2 Thessalonians 1:4, “So that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure.”

Most true Bible-believing Christians living in America today are very aware of the terrible physical persecution being experienced by some of their fellow believers in certain places around the world. Places like China, Africa, and the Middle East, just to name a few.

Since we do not know the day that the Lord will call us up to heaven with a shout, we can’t help but wonder why so many of our fellow believers overseas are experiencing such terrible persecution while we have, for the most part, remained safe and at peace for generations here in America.

Most of us are also very aware that if the direction America is currently moving in doesn’t change course very soon, we may find ourselves facing similar persecution right here in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

While we firmly believe in God’s promise that we will not experience His wrath during the judgment of the Tribulation, we realize that we will face increasing tribulation and persecution prior to the coming of the Lord for His bride.

It is true that physical violence against true believers is terrible persecution. It is also true that the increasing strength of the spiritual war being waged against true believers is another form of persecution.

“For that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard” (2 Peter 2:8).

The more familiar KJV: “(for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds).”

God’s servants are called to let our lights shine for Christ in the world. We’re called to be in the world but not of the world.

At the same time, if we who love God and believe His Word simply view the world around us, we can’t help but be tormented in our souls by the moral depravity that is exponentially increasing against our beliefs.

If we who love God and believe His Word attempt to watch or listen to any form of media, we’re bombarded by things in direct opposition to our beliefs on a daily basis. Not only are our eyes and ears filled with things fundamentally adverse to our core values, we are openly condemned as being hateful for simply believing what we believe.

(Ironically, true believers are condemned by those who condemn the lives of their own future children to death via abortion.)

When we who believe in the Word of God disagree with certain behavior that is publicly declared as righteous—even though it goes against the Word of God—we are accused of being a danger to humanity. We are also accused of hating the people engaging in the immoral behavior.

The accusations of hate are the opposite of the truth for genuine believers who truly follow the Lord’s commandments to love our enemies. True believers who love the Lord are only doing the very same thing that those who hate God’s laws are doing: standing up for our rights to believe what we believe.

Those who hate the moral code of God’s Word declare genuine followers of Jesus Christ as their enemies. In contrast, true Bible-believing Christians should “always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed” (2 Peter 3:15-16).

Those who hate true believers get around our loving message of the Gospel by saying that we are hateful by simply believing what we believe and living according to our beliefs. They say that our beliefs are exclusive as opposed to being inclusive.

In a nutshell, the world says that putting the Gospel of Jesus Christ ahead of its own social gospel is hatred.

The following are a few examples of the “hate” that true Christians are accused of:

• We believe that salvation is only through Jesus Christ (John 14:6).
• We stand against tyranny.
• We stand against killing unborn human beings.
• We will not condemn an entire race (white, Jewish, etc.) because we believe, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).
• We believe the true science of climate change (i.e., the sun is by far the main physical influence on earth’s climate, the same climate that the fossil record shows was actually warmer in the distant past), not the world’s own version of a future apocalypse caused by trucks and hamburgers, etc.

While we do not know just how much more persecution the Father will allow those of us who love His Son to suffer, we do know—as the convergence of the signs is signifying—He will likely be sending His Son to take us to the place He has prepared for us very soon.

John 14:3, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

In closing, here is a great lesson provided to us by the Lord through the Apostle Paul on how we can endure trials and tribulation while we continue to live for Christ.

2 Corinthians 1:3-10, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

“And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation. For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us.”

 

Disclaimer: This article is intended to serve a dual purpose. The first is to strengthen and encourage believers. The second is to proverbially grab non-believers and skeptics by the shoulders and scream, “Wake up!”

Mobile device: think smartphone.

A great number of things are falling into place concerning events that many would have considered far-fetched and nigh impossible only a few generations ago. Consider the fact that the technology now exists to literally put a digital mark on every human being on earth that would link those humans to a centralized database network. The capabilities of this network are at the very least equivalent to the capabilities of the exact same devices that most Americans are already familiar with and often use every day.

Think of every online, digital, and mobile device you’ve ever interacted with. Devices you use to control your banking and finances. Devices you use to buy your groceries and pay for services. Devices you use to take photos and videos. Devices you use to communicate with friends and family. Devices you use for navigation that track your own location and movements on a map. Etc., etc…

Now think about this mark as having access to the exact same network as all of those devices mentioned above. Having the mark will be the same as having your mobile device with you at all times instead of forgetting it or purposely leaving it at home, whether you currently use a smartphone or not.

Again, what are all of the things that you can do with your mobile device? Or, better yet, what are all the things your mobile device can “do for you” in the name of convenience or necessity?

Are you familiar with the World Health Organization (WHO)? Have you heard about their agenda for something they call the “DDCC”?

(“DDCC” stands for “Digital Documentation of COVID-19 Certificates,” and “DDCC-VC” is “Digital Documentation of COVID-19 Certificates: Vaccination Status”.)

The WHO has a publicly published document that you can find online. (Just search for “who ddcc technical specifications.”)

The goal of the WHO is to have a worldwide electronic immunization registry in place ASAP. What follows are quotes from the WHO document referenced above. I have not altered or edited any of the quotes EXCEPT for only underlining a few words. Where they decided to use all uppercase letters, they, in fact, did use all uppercase letters.

From page 9 of the WHO document, “HEALTH CERTIFICATE IDENTIFIER (HCID): A unique alphanumeric identifier (ID) for a physical and/or digital health document which contains one or more vaccination events. It is the key identifier, present within the DDCC:VS and retained in the DDCC:VS registry.”

From page 14, “Digital vaccination certificates should meet the public health needs of each WHO Member State, as well as the needs of individuals around the world.”

[In case you’re wondering: Yes, the United States participates in WHO governance, including as a current Executive Board member. The U.S. has historically been an active and engaged member of the World Health Assembly, sending a large delegation usually led by a representative from the Department of Health and Human Services with multiple other U.S. agencies and departments also participating.]

From page 18, “The HCID SHALL be used to establish a globally unique identifier (ID) for the DDCC:VS or to reference the ID of a previously established DDCC:VS.”

From page 15, “An individual who has received a vaccination should have access to proof of this – either as a traditional paper card or a version of the electronic DDCC:VS. The HCID should appear on any paper card in both a human-readable and a machine-readable format (i.e., alphanumeric characters that are printed, as well as rendered as a 1D or 2D barcode).”

From page 25, “It SHALL be possible to enter or attach the HCID as a 1D barcode to any paper vaccination card issued to the Subject of Care (or the HCID card holder).”

From page 26, “It MAY be possible for the solution to generate a machine-readable 2D barcode that, in addition to the HCID, contains further useful technical information, such as a web end-point for validating the HCID, or a public key.”

From page 28, “A digital solution that can inspect and cryptographically verify the validity of the DDCC:VS. This can be an application on a mobile phone or another device.”

From page 37, “If a paper vaccination card or electronic vaccination document bearing a 1D or 2D barcode is presented to a Verifier, then it SHALL be possible for the Verifier to scan the code and, as a minimum, read the HCID encoded in the barcode to visually compare it with the HCID written on the paper card, if present.”

From page 38, “If, at the time of verification, a Verifier has online access/connectivity to a DDCC:VS Registry Service managed by a National PHA, then it SHALL be possible to query whether the HCID present in the barcode (and the public key, if also present) of the paper vaccination card are currently valid.”

From page 70, “Ask for the public key if it does not have it. The Verifier can provide the HCID and check that the authority has that HCID in its records and that the HCID is linked to a valid public key. This is the role of the DDCC:VS Registry Service in this paper.”

Also, from page 70, “Once the Verifier has the public key, it can also check with the authority that the public key is valid and has not been revoked.”

From page 71, “For the vaccination certificates, the HCID must resolve back to a digital record that is digitally signed in the manner described.”

From page 79, “CLIENT REGISTRY: Also referred to as a patient registry, a demographic database that contains definitive information about each Subject of Care. This database can include a Subject of Care’s name, date of birth, sex, address, phone number, email address, as well as other person-specific information such as parent-child relationships, caregiver relationships, family–clinician relationships, and consent directives. It is also in the client registry that the list of unique identifiers (IDs; e.g., national ID, national health ID, health insurance ID) for a particular Subject of Care can be found. The data elements in the DDCC:VS core data set that may be populated with data from the client registry include:

→ name
→ date of birth
→ sex
→ unique IDs.” – End quotes.

In case you’re wondering if it’s possible to place the digital barcodes containing your “National ID” and your “globally unique identifier (ID)” referenced above on your skin instead of a piece of paper, just search the internet for “Microsoft smart tattoos.”

I mean, who really thinks that with all of the technology described in that WHO document, that their end goal is stamping your global ID on a piece of paper? LOL, as some would say.

Now for the elephant in the room. Whoever wrote about something such as “a globally unique identifier (ID)” before the Bible did? Do you realize that the Book of Revelation was written nearly 2,000 years ago? Who could have, or who would have ever guessed thousands of years ago that anything would or could affect the buying, selling, health, and governance of all people on the entire earth: all nations, all tribes, and all tongues? Think about it.

Revelation 13:7, “It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.”

Revelation 13:16-18, “He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or 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 it is the number of a man: His number is 666.”

I’m sure that Satan is thrilled that so many professing Christians have been deceived into believing that the Book of Revelation is just some kind of non-relevant allegory. That is just the more people who aren’t paying attention to the truth of the very prophecies contained within Revelation becoming a reality right before their eyes and underneath their fingertips. And possibly coming soon to a forehead or wrist near you.

However, there is a way to escape these things that will come to pass.

Luke 21:34-36, “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Jesus is saying that true believers should watch and pray at all times, thus separating themselves from the unbelieving world, which is destined to experience the wrath of God during the Tribulation. True believers should identify themselves with those who will stand in acceptance before the Son of Man.

How can someone be “worthy” to escape the Tribulation? Through humbly admitting that only Jesus is truly worthy. By His stripes, you can be healed. He is the righteousness that you can never attain on your own.

2 Corinthians 5:21, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Romans 3:22a, “Even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe.”

Have faith in the sacrifice of Jesus for your sins on the cross. Believe that He is risen from the dead and is in heaven at this very moment preparing for the day that He will return for His bride.

The following Bible verses declare how you can become part of the believing family that is His bride:

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Romans 10:9, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

The following is the Lord’s promise to all believers:

John 14:1-3, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

1 Corinthians 15:51-52, “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

Revelation 3:10-11, “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.”

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”