This week I received an email from a friend with a prayer request and some startling news about the state of Christianity in Venezula:
We have just been informed that President Chavez of ordering all leaders of every church denomination, sect, cult, etc. to a meeting in the presidential palace this coming Saturday the 15th of Dec. The purpose of this meeting is to put into play a plan to basically form a National Religious Organization (Church) such as they have in China. Everyone will be asked to sign a pact that the government has written. This means that true Christians will be asked to unite with witches, false religions, and heresy of every sort. Any who do not sign will be severely persecuted.
This organization will plant representatives in all churches, religious groups or organizations of cults throughout the country. These reps will undoubtedly be spies for the government. One does not need to be a rocket scientist to see where all this is heading nor to understand that all hell is raging against the Venezuelan believers at this time. One of the reasons for this is that the believers came out in masse against the recent referendum and were not silent about it. Never have the believers in this place needed more prayer than now. Would you bow your head and knee in prayer now and often until the 15th? They are asking the believers of the world to intercede for them. They know this is not a fight against the country’s president but against the spiritual powers in high places whose hatred is raging against them. They are asking you to pray for grace and strength for the true believers; for the powers of Satan to be defeated through the blood of the lamb; and for the government to both fear and respect the true Word of God and true religious freedom in their country.
Its contents, compounded by the political controvesy over “Christian symbols” this Christmas season, are a good reminder of the times in which we live:
“But understand this, that in the last days
there will come times of difficulty.
For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant,
abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal,
not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit,
lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women,
burdened with sins and led astray by various passions,
always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.
Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth,
men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.
But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all,
as was that of those two men” (2 Tim. 3:1-9).
And the manner in which we are to live:
“You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct,
my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness,
my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me
at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured;
yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed,
all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse,
deceiving and being deceived. But as for you,
continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed,
knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood
you have been acquainted with the sacred writings,
which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching,
for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
that the man of God may be competent,
equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:10-17).
The threat to the Christian faith has been obvious this Christmas season, and it is only a matter of time before our religious freedom is taken away (although it will not be presented as such). How far are you prepared to go for your faith? Such trials will reveal much more than our character; they will reveal the validity of our conversian and our committment to Christ. May He not be ashamed of us at His second coming. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20)
