AND THE COCK CROWED THREE TIMES!

And Jesus said to him, Truly I tell you, this very night, before a cock crows twice, you will utterly deny Me [disclaiming all connection with Me] three times (Mark 14:30 AMPC). And at once for the second time a cock crowed. And Peter remembered how Jesus said to him, Before a cock crows twice, you will utterly deny Me [disclaiming all connection with Me] three times. And having put his thought upon it [and remembering], he broke down and wept aloud and lamented (Mark 14:72 AMPC).

Much has been written and preached on Peter’s denial of Christ. Before you offer your opinion about the matter, I have one question for you. Are you willing to suffer the consequences of being a believer? Will you like Peter, deny your allegiance and association with the Lord Jesus Christ when threatened with jail or worse. Will you renounce him? You must be ready! For He states that whoever denies him before men He will deny before Father.

Brothers and sisters in the Lord, we live in interesting times. Wars and rumours of wars (World war three possibly brewing in Europe). Days of pestilences (Zika, ebola) and new super bugs emerging, famine in diverse places, economic collapse and skyrocketing food prices. Job losses, threats and occurrences of terror and the Syrian migrant crisis. Racial and ethnic tensions are erupting into protests and violence. Look around you, watch the news on TV and the internet - the message is clear, the world is rushing towards a point of no return. Most worryingly, the word of God and Christians are being publicly ridiculed and maligned. The word and laws of God are being labelled as hateful and discriminatory. In other worlds what is evil is being labelled good and that which God abhors celebrated and institutionalised by various governments around the world.

The targeting, systematic vilification and annihilation of the followers of Jesus Christ is happening as you read this. Believers are being thrown in jail, beaten, tortured, raped, mutilated, murdered using trumped up charges. But this is not new. In Acts 6:3 AMPC, Steven a man of good and attested character and repute, full of the [Holy] Spirit (His wisdom, grace, and power) was murdered using false witness and trumped up charges. The Bible tells us that in the last days the enemy, Satan will wage war against the saints. Spiritually, the attacks on true believers are intensifying in frequency and venom as the very gates of hell are being opened. 

These demonic entities not only direct the physical and spiritual perversion but they are getting empowered as they fed off this death, destruction and sin blanketing the earth. Beloved, pray therefore that the Lord will strengthen you to remain faithful when it counts. So… do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; but rather be afraid of Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Gehenna) (Matthew 10:28 AMPC). Remember, and they have overcome (conquered) him [satan] by means of the blood of the Lamb and by the utterance of their testimony, for they did not love and cling to life even when faced with death [holding their lives cheap till they had to die for their witnessing]. (Revelation 12:11 AMPC).

Finally, for those believers that are martyred, there is hope still for our Lord Jesus has this to say to us about them, … I Am [Myself] the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on) Me, although he may die, yet he shall live; And whoever continues to live and believes in (has faith in, cleaves to, and relies on) Me shall never [actually] die at all. Do you believe this? (John 11:25-26 AMPC)