency management network and had secret clearance for three years during the George H.W. Bush administration, I did not find these revelations all that difficult to believe. Nonetheless, when key credible figures in our federal structure are leaving the US in anticipation of events to come, it does not bode well for the future of our nation. Granted, each of these discussions occurred while Obama was still in office. I hope and pray that we have more time under Trump. But then, we must remember that the Trump/Pence team is only in control of part of our government. As mentioned, most of the Deep State is still entrenched and is pushing back on every front – trying to stall the President’s pro-Constitution/pro-America initiatives which are intended to protect and restore our freedoms.

After having these three unusual, yet similar experiences within such a short space of time, I sought the Lord for understanding. I believed He allowed me to have these encounters for a reason. What was that reason?

After much prayer and reflection, I concluded that the Lord wanted to remind me how real the battle within our government is. He wanted me to understand how important it is to urge His people to take a stand for righteousness while simultaneously preparing their hearts for difficult times. God wants us to be ready spiritually for the worst that Satan can throw at us, while looking to Him (God) alone for our sustenance and strength.

Hard Times Ahead

More recently, last month to be exact, I was a speaker at a Christian conference in a Midwestern state. The other speakers were all godly leaders whom I respect; I know most of them quite well. What was particularly noteworthy was that each of these individuals, along with myself, was prompted to speak on “preparing for persecution in the church.”

One pastor, who I had not met before, was visiting from Uganda. He shared his incredible testimony. He had grown up in a Muslim family but converted to Christianity and became a pastor. After numerous unsuccessful attempts by the enemy to stop him from preaching the gospel, he was assaulted one night outside his church. As he was getting ready to climb into his car, a devout Muslim approached him and threw acid in his face. Pastor Mulinde would end up in and out of hospitals for months of extensive reconstructive surgery and would lose most of his vision, but he considers himself fortunate to have survived the ordeal. Since the horrific assault took place several years ago, God has used him mightily all around the world to encourage and embolden His church to stand strong in the face of persecution.

After reading Pastor Mulinde’s book, Acid Survivor, which goes into much more detail, I wondered how I would hold up under such intense persecution. And, what about Americans in general?

It occurred to me that in America, and Western society as a whole, we’ve been practicing our faith in a picnic-like setting compared to our brothers and sisters in parts of the Middle East, North Korea, and elsewhere. In Syria and Iraq, for example, ISIS and other radical Islamic groups have been raiding Christian villages – raping the women, taking their children as slaves, and beheading the men. Untold others have been on the run for their lives. Most of these Christians have lost everything. A fortunate few have made it to Western nations where they’ve been taken in as refugees.

The persecution of Christians has been the norm worldwide throughout the centuries. We’ve been fortunate to live during a brief window of exception – a time in which the Judeo-Christian ethic has prevailed in much of the Western world. However, this window has begun to close, as we’ve seen a steady increase in persecution over the past two decades.

As mentioned, the persecution of believers is not a new phenomenon. Consider this: All but one of Jesus’ disciples were put to death because of their uncompromising loyalty to Him. And John, the only one to die a natural death, was severely persecuted along the way. These were the ones who were the very closest to Jesus, and yet look at what happened to them. If this was the fate of the Lord’s most beloved ones, why should we expect to be treated any differently by the world? In recent days, as I prayerfully reflected on the topic of persecution, I came across these telling passages of Scripture which are directed at all Christians – across the board.

In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
― 2 Timothy 3:12-13

If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: “No servant is greater than his master.” If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.
― John 15:18-20a

Another passage on persecution is found in Matthew 24:3-13. When the disciples asked Jesus, “What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”, Jesus replied:

Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, “I am the Christ,” and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
― Matthew 24: 3b-13

As we witness the unfolding signs of the times prophesied by Jesus and look forward to His return, we must realize that between now and “our meeting Him in the air” at the trumpet call (Matthew 24:30-31) the persecution of believers will become rampant. While there may be pockets of revival and moments of reprieve, overall, things will continue to go from bad to worse. The sobering fact is, we must be prepared to carry on the Lord’s work under difficult circumstances, including physical and mental persecution.

(On a different but related front: We have recently witnessed an unprecedented wave of natural disasters. Is God allowing these calamities as a type of warning to get our attention – to turn our nation back to Him? If so, how many will heed His warnings and seek Him with a repentant heart? Will a majority of Americans simply blame “Climate Change” and move on with their lives…or perhaps even pursue initiatives calling for a global government to “solve” our problems?

The Lord has been trying to get our attention in a variety of ways. But the people of our nation, on the whole, have become so hardened in their sinful ways that few are hearing God’s voice. If enough Americans turned to God, in true repentance, I believe He would push back the enemy and give us more time. However, if we do not respond to His call, our enemy will continue to grow stronger, which will ultimately lead to widespread persecution and the loss of our freedoms.)

Hope in the Midst of Trial

As we consider the very real possibility of coming persecution, we must take to heart these comforting words of the Lord:

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
― Matthew 5:11-12

Jesus has given us His warnings so that we, his followers, will not be afraid, but will trust and rest in Him:

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
― John 16:33

In His final words recorded in Matthew 28:20 Jesus assures us, “I will be with you always, even unto the very end of the age.”

Echoing similar thoughts, the apostle Paul tells us to “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12:12) And, in Romans 8:35, 37-39 Paul reminds us of God’s all-encompassing love for those who are His:

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This is our hope! Although on this earth we might be despised and rejected, in eternity we will celebrate our reward in the presence of our glorious King. As James expressed so clearly, ““Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:12)

Therefore, come what may, let’s stay the course and stand firm for Him who bore our sins on the cross!