Today the Lord Jesus is warning His Bride of the perilous times ahead. A minority of the believers are willing to hear about the coming days of suffering. They are humbling themselves and praying that Christ will protect them from the forces of spiritual destruction that they may be able to stand in triumph before Him.

Because thou hast kept [guarded] the word of my patience, I also will keep [guard] thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. (Revelation 3:10)

The majority of the Christians are inflated with pride, taking the attitude that God loves them so much He will not allow them to suffer. Unless they repent they will go deeper into deception until they are fit only to be tormented in the Presence of the Lamb and the holy angels of God. The lukewarm believer responds to suffering with anger instead of with humility, patience, and trust in the Lord.

It is the writer's point of view that the sufferings that lie ahead will cause the worldly Christians to become furious. They have not yet reached the point where they are ready to shake their fists at God in Heaven—that will come later. Rather, they will turn their anger against the godly, joining with the secular government in a vicious persecution of the true saints.

We who are intense in our discipleship must prepare our hearts and minds for the coming persecution. All who practice godliness shall suffer persecution—not those who merely believe in Jesus but who practice godliness (II Timothy 3:12).

The spirit of humanism is in the churches. It is a God-murdering spirit. As soon as suffering begins, the majority of Christian believers will take the attitude that man is too important and too precious to God to be allowed to suffer. If the saints of old are witnessing what is taking place in the churches of today they must be shaking their heads in wonder at the ignorance of the ways of God that is current among us.

When persecution commences in the wealthy nations the Christian churches will be divided into two groups: the one group will endure as a persecuted minority until the Lord returns; the other will become large and wealthy, influencing the secular governments and world commerce.

The false prophets in the Charismatic churches already are speaking of the day when the world marvels because of the riches that God (supposedly) will give to His churches. Such false prophets preach what is called the "prosperity message." They represent the union of the Christian churches and the ungodly mammon (the spirit of worldly wealth). They are "Balaam."

The dividing has commenced. But it is the great tribulation that finally will separate the holy remnant from the mass of believers in Christ.

Before the great tribulation sets in, the Gospel of the Kingdom will go forth as a witness to every nation, as symbolized by the two witnesses of the eleventh chapter of the Book of Revelation. Multitudes will be saved. It is only after the latter-rain revival has attained its worldwide witness that the great tribulation will commence.

To be continued.