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ELECTION DAY 2020: TRUTH AND THE GREAT AWAKENING
[November 3, 2020/12:50PM] Two years ago, a week or two before the 2018 election, I predicted that President Trump would win the 2020 election in a landslide.
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There was really no question in my mind regarding this. It’s not because I was 100% pro-Trump and refused to consider any alternative perspective. There were a few things about the Trump administration, and some of the people he chose for his administration, that I would never support. Some of the choices he made, or appeared to make, or at least was given responsibility for making, made little sense regarding many of his public statements and the general theme of his administration. Overall, however, there has been much I have agreed with and appreciated.
Of course, this is the nature of politics. Why he chose to welcome some people into predominant roles can only be explained that way. Why he chose to participate in the usual Middle East shenanigans, admittedly on a comparatively limited basis, in which his stated goal and policy is refuted by the actual operations, can probably only be explained by the desire to give forth the impression of being true to his stated policy goals, both pre-election and afterwards, while also giving heed to forces he must keep in his corner.
On the other hand, has there ever been a President in recent memory that actually kept the majority of the promises he made during his campaign? There are long lists of such accomplishments compiled for the benefit of anyone who might wish to access them and make comparisons to President Trump’s campaign rhetoric. I won’t get into all that here, but it is obvious that he has largely kept his word and delivered.
And this is certainly proven by the powerful reaction against him and his administration by those who violently oppose his themes and accomplishments, which has since thrown the outcome of this election into confusion.
I am old enough and have spent enough time, since I was very young, following politics and such elections as we are having today to know that most politicians seeking the presidency are outright liars. There is so much behind the scenes that voters don’t know about and will likely never know about, that if they did know about, would probably either cause them to regret their vote or maybe wish they had never voted at all. There are so many deals that must be made with powerful people and controlling factions. It is not rare at all for candidates to make deals with people who would otherwise be dead set against their candidacy. In other words, if one wants to actually get elected, his or her ideology, if they actually have one, will have to be sacrificed, at least in part, but often more than one would believe, in order to get there.
The average voter often has no knowledge whatsoever of how the world actually works, who the great power players are, what is really going on regarding particular operations, or the actual policies hiding behind the stated policies. The average voter is often not aware that the media is absolutely controlled and is told what to report by higher powers. It is still hard for an intelligent person to understand how people in general allow themselves to be controlled by the media, as if what is reported in the major media is actual truth. Other than obvious events experienced by a great many people that can be easily verified, the major media almost never reports the actual truth. This is because they are massive corporations in business to make money. The major media exists at the behest of extremely powerful and wealthy people and is dictated to by them. Intelligence agencies are also very much involved. This is not at all hard to discover but most people never take the time. Most people not only do not understand this but refuse to even consider it. News channels are put forth in such a way that circuses were over a century ago when there was a deficit of knowledge of the known world and people across the country could be easily dazzled by sights and sounds never before experienced.
When one watches the news one is instantly drawn in to believe whatever is presented because the media is seen as the voice of authority. Of course, a few powerful wealthy people bought up all the many newspapers a century ago and have controlled all the content since. They also did the same thing with radio and television. These were, at their initial core origins, nothing more than profit seeking businesses but also existed to drive public opinion. They were seen early on as perfect propaganda machines. Once the owners thereof saw how easy it was to control what people thought through their media presentations it was not difficult to create programming that could sway millions. We have seen the same thing with big tech providers, of course. Most people are not aware that agenda-based AI programs control much of everything presented on major platforms. And when AI failed due to massive amounts of truth infused upon and within these platforms the only antidote remaining to keep people under control to controlled narratives was simple censorship—they simply began kicking people off the platforms and service providers and eliminating their content.
Thus, prior to the internet, everyone who consumed news put forth by the major media was at a supreme disadvantage. There was often no way to know that what was being reported was actually true and not simply some form of covert programming. When one has a monopoly on the media one can make the population believe anything it wants.
This is why it must be up to each individual to find the truth. Again, since the advent of the internet this is possible. The actual news and information out there that reveals the truth is readily available though it will sometimes take a lot of work to discover it. The argument is often made, however, that most people don’t have the time or energy for such, but this is pure bunk. The truth is that many people are simply lazy and would rather do nothing to damage their reputations, job status, and social standing, and will therefore willingly allow themselves to be herded like simple-minded sheep. People either don’t know or refuse to believe they are being manipulated. They apparently cannot believe in such a great evil, especially one that comes in bright shiny packaging.
Regardless of the controlled majority and great evil behind the scenes, and the incessant mind manipulation telling everyone what to think and believe, TRUTH will always prevail. But because evil hates TRUTH, evil will always attack it and try to tear it down. The only thing, however, that evil is successful at eliminating, are the temporary holders of TRUTH. Books can be burned, information can be memory-holed, and people can have their lives and reputations destroyed and can even be killed, but TRUTH is eternal. It must have agents to reveal and express it, of course, and this is a dangerous proposition, but there is no other way for an eternal to be expressed and revealed in a temporary environment, as this world is. Whoever would thus stand for the TRUTH, fight for the TRUTH, express the TRUTH, tell the TRUTH, and be set free by the TRUTH, must have the unrelenting courage to do so. Otherwise evil will win every time.
The Great Awakening is upon us. More hidden TRUTH is being revealed in our time than in any other time in history. Evil has grown desperate. It is pulling out all the stops. This is a great sign. It is a sign that TRUTH is winning. Therefore, it is not difficult to discover which side TRUTH is on and which side evil is on. Evil is on the side that fights against TRUTH because TRUTH is a major enemy. Evil knows TRUTH will eventually destroy it if it doesn’t destroy it first. These two cannot exist together. There was a long time when evil had the upper hand and remained hidden behind a cloak of respectability and most people not only fell for it but were completely unaware of its presence. This is no longer the case.
If TRUTH wins the people win. If TRUTH is defeated it is still there, because it is eternal, but there is no longer anyone around to stand up for it and reveal it and it thus appears to have ceased to exist. This has happened many times in human history when evil perpetrators managed to kill off TRUTH’s major players and all their works. And it could certainly happen now. Evil is without doubt giving everything it has in this regard.
When it’s all said and done a million years from now, all the sell-outs who were aligned with evil for the mere temporary gains of a quickly-spent human life will have been long since eliminated. But the comparative few who stood for TRUTH, even to the point of discovering that TRUTH was actually a Person and had a Name, and gave themselves unequivocally to this wonderful loving Person, to serve Him and honor Him, will shine brightly like stars forever.
Real salvation means joining His side completely, with one’s entire heart, and fighting alongside Him in the fight He fights on a daily basis, against the same evil that tried to eliminate even Him, and actually did for three days. But after His resurrection evil has been scared to death. And the perpetrators of evil remain scared to death to this very day and know the only chance they have is to eliminate forever His TRUTH and His people. This is what actual spiritual warfare is all about. Those who fight for TRUTH must make a full commitment or will have no effect in spiritual battle.
A real Christian, as opposed to an unreal Christian, is one who understands this and gives his or her life in doing something about it.
“The one who is not with Me is against Me; and the one who does not gather with Me scatters.” [Luke 11:23] [1]
© Copyright by R.J. Dawson. All Rights Reserved.
[1] Unless otherwise noted all Scriptures are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © 1960, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
IN SUPPORT OF REAL CHRISTIANS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD IN THIS TIME OF PERSECUTION
“If you were of the world, the world would love 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.” [John 15:19]
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Christian persecution is presently raging across the planet. Much of it is happening in the Middle East. The devastation against Iraqi Christians began with the war against Iraq, a country that never attacked the U.S. nor represented a threat. The Christian population in Iraq in 2003 before the war was approximately 1.5 million. Since the U.S. invasion, supposedly in part for the introduction of democracy, the Christian population there has been reduced to only 250,000, according to a BBC report in May of this year. The latest numbers as of October 2019 are said to be somewhere in the range of 150,000 to below 120,000. That’s a staggering drop of 92% in 16 years.
What happened to these people? How many were part of the great loss of life brought on by that war? If one remembers the immediate aftermath of 9/11 18 years ago, many Americans were suddenly getting serious with God and singing “God Bless America” while war plans were being ramped up. Many of these were Christians. Did American Christians have any idea or care that upwards of 1.4 million fellow Christians in Iraq would be killed and displaced?
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There were many reports at the beginning of this year that Christian persecution was set to rise dramatically in the world: Christian Post. Christian Today. But sadly, the Christian witness in many former Christian countries is dying out. And Christians in America are being set up at present to take a fall. Be prepared.
Those who follow real news and not the corporate false narratives and fluff presented by the major media know we are presently in the midst of a powerful war. It is war of truth. Controlling interests have been subverting truth for decades and getting away it, mainly for two reasons: (1) They must cover up their dirty deeds, and (2) They control the major media. If one doesn’t believe this is true it is easily verifiable. Those who have been paying attention for the last fifty years know it to be true. The current Orwellian move toward mass censorship and destruction of First Amendment rights is only a response to the great success over the last decade or so in exposing evil. This success continues unabated and the only way to stop it is to kill the internet. But be encouraged. There are moves afoot to create an alternative internet in just such a case. If all this sounds spacey and strange to you then I suggest doing a bit of research.
IT’S THE SHOES
Regarding China, remember the big NBA story a few weeks ago? A man who works for an NBA team tweeted out support for the pro-freedom demonstrators in Hong Kong. This was a giant no-no. But what would have been successfully repressed not long ago failed to be shuttered this time around. Even the NBA commissioner was forced to make a weak stand for freedom of speech and had to support the man. Somewhat. Then the big bombshell hit. A respected longtime sports journalist revealed something that all NBA insiders had always known but was shielded from the public. He said, in essence, that the NBA was effectively owned by a shoe company.
The shoe company is worth much more than the NBA. The shoe company does really big business in China. NBA stars have extremely profitable shoe company endorsement contracts. This means the NBA is not only effectively owned by an international shoe company but is also effectively owned by Communist China. China has no respect for individual freedom and liberty. There is no Bill of Rights in China. It is run by cold-blooded Communists who harass, make life miserable for, jail, and even kill anyone who dissents against attacks on personal freedom and individual human rights, especially if they happen to be Christians.
So after the NBA executive sent out that first tweet in support of the Hong Kong protesters who are fighting against the eventual takeover of Hong Kong and dissolution of rights by Communist China, the biggest star in the NBA tweeted his support for China. He did this because NBA exhibition games were currently being played there, there is a move to continue NBA expansion into China, he has a giant shoe contract, the NBA is dependent on the shoe company, the shoe company does big business in China and has many of their shoes made there by low paid workers in likely sweat shop conditions, and if he doesn’t support China and therefore not support the freedom protesters in Hong Kong he will lose big money and influence and so will the NBA. He is only protecting himself.
The story got really comical when a couple of well-known NBA coaches who always rail on America never said a word against China. Neither did one single NBA player that I know of. They all know where the money is coming from. To hell with free speech and freedom. Money is much more important to them. And because money controls the major media and the NBA regular season was about to start, this story went away very fast.
AMERICAN CENSORSHIP AT WORK
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” [Matthew 6:24] [1]
And now to the point: A few in cable news revealed the hypocrisy in the NBA story and mentioned the suppression of freedom in Communist China and the great censorship there, social credit scores and all that. They also reported that many Muslims in China were suffering persecution. The far left MSM rarely mentions this even though they purport to be pro-Muslim. But guess what the so-called good guys of cable news never mentioned in their entire set-the-record-straight story? Well, the same thing they rarely mention and what no one ever talks about—persecuted Christians.
I have written about this many times. I suggest you begin some serious research on the topic if you are uninformed. A great powerful Spirit-filled Awakening has been transpiring in China for forty years. Chinese Christians have grown exponentially in that time. These are not your regular sleepy time dead Christians having no spiritual impact like many of those in America. And they exist illegally. Real Christianity is illegal in Communist China. But the real Christians there don’t care. They are constantly hounded by government spies and routed by Communist goons. They must meet in secret. They are thrown into work camps. Many are murdered. Their gatherings are shut down. I will give the Chinese Communists their due, however, in one sense—they know who has the greatest power. They know these Chinese Christians are the greatest threat to their power. It is a spiritual war. They are only protecting themselves.
KARMA CHICKENS COMING HOME TO ROOST
The same thing happened in the Roman Empire. It greatly persecuted the Christians. The Empire eventually lost. The greatest empire in world history faded out and ended ingloriously while the real Church of the Lord Jesus soared and grew rapidly. It grew so fast and became so powerful that after three centuries the Romans eventually threw in the towel and joined them. But not really. It was all a great deception. What they actually did was create a false government-sanctioned Christian “church” and forced everyone to join under penalty of law. They magically transformed Roman government buildings into “church” buildings. They made illegal all other forms of religion, including real Christianity. This is how the persecution of real Christians became diabolical in that the fake Christians fought the real Christians. This is how not only the government but “Christianity” itself became the enemy of real Christians.
The same thing is going on in China. They have their government-sanctioned Christian churches in which the Lord Jesus is never allowed. And for those of you who really know what is going on in America, you will not only identify with this but also get a gold star, because the Lord Jesus is never allowed in American “government” churches either. If you don’t know what that is, then do some simple research into charter churches and the 501c3. Discover what is lost by receiving the benefit of tax deductions for your tithes and offerings. Remember free speech? Remember individual liberty? That’s what you lose in this deal. You can only be Christians up to a point. You only have free speech up to a point. You only have spiritual freedom up to a point. And that’s one of the reasons many American churches are dead and frozen over. They have traded their freedom to preach the full truth for thirty pieces of silver. They have sold Christians into slavery.
Real Christians know all about the content of this post. And they have paid the price. But they have also prevailed. They know the key to spiritual victory is to always honor the Lord Jesus. They know they must preach the real Gospel. They must stand up for Truth. They must stand against corruption. They will never sell out and will never sell out the Lord. They will not trade their freedom for a bag of money. They will not be silenced. And if you are wondering who will win in the end I can guarantee you this: In spite of the greatest persecution against any people on the planet for two thousand years real Christians have not only survived but thrived. They have won against the powerful spirit of antichrist though it works hard to stay hidden… No one can defeat the Lord Jesus.
The Christians in China have fought long and hard over four decades and they continue to grow. There are estimates that they currently make up 20% of the population. Though such an occurrence appears ridiculous on the surface to uninformed people who don’t know the truth, and unless the Chinese Christians quit fighting their successful spiritual war, their country will one day in the not too distant future become a Christian country. Such an occurrence would be astounding but it wouldn’t be the first time such has happened over the last two millennia.
The bigger question, though, is what will happen to America?
© 2019 by RJ Dawson. All Rights Reserved.
[1] Unless otherwise noted all Scriptures are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © 1960, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
THE TRUTH DIALOGUES (COMPILATION)
In early to mid-December of 2017 I posted a three-part series called The Truth Dialogues. These posts are parabolic in nature revealing hidden truths for those with eyes to see.
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In these posts one will discover figurative indicators of hidden subterfuge currently being revealed in the real world in real time. There is an exposing process taking place on the national scene as preparatory to a national cleansing process. The corruption had reached massive levels with next to zero accountability. The bold hubris of the people involved reached astronomical proportions, both for what was never before attempted and also for the complete disregard for the law, individual rights, common decency, and basic morality.
The Lord told anyone who was listening during His ministry that the massive corruption of His time was about to be exposed and dealt with, and He was the first one on the scene after John the Immerser to begin the process. His ministry not only featured the presentation of truth and the hope of salvation being made readily available for those who were willing, it was also greatly reformative. He would shine His pure Light on all the hidden vermin, rats, and roaches that had wrested control for monetary controlling purposes and selfish, immoral personal agendas, and expose them for all to see. He would also, in the end, bring everlasting judgment on the cabal in question.
Here is your opportunity to revisit these posts and discover light for our present times as new information of relatively recent misdeeds keeps rolling in:
December 01, 2017: THE TRUTH DIALOGUES: EPISODE 1
December 05, 2017: THE TRUTH DIALOGUES: EPISODE 2
December 19, 2017: THE TRUTH DIALOGUES: EPISODE 3
© 2018 by RJ Dawson. All Rights Reserved.
THE TRUTH DIALOGUES: Episode 1
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“Sir, you are on record of saying that one cannot be a good American and a good Christian, and that one must choose one or the other. Is that true?”
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“Well, I never said that. I said something some may think is related to your incorrect characterization, but not according to those terms.”
“What did you say?”
“I said there are times when a Christian must choose their Christianity over the desires of their ruling authorities.”
“But what does that mean exactly?”
“It means the same thing that Peter and John meant when they said real believers must choose the Lord’s will and preach the real Gospel instead of obeying opposing authorities.”
But when they had ordered them to leave the Council, they began to confer with one another, saying, “What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But so that it will not spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no longer to any man in this name.” And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
When they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which to punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened… [Acts 4:15-21] [1]
“Why would you use that passage? I don’t understand your reasoning or the application of that case in this discussion. We have complete freedom of religion in this country. How does Peter and John’s quote apply here?”
“Do we really have complete freedom of religion in this country?”
“According to the Constitution of the United States we do.”
“But is the Constitution actually being applied to uphold the beliefs and values of Christians? And for that matter, is the Bill of Rights actually allowed expression in churches? If Constitutional rights are not allowed in churches and if governments can bypass the Constitution as well, then where is legally-granted spiritual liberty actually allowed? Don’t we have reams of recent data in the political realm over the last few decades in which it is obvious that Christian beliefs are being attacked or at least not being supported as they should be, and that Constitutional support for freedom of religion is only being applied selectively, usually against Christianity but in favor of other religions and beliefs?”
“I am not sure what you are referring to unless you mean segments of far right Christianity or even forms of Christianity which the majority of Christians are against.”
“So, by characterizing those forms of Christianity under attack in America you agree that it is okay to violate the Constitutional rights of those particular Christians?”
“No, I do not mean that. I mean that some forms of Christianity are not supported by Scripture.”
“But who makes that decision? Where is the grand tribunal that decides such things? Who is the final arbiter of what constitutes the actual correct interpretation of Christianity? And who gets to decide which Christians have no rights and which Christians do? Should not all Christian individuals and groups have the same exact right to freely believe in and practice what the members thereof believe to be correct? Isn’t that what freedom of religion actually entails?”
“Although there is no great Christian Law Court which decides which form of Christianity is correct, I think that Christians themselves usually decide who is right by the sheer numbers believing in particular interpretations.”
“You mean the bigger the denomination or church the more likely it is right?”
“Not exactly, but it would appear that, if all Christians read the same Bible, that majority groups would appear to have the best grasp of what the Bible actually states.”
“So you are saying that one of the true tests of correct interpretation is that a majority must prevail and that Christian minority opinions and interpretations do not hold as much weight regarding their beliefs and should therefore not be granted the same degree of rights to protect their beliefs and practices?”
“Technically, the Constitution protects all Christian individuals and groups, even minorities. But when the large majority Christian bodies reject such minorities, it must mean something significant.”
“Is the something significant fair? Is it just? Is it legal? Is it supported by the Lord? Is the coming together of large bodies against the smaller bodies proof that the larger bodies are more correct in their beliefs? Or is it simply the case that the larger bodies are more powerful, influential, and therefore prejudicial?”
“How is it even possible that the larger bodies could be more prejudicial? Isn’t it obvious that the larger the Christian body the more likely such a body is scripturally correct? And doesn’t this then justify any partiality or bias it may possess against smaller Christian offshoots?”
“Do you hear what you are saying? You are stating that might makes right. I am not here defending non-Scriptural Christian beliefs though I will always side with the truth regardless of church or denomination size. Not only that, but freedom of religion is most directly applied to individuals, and must be. Your original query involved the question of whether or not a Christian must sometimes make a choice between his or her beliefs and authority figures who oppose his or her beliefs, and whether such authority figures, either religious or secular, including one’s prevailing government, can be allowed to censor and hinder the beliefs and practices of Christians. I never said a Christian must choose between his beliefs and his country, as you have implied.”
“But are not those two the same? Is not the government of a country essentially and effectively the same as one’s country?”
“Okay. I know you’re playing dumb here for the sake of argument or whatever, and you are trying to get me to say something in such a way that you can twist for your own purposes.”
“I’m not saying that at all. I understand perfectly well the difference between one’s country and one’s current government, but one’s current government in free countries who vote for their leaders is placed in power by the people who vote which means the government reflects the will of the people, which means one’s current government is essentially the same as one’s country at any given time, right?”
“No. Wrong. You could not be more wrong and I don’t believe you are shooting straight with me at all because that’s an asinine argument. One’s country is one’s country. It has in many cases existed a long time, often centuries, and is an entity completely separate from any government of that country which exists at any given time in its history. Also, people change. People become corrupt. Sometimes, if not most times, the corruption begins very small and escapes detection. The corrupt, through inside influence based on money and power, get away with things and continue in their corruption. When no one notices the corruption or no one successfully rises up to stop the corruption in its early stages it metastasizes and eventually grows to a place in which it cannot be stopped. But the corruption does not exist in a vacuum. It exists in the hearts of people. If the corruption, the evil, is not dealt with by the good, then the corruption prevails. We have seen this happen in many countries, in that a small cabal of corrupt ones masquerading as good guys deceives the people into believing in them and supporting them. Entire countries have thus become corrupted merely by deceiving the majority. The same thing happens in churches and denominations. So no, majority opinion means absolutely nothing as an arbiter of truth.”
“Though I don’t necessarily agree with all you are saying, you have brought up some very interesting points about how Christians must live out their faith in this changing world. Would you care to continue this dialogue in another segment soon?”
“Sure.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
© 2017 by RJ Dawson. All Rights Reserved.
[1] Unless otherwise noted all Scriptures are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © 1960, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
SELF-CENSORING AMERICAN CHURCHES: Surrendering In Liberty While Illegal Churches Thrive In China
Real Christianity’s ongoing forty-year surge in China is due in part to the incessant attempts by the Communist government to control and eliminate it.
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This attempt failed in Rome two thousand years ago. The Roman Empire at first made little issue of real Christianity. Yet, while the Lord’s Community was in its early formative stages, the Romans began getting somewhat concerned as the burgeoning Ekklesia began exploding in growth. Its impact began being seen and felt all over the empire and its presence soon threatened the established ideologies and cults, especially the emperor cult.
In Rome the emperor was god, and all Roman citizens and subjects were forced to honor this credo whether they wanted to or not. The idea of religious freedom and a personal conscience was a joke. Forced faith was the order of the day. Those countries where religious freedom exists at present should know this but many don’t (or do and don’t care). Legal religious freedom is not only seldom appreciated, those who paid the price to gain it are often slandered by later generations.
Constitutional religious freedom in America has been under attack for so long that many American Christians have apparently decided to throw in the towel, get dumbed-down to the fact, made numb by their lack of actually obeying the Lord Jesus, and weakly succumb to largely ineffective and vapid forms of “church life.”
Many if not most church leaders in America continue to fudge it and censor themselves, and refuse to do what the Lord has commanded we do, namely preach the real Word as He preached it so people can actually get delivered from sin, be born again, and gain spiritual power over the enemy. Real Christians are doing this in China on a massive scale and the government there will never be able to control it now. It is too late for them but they certainly keep trying.
CENSORED “LEGAL” CHRISTIANITY IN CHINA
They only allow two “Christian” entities and both are government controlled: The National Committee of Three-Self Patriotic Movement, the official umbrella group for Chinese Protestants, and the Chinese Catholic Church. These two account for about a third of the practicing Christians in China, but the overwhelming majority of Christians there, conservatively estimated at perhaps 100 million, reject both of these government-sanctioned legal bodies and are essentially practicing their faith outside the law. And no matter how much the government tries to control them through authoritative, dictatorial practices they continue to flourish. Sound familiar?
When Christianity was illegal in the Roman Empire it flourished the same way. The real Christians, though, were not anti-government, were not radicals, and were not trying to overthrow anything. They simply honored the Lord Jesus as God and not the emperor, and they obeyed the Lord’s directives and refused to practice the idolatrous religions of Rome. Their impact was staggering. It is presently the same in China.
The illegal Christians in China now outnumber the members of the Communist Party.
What do you think will happen next? Will the Communists surrender or clamp down harder? It is now merely a matter of survival and only one of these can win. Here’s a clue which one that will be:
COMPROMISE THROUGH ECONOMIC PROSPERITY
The enemy is presently attempting to tempt the real Chinese Christians with the increasing economic prosperity of that nation without understanding that it was the real Chinese Christians who brought it about through spiritual means in the first place. The Lord always brings prosperity to His people but it must be put in perspective and handled with proper discipline. We must understand that blessings can never be allowed to circumvent or detract from our spiritual duty.
This has mainly failed in America. Christian bodies have given in to being dictated to by money and economic success and eschew any attempts toward reining in that which has caused millions of Christians to become compromised and spiritually lazy. It took place gradually over time but has happened nonetheless and this becomes clear when attempts at proper and corrective reform are made. The reformers sent by God often eventually get shown the door because the nature of such closed-minded congregations and groups borders on the cultish with the usual domineering leader asserting primarily a vaunted rightness and secondly, an imposed inferiority upon those unlike them which must result in the aforesaid rejection. You can see, then, how it makes perfect sense for the Chinese government to make life very hard for those Christians who won’t go along with their program.
CHRISTIAN BARBARIANS
We know this sinister paradigm quite well if only from the reams of data regarding centuries of church history. Some people have a tendency to go nuts when they gain illegitimate authority and will do anything to keep control. This is the main reason why there has been so much Christian-on-Christian bloodshed and why millions of Christians have been taken advantage of and ripped off.
One of the clues regarding the real infilling of the Lord’s Spirit is that one will act as the Lord Jesus acted. One will do as He did. One will have His nature. Developing the mind and nature of the Lord and gaining spiritual maturity must obviously take place over time. Some never get there. Most are never filled with His Spirit to begin with and can therefore hardly be expected to act in His stead according to His nature and purpose. As a case in point, why do so many big time preachers insist on special privileges (such as body guards)? The Lord never did this. The apostles never did. We can certainly see by the things that happened to them that they were men of faith who subjected themselves to whatever may happen in spiritual warfare. They simply did not see themselves as special or as members of a higher caste which deserved superior benefits.
How many real Christians have been murdered for their faith in China? How many have been sent to prison where they often died, languishing away from loved ones? How many have suffered in so many ways and still suffer today simply because they have given their lives to the Lord and faithfully serve Him? And how many have suffered because they were betrayed by other Christians? The numbers are likely in the millions.
When one considers the fact that the underground “illegal” Christians in China are equivalent to one-fourth or even one-third of the United States population, it should make us all reconsider just exactly what it is that we are attempting for the Lord.
They are getting so much more done with so much less while American Christian pastors censor themselves to make sure they remain in compliance with whatever will keep the money and prestige flowing in. Many Christian leaders do not see themselves as compromisers and that’s the problem. Though a decided minority, there is always an ongoing dynamic of stronger and more mature Christians wanting us to go deeper in following the Lord, more correctly appropriate what He called us to do, and achieve that which really matters rather than play around in the shallows.
What a sad occurrence it is to have complete religious liberty in America guaranteed by the Constitution and so much blessing only to squander it all in order to save face and look “respectable” as a means to stave off inevitable persecution. How should the Lord Jesus respond to such an attitude? I have said long ago (and you can find it documented in my book) that a time of great Christian persecution would arise in America. The Lord revealed it during a time of great prosperity in this nation when so many Christians were going the opposite direction and didn’t care. The idea that Christian persecution would arise here was seen then as ridiculous and that remains the case for many. They will get a wake-up call, because when persecution arises there will be no outward distinction regarding who the recipients will be. All Christians will be subjected to it and all will be forced to make a choice. The compromisers will quickly succumb and surrender since that is their adaptive nature.
The strong and mature Christians, however, will fare best and continue to be productive since they had already been tested and strengthened, having been previously persecuted for years by their own brethren.
© 2017 by RJ Dawson. All Rights Reserved.
Duck Dynasty: I Support Phil Robertson
I discovered Duck Dynasty about a year ago. It was an immediate hit with me. They were showing one show after another and I kept laughing through each one. It was a good night.
I found out later they were Christians. And I appreciated them all the more. Standing up for the Lord Jesus is not an easy thing to do these days in America. In my memory, though, it’s never been easy. It’s just getting more difficult.
Why? Because in the not so distant past people would make fun of you, run you into the ground, call you all manner of derogatory names, gossip about you, and generally make you feel like the biggest idiot who ever walked the earth.
It has now developed into something much more sinister.
This has always been the case. Real Christians catch the worst of a sinful world. Unreal Christians simply blend into and become part of a group or a congregation, the way gang members do, or ancient small communities up against the world did. And if this is done in America where people have rights to peaceably assemble and practice whatever their religion may be, they will receive virtually no persecution whatsoever.
But when the group is small and dedicated to the Lord, the individuals making up the group will have a hard row to hoe. And individuals will have the toughest time. Imagine how hard it was for the Lord after they kicked Him out of the synagogues for good.
On top of it, the Lord instructs His disciples to remove themselves from their groups at intervals and travel throughout this world of darkness preaching the Gospel to make more disciples. The only way to do that is just get out there and do it. And one must be passionate about it or will have little success.
Practicing real Christianity is a 100% option. It demands all of one’s heart. It takes everything a person has. Oftentimes, everything one has is only good for staying alive and maintaining. But no believer is asked to experience anything the Lord has not already experienced. He got the worst of it.
It all goes with the territory:
“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.
“But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.
“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master.
“It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!
“Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops.
“Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” [Matthew 10:16-28]
The Lord told us to preach the Gospel. There are two basic parts to the Gospel. One involves the unconditional love of God. One involves repentance from sin.
Loving and being loved is the easy part. It is a supreme act of love to go forth preaching the Good News to those who are bound by sin and the terrible effects of sin. When the Gospel is presented correctly the way the Lord presented it love comes first. One must have the love of God. It must be real.
But one must also define sin and expose it. This is the hard part. This is what gets real Christians killed. Prior to hearing the real Gospel preached for the first time I considered myself a good guy. I never really thought that much about sin. But when I heard the Gospel I suddenly knew I was a sinner. I discovered that I was violating God’s laws. I later realized I was living according to a moral code that was perfectly fine and even very good according to a worldly standard, but I came up very short according to God’s standard.
It grieved me. In my own way I had always loved the Lord, or so I thought. Being raised in a Christian home by good parents gave me an understanding at an early age that Jesus was a cool guy. As I got older and began venturing out into the world I found out that the world was composed of many, many jerks—they treated people bad, had no heart or compassion, cussed like sailors, and had no inkling of love toward the Lord or others.
And this was only in grade school.
As I got older it only got worse. We all know this and we deal with it.
Long story short, I found out that religion is no substitute for the Lord. By the time I got out of high school I went on a search for truth. My hunger for “I knew not what” allowed the Lord to guide me over in His direction.
He changed my life forever.
The same thing happened to Phil Robertson though at an older age. He gave his life to God. I’ve included his testimony at the end of this article.
The words he spoke in an interview that hit the newsstands yesterday have become the equivalent of a shot heard round the world concerning America’s moral compass and our right as Americans to speak freely.
As anyone who has read my blog knows, I supported Ron Paul for president last year. I believed then and I believe now that he was the best candidate, especially regarding all the issues that have hit the fan as of late. Many people and many Christians thought I was an idiot for supporting him and one of the reasons used was that he was not very forthright regarding the gay issue. He does not believe it is necessarily a black and white issue and is more concerned about the individual.
I believe what the Word of God says about it. The Word of God defines sin. And the bottom line here is that every person who ends up in heaven was a former willful sinner who had to repent and do his or her best to get right with God. But also, everyone who ended up getting right with God was loved into that place both by God and His people that He worked through. And often the greatest act of love is telling the truth. Good parents teach their children right from wrong. God is the best Parent there is.
So that which Phil Robertson said was not really about a gay issue. It was about Christians being hammered incessantly by an anti-God agenda that has taken hold in this country, including all manner of threats against them. The number one threat at the moment is financial persecution. The government and all major corporations have bought into this agenda and have been enforcing it. People are afraid of losing their jobs and income if they speak out.
Phil Robertson got fired from Duck Dynasty, the most popular and successful show in cable television history, as a result of exercising his First Amendment rights.
The LGBT lobby has been incredibly successful in pushing their agenda. The majority of Christians in America should be absolutely ashamed for sitting around doing effectively nothing for the last several decades while the country becomes what it has become. The Lord called us to be salt and light. He said His people were the preservative in a sinful fallen world that would grow more rotten and dark as time progressed.
Christians in foreign countries with no rights at all face physical persecution everyday but continue serving the Lord. They are having a huge impact. News flash: Physical persecution of Christians in America is almost here. Prepare yourself.
Perhaps this is a wake-up call. It is a call for all Americans to get off their duffs and speak out. It is a call to love our neighbor. It is a call to honor the Lord and quit slacking off concerning His commands and directives.
Thank you for speaking out, Mr. Robertson.
We are in the early stages of a national Great Awakening.
“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
“Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
“For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” [Matthew 5:10-20] [1]
© 2013 by RJ Dawson. All Rights Reserved.
Phil Robertson’s Testimony:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTRRtGs94QA
[1] Unless otherwise noted all Scriptures are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © 1960, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
