Newsletter 2nd Quarter 2021
“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets before you.” Matthew 5: 11, 12
Jesus is purifying His church. There is much dross to be cleansed from it. Many have soiled their garments and are no longer fit to be presented to the king. What we are about to go through, during the next few years, will prepare a bride radiant in her splendour.
From the very beginning of His ministry Jesus declared that His followers will be persecuted. They will be persecuted just as the prophets before them had been persecuted.
Persecution of Christians by those who belong to the kingdom of this world is assumed in the New Testament. In his first letter Peter encourages his readers not to be surprised at the fiery trial they are enduring. Like Jesus, Peter encourages us to respond to persecution with joy. (1 Peter 4: 12 – 13). The reason for our joy is summed up by Paul in the letter to the Romans, “the sufferings of this present time are not to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8: 18. We can have joy because our hope is not fixed on this life but on the glory of the life to come.
Jesus explained why the world hates us in His pre-crucifixion prayer for His disciples, “…and the world has hated them because they are not of this world.” John 17: 14. To the world we are aliens. Put simply, we no longer fit. As Christians we live by different values. Values which are outlined in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 – 7).
The previous issue of Trumpet Sounds looked at the issue of Globalism. It established that there is a small but powerful elite that has succeeded in acquiring a choke hold on the affairs of practically the entire human race.
In this issue of Trumpet Sounds we deal with the issue of civil disobedience. The plans the elite have for this world are in conflict with Christian values. Therefore if we stand our ground conflict is inevitable.
We need to be clear about when is it right to submit to the government and when we should disobey?
In this Issue
Should Christians ever disobey government?
Civil Disobedience
Pastor Coates
Examples from scripture of civil disobedience
A Good Witness
Faith
What next?
A lesser known but still amazing deliverance.
To read or download Trumpet Sounds 139 in pdf format click here TrumpetSounds139