Friends, how many times has this scene been repeated throughout the centuries, beginning with the early believers in Christ??? When Christ's followers were brought before Roman tribunals and questioned about their faith, they had a choice. Throw a pinch of incense on the altar to Caesar and declare him to be "divine" ("Caesar is lord"😉 OR to boldly declare "I am a believer in Christ" And for their confession of "I am a follower of Christ" and refusal to bow the knee to Caesar, history records that they were brutally tortured and killed, not even young believers being spared.
Throughout the centuries such persecutions have been repeated worldwide...YET the believers have survived, overcome and even grown during such times. We faithful of God/Christ in America have this great potential to both overcome and to grow, even during the coming season of great persecution. For we, too, are called to be FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH and to be overcomers in the midst of tribulation.
However, the people of God are not being prepared realistically in America for end-time persecution and martyrdom to come in America. Most of Christs followers are NOT being prepared to "contend earnestly for the faith." In fact, many have compromised their witness and testimony of Jesus Christ even under normal circumstances. Often, when threatened to "leave your beliefs in God or Christ out of the workplace," they have consented and refused to be the witnesses for Christ God's Word calls them to be. Often compromise with any of Jesus's texts can begin quite slowly and subtly, but eventually lead to a tragic denial of Jesus Christ in the end. Of this we must beware.