Persecution And Revival

“But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew.”

- Exodus 1:12

When I first started out in ministry, I was interested in church growth books. I read several of them. At times, I was impressed with the some of the tactics, programs and ideas implemented by some of these mega-church pastors. Their churches were huge and growing, so I thought it would be good to learn some things from them.

In hindsight, I realized that most of these “success” stories had more to them than meets the eye. Most of these churches were in or very near large, metropolitan cities. Sometimes the churches were built in affluent neighborhoods. These days, I wonder if any of these “experts” could have grown a huge church here in the mountains of West Virginia. I seriously doubt it.

I also have come to realize that numerical growth is not always a true indication of genuine spiritual vitality. Since cults can attract large crowds, it is deceptive to think that numerical growth is always an indication of revival.

To be honest, there are large crowds that are attracted to a mighty move of God. I, like so many Christians, yearn for a great spiritual awakening in this generation. I long to churches revived, souls saved and witness mass baptisms. If you're like me, you've often prayed for revival.

I believe that it is possible for revival to come. I may yet see a mighty spiritual awakening unfold here in America. But we need to understand this truth: genuine revival will come with a cost.

I believe that persecution may be the cost we must pay to have revival in America. Up to this point, the American Church has been apathetic and cold. This pandemic has revealed the lukewarm condition of many. I read somewhere that a recent survey showed that 30% of the people who dropped out of the church during the pandemic won't be back. It will probably take a rude awakening for many believers to get on their knees in prayer.

Persecution and revival often go hand-in-hand. The Israelites grew significantly under the tyranny of Pharaoh. The church in the book of Acts multiplied under constant persecution. Why should Americans think that we should be exempt from persecution? While our nation's Constitution should protect us from such hostility, we've come to see that politicians and judges will do what they wish, sometimes in spite of the Constitution.

By the way, why should we trust more in the Constitution or courts instead of in Christ? It is time we quit looking to Washington for help and start looking up to God for grace.

Why does persecution and revival seem to go together so much? Let me share a few of my beliefs on the subject.

1. PEOPLE ARE FORCED TO TAKE A STAND

Persecution forces people to get off the fence and take a stand for Jesus or against Him. There is no middle ground during persecution.

2. CHRISTIANS TAKE THEIR FAITH SERIOUSLY

So many are careless about their faith these days. When persecution comes, it forces people to take their Christian faith seriously.

3. BELIEVERS SEEK GOD IN PRAYER

During persecution, Christians get earnest in prayer. Believers pray with intensity and desperation. Most revivals begin with a small remnant of believers who gather in prayer. Persecution drives Christians to pray.

4. MANY SEEK HELP IN THE PAGES OF SCRIPTURE

The Bible may collect dust in your home right now, but if persecution arises, you may find yourself seeking help from the Word of God. Persecuted believers have a deep hunger for God and His Word.

5. EVANGELISM REACHES MANY SOULS

During persecution, God uses His people to reach many with the Gospel. Despite persecution, souls are drawn to the message of Jesus Christ.  During persecution, believers are sold-out to the Lord and seek to obey the Great Commission.

The next time you pray for revival, just remember that you may be asking for persecution to come. Persecution has a way of revealing the apostates while, at the same time, purifying the saints. Many fickle church members will be exposed as frauds while others will suffer as they stand firm for the truth.

If persecution is the only way you can see revival in your lifetime, do you still want to see revival?

The Blessings of Persecution

“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” - Matthew 5:10-12

Life can be hard and cruel at times. As we seek to please God and make Him known to others, we quickly learn that we are in a spiritual war. The enemy is fierce and dirty in his fighting techniques. As a result, many of the devil's followers are used to inflict us in a number of ways.

Persecution is defined as hostility or ill-treatment received because of a person's beliefs. In this age of “political correctness,” demonstrations, riots and assault, it is becoming dangerous to be identified as a born-again follower of Jesus Christ. In certain circles, such a profession of faith identifies a person as an enemy of popular social and political views. To be rather blunt, there is one Name that is more explosive than Donald Trump and that is the Name of Jesus.

If you want proof that that Jesus' Name is a powerful thing, just mention His Name to a demon-possessed person. Mention His Name in a public setting. Talk about Jesus behind a microphone. You'll soon learn that the Name of Jesus brings hostility.

The growing anger portrayed by our society is deeply rooted in rebellion and hatred against God. Sometimes this anger is veiled by other matters, but the underlying issue is rebellion against God.

As Christians, we normally don't pray for persecution to come. In fact, we ask to be spared from persecution. We'd rather not face the alienation, misunderstandings, prosecution and physical harm that may come through persecution. However, the Bible promises blessings to those who are persecuted for righteousness sake.

Jesus said, “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” Notice three positive things that occur when a man is persecuted for his faith in Christ.

1. A PROMISED KINGDOM

Jesus said, “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” True believers realize that their citizenship is in heaven. We are simply pilgrims and strangers here on earth. Our home is in glory. Persecution exposes this world as being a fallen place. Our roots should not sink deep in this world, because we are not here to stay. While we are here, our mission is to speak on behalf of the Lord. Our emphasis is on His kingdom rather than our own.

2. A PRECIOUS REWARD

Secondly, there is a promised reward. Jesus said, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven.”  As followers of Jesus, persecution will come our way. When it does, be assured that a great reward awaits you in heaven. The pain of persecution, as bad as it may be, pales in comparison to the reward God has in store for those who suffer for His Name's sake.

3. A PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION

Finally, we are in good company when we are persecuted. Jesus said, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” When we suffer for the sake of righteousness, we can identify with the prophets before us who suffered. Even more, we identify with our Lord and Savior, who suffered for our sake.

Sometimes blessings come through unusual circumstances. That is the case with persecution. There are certain rewards that are reserved for those who face the fire of persecution and still go forward out of love for Jesus.

Don't you think He is worth it?

Responding To Persecution

“We ought to obey God rather than men.” - Acts 5:29

Adversity usually tests a person's character. The person we are in secret is often revealed during the trials of life. When we experience the extreme heat of pressure, the polished veneer of our lives tends to melt away and reveals the true state of our hearts.

Persecution tends to separate the wheat from the chaff. The dross tends to melt away in the flames of persecution. Persecution has a way of dividing the genuine from the fake.

Realizing that greater levels of persecution are imminent, how should we respond when persecution comes?

1. FOCUS

American Christians focus too much on pleasing and impressing others. Our focus should be to please an audience of One. We cannot please both God and man. In Galatians 1:10, Paul wrote, “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” When persecution arises, it becomes obvious that a person must compromise severely in order to please men.

When the disciples were commanded not to preach the Gospel, they refused to compromise. Instead, they said, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Their focus was on pleasing God. They kept their focus clear. So should we.

2. FAITH

Secondly, we should live and walk by faith. Persecution has a way of awakening fears and anxiety. Yet the One who has led us safe thus far will continue to lead us. The road may get rougher. The times may get tougher. Ultimately, God takes care of His own. He will take care of us. Persecution may cause you to lose your job, lose possessions and alienate you from friends and family. Yet God is still in control. You can trust Him. During times of adversity and persecution, the Bible is such a valuable resource. In the pages of Scripture, we find God's promises to help us through turmoil. We should stand on the promises of God. In the end, we'll be glad we did.

3. FAITHFULNESS

As our text indicates, the disciples said, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Persecution forces us to take a stand, either for God or against Him. God requires His servants to live in obedience. Samuel once said, “To obey is better than sacrifice.” The cost of obedience may be steep. The cost of disobedience is far greater.

If we focus on pleasing only God, trust Him through every experience, and obey Him regardless of the cost, we may not please anyone but God. But it is better to please God and no one else than to please everyone except God.

Ultimately, we must stand before God. Our faithfulness will be under careful scrutiny. May He find us faithful in that day!

Preparing For Persecution

“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” 

- 2 Timothy 3:12

I am not a prophet. I do not claim to have visions or divine insight concerning the future. Yet it seems rather obvious that our nation is heading in the wrong direction. We are seeing things happen in our country that I never thought I'd see happen in my lifetime.

One thing that seems rather apparent is that the American Church is at a crossroads. Either American Churches must compromise with the world or be persecuted by the world.

As I write this, there are churches in California that are facing overt governmental intimidation, legal consequences and financial ruin by worshiping publicly in their own sanctuaries. In the name of “public health,” the governor of California has violated the U. S. Constitution in prohibiting churches from worshiping indoors. Some would argue that outdoor worship is permitted under the right conditions there. But here is the problem. When believers are ordered by the government if, when and where they can worship, it is a violation of the Constitution. Furthermore, if the government can use a pandemic to make such rules, it gives them the freedom to practice the same tyranny at other times. When we give up our freedom in any way, we never regain that freedom and it gives tyrants the opportunity to expand their control and rob us of more freedom.

I don't believe that the issues in California are to be treated lightly. The ungodliness of California always spreads across our land. Presently, Christians are often labeled as judgmental, hypocritical, intolerant, narrow-minded, and even bigoted. More and more, our society views born again believers as being uneducated, naive fools. Some have even labeled Christians as a hate group. This is the state of things in our nation right now.

It is wrong for us to expect tyrannical leaders and ungodly courts to always come to the aid of Christians. We have just One source of help in such times. We need to rely upon God and His Word to lead us. Yet we need to prepare for increased levels of persecution, ridicule and intimidation.

On one hand, it is impossible to know how a person may react to persecution … until it comes. Yet there are some things we can do to prepare for persecution.

1. CHECK YOUR CONVERSION

First of all, make sure you are saved. Persecution has a way of separating the wheat from the chaff. Many have a dose of religion or church membership, yet they do not have a real relationship with Jesus Christ. We should not be shocked when we hear of apostasy. Apostasy reveals that some who profess faith never really possessed faith in Jesus. The “falling away” predicted by the Bible reveals that some were never in the way to begin with. 1 John 2:19 says, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” Make your calling and election sure. This is the time to make sure that you know are saved. Only the righteous can stand in the time of persecution.

2. COUNT THE COST

Secondly, count the cost. What if you were required to compromise your faith in order to keep your job? What if you faced financial ruin if you refused to give in to governmental pressure? We need to know, up front, whether Christ is really precious to us or merely a means to an end. Do we love Jesus or merely like Him? The Bible indicates a future time when people will not be able to buy or sell, eat or drink without yielding to governmental tyranny and denying Christ. We are headed in that direction now. In the Bible, the disciples felt that Jesus was worth living for … and worth dying for. Paul gave up everything to follow Jesus. It cost him his position, power and prestige. Ultimately, it cost him his life. He counted the cost and found that Jesus was worth living for and worth dying for. We need to count the cost right now.

3. CONFIDE IN CHRIST

Finally, we need to trust God with our future. As persecution increases, pressure intensifies and intimidation multiplies, we can trust Him as we walk through the fire. The future may include isolation from family, unemployment, imprisonment, impoverishment and possibly even martyrdom. If we can trust Him with our eternal future, can't we trust Him with our remaining time here on earth?

We are not promised a life free of persecution. Instead, we are told to expect it. Some may object that I am overacting to our times. I can't help but think that the American Church has already compromised too much and has given up far too much territory to the enemy.

It is time for believers to be strong and bold for Jesus.