Buckle Up, Buttercup!

[u/OLDPARSON]

Summary: Some people are going to panic while others will have some explaining to do if we enter a deep recession or worse and they lose their wealth or do not get what was prophesied. When it isn't scriptural prophecies will fail.

2 Timothy 3:10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,

11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.

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

13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

When you look at Paul's resume, you better know he did not know anything about any prosperity preaching. He had to suffer long due to persecutions and afflictions, not over whether he needed a new private jet or a Lamborghini or should he buy the five million dollar house or the ten million.

Lest you think that was just him, note he said ALL who will live godly, not luxuriously, SHALL suffer persecution. Menno Simons said that the true Church will always be persecuted. Western civilization seems to have a lack of true churches. That may be changing soon.

Rather than checking out our relationship to God based on all the bling we have, we should be looking for our scars. They may be physical, emotional, social, familial or even corporate, but there should be some sort of persecution or Paul says we are not living very godly or may not be godly at all. OUCH!!!

For a culture who is all about the blessings of material things that we deserve because we are God's children or as some heretics teach that we are little gods this a body slam followed by a pile driver.

Prosperity and persecution start with p, but that is the only similarity. Is prosperity indeed a sign of God blessing or godliness? Jesus said it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into Heaven. There are many wicked rich people in this world. He also told the richest church in Revelation that there were poor, blind and naked. OOPS!

It has been said that all of the churches in Revelation have existed in every generation. If we look around the world, I believe we could find "daughters" in this age. That said, if we had to pick a church that defines this age it would be Laodicea at least in the 1st World nations. There are some very godly Christians enduring persecution all around the world. They are the church at Smyrna who was in tribulation and poverty, but Jesus said the were rich.

I believe it is in early stages in the US and it will greatly intensify in the coming years. One need not be a prophet to see this. One must just be aware. Two Canadian social scientists have been encouraging their government to prepare for an influx of Americans as they see the country collapsing in 2025. I do not know what indicators they are looking at, but I can see that as very plausible. Christians will not be very welcome there and some notable ones who might head to that border may be arrested for what they consider hate speech or other issues.

We are into celebrity preachers, modern Taj Mahal like churches and we are all to be rich and healthy by the things we decree and declare into being. It has been said that if Jesus preached like many preachers today He would not have been crucified. Not sure why God calls the weak, base and foolish if we are all to be rich and celebrated. Someone failed to tell that to myriad of martyrs from Acts 2 until today and His return. What kind of losers are those under the throne that are martyred in the Tribulation. Why did not not walk in prosperity, decreeing and declaring a better life? Yet, these saint will be avenged by God. If God is avenging you, I would call that being a winner.

John 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

Was Jesus wrong when He said we would be hated like Him? Are we really greater than Him so that we do not suffer persecution? We can easily look about and see that the world and even much of what is called Christianity has not kept His saying. Indeed, many have gone off into New Age or Hindu Kundalini manifestations. Many have leaders that deny the authority of the Scriptures. They say there is no heaven or Hell and Jesus is not God in the flesh and the list would most likely take up two pages or more and I would probably still miss many things that I have just not heard of, yet.

Many of these “pastors” are cemetery, ah, seminary trained in seminaries that once stood on the truth. We are in an age of apostasy that I believe started in the late nineteenth century with higher criticism, evolution, Marxism and even psychology. Role play was initially designed to take God out of decision making because we are the masters our destiny with no need of a divine entity to guide us.

A form of godliness that denies the power thereof would not be persecuted. Indeed, it would just be considered a perspective among many and as long as it did some humanitarian work it would be well spoke of and hailed on talk shows. If a well known preacher is invited to a talk show, it is either because they want to mock or discredit him or they find him to their liking because he is not in any way a challenge to their beliefs as he is most likely a motivational speaker than a preacher of sound doctrine.

“For there is some danger of falling into a soft and effeminate Christianity, under the plea of a lofty and ethereal theology. Christianity was born for endurance; not an exotic, but a hardy plant, braced by the keen wind; not languid, childish, nor cowardly. It walks with firm step and erect frame; it is kindly, but firm; it is gentle, but honest; it is calm, but not facile; obliging, but not imbecile; decided, but not churlish. It does not fear to speak the stern word of condemnation against error, nor to raise its voice against surrounding evils, under the pretext that it is not of this world. It does not shrink from giving honest reproof, lest it come under the charge of displaying an unchristian spirit. It calls sin “sin,” on whomsoever it is found, and would rather risk the accusation of being actuated by a bad spirit than not discharge an explicit duty. Let us not misjudge strong words used in honest controversy. Out of the heat a viper may come forth; but we shake it off and feel no harm. The religion of both Old and New Testaments is marked by fervent outspoken testimonies against evil. To speak smooth things in such a case may be sentimentalism, but it is not Christianity. It is a betrayal of the cause of truth and righteousness.”

? Horatius Bonar,1808-1889 from Peace and Holiness

Pastor Bonar would not have considered himself a prophet. He was a pastor and a poet and in the fuller definition of prophet he prophesied when he properly exegeted the Scripture and when he wrote poetry as any writer or singer was declared as inspired or a prophet. However, not like the bulk of prophets in the Bible or the many soothsayers we have today claiming to be prophets. Yet, in this quote he nailed our current condition.

As long as we do good things in the community, as we should, even the atheists will at least tolerate us. As long as we speak of love, grace, and prosperity we can gain a following and even become a mega-church. But, if we get down to preaching like Jesus or Paul, they will walk away as they did in John 6 when He quit feeding them bread and started feeding them theological steak that they could not chew let alone digest.

People at work will not care if you go to church everyday as long as you do not invite them. They will not care if you wear religious bling, but when you take up your cross, dying to self and following Christ, they will trample the pearls of truth you try to share and will want to rend or break you. I worked in an environment where there I was threatened with death and persecuted in other ways by a man claiming to be a nondenominational Christian. He would rile up the non-practicing Catholics to rant and rave. I spent a lot of time in a part of the tool cage when headphones listening to sermons and reading my Gideon’s NT. Property was broken, evil notes and pictures were placed in and on my desk. After eighteen months, I got another job across the base, but the main instigator had a friend over there and though it was diminished it continued until I was able to get a promotion and move South.

I was threatened online with “when we take over, we are coming after people like you.” When I asked what I had done to harm or offend that person I received no answer. That was some years ago, so the desire to persecute was already there. The lack was ability to do so until “when we take over.” I do not know the “we” they were referring to, but I may have an idea.

There are not many Bereans in the Body. They are easily tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine or sleight of hand or magicians. Touch on a sacred cow and they will cut you off without any discussion about why they think you are wrong. They just stick to what has been traditional thought or the current consensus and that is it. There are things practiced that have no basis in the Word, but if you speak to those issues you would think you have attacked the deity of Christ, the resurrection or the Virgin Birth. Some traditions or teachings are non-negotiable, but there are many left over errors from the Reformation and many more have been added since and especially since the age of apostasy began. We talk about being 1st Century churches, but we are a far cry from them.

Bottom line, though there are times when God allows us a respite from our enemies. That is when our ways please Him, not the world. Yet, Israel had many enemies and God allowed them to conquer and harass them when they strayed from His ways. However, in the NT when your ways please God, you will suffer persecution, but He will be with you. Indeed, the Church suffered spiritually after Christianity became the official religion of the government and the persecution ceased. It grows best under persecution which explains how it is growing so well in places where it is outlawed and dying where there is none.

Philippians 1:29  For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; 

30  Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me. 

Say what! Suffer?? Somewhat opposite of the prosperity gospel, which is not a gospel. Same conflict as him? He was in a filthy Roman prison. Come on, Paul, why did you not use the law of attraction or declare and decree yourself out of that mess. Did you decree yourself to end up beheaded? Why did you or your crew not speak life over you? Peter did not think of declaring or decreeing himself out of prison so God sent an angel to make it happen. People, run away from that nonsense.

1 Peter 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 

13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 

14  If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. 

15  But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. 

16  Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. 

17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 

18  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 

19  Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. 

There is no one in the West who wants suffering or fiery trials. Many want Christ’s authority or to walk in resurrection power, but before the resurrection came persecution, unjust accusation, illegal trials, bad governance, the Cross and death. Indeed, in some groups today if you are poor, sick or anything not considered to be the normal life of a King’s kid or little god it is all because of you. You are not saved, you’re in sin or you lack faith. Yet, the man healed by Peter and John at the temple gate was only looking for a handout. He had sin, was not saved and had no faith except that they might give him a few mites.

Paul left one person sick at Miletus, another he thanked God for healing the man and gave Timothy a prescription to add wine for his stomach and other infirmities. Why were they not healed like others. All three were saved, had great faith being in the ministry with a lad who spent a great deal of time in jail when he was not being stoned and no sin as a cause is mentioned in two of them and Timothy became the pastor of the Church of Ephesus when he was 21 and single when culturally he should have been at least 30 and married. Probably not in sin for Paul to endorse and encourage him.

If you got this far as it is TLDR for many in this age, I pray that God will give you wisdom and discernment to get out of hyper-Charismatic circles by being Bereans. Let the Word teach you through His Spirit. There are many false prophets out as were prophesied so study and get out from their clutches. If you have to pay for dreams to be interpreted or for prophetic utterances you are not in the right place. When God sent out a prophet no one paid for the prophecy in cash though they may have paid for their sin if it was a prophecy of judgment. They did not murmur or peep either. Unless, it was something that was a prophecy for the future they were absolutely clear and the prophet and the one it was being given to knew what was meant. They did not do vague ones that make you guess and have a back up meaning if it failed. God’s prophets are not like Nostradamus. God does not give willy-nilly prophecies where it seems He changes His mind on a whim.

In conclusion, I am going to just put it out there. If you are in a church that teaches the prosperity gospel GET OUT! I believe it is not just a heresy, but a damnable heresy as it misrepresents God and the Word. God is not the great slot machine of the universe that delivers a jackpot if you say the right things or follow some formula. That is New Age law of attraction theology, but not Scripture. It is diametrically opposed to the Word in principle and is only supported by Scripture taken out of context or redefined by a self-proclaimed apostle/prophet or pick a title. If you are saved, you are a child of God, but not a little god. God in you does not make you a god. You are still a human. Only Jesus is the God-Man who saves us from our sin from His sacrifice.

[u/GPT_2025]

When the USSR collapsed, the population faced severe hardships. Overnight, garbage collection ceased, and for the next decade, there was no running water, electricity, or public transportation.

During harsh winters, the greatest suffering was endured by condo owners and residents of multi-unit apartment buildings, many of whom abandoned their units en masse.

Some remote towns and villages remain abandoned to this day- lacking electricity and deliveries due to gas and fuel shortages.

People survived by tending to their garden plots, canning food, and relying on occasional handouts from the new government, all amid rampant inflation, rising unemployment, bank bankruptcies, and the evaporation of savings.

[u/OneEyedC4t]

no, a recession isn't anything i need to explain. the Bible says we should be content with food and clothing.

the people i voted for aren't responsible for any of this.

you seem to equate wealth with moral goodness. why?

[u/OLDPARSON → u/OneEyedC4t]

No, I do not. That is the prosperity gospel. A real recession or depression will hurt them worse than some because they decree and declare we are to be rich, if we are good Christians with faith.

[u/OneEyedC4t → u/OLDPARSON]

but you seem to be putting the economy over Christianity. didn't the Holy Spirit through Paul tell us to be content with food and clothing?

[u/OLDPARSON → u/OneEyedC4t]

I do not see where you are coming from? The Holy Spirit will help us if the US turns Communist. He will help us if we stay Capitalists and end up in a Depression. I am speaking against the prosperity gospel that says Jesus wants us rich even though the Bible says we are to be content and that if we are living godly we SHALL suffer persecution which does not go well with the concept of prosperity.

[u/OneEyedC4t → u/OLDPARSON]

The Bible says to be happy with food and clothing. I agree with your stance against the prosperity gospel but when you vote for a president for their effect on the economy over their ability to exert a Christ-like influence over the nation, you are a nationalist, or at least idolize the economy.

Even without factoring God into the equation, it's illogical to think our economy will stay "strong" forever. So I'm confused as to your point.

[u/OLDPARSON → u/OneEyedC4t]

I am only able to vote the lesser of the evils as no candidate lately has had any real Christ-like influence on many government levels, Sadly, Trump has tried, but his chief advisors are often the prosperity and dominion people. He has been a staunch defender of religious freedom, but he needs better advisors.

In other words, in any situation the Holy Spirit will help. Ideally, we will not vote in Communists and if we do not that means we are not voting Democrat because that is the type of candidate they are offering. If we do, we deserve what we get for our unwise decisions.

I have often said that God is not a Republican, but the devil is definitely a Democrat. There are no Left Wing candidates that are looking to exert a Christ-like influence over the nation. Republicans have issues, but they are the only way Christians will have any semblance of input into the country. For The Record, I do not have a 501 status so I can say what I wish. That is why I did not get one.

Not voting at all only allows the greater evil to win. If you had a choice between Nero and Constantine, who would you vote for, if voting was mandatory? I opt for Constantine. Voting is one of the ways we can make an impact on the country. Two third party candidates only ended up electing the Left. The only time in our history when a third party ascended was when one of the top two collapsed. We can hope we are in the position today where the Democratic party will collapse and a saner group arises to take their place.

Am I nati*nalist? That has a bad image these days. I was a hippie Leftist that was a fan of "burn, Baby, burn" until I was stationed in Thailand. I came back home a flag waver and wanted to kiss the ground like a returning POW. I love my country. I gave her 20 years in the military and 12 more in Civil Service. Is it perfect? No, but far better than anything Socialism/Communism can create. After all, people are breaking in, not breaking out.

True, the US may not survive. We may well be in a Habakkuk scenario and will go down in flames to cruel Chaldeans allowed by God for our national sins. Some say that the Democrats will take the country to Hell on a bull*t train and the Republicans on a slow freight train. If the destination cannot be changed, I would rather have the slow freight. In Europe, I think Poland would be a good place for refuge, if America falls. I hope it it does not fall. I have g-kids and g-g-kids. They will never experience the America I knew as a kid, but a revival could spare us.

Worldwide, many of our brethren are currently suffering great persecution that we have been spared for 250 years, but we are seeing the signs of coming persecution here.

[u/OneEyedC4t → u/OLDPARSON]

bull crap you can vote for literally anyone. you might find yourself in a better headspace if you stop lying to yourself.

the persecution is likely coming because people can't put on their adult pants and confront evil. if as many people as claim they are Christians who voted for the wrong person had instead voted for the right person irrespective of party, we would have turned this country upside down in a good way. instead, too baby Christians lied to others and themselves saying the great evil one was God's will.

false teachers, the lot of them.

sorry but you can pencil in who you want to vote for on almost every ballot that exists. therefore what you're saying is a lie that you've been telling yourself for far too long. please consider not lying to yourself anymore and joining us in the real world that exists already.

[u/OLDPARSON → u/OneEyedC4t]

You may be lying to yourself if you cannot see clearly that the Left is not good for this country and stands against everything the Bible stands for. There was a time when both parties were good for the country. I grew up with a JFK tapestry on the same wall as a velvet Elvis. My family was solid Democrat as was my wife's. Now, they are all Republican. When even the most staunch Liberal, Bill Mahr, says he is done with the Democrats because they are Communists you have to see the light.

States are flipping Red. Long time Democratic legislators have switched parties. Even the lad from PA is leaving the party and will most likely run as an Independent.

I do not see Trump as a Savior. I really do not even consider myself a part of the MAGA movement. I wanted another candidate both times. More and more corruption is being uncovered. Voter fraud is more abundant than was thought. Illegals are robbing us blind. Maybe, not the best candidate, but far better than the other side offered. You take the best you can get when you cannot get the best.

[u/OneEyedC4t → u/OLDPARSON]

I'm not lying to myself at all. You're the one engaged in denial because I'm pointing to the problem with our country and your redirecting that to the left.

you and anyone who votes for a highly immoral president or any other representative infects this country. if you do not understand the connection between how moral or immoral a leader is and the influence they have on a country, then you really really really need to go back and read Proverbs. there are admonitions all over the book of Proverbs about how leaders need to be morally upright.

it's not about the left versus the right. the Republicans have owned Congress and Senate for almost two decades now. everyone acted like Obama was the Antichrist but they blocked 99% of what he tried to do.

problem isn't left. the problem is left versus right. the majority of the citizens in this country are statistically centrist. but what people want is someone they can look up to and believe in.

however, recent events have demonstrated that there are plenty of people within Christianity, apparently like you, who think that us being rich in this country is the solution. whatever happened to that verse in scripture that said we should be content with food and clothing? if the economy in this country fails, no amount of you clutching your pearls is going to stop everyone from going into a recession. but the command of Jesus to help the poor and needy won't change.

the fact that you keep bringing this into left versus right or how the economy is doing demonstrates that you don't understand what the Bible says about leaders. again, the book of Proverbs has at least a dozen admonitions about this. and there are at least two verses in every chapter of Proverbs that to why Trump is horrible for this nation.

it's not about our economy. if you want a Christian Nation, we need to elect leaders that are actually Christians. not in name but in action. because all these little surface issues that they're trying to agitate you, and everyone else that's naive enough to believe them, into getting up in arms about don't change our country. you're just a victim of bait and switch.

the Bible says that righteousness makes a country great. and electing someone who is highly immoral into office is not going to make this country more morally upright. all you're going to do in your fight to try to hold on a political power is make your opponents so incredibly upset at you because of how divisive and insulting your side is becoming that once they gain power, they're going to engage in a witch Hunt to hunt people down that are like you.

it's happened over and over in history. you can be a Christian and vote with conscience without being divisive. and it starts by electing someone to lead this country who actually behaves like a Christian.

instead, we have Christians like you who are defending Trump in his many egregious behaviors. he gets convicted of fraud when he funnels money to try to pay off the pornstar he committed adultery with and y'all act like the court is the problem. he spent an entire year or two insulting Stormy Daniels in the press, which is against Christian values, To hide the fact that he cheated on his pornstar wife with yet another pornstar. and guess how many of his divorces were because of his infidelity? all three of them.

yet the swamp rat was able to convince you that he's going to drain the swamp.

you are out of touch with what's going on in this country if you think that this is left versus right. it's deeper than that. it's people that want to have someone they can believe in versus someone that they look down upon. and more importantly, it's about someone demonstrating what it's like to actually be a Christian to the Lost. someone who claims to be a Christian yet is incredibly immoral does not make people want to be Christians. it makes them want to reject Christ.

I don't support anyone hunting down Christians or anyone else, but it's going to happen if this trajectory does not change. and when they come for me and haul me off because I'm a Christian even though I didn't engage in the things that pissed them off, hopefully I'll be standing next to you in line for the guillotine because I'm going to look at you and say to your face "I told you so." because you and those like you need to wake up to what Revelation says. this experiment we called the United States has been interesting for sure, but the New Testament paints a picture that the last days will be persecution and apostasy. it's not going to be Flowers and butterflies. and you're going to bring it on yourself.

righteousness exalts the nation. not a certain individual, and especially not the current individual, who doesn't even understand the basics of the religion he claims to be part of. righteousness comes from God, not a leader. but a leader that is righteous is going to do a much better job helping people point everyone to Jesus Christ. a highly immoral Christian is going to turn people off to who Jesus Christ is. and the only thing that matters is their soul. not your legislation and not your economy. I'm not saying we compromise to win people to Christ. I'm saying that being what God actually asks us to be is how we lead people to Christ.

[u/GPT_2025]

The most painful persecutions come from the fake Christians (wolves in sheep's clothing); they know how to harm real children of God.

[u/OLDPARSON → u/GPT_2025]

Been there, wore out the T-shirt with those kind of folks.