Several newspaper and magazine headlines of late have lamented the fact that thousands of Christians have been killed world-wide and their churches burned. Most of this murder and destruction is taking place in the Middle East and Northern Africa. Many wonder why God is allowing Christians to die and His church buildings to be destroyed. The answer comes in two parts, neither of which the church wants to hear. 1) God is not allowing these atrocities to happen–He is causing them to happen. 2) He is doing this because the professing church neither knows His Word, believes His Word nor obeys His Word. See Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People? This pattern of rebellion and retribution is noted throughout the Bible. God is no respecter of persons, as Deuteronomy 28 points out. Beginning with verse 15 He tells Israel what He will do to them if they disobey His Word. What happened to them was recorded for our instruction (1 Cor. 10:11). What He did to Israel he will do to us, and for the same reason–rebellion against Him. Recall that He sent the Assyrians against Israel. Multitudes were killed, others were taken into captivity and their land was destroyed, including their synagogues. Approximately 120 years later He sent Babylon against Judah (the “Jews”). Multitudes were killed, others taken into captivity and their land was destroyed, including the Temple.

Jesus Christ said: “I know My sheep and they follow (obey) Me.” Note that He “KNOWS” (as His intimate brethren) only those He calls His “sheep.” He does not “KNOW” His goats, tares, foolish virgins, etc. See The Church, the Gospel and the Goats. Recall in Matthew 7:21 where He warned that not everyone who calls Him their Lord will enter the Kingdom of God. Note in verse 23 that He said He had NEVER known those who broke His Law (worked iniquity). Today those people are in “the church,” many in leadership positions. The thing they all have in common is that they refuse to obey His Word. And let us not forget His Words to the church at Laodicea found in Revelation 3:14-20. All those people claimed to have an intimate relationship with Him while deliberately disobeying Him. The Laodicean church of those days symbolize the end time church of today–the last church era before Christ returns. He is saying to those in Catholicism/Protestantism that He does not “KNOW” them. Those whom He does not “KNOW” will suffer His wrath on Judgment Day. L.J.