A Test is Coming... Make Sure You Pass

We need to open our eyes because it's already happening. The systems of this world are pushing against the church. This is no time for weak Christianity. This is no time for compromise. Will you pass the test of persecution? Let's make sure that you will. And in order to make sure that you will, we have to look to Scripture. So Number 1, you want to pass the test of persecution, you have to watch and pray. In Matthew chapter 26, verse number 41, we read, keep watch and pray so that you will not give in to temptation, for the spirit is willing, but the body is weak. When you neglect prayer, it removes from your life the influence of heaven. I don't mean that you lose the Holy Spirit. I don't mean that God abandons you. I'm saying that prayer invites the influence of the Spirit in your life. When you pray, you are strengthened. You're given boldness. You're given clarity. You're given the strength for day-to-day living. All of us will at times face persecution. Maybe you're being persecuted at work. Maybe you're being persecuted at school. Sadly, many of you are being persecuted by your own family and friends. That can cause within us great pain. When you are persecuted and hated, you can go to prayer to rediscover the love of the Father. When you are rejected by others, you can go to prayer and find the acceptance of the Heavenly Father. When you are nervous or scared or fearful about the things that are coming against you in this world, you can go to your heavenly Father in prayer and find boldness. When you pray, that divine boldness comes upon you, and prayer prepares you for the moment that you will face that persecution. And yes, we will all face this test. We will all be faced with the choice to pledge our allegiance to Jesus or to speak things that imply or outright say that we don't know him as Peter did. But if you are a person of prayer and you find yourself committed to prayer day by day by day, strengthening you in each moment, then when that moment arises, when that moment of persecution comes against you, you'll be prepared. You'll have the words to speak and the boldness to stand. Far too many Christians are apathetic about prayer. Far too many Christians are inconsistent in their prayer lives. Far too many Christians just don't see the value in finding that daily strength. But when you become committed to prayer, when you watch and pray, you're on alert, you're vigilant spiritually so that when that persecution comes, you're able to stand. Number 2, you wanna pass the test of persecution, you have to know the word. In Matthew chapter 7, beginning at verse number 24, we read. Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn't obey it is foolish. like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash. No question about it, storms will come. No question about it, people will speak against you. People will gossip about you. People will try to destroy your reputation. And in fact, people will try to push you out of places of influence and acceptance. Why? Simply because you're a follower of Jesus. Amen. When you follow Jesus, you will be persecuted as Jesus was. Now, this doesn't mean that you intentionally try to get people to persecute you, nor does it mean that you should agitate people intentionally in a way that will get a rise out of them. That's not what we're called to do. We as believers are called to endure that persecution because of our faithfulness to Christ, but in no way are we necessarily seeking that. But If you want to stand against it, when the systems of the world begin to make their moves, if you want to stand against it, when every aspect of society is turning its back on the church, then you as a believer need to be grounded in the Word, not in the opinions of the world, not in your own philosophy, not grounded in your experiences, grounded in the Word. The Word is your solid foundation. The Word is what gives you stability. The Word is what causes you to be able to build your life in a way that will ultimately be meaningful for the sake of the Kingdom of God. And so if you are serious about passing this test, if you are serious about standing strong for Christ, if you are serious about pledging your allegiance to the Lord Jesus, then you must be a person of the Word. And not only committed to receiving the Word, but committed to believing and obeying the Word. Too many Christians today, or people who claim to be Christians, are second-guessing the Word of God. They treat the Word of God like it's an opinion. They treat the Word of God like it can be taken as good advice, but that ultimately they're going to decide what's best for their lives. No, the Word of God is the final authority. The Word of God has the final say. The Word of God is what gives us direction for our lives. And if we want to stand on a firm foundation, we need to get back to the Word. Stop apologizing for what the Word says. Stop trying to change what the Word says. Stop trying to water down what the Word says. Instead, stand firm on the Word and be bold and say, the Bible is the Word of God. I'll build my life upon it. I will commit to believing it, and I will stand for it, even if everyone else rejects it. Society wants us to treat the Word of God like it's outdated, like it no longer matters, like what's written in it doesn't apply today. But we as believers recognize that truth is ancient and truth does not change. So if you wanna pass the test of persecution, You wanna stand strong when others begin to speak against you for claiming the name of Jesus, then you must know the word. Number 3, think about eternity. That is, be mindful about what is to come. Part of the discouragement of persecution comes when we're totally focused on the here and now. If all you're focused on is the pain of that persecution, If all you're thinking about is how you feel when others reject you, if all you're mindful of is what's going on within you when people are coming against you, then yes, that's gonna be quite discouraging. But when you're able to fix your mind on the things above, when you're able to look and see through the perspective of eternity, through the lens of heaven, then that begins to add strength your endurance. In Matthew 10:38-39, we read, if you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you're not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find it. That reward found in Christ is our eternal life. Yes, we have to live this temporary one. And that's a blessing. But ultimately, we recognize that this life has been surrendered to Jesus, and we look forward to eternity. The suffering of the present day cannot compare to the glory of tomorrow. In 1 Corinthians 3, beginning at verse number 12, anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials, gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. Amen. But on the Judgment Day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through walls of fire. We look forward to that heavenly reward. We look forward to hearing those words, well done, good and faithful servant. We must live our lives in the light of eternity, not just focused here in the temporary. And I understand we have a job to do. We have to be expanding the kingdom of God upon the earth here on this side of eternity. But if all you're focused on is here and now, if all you think about is the material and what you can see and experience in this world, then it will be difficult to endure that persecution. When you have your eyes fixed on Jesus and you know what awaits you, when you know that there's a heavenly reward, when you know that ultimately this is unto the glory of God, which is eternal, then those insults that you have today can't compare. They may criticize you, yes, you know in your heart, God has a reward for me. Every insult they throw at you is another jewel on your crown. Every time man rejects you, more is being added to your heavenly reward. Every time society attempts to push you out, your reward in heaven is increasing. We also read in Matthew 25:23, The master said, well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together. Don't just think about the heavenly reward. Think about being with Jesus for all eternity. If Jesus weren't in heaven, heaven would not be heaven. Heaven is heaven because Jesus is there. Heaven is heaven because of the presence that we will know. Imagine on that day looking into his eyes of fire, being embraced by his hand, and knowing that you have eternity to spend with the precious Lord Jesus. Not only that, think about the souls that you have to win. I don't wanna just go to heaven. I want others to go with me. So I have to be about my Father's business. And as I preach the gospel, yes, there'll be some who reject me. Yes, there'll be some who mock me. Yes, there'll be some who misunderstand. They're gonna label you bigoted. They're gonna label you old-fashioned. They're gonna label you mean and cruel and out of touch. It doesn't matter because there are souls that need to be saved. So think about that heavenly reward. Think about the souls that need to be saved and think about spending eternity with Jesus. When you shift your focus from here and now to then and there, it gives you the strength to endure persecution. Yes, be mindful about expanding the kingdom here. Yes, we thank God for the blessings we experience on this side of eternity, but ultimately we're focused on Him. We're focused on that reward. We're focused on souls. Now, the next key I'm gonna give you might ruffle your feathers a little bit. You might not wanna hear what I'm about to say, but it's good for you to hear. And it's probably the hardest one of these to receive. Before I share that with you, don't forget to leave a like on this video if it's blessing you. Remember that just by interacting with the content, just by leaving the like, you're helping to spread the content even further to more people. In other words, you never know who's going to be encouraged by this word simply because you left a like. Also, I believe God brought us together. It's no accident you're watching this right now. So let's make sure you and I stay connected so that you can continue to receive the teachings. Make sure that you subscribe to the channel today and do make sure also that you click the notification bell when you subscribe so that you don't miss any of the content. Number 4, and that's gonna be love your neighbor. persecutors. We know we wrestle not against flesh and blood, and I know it's tempting, right? Especially with the way that the systems of the world seem to always be working against us. Yes, the unbeliever is responsible for their wrongdoing, and they're going to be judged harshly for how they treat God's church, harshly for the rejection of Christ. And such were some of you. We used to belong to the kingdom of darkness. But the Lord rescued us out of that darkness. So while we understand that people who are unbelievers, and we understand that, well, we understand that people who are not saved are a part of the kingdom of darkness, they're enemies of God. Yes, we get that. We also must remember that they're the mission field. I know it's a tense balance, isn't it? To recognize that they're enemies of God, who sin against God, who hate God, who hate the church, who hate the gospel, who hate Jesus, who reject the light, but at the same time, Christ died for them. And you and I have a responsibility to share the gospel with them. We must recognize that every persecutor is a potential brother. Every persecutor is a potential sister. Every persecutor is a potential ally. Just ask the church concerning Paul the Apostle. I mean, Saul once breathed threats. He persecuted the church passionately, zealously, the scripture says. And he was so against the church that he had devoted his time, his energy, all that he was to shutting down that message until he met Jesus. And then He wrote much of the New Testament you and I read today. In Luke 23:34, we read, Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing. And the soldiers gambled for His clothes by throwing dice. So disrespectful to the Lord. So He was so mistreated. Yet He says, Father, forgive them. They know not what they do. May we be like that. People can say some pretty cruel things. People can be rather mean and nasty. You know, there are some who look at the church as if it doesn't belong in society and they'd rather we not exist. Many people in the world. We have to be as Jesus was. And when we face that persecution, We too must say, Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing. Pray for your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you. Bless those who curse you. When they speak a word against you, pray for them. Pray that God would convict them of their sin. Pray that God would rescue them from the powers of darkness. Pray that the Lord Jesus would reveal himself to them by the Holy Spirit That they too might know his saving power. Pray for them, believe for a miracle. You might say, but they're stubborn, they're hard-hearted, they're resistant to the gospel. There's no way they'll ever receive Christ. Who knows? Is not the impossible possible with God? Is God not a miracle worker? It very well may be that the one who persecutes you the most will be preaching the gospel with you in a year's time. Amen. That the one who's the most vile, the one who's the harshest, may receive Christ and later thank you for standing your ground. Nothing is impossible with God. Nothing is impossible with God. There's no limit to his power. He is able to do above and beyond what you can imagine. Surely he can transform the heart of the one who's persecuting you. Pray for them, forgive them. Don't hold anything in your heart against them. You have no right to do it anyway. I know that's not a popular thing to say, especially these days when society doesn't understand forgiveness anymore. It doesn't matter. We are the church. We are not a part of this world. And we understand that we have no right to hold on to unforgiveness. Society says you have every right. You hang on to that. You get your revenge. You turn on them. No. Jesus says you forgive them. Just as God has forgiven us, so we forgive others and love them. Love them with such divine love that they don't understand it. Love with such a divine love that the cynic's heart is melted, that the skeptic is given reason to believe. If God is love, then the way we love people should cause them to believe that God exists. Amen. Love with divine love, pray with divine faith, forgive with divine grace, and you will see that you can endure persecution. When you see your persecutors as potential converts, when you see your persecutors as potential spiritual siblings, it won't just give you the strength to endure, it will give you joy and hope for the future. Number five, celebrate the victory. In Philippians chapter two, we read beginning at verse number nine. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow. In heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father. Far too much of our preaching concerning the last days, far too much of our preaching concerning persecution, makes it seem as though the church will be huddled in a corner waiting for God to give us the retreat we're begging for. No, my friend, the church will be victorious. Someone asked me the other day, Brother David, is it right that you pray for a Christian nation? To that I respond, I don't just want a Christian nation, I want to see a Christian world. Who wouldn't want every soul to be saved? Amen. Who wouldn't want everyone to turn to Christ? And the naysayers will say, no, that can't happen, because they're misreading and misapplying scripture. The Bible does not describe defeat. The Bible describes victory. Jesus didn't say that the gates of hell would prevail. He said the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. Jesus will not lose. The Great Commission will not fail. For did not Jesus say, the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few? Never mind with this victim mindset, never mind with this fretting and paranoia, never mind with this view of the end times as if God is not victorious. I rebuke every lie of the enemy in the name of Jesus. For Jesus said This gospel shall be preached to the ends of the earth, and then the end will come. It ends with victory. It ends with victory. Hear me now. So we can rejoice and celebrate knowing we're on the winning side. God's already overcome. Jesus is already seated in the highest place of honor. And whatever happens around us or to us, though it may look like it might be getting darker, it doesn't matter. Because ultimately Jesus wins. Ultimately the gospel wins. The gospel works. We're not huddled in a corner waiting for Jesus. We are establishing his kingdom here and now despite the persecution. So rejoice, rejoice because Jesus won. So watch and pray. Know the word. Think about eternity. Love your persecutors and celebrate the victory. You do these things, you will pass the test of persecution. Father, help them do it. Give them strength. Give them heavenly perspective. Precious Holy Spirit, Be as a wind that lifts them. And when this world becomes too much to endure, lift their hearts to heaven, refocus them that they might endure with joy and gladness and peace. Give you the praise and the honor. Many are being strengthened now. Receive that. Lift your hands. Receive it. Amen. It's the power of the Holy Ghost. I give you the praise, Jesus. Touch each mind and heart, strengthen each one receiving now. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray. I want you to type it real big in the comments section if you agree. Type a big amen. Well, if you've been blessed by this ministry, it's helped you in one way or another, Maybe you were healed, delivered. Maybe just through the receiving of the word, your mind has been transformed and therefore your life has been transformed. In whatever way this ministry has impacted you, I want you to know that there's an invite extended to you now to pay it forward, that others might be set free, that others might be healed, that others might receive. We need your help. I'm asking you as your brother, listen, I need your help as I continue to go to the nations of the world, as I continue to minister through media. I need generous supporters like you to stand with me in saying we believe the gospel still works. We believe soul winning still matters. We believe Jesus is the way. We want to support what you're doing through this ministry. So help us out. These live streams are free. Most of the content is free. The events we do are free. It's all donor supported. So if you've been blessed by this ministry, you've been maybe toying with the idea of partnering, now is the time. 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