More than a decade ago, Paul Washer, founder of HeartCry Missionary Society, delivered a disturbing warning to the Christian church.

Washer, who is notable for preaching one of the most-viewed sermons of all time, warned back in 2008 about the state’s increasing hostility towards Christianity.

Since then, his predictions have proved to be eerily accurate, and for too many, a disturbing reality.

Transcript:

The church in America is going to suffer so terribly. We laugh now, but they will come after us. They will come after our children. They will close the net around us while we are playing soccer mom and soccer dad. While we are arguing over so many little things and mesmerized by so many trinkets, the net, even now, is closing around you and your children and your grandchildren, and it does not cause you to fear.

You will be isolated from society, as has already happened. Anyone who tries to run for office who actually believes the Bible will be considered a lunatic, until finally we are silenced. We will be called things that we are not and persecuted, not for being followers of Christ but for being radical fundamentalists who do not know the true way of Christ, which of course is love and tolerance. You’ll go down as the greatest bigots and haters of mankind in history.

They’ve already come after your children and for most of you, they got them. They got them through the public schools and indoctrination in the university, and then you wonder why your children come out not serving the Lord. It’s because you fed them, right into the devil’s mouth. So, little by little, the net is closing around, and then it’s not little by little. Look how fast things are going downhill just in a matter of weeks.

But at the same time, know this: Persecution is always meant for evil, but God always means it for good. And is it not better to suffer in this life to have an extra weight of glory in heaven? You must settle this in your mind. This is the one thing I want to say over and over: Down through history – you have a wrong idea of martyrdom and persecution – you think that these men were persecuted and martyred for their sincere faith in Jesus Christ. That was the real reason, but no one heard that publicly. They were martyred and they were persecuted as enemies of the state, as child molesters, as bigots, as narrow-minded, stupid people who had fallen for a ruse and can contribute nothing to society.

Your suffering will not be noble. So, your mind must be filled with the Word of God when all people persecute you and turn on you. And the Spirit of God and common grace pulls back and you see even your children and your grandchildren tossing in the lot that you should die. This is no game. You want revival and Awakening, but know this, for the most part, Great Awakenings have only preceded great national catastrophise or the persecution of the church.

I believe God is bringing a Great Awakening, but I believe that he is raising up young men who are strong in trust in the Providence of God to be able to wade through the hell that’s going to break loose on us. And it will be on us before we even recognise it, unless, unless in God’s providence he is not done. This is not silly talk. Apart from a Great Awakening these things are going to come upon you. Be ready to lose your homes, your cars, and everything.