During most of the past 2000 years of church history professing Christianity has successfully navigated the relatively smooth waters of world religion without major confrontations from either within or without the entity known throughout the world as “the church.” To those who know, believe and obey the Holy Bible, this fact reveals a Truth about the church that places her at odds with God’s will. A Truth-seeking study of the Bible reveals the reason why “the church” has existed with a minimum of problems since the deaths of the original apostles. With the exception of the church’s CIVIL WAR known as the Catholic Inquisition, during which many of God’s saints were killed by their fellow “Christians,” The church has enjoyed a peaceful existence ever since.

This historical fact makes for a pleasing sound byte and looks good on paper. After all, doesn’t God want peace and tranquility for those known collectively as “the church?” God’s true saints know that His church existing at peace with those around her reveals a monumental problem which the whole of professing Christendom deliberately ignores. God’s people know what He said concerning peace and tranquility for His church. HE SAID THERE WOULD BE NONE. Therein lies the problem. As this segment will reveal, TROUBLE IS ONE OF THE PRIMARY CHARACTERISTICS OF GOD’S TRUE CHURCH. The trouble He was referring to would be internal. The civil war His people would face would pit His true saints against their attackers–salvation seekers within the counterfeit church. The peace God promises His people (Jn. 14:27) involves their personal internal lives, not their relationship with the rest of what is called “the church.” Recall that it was the religious leaders that brought about the deaths of Jesus and the apostles. During the Catholic Inquisition it was the church hierarchy who arranged the deaths of millions of God’s true saints. The Lord knew that because of the spiritual characteristics of the two parts of professing Christendom, there would always be a civil-war going on within “the church.” Read Who are “My People who are Called by My Name?” and Who are God’s People. Key words–Called and People respectively. As these series proclaim, two groups of people are found in “the church.” Though both groups claim to be God’s REAL people, they are polar opposites relative to their relationship with Him. They are not merely different, they are spiritual enemies. One numbers in the billions; the other numbers in the thousands. Read Matthew7:13,14 and 22:16.

In Second Timothy 3:12 we find this Truth-proclaiming, church-rejected statement: “ALL WHO WILL LIVE GODLY IN CHRIST JESUS WILL SUFFER PERSECUTION.” Notice the three main words in that statement: ALL/ GODLY/ PERSECUTION. The two-sided formula put forth by the Lord through the Apostle Paul is: LIVE A GODLY LIFE=SUFFER PERSECUTION AT THE HANDS OF UNGODLY RELIGIONISTS/ LIVE AN UNGODLY LIFE=LIVE PEACEFULLY WITH ONE’S FELLOW UNGODLY RELIGIONISTS. Read Mat. 7:21-23. If you are not being persecuted for your stand for God, you are not God’s child. Jesus said that if we served Him the world would hate us. That includes the church world.

If the reader believes that the Holy Bible is the true Word of God, in-depth soul-searching is a part of his/her life. The question we must ask ourselves is: AM I BEING PERSECUTED, REJECTED AND OSTRACIZED BECAUSE OF MY BELIEF IN AND OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S HOLY BIBLE? These are questions God’s people must ask and answer if one is to know where one stands with the Almighty. How many people do you know who ask and answer those questions? How many people do you know who rejoice because of their persecution; how many “count it all joy” when people reject them on spiritual grounds (Jam. 1:2; 5:11)? Even deeper questions are: HOW MANY CHURCH PEOPLE KNOW WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT THE SUBJECT? HOW MANY OF THOSE WHO KNOW WHAT HE SAYS ACTUALLY BELIEVE HIS WORDS? HOW MANY OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE HIS WORDS CARE WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT THE SUBJECT? My guess is less than 1% of professing Christendom. Why? Because Satan owns and operates the Catholic/Protestant Religious System. Through His false prophets he has deceived his disciples into believing that they are saved, born again and rapture-ready. To them, nothing else God says matters. As one pillar of the church said to me concerning the Bible: “I know all I need to know.” What she knew was John 3:16. Read Born Again. Key word–Born.

In Luke 14:25-35 we find Jesus speaking to “great multitudes” of people who had followed Him out into the countryside where He taught them (and us) a lesson that only the most dedicated believer takes to heart. In this discourse He tells us that only those who place Him above their father, mother, children, brothers and sisters are His true disciples (saints). He was also speaking to His apostles. Whatever He said to His apostles He was saying to those who would believe and follow their teachings. These people would be required to live as the apostles told them to live in order to become His (Christ’s) spiritual brethren. This includes those who claim to comprise His true church today. Let us remember that what is written in the Holy Bible was written to everyone who wishes to spend eternity with God and Christ.

With that in mind, turn to Matthew 10 where we find Him warning us that a true saint’s (spiritual) enemies will often be the members of his own household (vss 21,22,24,25). In verses 32 and 33 He tells us that ONLY those who confess Him (by living “Godly in Christ Jesus” before the world) will He confess (exalt) before His Father. Only those who “walk as He (Jesus) walked” and “… overcome even as I (Jesus) overcame” (Satan) will sit with Him on His throne in the Kingdom of God (Rev. 3:21). Normally, those who believe and obey God will be rejected by family members, friends and former churchmates on a spiritual level. Sadly, that rejection sometimes turns loved ones into social, and sometimes physical enemies.

In Matthew 10:34-39 Jesus summarizes His role as our Messiah. With the exception of a minutely few, church people reject the following Truth when they are made aware of it. In this passage Jesus tells us that He did not come to bring peace to the earth, but rather a sword (His Holy Bible) with which He separates church sheep from church goats, true saints from false saints, wheat from tares–contenders from pretenders. He states that He came to turn a son against his father and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Relatives will be His saints’ enemies because of their stand for Him. One has to choose whom one wants to please–God or his loved ones. In Matthew 24 Jesus says to those who obey Him: “… they will deliver (some of) you up to be afflicted, and will kill you, and you will (all) be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” “They” refers to anyone not in God’s tiny church. “You” refers to God’s true saints–His “tiny flock” (Lk. 12:32)–the “few” who find and walk His way of eternal life (Mat. 7:13,14). Jesus continues His warning in verses 10-13, 21,24:” And then will many be offended and will betray one another and will hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and will deceive many. And because iniquity (Lawlessness) will abound, the love of many will wax cold. But He who endures unto the end will be saved …. For then will be great tribulation such as was not seen since the beginning of the world to this time, nor ever will be seen. For there will arise false christs and false prophets and will show great wonders insomuch that, if possible, they will deceive the very elect.” Those who keep their faith below the world’s religious radar in order to not upset their loved ones are not worthy of Him (vss 37-40). We must be totally open as to the One we choose to please. There are no secret Christians in God’s church. Read the series using the key word–Secret.

In Luke 14:28 Jesus compares living a Godly life in the face of Satan and his followers to a king going to war with an enemy who greatly outnumbers him. Jesus warned that one must “COUNT THE COST” of going to war with the “god of this world” and his myriads of fallen angels (1 Cor. 4:4/ Eph. 2;2; 6:12). He compares the walk of the true saint to open warfare, which I call “heart-to-heart combat.” We must “count the cost” of entering that spiritual life-or-death, eternity-deciding conflict. The question is, do we have the same faith as had Jesus of Nazareth who, while on earth as a man, engaged in the same warfare against the same enemy having the same spiritual weapon–the Holy Spirit? Those who cannot or will not go to war with Satan “make peace” with him by compromising with him. THEY EMBRACE THE CATHOLIC/PROTESTANT RELIGION AND WALK HER WAY WHILE ASSURING THEMSELVES THAT, BECAUSE THEY ARE “SAVED,” ALL IS WELL. And Satan smiles, knowing that he has his victims exactly where he wants them. He keeps them in his embrace through 1) the ministry of his false prophets and 2) ignorance of God’s Word.

He who becomes part of the minutely “few” who choose to stand against family, friends, former churchmates, and in the future, a united church/state force, MUST STAND AND FIGHT USING GOD’S ONLY WEAPONs–HIS SWORD OF THE SPIRIT HIS HOLY SPIRIT WHICH PROVIDES ITS POWER. Having made that decision and continuing to find myself at spiritual odds with family, friends, etc., I can assure you that it can be done, and done with great joy and inner peace, all the while knowing that those around you view you as a religious reprobate who has, as I have been accused, “fallen from grace.” My sin? Total belief in and obedience to God’s Holy Word. I would not trade my status as a soldier in the Lord’s army for the world itself. If you have not joined me in that heartset, please do so. Why? Because Jesus said in Matthew 10:22 that ONLY THOSE WHO ENDURE THE CHURCH WORLD’S REJECTION UNTIL THE END WILL RECEIVE SALVATION. Notice that He says that such a warrior “shall (later) be saved.” Read Hope and Salvation. Key word–Hope.

In the sports world there is an expression which means to look deep within ones’ self to see if he has what it takes to do what needs to be done. In the sports world this examination is called a “gut check.” In the spiritual realm this must be done periodically to make sure we are “fighting the good fight of faith” ( In the case of the child of God, the exam is what I call a “heart check.” Let us make certain that, upon performing such an examination, we receive a good report. L.J.