A Few Home Truths About Persecution

Yes persecution is real, and so is Woke Churchianity that supports it:

Hundreds of times now on this site I have carefully documented clear cases of anti-Christian bigotry and persecution taking place in the West. We have had far too many cases of Christians losing their jobs, being heavily fined, or even being thrown in jail to pretend that all is sweetness and light here.

But two sorts of folks will constantly berate you and ridicule you for daring to suggest that this is happening right here, right now. The first group are of course all the misotheists, atheists and secular lefties. But we fully expect them to react like this.

It is the second group that should worry all of us. I refer to all the woke ‘Christians’ and religious lefties who love to mock us and pour scorn on us whenever we mention that biblical Christianity is under assault in Australia and the West.

They love to judge us and attack us and say we are just a bunch of alarmists and nutters that no one should pay any attention to. While we are doing all we can to stand up for religious liberty and to prevent things getting worse, these Pharisees and armchair critics just sit there lashing out at us. Um, just whose side are they on anyway?

With all this in mind, let me offer a few truths that need to be highlighted here.

The role of the watchman is to warn

Those whom God has raised up to act as watchmen on the wall, alerting others to what is going on, are simply doing what they have been called to do. Indeed, they dare not refuse that calling. As we read in Ezekiel 3 and 33, if the watchman does not make the warning that he is meant to, he will have blood on his hands, and will be held accountable.

So while the religious lefties will publicly attack us and criticise us, our job is to fear God and not man. We need to ignore these woke churchians and simply pay careful heed to what God expects of us. That our words of warning will be rejected and scoffed at by the masses and by the left should not surprise us.

Indeed, prophets have always been rejected by the masses, while the false prophets have always been warmly received. I make no claim to being a prophet, but I do know what God has called me to do, and I will keep doing it despite all the attacks by others who call themselves Christians. My job is not to please them, but to please the Lord only.

Yes persecution is happening

As mentioned, the reality of anti-Christian bigotry that is occurring in the West cannot be denied. Everywhere we see it happening, and it is ramping up on a daily basis. What would have been simply unimaginable a few short decades ago is now becoming the norm.

And it is not just the more famous cases of this happening. While most folks are aware of Australians like Israel Folau and Bernard Gaynor and Lyle Shelton and Margaret Court and the appalling way they have been treated, there would be many more such cases that never made the headlines.

I happen to know of many of these committed Christians personally. What they have had to go through because of their refusal to deny their basic beliefs and convictions, and conform to the radical agendas, is really quite horrifying. Most folks would be shocked if they knew just how many are being impacted in this way, and just how widespread this really is.

And just because heads are not being lopped off at the moment does not mean that there is no persecution taking place. Hardcore persecution seldom happens overnight. It is not as if yesterday there was complete religious freedom but today all churches are being bulldozed. Persecution is usually incremental and piecemeal, developing over time.

Before the heavy-duty church closures, mass arrests of Christians, and banning of Bibles and Christian literature takes place, you first have the very sorts of things we find happening now. And only a fool would think that the restrictions, clampdowns and anti-Christian bigotry already taking place today will not lead to anything worse tomorrow.

Woke and lefty Christians will be the first to give the thumbs down

One can’t help but think of the early church and the terrible persecution Christians endured back then. It even became a matter of spectator sport, with the crowds watching the torment and death of believers in the big arenas. If the thumb went down, the Christians were slaughtered. If the thumb went up, they were allowed to live.

Why do I think that all these PC and lefty Christians who happily attack the watchmen and those who are being persecuted are in a rather similar place, happy to give the thumbs down? They will be the first ones to cheer when folks like me are dragged off to the gulag.

‘Well, Bill always was far too radical. He was always stirring up trouble. He gives a bad name to Christianity. It is a good thing he has finally been silenced. Now we can all get on being church in good standing with the world around us.’

I know that is exactly how many of these ‘believers’ are thinking. And that is because they are such friends with the world, and have done all they can to cosy up to the world as they deny key biblical teachings, especially its clear moral teachings, that they will happily rejoice in seeing us silenced.

And they have absolutely no problems with all the anti-Christian legislation being passed around the West, including the diabolical ‘conversion therapy’ law just passed here in Victoria. They are so compromised in their faith that they actually agree with these laws, and think they are somehow what God would fully be in favour of.

Indeed, we should not be surprised at all this. Jesus did warn us two millennia ago of this very thing happening: Consider John 16:1-3: “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me.”

As the American Christian leader James White tweeted a few days ago:

You will be the first to sign up for the online “Sermon Submission and Approval” service, too. And you will be one of the first to rat out any “radical” and “non-compliant” members of the “fellowship” as well. Your type is well known in China, North Korea, etc.

BTW, if you are sitting there smugly saying, “There is no persecution…he had it coming…people are dying…he’s killing grandma!” let me tell you: you will be the first one in line to get the coming gov’t “Church Certificates of Compliance” when they come out, too.

Yes quite so, And his reference there to how so many church pastors and leaders have fully capitulated to the state and allowed their churches to be closed down for months on end is a classic case in point. There have been far too many spineless wonders who are more concerned about keeping Big Government happy than they are with keeping God happy.

Thankfully, there have been a few notable exceptions, such as Paul Furlong in Australia, John MacArthur in America, and James Coates in Canada. See here for more on Paul: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2021/02/16/lockdown-mania/ 

And see here for more on John: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2021/01/31/political-ignorance-and-inaction-no-longer-cut-it/

As to James, he is still languishing in jail as he rightly refuses to agree to the bail terms, which include not opening his church until the State allows him to. His wife and children are banned from seeing him while he is incarcerated. For a good explanation as to why his church has taken the stand that it has, see this article: https://notthebee.com/article/canadian-church-releases-an-insanely-eloquent-statement-on-liberty-and-covid-after-their-pastor-is-jailed-for-preaching

Of course he has been heavily criticised by the Fellowship of the Woke, just as MacArthur and Furlong have been. And just like I have been for daring to suggest that religious liberty is vitally important, that Christian worship is an essential service, that the State is not absolute, and that God is the one we must fully and finally submit to.

But with all the Woke Churchianity around us, expect the persecution to only get much worse in the days ahead.

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15 Replies to “A Few Home Truths About Persecution”

  1. Could not agree with this more Bill. It is shocking to see how many Christian people do not see this for what it is. And if they ever do wake up, I fear it will be too late. However, Jesus warned us what the future would look like before His glorious return and it will be exactly as He has said. My prayer is that we each will have the courage of conviction and devotion to stand firm until the end, despite the cost. This morning I woke up with the song ‘Be Still’ and was lead to read Psalm 46. What a beautiful encouragement it was to me. May it be to you as well. Blessing.

  2. Love to see something along the lines of: “tips for setting up your own underground house church: how to organize, communicate, and continue spreading the gospel in a hostile environment”. I am particularly interested in how persecuted Christians in underground churches communicate with each other. Need something like a Field Guide. Thank you again for being one of the watchmen on the wall. There aren’t many here in the former USA.

  3. We used to have a guy in our church who would dismiss people like Israel Folau, Margaret Court, even Richard Wurmbrand as “vile” or “obnoxious.” Persecution in the West isn’t real, he would say and people got what they deserved for being so bigoted.
    That seems to be the program- discredit people who warn against persecution and hose who are on the receiving end of it.

  4. Bill, we know that the significant majority of pastors/clergy are left/progressive and sadly very, very few church-goers are hearing or being encouraged with the extent and calibre of the issues and concerns that you address day after day.

    In fact sadly and alarmingly, too many church-goers are hearing sermons limited to issues of, for example, climate change, resistance to and mocking of anything that is not ‘left’, ‘your best life now’ or ‘you’re fine as you are’ etc . .

    Very sadly also, ‘lockdown church’ has appealed to a number of pastors/clergy who have found Zoom church to be an appealingly easy way.

    Heartfelt thanks, Bill, for your steadfast faithfulness being the Lord’s watchman on the wall!

  5. Too often the leftist church is considered the true church by the world precisely because the agree with the world. The world thinks that if God exists he would be super cool with all we are doing so only those who support us are his representatives.

    People never understand that the things we consider hallmarks of totalitarianism don’t spring up over night it take time to build them. The chains that will bind us are forged a link at a time not wholly so people are looking for the completed product when they should be looking for it parts and the beginning assembly of those parts.

    A quote from Star Trek:TNG episode the Drumhead. “’With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably.’ Those words were uttered by Judge Aaron Satie as wisdom and warning. The first time any man’s freedom is trodden on, we’re all damaged.”

    Too often people don’t worry about others freedoms being trampled on when they feel the reason is just. Like with reverend Martin Niemöller by the time they get our freedoms, or the ones we care about ie some don’t like gun so wouldn’t care if the second amendment was abolished, there may not be anyone left to complain that ‘this is wrong’ and if there is they will be just as cowardly as we were when others needed us.

    Evil must not only be STOPPED it must be REPELLED as well. Then it must be purged. How offer does the last step NOT take place. Some Nazi laws were kept and many Nazis didn’t pay any price. Some paid a small price but were allowed back in society to subvert it. I’m sure the same is true with he Soviets and others. If a weed is NOT plucked up by the root it will grow back. If evil isn’t completely removed, as completely as can be in a fallen world, it will return. How many Nazis were brought to America after the war??? How many KGB Stasi and others made their way here after the iron curtain fell???

    One thing is for certain the greatest GROWTH of the church has happened under persecution and the greatest persecution man will ever face is still ahead. Persecution weeds out the fakes and the pretenders and strengthens the faithful.

  6. yes Paul,leftist churchians have nothing to worry about when it comes to persecution. The world does not persecute its own, and the religious left shares all the same values as the world does, be it pro-abortion or pro-homosexuality etc.

  7. I’m still praying and believing that there will be a turnaround in USA soon and that Australia and other Christian-founded countries will follow suit and things like abortion and SSM agendas will be overturned. Sounds like a big ‘Ask’ as many of these things have been going on for years but we have an incredible God who answers the prayers of His children.
    Regarding persecution and how to handle it, I remember hearing about an underground pastor in Russia who got fed up with the authorities coming and stopping their church services/gatherings that he told his congregation that they would have to pray and ask God to show them the time and place of their next church service/gathering.

  8. John 15:19 seems appropriate – If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.

    As Paul notes, certain types of ‘Christian’ are loved by the World and held up as an example of what Christians should be like.

    On a slightly different matter, Bill, have you encountered the term Woko Haram before? I recently encountered it and it seems fully appropriate. It’s a riff on Boko Haram. In this case militant extremists committed to waging jihad against those who fail to support their message of tolerance, love, diversity, and deviancy. Those deemed infidels face silencing, deplatforming, dismissal, and assorted other persecution.

  9. Bill, we have a prime, even overt in your face example here in (shall I say Georgia, U.S.A.)?

    This church less than an hour from ours offers among its promotional material a “sister _______”, whose operates in the gifting to bring mourning family members into contact with deceased loved ones. The pastor resides with his male significant other and their adopted daughter, and when reading the, “What DO We Believe”. portion of their online directory you will find what sounds like a solid example of one of the most Bible believing, Evangelical, Water baptizing, Gospel preaching Christian Church in this city of nearing a million population!

    Indeed, Leonard Ravenhill was right on mark with, “The church leaders have taken the Watchmen down from the walls! (Sodom Had No Bible)

  10. Another thing on persecution is there seems to be an Overton Window with it so we only see what can be done at any one time but that window moves. The camps and ovens aren’t on the window YET but will show up eventually. Those with eyes to see know this because we’ve seen it before. Those who are blind refuse to even see what is presently in the window. Looking through rose colored glasses never helps. You won’t fix a problem you can’t see. I believe the quote is there are none so blind as those who will not see. We have WAY too many blind people running the show. It is bad enough when the blind lead the blind but when the blind lead the sighted it is far worse.

  11. Hi Bill, you’ve referred a few times in recent years to the sacking of Richard Page (from the UK magistracy); the latest update is that he’s lost his case in the Court of Appeal:

    https://christianconcern.com/comment/whats-so-offensive-about-a-man-like-richard-page/?utm_source=Christian+Concern&utm_campaign=539ec278e5-BN-20210225-RichardPageCOA&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9e164371ca-539ec278e5-127573581

    For readers unfamiliar with the Richard Page saga, here’s an extract from that latest update that gives some background:

    “No one ever had a problem with Richard until one day, in the magistrates’ retiring room, when he felt he could not ignore his conscience. Richard, in his quiet manner, stood up for the rights of a child who was the subject of the adoption case before him. He got into so much trouble, that eventually he was sacked from his job as a non-executive director in the NHS and dismissed from being a magistrate. What did he say? He said that children do best with a mother and father. The adoption case involved a male homosexual couple, looking to get round the prohibitions in Northern Ireland by adopting in England. The adoption went through, because Richard was outvoted by his fellow magistrates.”

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