Posted on 11/01/2015 5:59:57 PM PST by SeekAndFind
The Rev. Billy Graham has issued a written warning to America's churches: "Prepare for persecution."
The renowned preacher and founder of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association penned a commentary that was posted on his website last week and is slated to appear in the November edition of Decision magazine.
In the magazine, Graham notes that the American church has been largely unfamiliar with persecution, writing that this "immunity to persecution that Christians in our country have experienced in the past two or three centuries is unusual."
"As a whole, our nation does not know what privation is. We do not know what sacrifice is. We do not know what suffering is. Suppose persecution were to come to the church in America, as it has come in other countries," wrote Graham.
"Since we have experienced little religious persecution in this country, it is likely that under pressure many would deny Christ. Those who shout the loudest about their faith may surrender soonest."
Graham went on to list "five ways to fortify yourself so that you will be able to stand in that day." These included making sure of one's relationship to God, walking with God, regularly reading Scripture, praying always, and meditating on Christ.
"Today our nation ranks as the greatest power on the face of the Earth. But if we put our trust in armed might instead of Almighty God, the coming conflict could conceivably go against us," continued Graham.
"History and the Bible indicate that mechanical and material might are insufficient in times of great crisis."
For many years, some — especially in socially conservative circles — have argued that the United States is gradually marginalizing Christians.
They point to things like the censorship of manger scenes and Ten Commandments displays on government property and an inherent growth of secularism in media.
In recent years, Graham's son, the Rev. Franklin Graham, has become an outspoken critic of what he believes to be growing hostility toward Christians in America.
Earlier in October, Franklin Graham wrote a Facebook post in which he viewed the shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, as an example.
Chris Harper-Mercer opened fire on students at Umpqua, killing nine and wounding seven others before fatally shooting himself. Early reports indicated that he specifically targeted Christian students.
"Persecution and targeting of Christians isn't just in Iran or the Middle East, it's right here in America," wrote Franklin Graham.
"The bold souls at Umpqua Community College who stood up to say they were followers of Jesus Christ were heinously gunned down with no mercy. Jesus said, 'If they hate you, remember they hated me before they hated you,' (John 15:18)."
Principal architects of the coming persecution of Christians in America are the Catholic bishops, the vast majority of whom have devoted a great deal of energy and wiles to rationalizing voting for pro-abortion politicians. And it is pro-aborts who are 100% responsible for persecuting Christians. No pro-life politicians are involved in persecuting Christians.
The Catholic bishops, as a group, have repeatedly warned people that pro-life politicians hate the poor, love war, and will BLOW UP THE WORLD!!!! This is the gist of Cardinal Bernardin’s “Seamless Garment.”
History shows that hundreds of millions of Christians have been tortured and murdered in persecutions.
Such mindlessness. Morons like this are the backbone of the Democrat party. The party has been pro-abortion since 1972. It has been Communist since 1994. These morons are still voting against Herbert Hoover.
I am reminded of Bertrand Russell: “Most people would rather die than think, and millions have.”
“Why can’t they say persecution by Islam....?
.
Not so loud. You don’t want to offeeeeeeeeend muslims
Are you Catholic? If so, help me understand your comments regarding Cardinal Bernadin (the man persecuted by the media for a fake pedophile scandal). I’ve read up on this but still don’t know all the facts.
Here in the U.S. the persecution is not coming even mostly from Muslims. It is coming from leftists.
Trust me, Romney would not have been their first choice. I disagree with the endorsement, but I certainly will not indict them forever and ever over it. Lots of people I like and trust came to the same conclusion at that time. I didn’t. I was right. But, hey, no one is perfect.
Billy Graham is old and in declining health. When he makes statements it is a big deal. If he were able, he would be doing his crusades. Age has a way of slowing people WAY down.
That's what is SO weird.
There was a time, as recent as ten years ago, that the majority of US citizens would be appalled by such a thing.
They would have said: Why does support of gay marriage trump EVERYTHING?"
Can't we have our own beliefs?
Nope.
And squishy citizens have just gone along with this.
Look at Mike Pence.
He *tried* to fend off the onslaught of forcing people to do something the didn't want to do and look at what happened. Not libertarians, not the churches, nobody.
Everyone just turned away, not realizing what is going to happen.
I'm starting to believe that we as "Americans" are going to get EXACTLY what we deserve.
When good men do nothing, evil wins.
Evil has won the day.
[[Here in the U.S. the persecution is not coming even mostly from Muslims.]]
Oh but it will- Liberal/Muslim = same difference
Bernardin was never involved in a “pedophilia” scandal. He was accused of sexual abuse by a young adult man, who was a teenaged seminarian at the time of the abuse. Bernardin was guilty, along with other clerical buddies. (A strong pattern emerged over the years: Friends of Bernardin who became bishops had a tendency to involvement in homosexual scandals.) Bernardin claimed in his smarmy autobiography (A Gift of Peace) that Steven Cooke retracted his accusations. This was a lie. Bernardin got $10 million from somewhere and paid Cooke off. Cooke died of AIDS soon after Bernardin’s death.
In 1982, and for years afterward, Bernardin promoted the “Seamless Garment.” Bernardin claimed that “Catholic Social Teaching” required Catholics to support the Democrat platform—i.e., surrender to the Soviets, spend more on welfare, oppose the death penalty, throw open the borders, etc.—and oppose the Republic platform, with the sole exceptions of abortion and euthanasia.
Needless to say, the notion that “Catholic Social Teaching” mandated support for leftist, collectivist Democrat policies was a lie.
The result of this malarkey was that most Democrat politicians turned out to be “good on nine issues and bad on one,” while most Republicans turned out to be “bad on nine issues and good on one.” From thousands of pulpits, for decades, priests have been telling Catholics that it’s wrong to vote on the basis of “one issue.”
Bernardin held various positions in the national bishops’ conference, including president, for many years. He pioneered getting Catholic Charities and other agencies totally addicted to government money. This policy was completely successful in silencing the bishops on the subject of abortion, since Democrats now controlled the money spigots. The staff of the bishops’ conference has always been stuffed with Democrat activists.
When Bernardin died, the choir at the Vigil Service (part of the Catholic funeral rites, held the night before the Funeral Mass) was the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus. The final middle finger to the Catholic Church from Bernardin.
Your or my endorsement is meaningless. His, as a so called ‘man of God’ drove plenty of Christians over the fence to vote for a guy that profits from the ‘refuse’ of Planned Parenthood in the name of God. The result ensured more returns to Heaven’s PO box.
I think that is a bit of an issue.
Only in the general election wasn’t it?
Isn’t that where it matters most? Putting the guy in charge of America where he can do more of what he did that is the polar opposite of all Christians believe in?Father of Gay Marriage
Obamacare/Romneycare regs that hurt christian hospitals. docs and patients
Abortion
It doesn’t matter id Satan himself ran on the Dem ticket. Endorsing Beelzebub isn’t the path to following ones faith.
If your spiritual and moral guide is hitting the lesser evil sauce, how is that not one hell of a big problem? A man of God ADVOCATING this crap? Thats what an endorsement means. There is no pick and choose here.
Well I didn’t vote for him even in the general. So on the one hand I agree with you. BUT, a lot of good people thought it was better than letting Obama win. I had to follow my conscience, but I do not blame them for following theirs. I do not believe Romney would have been better, but then, even I did not foresee just how horrible Obama would be. He is worse than I even imagined, and I imagined him very bad. I do not regret not voting for Romney. I actually regret supporting W. I voted for McCain and it did not result in a win. He would have made a horrible president. I think W. set the entire party on the “moderate” path in a very sneaky and dishonest way. After McCain and Romney, let’s hope we will finally recover and get a real conservative candidate.
Right, but he had a lot to do with steering the conscience of Christian people that probably are really upset after the Planned Parenthood revelations as well as all the liberalism Mittens has spouted since.
The man and his son advocated for him. They took his advice in their decision. Then we learn that Mitt helped fund and create a baby parts business. Which his cash and laws in mass contributed to. That everyone knew or damn well should have of his abortion involvement was bad enough. Not there’s this.
I gotta believe that there’s some folks asking for some extra forgiveness these days. And Billy is partly to blame for why. He had no business using his position in advocating for garbage like Romney.
I agree with you on the principle. I still do not hold their support for Romney against them. They meant well, and that was a common argument among lots of Christians, that they should support the lesser of two evils. I do not mind that some people’s conscience steers them that direction. What I mind is the bullyish pressure from some to intimidate others into agreeing with them (not directed at you but referring to people during the campaign). I think we should inform our minds and consciences with the truth. Debate it, yes. But trying to insult each other into submission should trip another conscience wire. That’s just wrong. Let the chips fall where they fall. Encouraging people to follow their own conscience is more important in the long run. We are fast becoming a country that disallows individual conscience and only the conscience of the state matters. Or so-called conscience. It disallows any allegiance to God or even to truth and reality. It is all about the feelings and whims of the powerful. It is a dangerous and anti-republican position. When our side uses bully tactics, we become supporters of that in general.
“They meant well, and that was a common argument among lots of Christians, that they should support the lesser of two evils.”
What exactly would the argument be for a christian to support evil? That doesn’t even compute. Evil is evil. Christians don’t get to grant ourselves indulgences.
They didn’t view it the way you and I view it. They must follow their conscience and not ours. We can try and persuade them to rethink the principle, but in the end, be glad that they have a conscience at all. I think time has brought more people to see it like you and I do. We can’t force people to see what they do not see. They’re still overwhelmingly on our side on the issues. We can’t afford to lose any friends. What’s the saying, “Why cry over spilled milk?” Just be glad they are on our side now.
Thats nice and all but do you trust them not to revert once the big fear falls upon them again? Trust them to do whats right when they proved they won’t once already?
Lets see which way the majority goes before any ‘Aw schucks thats OK”. Because they did it AGAIN a year ago with Mitch and Jonbon. I think they owe us one election done right before passing out acceptance and trust.
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