The Prophetic Messenger
A Newsletter From Mysteries From The Word Of God Ministries
November/December 2015 - Volume 17/Issue 6
Persecution is Increasing in America - Part III
"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" II Timothy 3:12
In this issue of The Prophetic Messenger, we will continue a message titled “Persecution is Increasing in America.”
In this issue of The Prophetic Messenger, we will continue a message titled “Persecution is Increasing in America.”
3. Persecution Comes Through Government Against Private Businesses
Jesus said in John 15:18-20 “18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.”
Since the Supreme Court’s lawless act, we are seeing an increase in persecution against Christians who own private businesses . Here are a few recent examples. In an article titled “Christian Florist Targeted For 'Personal Ruin' Fights Back”(Note 1) it says
“Justices Ruth Ginsburg and Elena Kagan argued at the Supreme Court hearing Tuesday that granting a right to marriage to same-sex couples does no harm to the marriages of heterosexual couples. But they apparently didn’t address the injury to citizens whose religious beliefs forbid from supporting what the Bible describes succinctly as sin. Barronelle Stutzman could fill them in. A notice of appeal has been filed in Washington state in the case against the florist who declined to provide flowers for a same-sex ceremony on religious grounds and since then has been targeted by the state attorney general for ‘personal and professional ruin’ . . . She said the trial court’s ruling ‘affects all Americans who wish to remain free to live and work according to their faith without fear of punishment by the government.’ ”
In another article titled “Fearing Another Lawsuit, Christian Business Owners Stopped Hosting All Weddings. Now Their Business Is Dead”(Note 2) it says
“Charged with discriminating against a gay couple, the owners of another Christian family-run business are being forced to shut their doors. ‘We can’t pretend it’s going to get better,’ Betty Odgaard told The Daily Signal in an exclusive interview. ‘There wasn’t enough business.’ Betty and her husband, Richard, are the owners of Görtz Haus Gallery in Grimes, Iowa. In 2002, they purchased the 77-year-old stone church and transformed it into a bistro, flower shop, art gallery and wedding venue. On August 3, 2013, a gay couple from Des Moines asked to rent Görtz Haus for their wedding. Because of their Mennonite faith, the Odgaards told the couple they could not host their wedding. Within 24 hours, the couple filed a discrimination complaint through the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. ‘We knew that the business was going to be in trouble almost immediately,’ Richard, 69, said. ‘We had to get rid of the wedding business to avoid another complaint and possibly a higher penalty.’ The Odgaards never admitted to any discrimination, but agreed to a $5,000 settlement. They also returned two non-refundable deposits for couples who, after hearing media reports, didn’t want to use their space for their weddings anymore. ‘It was just the right thing to do,’ Richard said.”
In another article titled “Crowdfunding Seeks $200K to Help Colorado Christian Baker Forced to Make Gay Marriage Cakes”(Note 3) it says
“A crowdfunding website has been set up for Christian cake artist Jack Phillips, who last week was told by the Colorado Court of Appeals that he will not be allowed to refuse to make same-sex wedding cakes if he wants to keep running his business. The website also notes that Phillips has said he would not make Hitler, pornographic, Halloween, or other cakes with themes against his beliefs. ‘As stated in court briefs, for 20 years, Jack has declined to make Halloween cakes, pornographic cakes, profane cakes, etc. Nor would he make Hitler cakes, KKK cakes, or anything of that kind if he were asked,’ the campaign on the Continue to Give website states. Colorado Christian Cake Artist Forced to Bake Gay Marriage Cakes Despite Religious Beliefs, Court Rules. The page has identified a goal of $200,000 in support of Phillips, noting that the money will be used by the Masterpiece Cakeshop owner and his family as they ‘fight for their freedom of religion and freedom of speech.’ The appeals court upheld two previous rulings last week that found Phillips guilty of discrimination against a same-sex couple that requested a wedding cake from his store in 2012. Phillips said due to his religious beliefs that marriage is solely between a man and a woman, he cannot make them such a cake, but offered to make them other items from his store. The Continue to Give page says that Phillips has been harassed heavily ever since that incident, with the phone at his bakery receiving "the most vile, hateful" messages, both about the baker and about his faith. ‘The calls were so vile, Jack would not allow the employees to answer the phone for weeks. The second day, a caller threatened to kill Jack as well as anyone in the bakery,’ it states. The Colorado court ruled that Phillips cannot use his religious beliefs or free speech rights to refuse to make such cakes, however. The baker has stopped making wedding cakes since last year, which the crowd-funding website noted has cost him significant business. ‘These attacks are intended to drive Jack out of business. To avoid further harassment and lawsuits and because of the ruling, he has chosen to follow a law that takes away his freedom of speech and freedom of religion, and he has stopped making wedding cakes while his case goes through the courts. Revenue has fallen by about 40 percent since he stopped making wedding cakes,’ the message stated.”
In closing, a business has always had a right to reject business. One example would be “no shirt, no shoes, no service” but these are the last days and the sodomites want to try to destroy the Christian and his or her business. "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" II Timothy 3:12
Since the Supreme Court’s lawless act, we are seeing an increase in persecution against Christians who own private businesses . Here are a few recent examples. In an article titled “Christian Florist Targeted For 'Personal Ruin' Fights Back”(Note 1) it says
“Justices Ruth Ginsburg and Elena Kagan argued at the Supreme Court hearing Tuesday that granting a right to marriage to same-sex couples does no harm to the marriages of heterosexual couples. But they apparently didn’t address the injury to citizens whose religious beliefs forbid from supporting what the Bible describes succinctly as sin. Barronelle Stutzman could fill them in. A notice of appeal has been filed in Washington state in the case against the florist who declined to provide flowers for a same-sex ceremony on religious grounds and since then has been targeted by the state attorney general for ‘personal and professional ruin’ . . . She said the trial court’s ruling ‘affects all Americans who wish to remain free to live and work according to their faith without fear of punishment by the government.’ ”
In another article titled “Fearing Another Lawsuit, Christian Business Owners Stopped Hosting All Weddings. Now Their Business Is Dead”(Note 2) it says
“Charged with discriminating against a gay couple, the owners of another Christian family-run business are being forced to shut their doors. ‘We can’t pretend it’s going to get better,’ Betty Odgaard told The Daily Signal in an exclusive interview. ‘There wasn’t enough business.’ Betty and her husband, Richard, are the owners of Görtz Haus Gallery in Grimes, Iowa. In 2002, they purchased the 77-year-old stone church and transformed it into a bistro, flower shop, art gallery and wedding venue. On August 3, 2013, a gay couple from Des Moines asked to rent Görtz Haus for their wedding. Because of their Mennonite faith, the Odgaards told the couple they could not host their wedding. Within 24 hours, the couple filed a discrimination complaint through the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. ‘We knew that the business was going to be in trouble almost immediately,’ Richard, 69, said. ‘We had to get rid of the wedding business to avoid another complaint and possibly a higher penalty.’ The Odgaards never admitted to any discrimination, but agreed to a $5,000 settlement. They also returned two non-refundable deposits for couples who, after hearing media reports, didn’t want to use their space for their weddings anymore. ‘It was just the right thing to do,’ Richard said.”
In another article titled “Crowdfunding Seeks $200K to Help Colorado Christian Baker Forced to Make Gay Marriage Cakes”(Note 3) it says
“A crowdfunding website has been set up for Christian cake artist Jack Phillips, who last week was told by the Colorado Court of Appeals that he will not be allowed to refuse to make same-sex wedding cakes if he wants to keep running his business. The website also notes that Phillips has said he would not make Hitler, pornographic, Halloween, or other cakes with themes against his beliefs. ‘As stated in court briefs, for 20 years, Jack has declined to make Halloween cakes, pornographic cakes, profane cakes, etc. Nor would he make Hitler cakes, KKK cakes, or anything of that kind if he were asked,’ the campaign on the Continue to Give website states. Colorado Christian Cake Artist Forced to Bake Gay Marriage Cakes Despite Religious Beliefs, Court Rules. The page has identified a goal of $200,000 in support of Phillips, noting that the money will be used by the Masterpiece Cakeshop owner and his family as they ‘fight for their freedom of religion and freedom of speech.’ The appeals court upheld two previous rulings last week that found Phillips guilty of discrimination against a same-sex couple that requested a wedding cake from his store in 2012. Phillips said due to his religious beliefs that marriage is solely between a man and a woman, he cannot make them such a cake, but offered to make them other items from his store. The Continue to Give page says that Phillips has been harassed heavily ever since that incident, with the phone at his bakery receiving "the most vile, hateful" messages, both about the baker and about his faith. ‘The calls were so vile, Jack would not allow the employees to answer the phone for weeks. The second day, a caller threatened to kill Jack as well as anyone in the bakery,’ it states. The Colorado court ruled that Phillips cannot use his religious beliefs or free speech rights to refuse to make such cakes, however. The baker has stopped making wedding cakes since last year, which the crowd-funding website noted has cost him significant business. ‘These attacks are intended to drive Jack out of business. To avoid further harassment and lawsuits and because of the ruling, he has chosen to follow a law that takes away his freedom of speech and freedom of religion, and he has stopped making wedding cakes while his case goes through the courts. Revenue has fallen by about 40 percent since he stopped making wedding cakes,’ the message stated.”
In closing, a business has always had a right to reject business. One example would be “no shirt, no shoes, no service” but these are the last days and the sodomites want to try to destroy the Christian and his or her business. "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" II Timothy 3:12
Notes:
Note 1:http://www.wnd.com/2015/04/florist-targeted-for-personal-ruin-fights-back/#!
Note 2:http://tinyurl.com/oaxfa4q
Note 3:http://tinyurl.com/px7aylp
Note 1:http://www.wnd.com/2015/04/florist-targeted-for-personal-ruin-fights-back/#!
Note 2:http://tinyurl.com/oaxfa4q
Note 3:http://tinyurl.com/px7aylp
Coming Up In The Next Issue
Persecution is Increasing in America - Part IV. Read this article in the next issue of The Prophetic Messenger.
Memory Verses
As Christians if we want to live in victory and if we want to be able to share the Word Of God with others we must know the Word of God ourselves. Let's see what the Bible says about this. "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Psalm 119:11. "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." John 15:7. "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed." John 8:31. We encourage you to put the following scriptures in your heart: Exodus 3:20, Luke 21:28, Proverbs 22:7, Acts 7:23, II Samuel 7:15, Luke 18:42, Zephaniah 2:12, Mark 13:33, I Kings 3:9, Acts 9:18. Use only the Old King James version of the Holy Bible. (If you have any questions about this please see the book New Age Bible Versions, by G.A. Riplinger ©1993, ISBN 0-9635845-0-2.)
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