Do you want a powerful Church? Most believers would answer, “Amen, brother. Bring on the power.”
Are you willing to pray for the power to fall upon the Church? Once again, most believers would nod their heads and answer, “Amen. Amen. Let’s do it.”
Now, what if I tell you that in order to have a powerful Church, we’ll need heavy persecution; then how many of you are willing to pray for heavy persecution to fall upon the Church? This is probably where most believers head for the doors. Some might even throw a few choice words over their backs as they leave, such as, “Don’t you know that Jesus is the Prince of Peace?”
Well, I have good news for everyone. We don’t have to pray for heavy persecution to fall upon the Church. Why? It’s already here.
“Where? And how?” you ask with a raised, skeptical eyebrow.
President Barack Obama and the Democrat-controlled Senate and Congress are right now in the process of heaping persecution on the Church. It’ll be camouflaged as types of religious fairness doctrines or hate-speech crimes, all to protect innocents from us mean Christians. But understand this, there will be penalties for disobeying these laws and mandates.
So, if you are still wondering why President Obama won the election, think of it like this. Jesus is building His Church. A little of this. A little of that. And whole lot of power to hold it together in unity.
The Church patronized is the Church paralyzed, therefore, the Church in peril. The Church persecuted is the Church prayerful, and therefore powerful. (G. Campbell Morgan)
Swimming Upstream appears at this blog site on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It’s a little of this and a little of that, all written to encourage and exhort believers in their Christian jouneys.
Larry Who 
Hmm – I’m not American or living in America, so I’ll wait and see and hold my tongue about Obama. But… as for the persecution, I TOTALLY agree with you. America and Canada (and parts of Mexico) are comfortable, obscenely wealthy (compared with world standards), and lazy. Like fat cats we sit in the sun and complain when a cloud blocks it. God has proved over and over again that persecution refines his church and provides explosive growth. Just look at the church in North Korea and China.
A good dose of persecution would very quickly separate those who speak their faith vs. those who live it.
Our church sends money to a small village in Romania – in one offering we can send more than they’ll see in a year. But THEY pray for US, that we’ll hold fast to our faith, that we’ll realize what really matters is not stuff of this earth.
Blessings
Philippa,
Thanks for your insights.
If the American church is an example of the Laodicean Church in Revelation Chapter 3, there is still good news for us. The Laodicean Church did receive the sternest rebuke from the Lord for its lukewarmness, but it also was given the greatest promises. Promises of intimate relationship with the Lord and a chance to sit on the throne with Jesus.
So, looking at from a positive point of view, persecution is our springboard to great promises from the Lord.
Amen. Persecution might not be a pre-requiste for power. But it is garanteed to come either/or before and after, nowhere in the bible does it show us anything different.
THE PRICE IS WORTH PAYING…