I know this story has been out for a couple of weeks now, but I really felt the urge to add my thoughts. Back in December, a British woman was arrested for praying on a public sidewalk near an abortion clinic. She wasn’t interacting with anyone nor was she involved in any kind of protest. She was simply standing there praying. She was then approached by the police who then questioned her and charged her on four counts of what amounts to “anti-social behavior,” according to a “Public Spaces” policy released by the UK government.

“Local authorities understand well how anti-social behaviour can blight the lives of people in their local communities,” the policy guidelines read, “with those affected often feeling powerless to act. Councils have a key role to play in helping make local areas safe places to live, visit and work and tackling anti-social behaviour continues to be a high priority for local authorities and their partners across the country.”

You can watch the video of the woman’s arrest and questioning below:

Great Britain, which historically, like the United States, has fancied itself on the notion that the country is a free country with free speech and freedom of religion. Obviously, the facade has fallen off as this kind of tyranny in the UK is becoming more and more commonplace. But this isn’t just about the UK, this is about all of us—here in the United States and in other historically freedom-loving nations around the world. This is what happens in Communist regimes, like China.

This is outright persecution of the Church.

And lest you tell me that the Church in modern times really isn’t persecuted because historically, the Church has had it much worse, I know and I agree with you. The Church has never been persecuted harder than it was in ancient Rome post-Pentecost.

The early Christian church faced relentless, merciless persecution under the tyrannical rule of Roman emperor Nero, beginning in 64 AD. This was a defining moment in history, where the Christians faced brutal targeting and execution. The trigger for this persecution was the Great Fire of Rome, which many Romans believed Nero had orchestrated to make way for his new palace, but instead of taking responsibility for his actions, Nero blamed Christians for the fire and launched a campaign of vicious persecution against them. The cruelty of this persecution was unprecedented, with Christians being subjected to unimaginable horrors such as being burned alive, fed to lions, and even crucifixion.

Make no mistake, the Church is facing a dire and relentless oppression in even “civilized” parts of the world. Though it may not manifest in the form of physical violence as it did in times past, the persecution we witness today is no less insidious. Its very guise is deception, disguising itself as civilized and reasonable, yet its ultimate aim remains unchanged: to silence the Truth of the Word of God. Let it be clear, the Church is not just facing mere inconvenience or discomfort, but a calculated and merciless assault on its very existence. The tactics may have changed—we’re no longer fed to lions, crucified, or burned at the stake—but the effect is the same. Christians are now losing their livelihoods, being shunned and shunted to the fringes of society, and facing ostracism, cancel culture and discrimination. The end result is the same as it was in ancient Rome—to silence God.

We as the Church find it easy to blame society for the persecution we face, but in reality, much of the onus is on us, no pun intended. As we see throughout biblical history, God often sent his covenant people into exile to be disciplined for turning their backs on Him. Israel often turned to idol worship after periods of comfort and prosperity enraging God and sending outsiders to siege them and turn them back to Him.

The actions perpetrated in the name of Jesus in this country are unequivocally and undeniably heinous and reprehensible, surpassing even the atrocities committed by Israel in the past. The liberal agenda of pro-choice and pro-perversion is an abomination, but equally, if not more, contemptible are the atrocities committed by those who profess to follow Jesus: the Church. God is primarily concerned with His own name and He will defend that above all else.

The Church today not only tolerates this immorality but actively promotes it and elevates these individuals as leaders of Christ’s bride. It is a damning indictment on the modern Church, particularly the Evangelical Church, that they have embraced the idolatry of liberalism and dared to call it the will of Jesus. Make no mistake, the wrath of God is upon those who would dare to defile His name in such a manner. He will not hesitate to root out the false followers and cleanse His true followers of sin, drawing them ever closer to Him and leading them toward the holiness outlined in Hebrews 12.

This is not a mere prediction from the Bible, it is an irrefutable truth, inscribed in its pages. God has always been clear in His warnings of the consequences of such actions and the prophet Jeremiah bears witness in Lamentations to the burning of Jerusalem and the gruesome acts of cannibalism committed by the Israelites themselves as a result of their disobedience.

The Elect of the Lord must arise with unwavering conviction, asserting their divine mandate to denounce the ungodly practices that sully the sacred name of our Heavenly Father within the Church. The current climate of moral decay, characterized by the proliferation of sinful behaviors such as homosexuality, abortion, and other liberal ideologies, has infiltrated the halls of worship and attempts to compromise the very essence of God’s holy and righteous character.

Despite the presence of a faithful remnant who hold fast to their belief in the one true Son of God, who have been born again through the imperishable seed of the indestructible Word, and who are sealed in eternal covenant with the Creator of the cosmos, even they have become complacent, failing to proclaim the Word of God with the fearless authority that it deserves. But let there be no doubt, the impending persecution shall serve as a test of faith, forcing individuals to declare their allegiance. To remain silent is to secure temporal safety, but to speak out is to incur the wrath of the world while remaining true to the Word of God. The choice is yours, and the ramifications are eternal.