I’m not sure if you’ve read “The Torch of the Testimony” by Kennedy.
You should. It’s out of print, but you can get it for free from archive.org.

It is a history of the church. But it is the stories of all the smaller groups who were persecuted for being Christian. And how they responded, and how that worked out. It really is a fascinating read. (Well, it was for me at least).

But now there a few things are happening in our world.

Gay/Trans rights are advancing fast. And if you disagree with that then you better keep quiet or you could lose your job, or even find yourself faced with criminal charges or litigation.

WHO/Big pharma is running the show. And if you disagree with that and you refuse their mandates and lockdowns, then, again, you could lose your job, or even find yourself faced with criminal charges. Many people have already had this happen to them, but they stuck with their decision and endured it.

Abortion rights are a big fight again. People are demanding the right to kill babies in the womb. Of course there are edge cases where they argue some truly sad stories to justify those cases. But really, those are a tiny tiny minority of the massive number of abortions they want to commit. Let’s be honest here, abortion is mostly for the mother’s own convenience.

Even the women in power thing. There were one or two women in power in the Bible. But only when no men would stand up. It was not the normal pattern. In fact, according to the Bible, women should be submissive. (Not slaves, just submissive, as in they have valid opinions, but they defer to the men to make the final decisions). This also doesn’t give men the right to think they’re the boss, or somehow more important than the women. They should be making those decisions, but sacrificing themselves, to choose the best possible outcome for the women and their family, not the most favourable outcome just for themselves.
But if you speak up against women in power you’re a sexist. Even though if only having men in power was an error as they claim. The new trend of only women in power is just the opposite error.

The big problem these days… if you speak out against anything woke… then they demand that you lose your job and should never be allowed to work again. Or they start litigation. It’s so vindictive. It’s so hateful.
I get that it’s coming from feelings of being the victim up until now. But again this is just the opposite error.

From a purely secular point of view, if we are going to change and move forward… then instead of the opposite error then we have to move forward as equals. We have to share and discuss our different opinions, and find a way forward together.
Secularly, we have to stop dividing on gender, or sexuality, or race (which is really skin, since there is only one race, the human race). Even secularly we have to treat people fairly and listen to what they have to say, and accept that some people will have a different opinion to ours.

From a Christian point of view, we have to value and respect everyone. Even if their views on things are totally different to ours.
We should still stand up for our views. But in a respectful way.
We cannot demand that they change. But we absolutely must make sure that the church holds on to God’s values and is not controlled by the world and what is going on there.
And individually we have to stand for what we know is right. Regardless of what it costs us to do that.

But the government is even moving up to take control of our children.
They think it’s OK to vaccinate your children without your consent. Or even without your knowledge!!
And now, they’re even pushing to make it OK to let your child choose gender reassignment surgery, again without your consent!
And even if your child is just questioning their sexuality, or their gender. And you, as the parent, are seen to not be supporting their choice, … they can take your child away and put them into government care.
Are you kidding me! I can’t even tell my child what the Bible says when they come home from school where they have been given explicit sex and gender classes without my knowledge. This is insanity.
But Christian parents cannot stand for this. And if we do … we may well lose our children. What a horrendous cost.

These are the choices we are, and will be facing. And it’s only going to escalate from here.

The other area which is changing fast, is the digital economy. Once there is no more cash, and the only way to buy and sell is to use a digital currency… the government can control you completely. Speak out and they close your account. Then how are you even going to buy food to feed your family, pay rent, or electricity? We already see the Chinese government doing this to people who have spoken out against their policies. But this power is coming to the West too.

With all these woke ideas being pushed relentlessly, Christians are rapidly becoming portrayed as the bad guys.
Of course Islam is even more against these ideas too. But somehow nobody complains about them. (Too scared I think).
And Jews too.
And even some other countries are completely against woke.
So more than 1/3 of the planet outright disagrees … and of course even in Western cultures, not all the “non-religious” agree with it either, but now in the West, you’re not allowed to disagree or you’re full of hate and you should be punished.
I can tell you who’s full of hate. And it’s not us!

That punishment is already severe, becoming unemployable, losing your children, fines, becoming a pariah.
How long before that punishment is death or imprisonment?
When it is, what will we do as Christians? Keep quite for our own protection and let the world go to hell?
Or will we be willing to be martyred? To speak up and proudly join those Christians who went before us over the last 2,000 years. Will we be willing to write our own chapter in “Torch of the Testimony”?
It might even be the last chapter ever written in that book.

From what I see… this day is coming. Soon.
It’s time to decide. It’s time to prepare.
Regardless of the cost. Let’s stand with honour as we join those who have stood before us.