I believe that most of us have no idea what it feels like to be treated like a criminal. Most of us would not want to even imagine it, but we must seriously think about it. Don’t think for a minute that Christian persecution is anything different than … being treated like a criminal. Christians since the beginning have been persecuted not because they were nice loving people but because they were perceived to be criminals of the first order. We have seen this for two thousand years beginning with our Lord Jesus Christ who was arrested on the charges of blasphemy and accused of sedition against the Roman Empire for claiming to be a King. This was followed by the early Christians being accused of being cannibals for eating the flesh of Jesus and drinking His blood during their love feast. Then Rome justified their persecution by claiming that they were arsonists, burning down a section of the city, which destroyed homes and businesses of their fellow citizens. As I have already written, Christians were also persecuted on the charge of sedition for claiming to follow another King rather than Caesar as lord.

As we follow the trail of martyrs up through the present day, in each case they were not persecuted for being peace loving people but for some drummed up charges against humanity. Christians throughout the centuries were burned at the stake, sawed into, hung, drowned, decapitated, and their books burned not because they were God fearing people, but because they were accused of breaking the law of the land and threatening the security of an empire. In every case Christian persecution was precipitated on charges of unlawful behavior by garnering public opinion in the favor of the persecutors over the persecuted. This truth was self evident even with the death of our Lord by allowing the crowd to cast their public opinion for or against. To this day and down through the annals of history we hear that heart-stopping cry: “Crucify Him!” “Crucify Him!” One cannot overemphasize the importance of public opinion. This matters much to those in power so the mass media and social networks are being manipulated to lead the world’s population to garner the right opinion, or the accepted opinion of the establishment.

For those living in a free society with certain inalienable rights it’s even harder to imagine how we could be arrested as a lawbreaker and treated as a criminal. But as the laws change, public opinion changes, and Christianity is put more in the crosshairs then we need to do more than imagine, we need to prepare! To be arrested on bogus charges will be enough to send most into a state of panic and uncontrollable fear. For those who have never broken a law and have always strived to live a holy life you might question how can this happen to me. As the handcuffs bite into your wrist and your rights are read we must stay calmly focused on the risen Lord remembering that nothing can separate us from the love of God. As public opinion mounts against you for breaking one of their laws, we must remember that there is a higher law that must be obeyed. This higher law of God is to love one another through the proclamation of gospel in every place, both public and private. Already the Christian witness is nearly impossible in the public square. Make no mistake the next step will be to silence the internet and social networks in expressing the truth and our Christian testimony, especially if we do not demonstrate an acceptance of the new tolerance. We can no longer blindly follow all the new laws that would keep us silent even if it means being arrested and treated as a criminal.

It’s also holding to the testimony that God has given us everything we need for life and godliness and that we have no need for their counselors or their psychotropic drugs, even though public opinion may see us as unloving and haters of humanity. This is especially difficult when many in the Christian community hold to the opinion that God has given us the world’s counselors and their therapeutic drugs, because they believe that His Word is inept in solving all of our emotional and psychological problems. The state can already order us to counseling (especially if you have been arrested) who almost always prescribes a psychotropic drug for your supposed condition and to refuse it will be seen as breaking the law. Again whose law will we follow, the law of public opinion and the state or will we follow the law of God even if it means being arrested and treated as a criminal. In conclusion, we must ask ourselves will we be supportive when a Christian is arrested by the state for breaking one of their laws and join the masses in his condemnation or will we look deeper than the public opinion that cries out. “Crucify Him!” “Crucify Him!”

This article in part is taken from my new book: “Stand Firm” available in our bookstore.

This website and its content is copyright of He Reigns Christian Ministries – © Rev. Daniel W. Blair 2012. All rights reserved.

All content (blog articles) have been published in my new book: “Revelation Truth” available in our bookstore or at a bookstore near you.