I came across a very disturbing articles this week, written by Jake Burman entitled, “Horror as Christian Migrant Brutally beaten with Baton in Refugee Camp.” The article was written on October 21st and reported on the story of a 24-year old former Islamic man who, after declaring his conversion to Christianity, was severely beaten to the point of unconsciousness by an Afghani man with a baton. This incident occurred in Germany at a migrant encampment where other violent incidents have occurred in the past. German authorities are investigating the incident.

Where did this fella get a baton I want to know? Batons are typically one of the defensive and compliance weapons of law enforcement officers. So it would seem that this Afghani fellow somehow got access to this very lethal weapon and boldly set out to punish this gentleman who had converted to Christianity and who was not ashamed to let others know of his new-found Faith. Other migrants in the encampment who witnessed this terrible crime as it unfolded, pulled this violent offender away from the victim until German authorities could arrive and take control of the situation. Obviously, this Afghani would have likely killed this self-professing Christian if his efforts had not been thwarted by bystanders. Praise Yahovah for His mercy and swift intervention in this case. We can only hope and pray that this terrible incident will somehow turn into something for the good of the Kingdom of Yahovah.

Now, if you’ve been listening or reading the news of late, Christians are being horrendously persecuted to the point of death in many cases, all around the world–especially in the Middle East and Africa. We in the west have been insinuated from such persecution and tribulation and frankly, we’ve become quite complacent in many respects as it relates to our personal convictions and behavior. Our Faith has become what? A personal thing that must remain personal. What is the ole saying: never discuss politics and religion. Indeed, that anecdote  is ever so true in western society today. We keep our Faith under wraps, almost to the point where many of us compromise for the sake of keeping the peace and not drawing attention to ourselves. Such violence as this former Muslim endured at the hands of an Islamic radical is an absolute foreign concept to us. Oh we all know the stories of the martyrdoms and persecutions endured by the Saints of the first few centuries of the Christian Faith (check out Foxes Book of Martyrs), but we rationalize that those days are long past and nothing like those things will ever happen to us. So strongly do many of us hold to such a belief, that an entire doctrine has been erected around it–the super-secret rapture of the Church. The rapture of the Church doctrine was designed in part to quell the angst of the Church body of impending doom, destruction and death–such that the believer in Jesus Christ need not worry–Christ will come to rapture us away before any widespread persecution and tribulation will come.

But for us in the Hebraic Roots Faith, we know different. We know that because of our Faith, many of us are marked for persecution and even martyrdom. Our Master warned us of this. Nowhere did He feed us a bunch of bull that we will be insulated from the troubles ahead as so many in the Christian Faith have been so cruelly misled. Y’shua told us: “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils and they will scourge you in their synagogues and ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they shall deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak, for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak…And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” (Matthew 10:16-22 KJV)

Indeed, this very thing did occur to us in the years after our Master was crucified, rose and ascended to the Father, and so many who would confess our Master as their redeemer have written off these precious ones who suffered and died for the Faith. Why? To them the Bible is closed and nothing more is to be written. But I submit to you, dear Saints, that the Bible is still being written today. The Book of Revelation is a testimony to the times ahead when the true believers of Y’shua Messiah will endure, I believe, even greater persecution and tribulation at the hands of evil men.

I refer you to Revelation 12:17 where Yochanan recorded: “And the dragon was wroth with the woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

Friends–it’s coming and as I’ve said in several episodes of Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections: we gotta get prayed up; studied up; and armored up for the times ahead. This story of the former Muslim who converted to Christianity to me is a loud wake-up call to those of us in the true Faith once delivered. Now we have peace and the freedom to practice our Faith without fear of persecution. But the evening is descending upon us ever so quickly as we can clearly see more and more of our liberties and freedoms–especially our religious liberties and freedoms–being eroded away by our society and our governments. Let’s band together and prepare for the times ahead. Let us pray for those who are already in and who are coming in to the Faith who are in imminent harms way because they confess Y’shua as their Master and Yahovah as their Elohim.

Have a blessed day in Y’shua haMashiyach dear saints in training. Shalom and have a blessed Sabbath and weekend.