Pathway to Victory

Guest (Male): Hey podcast listeners, thanks for streaming today's podcast from Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory is a nonprofit ministry featuring the Bible teaching of Dr. Robert Jeffress. Right now, your generous gift will have twice the impact thanks to the In God We Trust $1.5 million matching challenge, active now through July 5th. To give a special matching challenge gift, go to ptv.org/donate or follow the link in our show notes. Now, here's today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.

Dr. Robert Jeffress: Hi, this is Robert Jeffress, and I'm glad to study God's Word with you every day on this Bible teaching program. On today's edition of Pathway to Victory, we're looking at the signs that Jesus said would precede His literal, visible return to this earth. One of those signs Jesus talked about was an increase in both the intensity and frequency of persecution for those who follow Him.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor, Dr. Robert Jeffress. Some people think that being a Christian is supposed to be easy, but in reality, Christians aren't exempt from suffering. In fact, our suffering is actually guaranteed. Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress describes the rising level of persecution that Christians around the world can expect to see. But first, let's take a moment to hear some important ministry updates.

Dr. Robert Jeffress: Thanks, David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. Perhaps you realize that Amy and I had the blessing of becoming first-time grandparents in an abundant way. In 2017, our daughter Julia gave birth to triplets. In addition to the happiness we feel, I'll confess we've had moments of deep reflection as well. My three grandchildren, and yours too, are entering a world that shuns Christian values and the principles we hold dear.

Now, you might say that's not a very cheerful outlook. Well, that's precisely why I'm giving my life to impacting the culture while there's still time. That's what Pathway to Victory is all about. Right now, Pathway to Victory is the recipient of a $1.5 million matching challenge. This positions us to catapult Pathway to Victory to new heights of impact in the coming year. Plus, while this matching challenge is active, you have the opportunity to double the impact of your contribution.

But that's not all because I'm going to thank you for your generous gift by sending you two exclusive resources. So, stay with us to hear all the details about these exclusive gifts I've set aside for you. But right now, it's time to open our Bibles to Matthew 24. How can we survive in a world where persecution is growing stronger every day? I've titled today's message "Christians in the Crosshairs."

I thought it was appropriate that I begin the message today with the story of one of the most courageous mothers in the world today, one I had the opportunity to meet just several months ago. You're probably familiar with the name of Miriam Ibrahim. She's the Sudanese woman, a 27-year-old medical doctor who was arrested in the Sudan and tried and convicted for apostasy and adultery.

Apostasy because she converted from Islam to Christianity. Even though she never personally embraced the Muslim faith, they still accused her of apostasy. She was accused and found guilty of adultery because she had sex with her husband, who happened to be a Christian, and the Muslims did not recognize that marriage. After her trial, she was sentenced to death by hanging for apostasy and for 100 lashes for adultery.

She stood before the Sudanese prosecutor time and time again. He gave her the opportunity to recant of her faith in Jesus Christ. Each time she uttered those words that have now become famous. When asked to renounce Jesus Christ as her Savior, she said, "I am a Christian and I will always be a Christian." As a result, she was sent to prison. She was placed in shackles, and the prison officials refused to unchain her even when she gave birth to her child.

As a result of the outcry of millions of people around the world, Miriam Ibrahim was finally released from that Sudan prison and she traveled to America where I had the chance to meet her. When she was interviewed by Megyn Kelly on The Kelly File, Miriam Ibrahim said that her heart breaks for the women of Sudan. Then she added these words, "There are many Miriams in Sudan and throughout the world. It's just not me."

In our series, we're looking at the signs that Jesus said would precede His literal, visible return to this earth. One of those signs Jesus talked about was an increase in both the intensity and frequency of persecution for those who follow Him. Jesus said it this way in John 16:33: "In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

Today, when we hear stories like that of Miriam Ibrahim, we seem to think, well, that's for the Middle East. That happens in other places, but that would never happen here. Ladies and gentlemen, there is absolutely no guarantee in Scripture that we who live in this country will be exempt from persecution. In fact, there's every guarantee that we will experience persecution.

Jesus said as much in Matthew chapter 5. In verses 1 to 10, He gives those qualities of a disciple that we call the Beatitudes. But then He begins in verse 11 and says, "If you exhibit those qualities, if you're a true follower of Mine, be ready for persecution." Verse 11, Jesus said, "Blessed are you not if, but when men cast insults at you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely on account of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Let's take a moment and briefly survey what is happening around the world to Christians. First of all, let's talk about the Christians in Iraq. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, we call them ISIS, captured the city of Mosul. Mosul is the ancient city of Nineveh, where Jonah ministered. For the last 2,000 years, it has been a Christian community.

And yet, ISIS came in and as a result of a purge of all Christians, today there are no Christians remaining in Mosul. They've all fled. Homes and churches have been turned into bomb factories and torture chambers. All of the Christian sites have been shuttered. In many ways, these Christians in Iraq and the Middle East are experiencing what the writer of Hebrews talked about in Hebrews 11, beginning with verse 35.

"And others were tortured, not accepting their release in order that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground." That's the fate, that is the experience right now of our brothers and sisters in Christ in the Middle East.

You look at what is happening in China. Bob Fu, who is the founder of ChinaAid, said that Christians in China face the worst persecution since the Cultural Revolution. He said, quote, "There have been forced demolitions, the removal of crosses, over 300 churches have been attacked, pastors have been sentenced to 12 years in prison, multiple believers have been attacked and hospitalized, and thousands of police were mobilized to attack a church. This has not been since the time of the Cultural Revolution. It is overwhelming."

Bob Fu has been tortured for his own faith in Christ. He had to flee Beijing in the middle of the night. He knew that at some point he would have to take some prison theology behind bars. He added, "That's the experience of Chinese Christians. We were always told that if you wanted to be a faithful follower of Jesus, you would have to take that course."

We're seeing persecution around the world. You say, well, it's always been that way since the beginning of time. Yes, it has. But there's an increase in this persecution. Did you know there were more martyrs in the 20th century than all the other centuries combined together? Jesus said these things are going to be like the birth pains of a woman; they will increase in intensity and in frequency.

Persecution was part of the Christian movement at the beginning. We're seeing it around the world today. Did you know persecution will escalate and reach its zenith during a future period of time we call the Tribulation? Christians will be slaughtered by the millions for their faith in Jesus Christ. You say, now wait a minute. During the Tribulation, I thought all Christians were going to be raptured. We were going to get out of here, that there weren't going to be any Christians.

It's true, the church will be raptured before the final seven years of Earth's history, but during that final seven years, many people will come to faith in Christ, but they will pay a terrible price to do so. John said as he looked forward through the corridor of history that many of those who become Christians will be martyred. In Revelation 6:9 he says, "And when he broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and because of the testimony which they had maintained."

The catalyst for this persecution will be the rule of the final world dictator that we commonly call Antichrist. He will launch an attack against both the Jews and Christians. He sees them as one. Just as radical Islam sees them as one, the people of the book, so the Antichrist will see Jews and Christians alike and will announce an attack against them. In Revelation 13:7, John said, "And it was given to him, that is the Antichrist, to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and the authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him."

During that period of time, no one will be able to buy or sell goods or services, whether it's food, water, healthcare. You won't be able to have that unless you take the identification code called the mark of the beast. Look at Revelation 13, verses 16 and 18: "And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one should be able to buy or to sell except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is 666."

Now think about that. Unless you take that mark that shows your allegiance to government and to government's leader, you won't be able to buy food for yourself or your children. You won't be able to have the medication you need for yourself or for your children. You will be denied healthcare access unless you show allegiance to this one-world government. You say, how is such a thing possible? How could government control our lives like that?

You know all you have to do is take out your smartphone and look at it right now. No, please don't do it because you'll never put it up again. But if you were to pick up your smartphone, embedded in that smartphone is a chip. And that chip connects to a GPS that allows you to know where you are and where you're going. It also allows other people to know where you are and where you're going. That same technology allows you to track packages that you have shipped for delivery. And pretty soon that same technology will be able to track every action that we have.

I came across an article entitled "Nine Real Technologies That Will Soon Be Inside You." In this article, Michael Edelhart describes implantable smartphones, healing chips, cyberpills that will actually communicate to your doctor. He talked about something called smart dust, which will be placed inside of us. Smart dust, he describes as arrays of full computers with antennas, each much smaller than a grain of sand.

And these smart computers inside of you will be able to organize themselves into the body, into as-needed networks to power a whole range of complex internal processes. Now, many of these things will be for good. These things will be able to attack cancer or bring pain relief or store advanced medical data inside of us. But even this article closes with these words: "This technology could be used also to ID every single human being."

And where does that lead? I think we know where it's leading if you take the Bible seriously. I mean, if you really believe what Revelation 13:16 says, that there is going to be a mark that will be given to everyone who shows allegiance to the beast, and without that mark, you won't be able to buy or sell, then you have to take this seriously.

There'll be all kinds of rationalization for why we need to take this mark. National security, for example. We need to ID everyone. Or more efficient taxation to make sure there are no black market transactions, everything gets recorded so that the government can tax it. There will be all kinds of logical reasons for this identification system, but we know where it is leading.

Look, the Bible says we know that in the beginning there was persecution against believers. We've seen that persecution right now is the norm around the world, the greatest level it's been in history. We also know that in the future there is going to be a worldwide persecution of Christians. Why do we think that we're going to be exempt here in the United States?

Listen, I believe personally in the Rapture of the church. But contrary to what some people say about the Rapture, that doesn't mean we get a pass on persecution. I think things could be very, very, very terrible before the church is finally raptured. There is no guarantee of exemption from persecution. There is every guarantee of it, and we need to be prepared for it.

Well, what is persecution? Let's talk about what persecution is. One dictionary defines it this way: "Hostility or ill-treatment, especially because of race or political or religious beliefs." Applied to the Christian faith, being persecuted means enduring unfair treatment because of either your words or your deeds that you do in the name of Jesus Christ. It can be anything from ridicule that you endure for wearing a cross to school or work all the way to the other end of the spectrum, and that means martyrdom for the faith and anything in between those two extremes.

Now, if you never take a stand for your faith, if you never act differently than those around you, you never have to worry about persecution. It's only those who stand for their faith. For example, students, if you remain quiet when a professor is standing up and ridiculing the Bible and blaspheming God, if you remain quiet, you never have to worry about experiencing a lower grade.

If you're a pastor listening to this message and you never speak out against moral issues in the world today, you'll never have to worry about being criticized by people outside the church or even inside the church. Nobody's going to bother you; they'll leave you alone.

If your parents are not a Christian and you talk to them about their need for Christ in a respectful way—if you choose never to talk to them about their need for Christ, you'll never have to worry about being thrown out of the house or suffering their wrath. If you're married to a non-Christian and you surrender to his or her desire that you quit going to church or that you not take the children to church, if you surrender to those wishes, you'll never have to worry about disharmony in your marriage.

But if you do take a stand for Jesus Christ, get ready; you are going to suffer. It is inevitable. Again, Jesus talked about that in Matthew 24, verses 8 and 9. He said, "But all of these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. Then they will deliver you to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations on account of My name." That's something you can bank on.

Well, what should we be doing in order to prepare for this coming persecution? Some of you are experiencing it already, but what are we to do to prepare for it? I want you to turn in your Bibles to 1 Peter chapter 4. Most scholars believe that Peter wrote this letter while Nero was the Emperor of Rome. However, he wrote this letter one year before the empire-wide ban on Christianity began.

In other words, before Nero began persecuting all Christians for every reason, Peter wrote this letter. So as Peter wrote this letter, things were beginning to heat up in the culture. Christians were sporadically being targeted, but the worldwide ban had not yet begun. In many ways, the situation then mirrors our situation here in America. People aren't being beheaded yet in America for their faith. They're not going to prison yet, but things are starting to heat up.

That's the direction things are going, and so Peter has a strong word for us today as well. Look at verses 12 and 13. He says, "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation."

I want you to look at that phrase: "do not be surprised." You know, sometimes, and I'll put myself in this category, we get surprised when we suffer for Christ's sake. We think, wait a minute, I'm supposed to get rewarded for doing right. I'm not supposed to suffer for doing right. And yet Peter says, "don't be surprised" when you suffer for Christ as though it were odd, that it were strange.

And then he adds that word at the beginning, "beloved." That word means literally "as those deeply loved by God." When you suffer in your workplace, when you suffer in a relationship, when you suffer at school for following Christ, remember you're deeply loved by God. Your suffering doesn't mean God has forgotten about you or that He doesn't care about you. This is just part of the price for following Christ.

And frankly, it's the price we don't hear that often about today. You know one reason I think we get so surprised when we suffer for being a Christian is we think, now wait a minute, this isn't what I signed up for. I thought following Christ means I would have a better life. I thought following Christ means an improved self-image, a happier marriage, an increase in my income. That's what I signed up for. I thought being a Christian would eliminate my problems.

Ladies and gentlemen, being a Christian doesn't eliminate problems. In many ways, it creates new problems you would never have if you weren't a Christian, at least in the short term. Now in the end, it all works out and Christ rewards us, but in the short time, there is a price to pay for being a Christian. Don't think of it as unusual.

And you know, inherent in this idea of persecution is being treated unfairly. You say, well, it's not fair that somebody would do that to me. It's just not fair. That's part of suffering. Look at 1 Peter chapter 2. Turn back two chapters to verses 21 and 23. If we're following Christ, we're going to have the same experience that Christ experienced. And what was that experience?

Look at verse 21: "For you have been called for this purpose." What purpose? For suffering. "Since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps." And who was this Christ? Look at verse 22: "Who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth." That is, He suffered for no reason. He did nothing that merited His suffering. Verse 23: "And while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but He kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously." Jesus was treated unfairly.

Because Jesus suffered, none of us should be surprised when persecution shows up on our doorstep. It's to be expected, and it falls to every believer in Jesus Christ to get ready for whatever comes our way. Well, I'm going to share much more about today's subject, but first, I'm eager to remind you about the wonderful In God We Trust matching challenge that's in process right now.

In fact, we're midway to the deadline on July 5th, and we're making steady progress toward the goal of $1.5 million. If we can reach this amount with your help, we'll invest these funds directly into providing Pathway to Victory on your TV and radio station and all the other platforms that supply our resources to listeners and viewers. Look, I understand something deeply personal happens when you decide to give. You are placing your trust in someone.

And I want you to know I don't take that trust lightly. For 30 years, Pathway to Victory has treated every dollar entrusted to us as exactly what it is: a sacred gift, invested prayerfully to reach as many souls as possible. And today, through the In God We Trust matching challenge, every dollar you trust us with, we will double. You have my word. To say thank you for your gift today, I'm going to send you a fabulous book that reinforces the truth about God's hand upon the country we love. It's our 250th commemorative edition of *America is a Christian Nation*.

This coffee table keepsake provides a stunning full-color celebration of the faith that built this country. In a culture that's working overtime to erase that heritage, this volume stands as a permanent, beautiful reminder of the truth. So, please get in touch today. Here's David with all the details.

Guest (Male): When you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory, you're invited to request the brand-new 250th commemorative edition of *America is a Christian Nation*. In addition to the book, you'll also receive *In God We Trust*, a brand-new two-disc set featuring music performances by the First Baptist Dallas Choir and Orchestra and teaching from Dr. Robert Jeffress.

To request these resources, call 866-999-2965, visit ptv.org, or text PTV to 78800. And when you give $100 or more, we'll also send you the *America and the Bible* message series on DVD video and MP3 format audio disc set. And remember, because of the In God We Trust matching challenge, your gift to Pathway to Victory will be matched and therefore doubled in impact. So be sure to get in touch with us today.

One more time, call 866-999-2965 or go online to ptv.org. You can also send your donation by mail. Write to PO Box 223609, Dallas, Texas 75222. Again, that's PO Box 223609, Dallas, Texas 75222. I'm David J. Mullins, inviting you to join us next time when Dr. Jeffress concludes this message titled "Christians in the Crosshairs." That's Tuesday here on Pathway to Victory.

Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas.

Guest (Male): You made it to the end of today's podcast from Pathway to Victory, and we're so glad you're here. Pathway to Victory relies on the generosity of loyal listeners like you to make this podcast possible. And right now, your ministry gift will be matched and therefore doubled in impact thanks to the In God We Trust $1.5 million matching challenge. Take advantage of this opportunity to double your impact before the deadline on July 5th. To give toward the matching challenge, go to ptv.org/donate or follow the link in our show notes. We hope you've been blessed by today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.