Save America Ministries

Guest (Male): This is Viewpoint with attorney and author Chuck Crismier. Viewpoint is a one-hour talk show confronting the issues of America's heart and home. And now with today's edition of Viewpoint, here is Chuck Crismier.

Chuck Crismier: Today hope is on the horizon, friends, hope. We need hope. Hope is something that the Bible always promises us if we walk in the ways of the Lord. When you walk with the Lord in the light of his word, what a glory he sheds on your way. While you do his good will, he abides with us still and with all who will trust and obey.

Hope lies ahead. It's amidst suffering and persecution that the true hope of our calling is confirmed, not in anxiety, but in rejoicing. Have you ever thought about why Peter denied Christ? Have you thought about that? Peter denied Christ, you recall, and Jesus told him that he would. He said, "Before the cock crows twice, you're going to deny me three times." And indeed, right in front of Jesus, Peter denied him.

This is the man who said, "I will go to the ends of the earth. In fact, I will even die for you." But there was a circumstance that arose that caused him to deny Jesus. Why? Well, when you think about it, he was under pressure. Now, you might not have thought that he was under pressure, but he did think he was under pressure. In fact, he was under great pressure.

So great was the pressure that under the circumstances, every one of the disciples had already left Jesus. They fled. Why? Because of the pressure. The pressure that they perceived as Jesus was arrested at the betrayal of Judas. They all fled. But Peter followed afar off. In fact, he went on the way to the Sanhedrin head's home where Jesus was taken, arrested by the temple soldiers, and taken to the high priest's home for trial, for testing.

And Peter followed afar off. Why did Peter follow afar off? Why wasn't he right up there on the tail of those that arrested Jesus? He was right there. No, he was following afar off. Question: Am I following afar off? Are you following afar off? And if so, where's the hope? Where's the hope if we're following afar off?

Well, the interesting thing is that a little maid came up to Peter and said, "You know what? I think I know you. I think you've been with Jesus." And he said, "No, I don't know the man. I don't know the man." Now, it was a simple thing, a simple word from a servant of the high priest. She said, "I think you're a Galilean." "Oh no, not me, not me. I just don't know the man."

And then a third time, he was asked about his identity with the disciples and with Jesus and he denied with an oath. He denied with an oath. Why did he do that? Question: What would you do under those circumstances? What would you do under similar circumstances? That's the question before us here today on Viewpoint as we talk about ultimately the hope ahead. Hope's on the horizon.

Yet true hope in Jesus as Savior and Lord has to reside presently with the utmost conviction and unswerving expectation in the very depths of our hearts and be woven deeply through the membranes of our minds right now. And that hope is the anchor that will keep our soul steadfast and sure while the billows of persecution threaten to swamp our spirits.

Today on Viewpoint: the hope ahead notwithstanding the trials that precede it. I'm so glad that you joined us here on Viewpoint. This conversation is always with ever-increasing conviction, talk that transforms. And we're going to see how, in fact, there are efforts all across our world to pressure God's people into conformity to deny Christ, to not identify with him. It's happening everywhere.

It's happening in the United States, mostly under color of law. The pressure is building. It's happening in South Korea that supposedly was a great Christian nation. The largest church in the world right there, Yonggi Cho's church, 750,000 people. But an imprisoned pastor is warning of South Korea's erosion of religious freedom. Why?

Maybe Peter himself is warning us. Maybe Peter himself is saying, "You know what? I've been there. I know what this pressure's like. I know how it feels to feel like you're so terror-stricken, you're so afraid of what's going to happen to you that you're willing to deny Jesus." And Jesus said, "If you deny me and if you will not open up and testify publicly of me before men, neither will I identify you before my Father as one with me in heaven."

So this matter of the testing, persecution actually is a form of trial of our faith. It's a kind of suffering that Jesus said that if we followed him, we would experience somewhat the same thing. Again, I welcome you to Viewpoint. This conversation is always with ever-increasing conviction, talk that transforms, today being no exception.

And see, when you ask rhetorical questions, when you take a look at what the scriptures really imply, it's easy for us to see the historical situation with regard to Peter and Peter's denial of the Lord. First of all, he follows afar off. And that tells us something right there, that he was afraid. What was he afraid of? Well, he was afraid of identifying with Jesus and what the consequences would be.

Apparently all the apostles, all the disciples were afraid of the same thing and they all fled. But at least Peter followed afar off and came into somewhat proximity. But then again, the proximity is what caused even increased fear and caused him to deny his Lord three times, even in Jesus' presence. Now, that takes a certain amount of chutzpah or, put it differently, terrifying fear. That ultimately is at the heart of persecution, friends, the kind that Jesus talked about. We'll talk about that as we move forward here on Viewpoint today. Stay tuned, there's hope ahead.

Guest (Male): Once upon a time, children could pray and read their Bibles in school. Divorces were practically unknown, as was child abuse. In our once great America, virginity and chastity were popular virtues and homosexuality was an abomination. So what happened in just one generation? Hi, I'm Chuck Crismier and I urge you to join me daily on Viewpoint where we discuss the most challenging issues touching our hearts and homes. Could America's moral slide relate to the fourth commandment? Listen to Viewpoint on this radio station or anytime at saveus.org.

Chuck Crismier: Again, I welcome you back to Viewpoint. I'm Chuck Crismier. When we truly live by faith as a state of both mind and heart, daily directing our will, we become securely convinced that if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we're of all men most miserable. So faith then becomes both the root and the realization of the victory that overcomes the world. Not only the spirit of the world and its perpetual enticement, but also the pressure that it increasingly exerts upon our lives, compelling us to conform to its will.

So if you and I are both individually and collectively absolutely convinced that it is not a mere confession of faith, but rather the living by faith that secures our souls and the hope that reigns victoriously over the persecutorial horrors that are soon pressing upon us to compel every man, woman, and child to embrace a false hope. This is the test of our time. If we would truly be as one scripture says, prisoners of hope, then we also must not be prisoners of persecution.

But prisoners of persecution become prisoners by reason of fear. And fear has torment, the Bible says. Therefore, if God has not given us the spirit of fear, then who has? If God did not give Peter the spirit of fear right there in the high priest's house while they were trying Jesus, then who gave it to him? How did Peter respond in such terrifying fear, such that he would deny Jesus three times, even in Jesus' presence?

That's amazing, isn't it? You might not have ever thought about this, but indeed we should. Because if the apostle Peter could be tempted and tested in that way so powerfully that he would deny Jesus three times, not just once, not just twice, but three times. It says something about us. Are we prepared? Are we prepared to stand in the evil day?

Are we prepared to stand when the pressures all around us are seeking to compel us to run from Jesus rather than to embrace him? You see, the problem is not whether or not we believe in God, because the devil believes in God and even trembles. So the problem is Jesus. The name of Jesus is the problem. Identifying with Jesus, lock, stock, and barrel, is the issue.

And we can say theoretically, "Yes, I believe in Jesus," but do we believe him? Do we truly love him? Are we seeking first his kingdom and his righteousness as Jesus said, so that all the other things would be added to us? You see, those are the things that must prepare us in the depths of our minds and our hearts so that in the time and moment of testing, we do not forfeit the hope that otherwise would lie ahead.

The city of Los Angeles is being sued right now for its wild and unsupported claim that believing the Bible is a mental illness. Yes, you have it correctly. It's an anti-Christian ideology revealed in a recent dispute with a city employee who, as a Christian, objected to the LGBT promotions in his department during June and asked for permission to work remotely during that time period so as to avoid giving the appearance that he endorsed that ungodly, unbiblical agenda.

Instead of working remotely, officials suggested he simply use the back door or seek mental health counseling if the pride flag caused him distress. Being allowed to work remotely is exactly the accommodation the city already allows for Muslims when they object to something in their workplace offending their beliefs. But Eric, the individual who is offended in this case, requested permission to work remotely during one month of the year, performing the same job he had successfully performed from home before.

His work could be done remotely without difficulty. In fact, other employees were already doing the same thing. But now the city of Los Angeles is forcing employees to violate their faith in the workplace. Now, it may be offensive to the First Amendment, freedom of religion, but it's offensive more than that. What it's saying is it's putting Eric, the employee there in the city of Los Angeles, putting him under pressure. Are you going to comply with our demand that you align yourself with the LGBTQ agenda or not?

If you're not going to align yourself according to our precepts, according to our rules, then what? Well, then you're going to suffer the consequences. And if you're not willing to suffer the consequences, then certainly you need true counseling because you have mental illness. Mental illness to believe Jesus, mental illness to believe the Bible. I'm beginning to get the point here.

You see, they didn't threaten to put him in an asylum, but there are many in our world that have been threatened to be put in asylums, in fact, were put in those asylums because of their faith. It's called persecution. Now, we don't think of it that way. This was just a workplace problem. No, it wasn't just a workplace problem. It was a real-life situation. If Peter had been in that situation, what would he have done?

Would he have capitulated out of fear? I don't know, because he did deny the Lord three times. You say, "Well, that was before Jesus died and rose again." Well, it's true, but he had walked with Jesus for three and a half years. Right? Jesus had asked him before that, "Peter, do you love me?" Three times he had asked Peter, "Do you love me?"

And Peter was so distraught. "Why are you asking me, Lord, 'Do you love me?' three times? And you're asking me, Peter?" Jesus knew that he would be tested and that he'd fail the test and deny his Lord three times under pressure of perceived persecution. He wasn't actually persecuted, he perceived that he would be persecuted if he identified with Jesus.

So, what circumstance would be necessary to bring you into a position where you would feel it necessary or compelled to deny Jesus or not to admit that you are his follower because of what you perceived a threat to be? This is real-life biblical application. We don't like to think of it this way, but it is true. If Jesus did not want us to think of it this way, why would he say then, "If they persecuted me, they will persecute you. Why do you think you should be different than your Lord?"

Why would the apostle Paul say, "Yes, indeed all who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution"? Why would he say that? Because he knew that it was true. Now, all those things were written in the past. Paul said in the book of Romans, "All those things were written before for us that we through patience and comfort of the scripture might have hope."

You see, the hope is that we would be prepared. The hope is not some sort of a free-floating kind of touchy-feely good feelings kind of a thing. No, it's not that kind of hope. It's a hope that is secured by faithfully following the Lord. As the writer of Hebrews said, "Don't be slothful but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises." In other words, perseverance.

Now, the just shall live by faith, but if any man draw back, in other words, fail to press forward by patient faith, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. So James, the brother of Jesus, said, "Brethren, count it all joy when you fall into many temptations and trials, knowing this, that the trial of your faith works patience." But let patience have her perfect work that you may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing.

And that's where the hope lies. Looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Hope is at the heart of the gospel, but then so is trial and tribulation. Those no wonder Jesus said, "He that endures to the end, the same shall be saved." In other words, those who persevere faithfully by patience as a demonstration of their true love and commitment to me, that is to Jesus, shall be saved.

Those who do not, by implication, will not be saved. Now, that's again something that we don't hear talked about. We don't hear preached. But Jesus did. We just don't want to talk about it from that viewpoint. But maybe we should. Maybe those who really want to preach the gospel of hope will do everything that they can to prepare God's people, professing followers of Jesus Christ, to be able to stand faithfully in the evil day, come what may.

What do you think? Get a copy of the book "When Persecution Comes: Preparing Hearts for Perilous Times". These are those times and they're becoming more perilous. The Western world is becoming much more perilous and it's coming through legal threats. You see, this is what happened with Daniel. Remember the prophet Daniel in the Old Testament? Let's talk about him in just a moment.

But for now, get a copy of the book "When Persecution Comes" because it's going to prepare you and then you as a parent, as a grandparent, as a pastor, as one who cares about others in your sphere of influence to enable you to prepare others so that they also might have a true and legitimate hope that will not be thrown or cast away because of fear or perceived fear and threat of persecution.

It's a $25 book, yours for I think it's on our website for $18. Such a deal. I hope you'll get a copy because it's a message of hope for you. A message of hope how to live this thing out in such a way that we are prepared, that your kids are prepared, those you care about are prepared, that your congregation is prepared, friends, and don't presume that they are. That's a false presumption. $18 on the website saveus.org. Give us a call 1-800-SAVE-USA, or write to us at Save America Ministries, P.O. Box 70879, Richmond, Virginia 23255, writing a check and $6 for postage and handling.

On the back of the book it says, "Perilous times are promised. Are you prepared to stand? Persecution is unavoidable. Not terrified but triumphant." That's what God wants. Not terrified but triumphant. "Hope is promised. The blessed hope of the church lies straight ahead with the soon coming of our Lord. But that hope will be supremely tested to confirm our trust, requiring preparation. So in these pages you will from the heart engage in that preparation for the hope ahead. Are you ready? When persecution comes." We'll be right back, friends. Stay tuned. We're going to take a look at some of the things that are happening, yes, in our country and around the world.

Guest (Male): There is so much more about Chuck Crismier and Save America Ministries on our website, saveus.org. For example, under the marriage section, God has marriage on his mind. Chuck has some great resources to strengthen your marriage. First off, a fact sheet on the state of the marital union, a fact sheet on the state of ministry marriage and morals. Saveus.org, marriage, divorce, and remarriage. What does the Bible really teach about this? Find all of this at saveus.org. Also, a letter to pastors, the Hosea project. Saveus.org and many more resources to strengthen your marriage. It's all on Chuck's website, saveus.org. Again, you can listen to Chuck's Viewpoint broadcast live and archived. Save America Ministries website at saveus.org.

Chuck Crismier: Back to the prophet Daniel. Do you remember Daniel? The young man who was taken captive by the Babylonians together with his friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And he rose to prominence because of his wisdom, because God had watched over him with great favor. And he was elevated prominently by Darius, the Iranian or Persian king. That's right, the Persian king, Iranian king.

And so he had great favor there. But the rest of the politicians around him were extremely envious. And envy is the engine of Egypt. Envy is what crucified Jesus. Envy is what caused every one of the apostles to suffer persecution by the Jewish people, the leaders that is. Envy is what caused the apostle Paul to die a martyr's death. Every single one of the apostles and Paul and Jesus as well all died because of envy.

And envy will cause people to do a lot of strange things, wicked things. And so these politicians in Daniel's day were so envious that they hated Daniel and they said, "The only way we can ever get at him is through his religion." So they connived together to go before the king and present with the king something that would cater to the king's pride. That for 30 days anyone who would pray to anyone other than the king would be thrown in the lions' den.

So they catered, prevailed upon the king's pride. The king signed the declaration, the law of the Medes and Persians which could not be broken. So now he was stuck. But Daniel was faithful. Notwithstanding what he knew, he knew what had been prescribed under color of law. Thrown in the lions' den. So what is he going to do? That's the question. What is Daniel going to do? What would you do?

You see, it's not just about Daniel, it's about you and it's about me. What would I do under those circumstances? What would you do under those circumstances when you know that if you continue to pray and honor the Lord in any visible way, you will be thrown in the lions' den for that's the likely result? Under color of law. Under the law of the Medes and Persians which cannot be broken.

So Daniel continued to pray and he didn't hide it. Every day he opened his window and prayed toward Jerusalem. The political spies were able to confirm that he had broken the law of the Medes and Persians. And so they went before the king and reported this and the rest is history. Of necessity under color of law, Daniel was thrown in the lions' den.

Now, when Daniel was thrown in the lions' den, he had no idea. He could not have known for sure what was going to happen. Now, we read that he was delivered. Praise the Lord for that. But he might not have been. And you don't know that. If you read the book of Hebrews chapter 11, the great faith chapter, the great hope chapter of faith, you find at the end that about, oh, maybe 15 verses out of the end of the chapter talk about those who were not delivered, who suffered terrifically, like Isaiah, who was put in a log and cut in half.

You see, the Bible is very real. Unfortunately, we don't teach and preach it very really. Not really. We don't apply it in ways that can grip our minds and our hearts in the time of trouble and testing. It doesn't market well to talk about the cost of discipleship. But it is the message of the gospel. The gospel is good news because of the bad news.

And if we taught and preached it correctly, we wouldn't end up with so many people of false discipleship just this last week. We heard of one day in which an amazing number, unprecedented number of people were baptized all over the country. Were they ready to follow Jesus? I don't know. But I doubt that most of them were because they weren't presented with the true cost of discipleship. What it really meant to follow Jesus.

That's the problem that we have. Daniel ultimately was delivered. Praise the Lord for that. His friends under similar circumstances were thrown into the fiery furnace, remember? Because they refused to bow down to the great colossal statue. They refused to bow down in Nebuchadnezzar's day. And they were thrown in the fiery furnace. Now, they realized that God might not deliver them. They said so. But even if he doesn't, they said, "We're not going to bow down."

What would you do? See, the real issue here is not what they did, it's what you would do. It's not what I would do. And you know, it's a very hard thing to sit here behind the broadcast mic and talk about something like this in such, shall we say, straightforward terms, realizing that I'm asking myself the same question. It's not just about the listener, it's about the one who's delivering this message.

The mere thought of it could be terrifying. But I can't go to that part of it because the question is: how much do I love Jesus? We can sing the song "Oh, How I Love Jesus because he first loved me". It's great, it's a wonderful song. It's a wonderful song, but love has consequences. And it's the consequences that we really don't want to talk about.

In Canada, there is a bill, C-9 of the Canadian Parliament, that now is threatening persecution. In Canada. The agenda is to strip out a decades-old religious rights protection provision in Canada's criminal law. Under that precedent, there's a good faith religious defense, meaning that those expressions expressing sincere religious expression are protected from prosecution for hate even if those views offend prevailing cultural norms.

But now this new bill is removing that protection that collapses a critical constitutional firewall and opens the door to politically motivated prosecutions of pastors, rabbis, religious leaders, teachers, parents, and ordinary citizens who refuse to affirm state-mandated gender ideology or other government-approved narratives, the report says. In other words, would force every single professing Christian to be a Daniel or to be one of the three Hebrew young men. Canada.

What's interesting is that American media, American Christian media programs have already for years had to change their language to present their programs in Canada so as not to fall afoul of Canadian laws that would through threat of legal process criminalize the deliverers whether they be Focus on the Family, regardless of what they might be. So these ministries conformed. They conformed out of fear of the consequences.

How far can you conform to the mandates of the culture or the mandates of ungodliness and still claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ? How far can you do that? Is that not capitulating to persecution? Indeed it is. And it happens gradually. Here's another one. A federal judge has ordered six Arkansas school districts not to display the Ten Commandments, maintaining that allowing the displays would permit the state to proselytize children.

This is pretty amazing, Arkansas is part of the Bible Belt, friends. The court says you can't display the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments were really at the very foundation of this country itself. If you look over the dais of the US Supreme Court, if you've ever been there, you will see the Ten Commandments displayed in bas-relief right there. It's dramatic. So dramatic that Barack Obama wanted to cover them up. Yes he did. And this judge that made this ruling was appointed to the bench by President Barack Obama.

Through force or threat of force, through legal process, intimidating, threatening, you either conform or else. It's the or else, you see, that strikes fear and causes me to have to ask: now what am I going to do? Am I willing to stand or not? We'll be back. Have you ever considered what the early church was like? Many people are developing a heart longing for a greater fulfillment in our practices as Christians.

A recent study showed 53,000 people a week are leaving the back door of America's churches in frustration. What is going to happen? Why has there not been even a 1% gain among followers of Christ in the last 25 years? Could it be that God is seeking to restore first-century Christianity for the 21st century? Jesus said, "I'll build my church." Is Christ by his Spirit stirring to prepare the church for the 21st century?

The early church prayed together and broke bread from house to house. They were family and it was said by all who observed, "Behold how they love one another." Incredible. But the same can be found right now. Go to saveus.org and click Cell Church. We can revive first-century Christianity for the 21st century. It's about people, not programs. It's about a body, not a building. That's saveus.org, click Cell Church.

Amid rising persecution, God has given us the gospel, the good news of hope. Hope is at the heart of the gospel. It's not just about, "Well, I believe in God," and "Yes, I believe that Jesus was the Son of God and he died for my sins." It's not enough to recite certain facts about the gospel. It has to be lived. And that's why Peter talked about the trying of our faith that it might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

So because of that we are in hope. As Paul wrote, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. So the gospel of Jesus Christ is good news precisely because it is a message of ultimate hope amid ever-increasing godless horror and yes indeed persecution. We press on patiently and joyfully notwithstanding trials and tribulations for the promised hope.

It lies ahead, for in God's presence there's fullness of joy, and at his right hand there are pleasures forevermore. So this genuine gospel of hope is woven throughout the Bible through prophecy, from Genesis 3 all the way through the Psalms and the Prophets, and all the way up to the end of the Bible. Paul writes about this. He said it pleased the Father to present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight, if you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel.

Notice the apostle Paul said you can be moved away from the hope of the gospel. Now, that might shake some of you up in your preconceived notions concerning the ability to fall away from a once professed faith, but the apostle Paul made it clear. He also said in another place there is one body and one spirit, even as you are called in one hope. We give thanks to God since we heard of your faith for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven.

The Lord Jesus Christ is our hope, he writes. In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began. Looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Before receiving Christ, we were strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope without God in the world. And the mystery which has been hid from the ages is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

So you see, we're supposed to rejoice in the Lord always and because we have hope. But then the same apostle Paul writes these words: "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake." So it's amid suffering and persecution that true hope of our calling is confirmed, not in murmuring or complaining or terror-stricken anxiety, but in rejoicing.

Peter wrote of this. See, the gospel is like a coin. If you look at a coin and we say, "Well, a coin has heads and tails." Notice there are two sides to a coin and without the two sides there is no coin. It's one-dimensional or two-dimensional, it's not three-dimensional, it's not real. So the coin of the gospel has two sides. On the one side is salvation, but on the other side is suffering for the Savior's name.

And that's the part we don't like to present. But it is a very real thing and Jesus wanted it to be known. The disciples wanted it to be known, Paul wanted it to be known, and we're talking about it here on this program. Now, we are in the season now leading up to Palm Sunday, which is the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem before his crucifixion.

The writer of Hebrews said in this context, we should look unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross. For consider him that endured such contradiction or hostility, hostile opposition of sinners against him, lest you and I be wearied and faint in our minds. This understanding is woven throughout the New Testament.

The apostle Peter, declaring that the end of all things is at hand, called us to be sober or serious-minded. He wanted us to be prepared for the intensifying persecution that would come. He said, "Beloved, don't think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing happened to you, but rejoice inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy."

Now, this is the same Peter who denied Jesus three times. What happened to him? He was empowered by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and from that time on he was a different man. He says, "Hereunto were you called because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow in his steps." Forasmuch then as Christ has suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind.

So, the final example today is about a massive betrayal. A group that sets the agenda for 130,000 school counselors is now pushing a so-called woke agenda. This organization across the US and is now promoting a left-wing activist program that advocates for transgender ideology, critical race theory, and so on. So while the American people are actively rejecting the harms of these ideas and the ungodliness of them, they're being pushed upon the counselors by force.

The American School Counselor Association is pushing this upon 130,000 school counselors. Now, how are they expected to respond? How would you respond if you're a high school counselor? If you're a school counselor and the organization above you that you belong to or that's guiding and governing what you are to do or say or not say tells you that this is what you're going to do. You're going to embrace this and if you don't.

So now you have to begin to think, okay, what if I don't? What am I going to do? Am I going to have the courage of my convictions to stand fast according to the authority of what I believe the word of God has to say about this issue? You see, this isn't just a culture issue. This is a spiritual issue for Christians. We need to see it that way. These are the ways that it's happening in the United States of America most commonly.

And at the same time, antisemitism is growing in the church, big time. So the spirit of persecution is growing. It's multiplying in many different ways and here on this program we try to identify from time to time what some of those ways are so that you're not taken unawares. At the same time we respond not out of fear or frustration, but ultimately we respond out of hope because we have a heritage of hope.

If indeed faith is a substance of things hoped for, what shall we make of those who persevered in faithful hope having obtained a good report through faith yet didn't receive the ultimate promise on earth? In other words, they suffered, even lost their lives. What do you say? That God wasn't with them? No.

In fact, it says in the book of Hebrews many had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, tempted, slain with the sword, wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented. How shall we respond to that kind of a recital of our heritage? That's the recital of faith. And Western professing Christians can hardly even imagine such a thing, even after reading about it.

But there's going to be testing and we need to be prepared for that testing. And so I believe that the Lord moved upon my heart by his Spirit to write this book "When Persecution Comes" as a message of mercy and hope. Because he knew what was going to come. But God's people have not been prepared, especially in the Western world and especially in America.

We've been too busy selling the gospel, marketing the gospel to try to make it look nice, saleable, but have not taught the fullness of our hope. Every man that had this hope in him will purify himself even as Christ is pure, said the beloved apostle John. Paul went on to talk about these times. He says the grace of God that brings salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.

Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. And so we close our program today, the epistle of hope, preparing ourselves for the Lord's soon return with maybe the words of a song. It was first sung in 1958 by Stuart Hamblen known as the country-western gospel singer. It's a wonderful song, it's called "Until Then".

It goes like this: My heart can sing when I pause to remember a heartache here is but a stepping stone along a trail that's winding always upward, this troubled world is not my final home. But until then my heart will go on singing, until then with joy I'll carry on, until the day my eyes behold the city, until the day God calls me home. Until then. Our hearts no matter what's going on, no matter the persecution, the trials, the tribulations, our heart must go on singing.

With joy amid suffering we must carry on with hope in our heart that we will never truly walk alone. Until the day, until the day God calls us to his presence in a home prepared for us just as he promised. So, my friend, let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Notice whether we walk in fear or not is up to us. Neither let it be afraid. Even so come, Lord Jesus. And the saints would say, Amen.

He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. And that's where our hope lies. The gospel of hope. "When Persecution Comes", friends, get a copy of the book. You're not going to be disappointed because you're going to find that it truly is a message of hope and mercy that God lays out for us in times of increasing trouble.

$18 to put the $25 book in your hands. It's on our website saveus.org. Get it today, don't delay, and $6 for postage and handling if you're writing a check. And become a partner. Look, become a partner, friends. That's how we keep the message coming until Jesus comes. God bless and be a blessing.

Guest (Male): You've been listening to Viewpoint with Chuck Crismier. Viewpoint is supported by the faithful gifts of our listeners. Let me urge you to become a partner with Chuck as a voice to the church declaring vision for the nation. Join us again next time on Viewpoint as we confront the issues of America's heart and home.