1 00:00:02,500 --> 00:00:08,840 This week, in Pennsylvania State Legislature, a female 2 00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:13,040 Christian Republican in her opening prayer mentioned the 3 00:00:13,040 --> 00:00:17,560 name Jesus thirteen times before the state swore 4 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:21,000 in its first Muslim woman at the statehouse. 5 00:00:21,380 --> 00:00:24,700 And this Christian Republican, who is also a 6 00:00:24,700 --> 00:00:27,660 pastor's wife, when she invoked the name of 7 00:00:27,660 --> 00:00:30,460 Jesus, she opened a hornet's nest. 8 00:00:30,650 --> 00:00:34,920 The Democrats were outraged at her bigotry, and 9 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:38,000 the Muslim woman said, and I quote, the 10 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:42,540 entire invocation was offensive, but to use Jesus 11 00:00:42,540 --> 00:00:46,400 as a weapon is not okay, end quote. 12 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:51,920 Ironically, another Muslim lawmaker opened the session on 13 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:56,120 Tuesday by reading from the Koran, prompting applause 14 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:56,900 in the chamber. 15 00:00:57,800 --> 00:00:59,740 I want to say something, friends. 16 00:00:59,980 --> 00:01:03,580 I don't normally jump into politics, but what 17 00:01:03,580 --> 00:01:07,220 took place in the legislature of Pennsylvania this 18 00:01:07,220 --> 00:01:10,800 week is a portent of things to come. 19 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:14,960 The battleground in this country will be waged 20 00:01:14,960 --> 00:01:18,540 at the name of Jesus, just like the 21 00:01:18,540 --> 00:01:21,020 early church had to find out the hard 22 00:01:21,020 --> 00:01:24,920 way that they had to proclaim either Caesar 23 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:27,360 is Lord or Jesus is Lord. 24 00:01:27,540 --> 00:01:30,240 And if they said Jesus is Lord, they 25 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:33,920 were promptly arrested, put in chains, and dragged 26 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:36,400 to the Coliseum to be fed to the 27 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:39,000 lions as a public spectacle. 28 00:01:40,140 --> 00:01:43,280 There's a day fast approaching in this country 29 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:46,000 where if you pray in the name of 30 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:49,520 Jesus, you will be considered an enemy of 31 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:50,220 the state. 32 00:01:50,220 --> 00:01:53,320 Don't you believe for one skinny minute that 33 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:56,540 I am exaggerating, friends, but I am telling 34 00:01:56,540 --> 00:02:00,400 you the truth of common persecution to Christians 35 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:01,960 in this country. 36 00:02:02,540 --> 00:02:05,140 There will be a sifting that will separate 37 00:02:05,140 --> 00:02:06,600 the goats from the sheep. 38 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:09,979 Listen to me loud and clear that this 39 00:02:09,979 --> 00:02:12,820 day is coming that will empty out our 40 00:02:12,820 --> 00:02:16,120 congregations as they run for the doors to 41 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:17,780 save their skins. 42 00:02:18,220 --> 00:02:20,740 The hypocrites in the churches will be found 43 00:02:20,740 --> 00:02:24,760 out as this battleground is more firmly drawn 44 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:27,680 by a line in the sand that runs 45 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:29,160 to the name of Jesus. 46 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:33,880 The Muslims have rights in this country, and 47 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:37,360 the homosexuals have rights in this country, but 48 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:40,420 Christians do not have those same rights. 49 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:43,080 You may think you do, and you can 50 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:46,380 hide under cover by just talking about the 51 00:02:46,380 --> 00:02:50,140 Creator or mentioning God, and most folks will 52 00:02:50,140 --> 00:02:52,880 leave you alone, but the minute you do 53 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:57,420 what that Christian woman politician did in the 54 00:02:57,420 --> 00:03:01,200 Pennsylvania legislature and mention the name of Jesus, 55 00:03:01,580 --> 00:03:04,440 then the fur will start to fly, the 56 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:07,200 snakes will start writhing, and the devil will 57 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:11,020 use his human dupes to destroy you because 58 00:03:11,020 --> 00:03:14,100 the devil hates the name of Jesus. 59 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:17,240 This is the battleground, friends. 60 00:03:17,700 --> 00:03:18,980 The fight will be here. 61 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:21,940 The churches will begin to feel the heat, 62 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:24,780 and we will have in this country what 63 00:03:24,780 --> 00:03:27,840 has taken place in China as I speak. 64 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:31,620 There are two churches in China, one above 65 00:03:31,620 --> 00:03:34,640 ground, which is called the Three-Self Church, 66 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:38,040 and it's backed by the Communist government, where 67 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:40,600 you are not allowed to mention the Holy 68 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:44,540 Spirit or the blood atonement of Jesus, and 69 00:03:44,540 --> 00:03:47,720 there's the underground church in China, which meets 70 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:52,040 in barns late at night or haylofts or 71 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:55,900 in abandoned buildings and houses, and it is 72 00:03:55,900 --> 00:03:59,900 the underground church where the vital Christianity is 73 00:03:59,900 --> 00:04:02,760 and where the hot persecution flies. 74 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:06,680 In America, in the not-too-distant future, 75 00:04:07,380 --> 00:04:10,840 there will be the above ground church sold 76 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:13,060 out to the state, and there will be 77 00:04:13,060 --> 00:04:16,079 an underground church that meets in houses to 78 00:04:16,079 --> 00:04:18,420 pray up the name of Jesus. 79 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:22,220 The battleground of that fight will be formed 80 00:04:22,220 --> 00:04:25,060 by lines in the sand that lead to 81 00:04:25,060 --> 00:04:27,720 the name which is above all names. 82 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:33,060 My Bible says in Philippians 2.10 that 83 00:04:33,060 --> 00:04:36,200 at the name of Jesus every knee should 84 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:39,760 bow of things in heaven and things in 85 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:42,720 earth and things under the earth. 86 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:47,060 The battleground of that name will grow hotter 87 00:04:47,060 --> 00:04:49,760 and hotter as the lead starts to fly 88 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:53,640 in this country as hot persecution comes to 89 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:57,420 those who follow the crucified Christ and who 90 00:04:57,420 --> 00:04:59,680 are not ashamed of him and who are 91 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:02,280 willing to lose all for him, even their 92 00:05:02,280 --> 00:05:04,380 own lives if necessary. 93 00:05:04,980 --> 00:05:06,980 Let me tell you something, friend. 94 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:11,220 You better get out a spiritual thermometer and 95 00:05:11,220 --> 00:05:13,740 take your temperature to see if you'll be 96 00:05:13,740 --> 00:05:16,080 able to stand what is coming down the 97 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:19,920 pike at the crossroads of the name Jesus. 98 00:05:20,700 --> 00:05:23,920 The wheat will be separated from the chaff. 99 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:25,640 Let us pray.