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Rising PERSECUTION in the "Land of the Free"?

Misha was a lawbreaker! As a Christian leaders, he simply couldn't deny his Lord -- no matter what the cost! Like many other pastor-evangelists, he was prepared to face imprisonment, torture, starvation and death. So on May 19, 1966, he walked through the prison doors in Moscow, and God began training him in new depths of suffering and new heights in evangelism. He would have many more opportunities for prison ministry in the decades ahead.

Meanwhile, Stalin ruled with an iron hand and had no tolerate for God or His people. One of his early goals was to cleanse the church of Christian believers. Before long, corrupt government churches were watched by government spies who called for universal compliance with secular guidelines.

The may not sound much like America, but we're headed in the same direction. Centuries ago, God blessed our nation with peace, hope and shelter from the terrors that darkened so many other lands! But the world is changing fast! Our nation is forgetting His goodness and mocking His guidelines, while corrupt officials trade truth and integrity for deception and lies.

The following news items offer clues to the spiritual battles ahead (Find footnotes here: http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/0013/5-persecution-rising.htm)

Christians [are] victims of rising 'hostility' from gov't and secular groups: "The 140-page 'Survey of Religious Hostility in America,' prepared by the Liberty Institute and the Family Research Council, highlighted more than 600 examples illustrating what it characterized as religious animosity shown by judges, government bureaucrats, schools and secular groups. Among the examples listed in the survey:

~ Matthew Reynolds, valedictorian for HLV Junior-Senior High School in Victor, Iowa, was told he had to give a 'secular' speech after he wished to attribute his success to his faith in Jesus Christ during his graduation speech....

~ Dr. Frank Turek, a Cisco employee, was fired for expressing his views on traditional marriage in his book, even though he never voiced his religious opinions at work.

~Samantha Schulz, 8, was barred from singing 'Kum Ba Yah' at a Boys and Girls Club in Port Charlotte, Fla., because the song included the words 'Oh, Lord.'

~Lorena Cenzon-DeCarlo, a nurse at Manhattan's Mount Sinai Hospital, was forced to participate in a late-term abortion against her religious convictions, and was threatened with job termination and loss of license. "[1]

Pentagon: Religious Proselytizing is Not Permitted: "...Mikey Weinstein [the anti-Christian founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation] and others from his organization met privately with Pentagon officials on April 23. He said U.S. troops who proselytize are guilty of sedition and treason and should be punished – by the hundreds if necessary – to stave off what he called a 'tidal wave of fundamentalists.'... [3]

Pentagon Consults Extremist Who Calls Christians Monsters and Enemies of the Constitution to Develop Religious Tolerance Policy: “[Weinstein wrote,] 'Today, we face incredibly well-funded gangs of fundamentalist Christian monsters who terrorize their fellow Americans....' Weinstein will be a consultant to the Pentagon to develop new policies on religious tolerance, including a policy for court-martialing military chaplains who share the Christian Gospel during spiritual counseling of American troops."[4]

Elderly Christian florist faces thousands in fines for refusing to provide flowers for gay ‘wedding’: "Barronelle Stutzman, owner of Arlene’s Flowers and Gifts in Richland, refused to sell flowers to Robert Ingersoll for his 'marriage' to Curt Freed. ... 'I grabbed his hand and said, ‘I am sorry. I can't do your wedding because of my relationship with Jesus Christ,’ Stutzman said."[6]

Why is our government so hostile to the Christian message of hope and love? Why would our leaders trade our Constitutional freedoms for terror and tyranny?

Between his times in prison, Misha's secret gatherings were usually hidden in dense forests where believers would sing and praise God and share their provisions. He knew well "the cost of discipleship," but he and the brave worshippers loved God more than comfort or earthly freedom.

This book tells the story of Mikhail (Misha) Khorev, a persecuted Russian pastor who gladly paid that "small price": giving His life to God and sharing in the suffering of Jesus during Stalin's cruel reign. In the process, he demonstrated God's matchless love, endurance and forgiveness to all who knew him! ...The rest of this book shows the price Misha paid -- and the eternal prize he won!

This was during Stalin’s harsh reign over our country. He had designs to have all the houses of prayer closed and, after a time of respite during the war, his iron fist was coming down hard once more on the believers. Not only was he trying to annihilate the church, he was also trying to infiltrate the church by planting his own men in it to control its affairs. These men were not believers.

3 No one under thirty was allowed to be baptized. No one under eighteen was allowed to attend church services. The pastors were only to preach what was mandated by the Ministry of Religious Affairs. And these were only a few of the rules designed to scatter the believers.

Between his times in prison, Misha's secret gatherings were usually hidden in dense forests where believers would sing and praise God and share their provisions. He knew well "the cost of discipleship," but he and the brave worshippers loved God more than comfort or earthly freedom.
As committed Christians, we can't compromise our faith. We can pray for those who despise us, but we can't bend to their contrary rules. Whatever happens, we must be alert and ready to serve our King wherever and however He leads us!
This book tells the story of Mikhail (Misha) Khorev, a persecuted Russian pastor who gladly paid that "small price": giving His life to God and sharing in the suffering of Jesus during Stalin's cruel reign. In the process, he demonstrated God's matchless love, endurance and forgiveness to all who knew him! ...The rest of this book shows the price Misha paid -- and the eternal prize he won!

995 words

“Hey, up here!” The voice came from above my bunk. I looked up to an inmate looking closely at me. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“Getting ready for bed,” I answered. I climbed up to the top bunk next to his and lay down.

I did not go to sleep. My mind was too full. The thing that I had feared, and expected, had finally happened. I had been arrested and brought to this prison, and now awaited trial....

I had gone to Moscow with a Christian brother (Vins) to see what had become of our petition to the Central Committee. But as soon as we stepped inside the Office of Religious Affairs, we were both arrested. (May 1967

They read no charges. They did not tell us why we were arrested. They answered none of our questions. Now I shifted on the bed, trying to keep my nose away from the smelly mattress. Bright lights shone down on us from the ceiling.

There was a constant cacophony of guards shouting commands and prisoners calling out. Every noise was multiplied and reverberated throughout the corridors. So this was prison.

“Hey, holy man!” It was the man on the top bunk beside me again. I turned my head toward him.

“Come closer.” He was almost whispering. “I have a question for you. What is your name?”

“Mikhail Khorev.”

His next question was a strange one. “Who gave you your name?”

“Why, my father and mother.” I puzzled over such a query.

“What were you doing when you were on your knees?”

“I was praying.”

“Who taught you to pray?”

“My parents taught me to pray to God.”

“Does your God hear your prayers?”

“Yes.”

“All of them?”

“Yes.”

“So your parents gave you your name, huh?”

Again, I answered, “Yes.” There was a space of silence. The noises from the rest of the inmates were dying down somewhat.

“I wish I had had parents who named me!” I could hear despair in the man’s voice.

I did not know how old he was. Perhaps in his late twenties, I guessed.

“They told me I was only eight days old when I was abandoned at the police station. They took me inside and filed a report on me. Since there was no name, they called me Nicolai, after the policeman who found me. That was my first name. In order for me to have a middle name, they named me Petrovich, after another policeman who was there. And for my surname, they decided on November, since that was the month they found me.” He gave a maniacal laugh. “Nicolai Petrovich November.”

Was he mad? His voice had turned grim and menacing. “Twenty-five years old, no parents, named after some stupid policemen who didn’t give a hoot about me.”

His voice was no longer quiet. I knew the other men on the bunks were listening to our conversation.

“Now, you tell me, holy man! Why does your God favor some people above others? Why did you have parents who taught you to pray, but me, I had no one even to name me? Is a God like that fair? If there is a God, is he not unfair to let some have a good life and others have a rotten life? Tell me!”

I breathed deeply. “I...“ I hesitated. “I really don’t think I have an answer for you right now.” I hoped this would not offend him.

“Humph!” His voice had quieted down.

“But I will pray about it and ask God for wisdom and understanding.”

“You will? Then pray out loud so I can hear you!”

I closed my eyes.

“Lord, I bring this question to you. I do not know the answer to Nicolai’s question. I do not know why some people are more blessed than others. I do not know why Nicolai was born into his situation. When I think of my own parents, I do thank you for them. I thank you for the years you allowed Papa to be at home and teach us about you and to pray to you. I thank you for a godly mother who taught us so much about your love. I thank you that she taught us to pray and ask you for whatever we needed or did not understand.

“I am sorry I did not appreciate my mother more when I was young. Tonight, I think of my own children, kneeling and praying for their father here in prison. I know they are praying for my safety and release. Please, Lord, tell them that I can’t come home right now, for there are too many people here in prison who need to hear about Jesus.

“So, Lord, here we are, asking you questions and knowing you hear us. Bless our little discussion tonight. Give me an answer of wisdom for Nicolai. In the name of your Son, Jesus, I pray. Amen.”

....

I told them briefly about the problems the church was facing. Though I had not been charged yet, I explained that my arrest was probably because of my work of preaching and teaching throughout Russia. They understood. When I mentioned that people in the registered church were responsible for my arrest, many nodded their heads. They were all too familiar with our government’s devious ways.

“Attention!” The by-now familiar command came from a guard at the door.

Everyone stood immediately.

“If I call your name, get ready for transport!” The guard began to read names.

I rose to get my bag when I heard my name.

“No,” the other prisoners protested. “Sit down. You have fifteen more minutes. We need to talk some more.”

“I want you to pray for my wife, Natasha,” insisted one man. “She said she would leave me if I was sent to prison.”

A chorus of other requests rained on my ears. As I knelt beside my chair, I tried to remember all the prayer requests. And I prayed for Nicolai, asking God to be a Father to him and teach him to love Him.

The time passed swiftly until we heard the officer unlock the door. I shook hands with the men surrounding me. One said, “I was sentenced to six months for my crime. Now I am glad that in these six months I have met you.”

I shook Nicolai’s hand. “Seek after God, Nicolai. He can bring peace to your soul.”

Then I had to leave for my court trial. I never saw any of those men again. I prayed for them often, hoping God would somehow speak to them and that they would learn to know Him.

That was my initiation into prison life. I did not know how long I was to be incarcerated, or what other experiences I was to have. But I realized that it does not matter where you are in life, God has a work for you. I remembered the words of Jesus: “Lift your eyes, for the fields are white unto harvest.”

Even in prison, there was much work to do. Daily, I asked God to give me courage to do it.

Centuries ago, God blessed our nation with peace, hope and shelter from the terrors that darkened so many other lands! But the world is changing fast! Our nation is forgetting His goodness and mocking His guidelines, while corrupt rulers trade truth and integrity for lies and deception.

Christian children now face mockery and humiliation from classmates as well as teachers in their secular schools. Teenagers who question the acceptance of the gay lifestyle are being disciplined -- even expelled. And countless adults who dare to express their faith in a secular workplace are threatened or fired.

Yet our God still reigns! So,

"...do not be discouraged...for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” 2 Chronicles 20:15

Hating God and His Truth

The following news items offer clues to the battles ahead:

Christians [are] victims of rising 'hostility' from gov't and secular groups: "The 140-page 'Survey of Religious Hostility in America,' prepared by the Liberty Institute and the Family Research Council, highlighted more than 600 examples illustrating what it characterized as religious animosity shown by judges, government bureaucrats, schools and secular groups. Among the examples listed in the survey:

~ Matthew Reynolds, valedictorian for HLV Junior-Senior High School in Victor, Iowa, was told he had to give a 'secular' speech after he wished to attribute his success to his faith in Jesus Christ during his graduation speech....

~ Dr. Frank Turek, a Cisco employee, was fired for expressing his views on traditional marriage in his book, even though he never voiced his religious opinions at work.

~Samantha Schulz, 8, was barred from singing 'Kum Ba Yah' at a Boys and Girls Club in Port Charlotte, Fla., because the song included the words 'Oh, Lord.'

~Lorena Cenzon-DeCarlo, a nurse at Manhattan's Mount Sinai Hospital, was forced to participate in a late-term abortion against her religious convictions, and was threatened with job termination and loss of license. "[1]

Pentagon: Religious Proselytizing is Not Permitted: "...Mikey Weinstein [the anti-Christian founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation] and others from his organization met privately with Pentagon officials on April 23. He said U.S. troops who proselytize are guilty of sedition and treason and should be punished – by the hundreds if necessary – to stave off what he called a 'tidal wave of fundamentalists.'... 'Until the Air Force or Army or Navy or Marine Corps punishes a member of the military for unconstitutional religious proselytizing and oppression, we will never have the ability to stop this horrible, horrendous, dehumanizing behavior.'..."[3]

Pentagon Consults Extremist Who Calls Christians Monsters and Enemies of the Constitution to Develop Religious Tolerance Policy: “[Weinstein wrote,] 'Today, we face incredibly well-funded gangs of fundamentalist Christian monsters who terrorize their fellow Americans by forcing their weaponized and twisted version of Christianity upon their helpless subordinates in our nation’s armed forces.' ... Weinstein will be a consultant to the Pentagon to develop new policies on religious tolerance, including a policy for court-martialing military chaplains who share the Christian Gospel during spiritual counseling of American troops."[4]

Elderly Christian florist faces thousands in fines for refusing to provide flowers for gay ‘wedding’: "Barronelle Stutzman, owner of Arlene’s Flowers and Gifts in Richland, refused to sell flowers to Robert Ingersoll for his 'marriage' to Curt Freed. ... 'I grabbed his hand and said, ‘I am sorry. I can't do your wedding because of my relationship with Jesus Christ,’ Stutzman said."[6]

So, why is our government so hostile to the Christian message of hope and love? Why would our leaders trade our Constitutional freedoms for terror and tyranny? Was this agenda planned long ago?
Back in 1946, Canadian psychiatrist, General Brock Chisholm, M.D. became the head of the World Health Organization (WHO). He wrote the following message, which was published in two magazines: the Psychiatry and the socialist International Conciliation. (The latter was published by Alger Hiss (1943, 1945), the Communist leader who co-authored the UN Charter and served Secretary-General at the United Nations organizing conference in 1945.)

"... because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.... If they persecuted Me they will persecute you... for they do not know the One who sent Me." John 15:19-21

Tin the joy of sharing the gospel with broken and desperate prisoners who soon learned the joy of God's nearness.

Notes:

1. Todd Starnes, "Religious Proselytizing is Not Permitted" April 30, 2013, http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/08/24/christians-victims-rising-hostility-from-govt-and-secular-groups-report-says/

2. http://www.wnd.com/2012/09/persecution-of-christians-on-rise-in-u-s/print/

3. http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/pentagon-religious-proselytizing-is-not-permitted.html

4. http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2013/04/28/Pentagon-Consults-Extremist-Who-Calls-Christians-Monsters-and-Enemies-of-the-Constitution-to-Develop-Religious-Tolerance-Policy

5. http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/05/03/winning-high-school-runner-disqualified-for-giving-thanks-to-god/

6. http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/elderly-christian-florist-faces-thousands-in-fines-for-refusing-to-provide

7. http://www.wnd.com/2012/03/new-gay-case-puts-speech-in-category-with-torture/print

8. http://www.wnd.com/2013/04/americans-fear-government-more-than-terror/print/

9. The Humanist Manifesto (1933) was the first public declaration of the views and objectives of humanism. It rejected God and His values but affirmed humanist faith in the power and evolution of man. The Humanist Manifesto II (1973) reaffirmed and amplified this man-centered, relativistic, utopian belief system.

10. G. B. Chisholm, "The Re-establishment of Peacetime Society," Psychiatry, February 1946). The message was also presented in August 1948 at the International Conference on Mental Hygiene in London.

See Trusting God as Freedom Fades & The fall and rise of human violence
Spiritual Warfare Series, Part 1: "The Unseen Foe Behind Rising Evil"
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In a world that is fast rejecting God's Word or twisting His Truth, we need to prepare for unthinkable challenges to our faith and families. This book will help us stand firm in Christ and gratefully "pay the small price" of suffering with Him! Like a beacon of light ahead of us waits an eternity of joy with Him!

I suggest you order at least ten of these books and share with your friends and relatives, so that they, too, may be encouraged and equipped for the times ahead. (That's what I did) The book is available through Lighthousetrails.com