In a number of posts on this blog, I’ve sought to draw attention to the reality of persecution. All who take a stand for the biblical Lord Jesus Christ do, or will, experience persecution. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,…… Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake Matthew 5:10-11. As it is presently in the Western world, persecution towards Christians is seen in marked disrespect, ridicule, mockery and slander, plus avoidance of company. In the Eastern and Middle Eastern world, imprisonment, martyrdom and murder are additional parts of the deal!
There would not be many Christians unaware of what’s been stated above, but what I want to draw our attention to on this post, is a one-day-to-come charge against us en masse from Christian haters here in the West – mental illness. Quote: “It’s one thing to talk to Jesus, it’s another thing when Jesus talks to you. That’s called mental illness if I’m not correct.” Joy Behar. That was her off-the-cuff but devil-worded charge against USA Vice President Mike Pence, who publicly shares his Christian faith and gospel of Jesus Christ. Yes, Ms Behar back-tracked her statement, but Christ’s spiritual Adversary, the one who gave her those words has not, and he will not! Not only is he filling people’s mouths with the charge, he’s filling their minds and hearts with it too.
Fact: Jesus does talk to us; He does so through the Scriptures of the Bible. No, we don’t hear His audible voice, we hear His spiritual voice. My sheep (church, people) hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me John 10:27. As we make a disciplined, daily practice to quieten ourselves before the Lord in prayer and Scripture reading, He reveals Himself, His ways, His words and His will. When Christians say, “I know the mind of Christ on this matter,” it is because they sought His will about it over a period of time and He revealed it to them. For example, the posts on this blog are not written because I think it’s a good idea to write them, they’re written because it’s Christ’s will for me to write them 2 Timothy 4:1-5. Should His will change, they’ll no longer be written.
It is true of course, many people claim they hear Jesus’ voice, but when the claim is tested according to Scripture, it fails. But too, that’s why Christendom is replete with religious cults, money swindlers, “faith” healers, sex perverts and all kinds of wicked, opportunistic scoundrels. They’re getting away with it because those who follow them don’t test them. Human emotion rules their day, not biblical revelation, not biblical illumination. Test all things; hold fast to what is good. Abstain from every form of evil 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22. That’s not happening in those places, so the people have not a clue as to what’s real and what’s counterfeit. They’ve been seduced into believing everyone who stands in a pulpit with Bible in hand and quotes from it, is the real deal.
It is also true there are multitudes of people claiming they’ve heard the voice of Jesus and he told them to steal or inflict harm or rape or kill. That’s mental illness; it’s also demonic possession! The “Jesus” they heard was the devil himself, the one who comes to steal, and to kill, and to destroy John 10:10. Then there are those who claim they are Jesus! They fall into the same category! They have no shortage of followers however; the spiritually gullible and the emotionally unstable the world over are drawn to them like magnets. The fact that there are currently 10 or 12 of them around the world claiming to be Jesus doesn’t bother them; just like church denominations that claim they are “the one true” and the rest are bogus, their Jesus is the “one true” and the rest are bogus.
Jesus was accused of mental illness. Telling the Jews of His forthcoming death and resurrection, He said, No one takes it (His life) from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again…… And many of them said, “He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?” John 10:18-20. Paul the apostle was similarly accused. Giving a very lengthy but accurate account of his conversion to Christ to both Roman King Agrippa 2 and Roman procurator Festus, the latter said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!” Paul boldly rejected the charge saying, I am not mad…… but speak the words of truth and reason Acts 26:24-25. (Underlines mine).
In my opinion, it is speaking and proclaiming the words of truth and reason that will bring the charge of mental illness against us down the track a little. The increasing intolerance for the biblical Lord Jesus Christ and His biblical people is no longer confined to avowed Muslims, Roman Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Communists, Marxists, Socialists and the politically correct; just about everyone is getting in on the act, including so-called Christian Reverends and church affiliated people. Presently the charge against us who proclaim the words of truth and reason is “hate speech” and when one dares to proclaim such in the work place or on “social” media, the true haters are doing everything in their power to shut us down.
The “hate speech” charge is a reasonably effective one on many Christians today; they have succumbed to the pressure by watering down their Scripture proclamations so as to make them less offensive to their hearers; but that won’t stop the true haters. Or more accurately, that won’t stop Christ’s spiritual Adversary, who is using the true haters. He has only one goal in the short time he has left and that is to shut us down entirely. Since the resurrection of Jesus Christ his attacks on the words of truth and reason have been relentless. For many decades he used true haters to keep the Bible from the hands and ears of millions of people in the UK and Europe and he will do the same in the future. But until that time comes, “mental illness” will become another one of his weapons.
One way Christ’s spiritual Adversary might use the “mental illness” weapon in earnest, is to seduce three or four “Harold Campings” from the church and have them prophesying nonsense such as he did, but that they’re all prophesying it at the same time. Example: “Jesus is returning to earth to establish His governmental rule on On Saturday, January 19, 20??” The media has worked both the gullible Christian and unbelieving world into a frenzy of expectation and excitement, but the day comes and goes and, no Jesus! They accused Campling of mental illness and other things less kindly when his prophecies failed, so one can only imagine what their accusations would be on this failed occasion. These would be sufficient to start the “mental illness” persecution ball rolling in upon us.
Christ’s spiritual Adversary knows the effect false prophets have upon people – the same effect as the boy who cried, “Wolf!” We warn the church world and the unbelieving world of Jesus’ imminent return to remove His people off the earth before the Great Tribulation gets under way and, “You’re mad,” is the charge presently. “You’re mentally ill! You are insane!” will be the charge in the future. The only ones knowing that charge is a lie will be Christ’s biblical people and Christ’s spiritual Adversary, the father of lies John 8:44 ESV. The rest will believe the lie in the same manner as they believe all other lies controlling the world, considered to be the truth presently. A word to unbelievers: Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him Matthew 24:44.
Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me John 14:6. Perhaps there is not a Scripture in the entire Bible more highly offensive to people than that one. Jesus is saying, there exists one God only, and one way only to Him – Himself. That’s what helped get Him killed, plus multitudes of His people ever since. It’s my opinion the proclamation of this will bring the charge of “mental illness” upon His biblical people up ahead because to the mind of our accusers, it smacks of intolerance and hatred towards people of other faiths. So, as Christians, we must settle this question here and now: How many Sons and how many Saviors did God send into the world to die on a Roman cross in our place for our sin? Answer: One.
This is a violent and brutal time in our history, world wide. All of it is energised by Christ’s spiritual Adversary. The true haters are not the ones hiding behind the curtain pulling the strings, he is. Nevertheless, it is the true haters who will outwork the persecution charge of “mental illness” upon us. Unless the Lord Jesus divinely intervenes to remove His people, such persecution could mean imprisonment and worse. It will certainly mean that for those who turn to the Lord after the church is gone. Since we know not the timing of that event, it is wise to prepare for the “mental illness” charge now while we are being graced with the time. Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say Luke 12:11-12, cf. Luke 21:12-15.