Category: persecution

Scripture for Tuesday, April 4 (4/4)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Daily, death, faith, forgiveness, governments, Inspirational, judging, persecution, power, prayer, Satan, truth, worshipLeave a comment

Update on our brother being threatened for his faith.  He received a phone call from the one who has been threatening him, this time demanding $50,000.  This happened to him four years ago when he was cornered in an alley and threatened with imprisonment for becoming a Christian if he did not pay $50,000.

He sent his family into hiding where they changed locations every night. (Kidnapping children and demanding $50,000 is common there among the Taliban, Al Quida, ISIS, etc. If you do not pay, they either kill the child or make them slaves the rest of their life.) He went to yet another province to hide and draw attention away from his family. He sold his house and they escaped to India. He could not find a job, so their only choice was to finish raising their children in a UN immigration camp or return home.  They returned to a different city and I think he paid them a periodic bribe after that.

He had only been a Christian a year at that time. This time he has been a Christian five years. When they called and demanded $50,000 yesterday, he refused to talk to them and hung up the phone.

Keep praying for this mighty warrior for the Lord.

BTW, his son has had to drop out of university and go into hiding with the rest of the family, so he has asked me for many Bible materials to study.  About a year ago when he was 19, he told his father, “I want to be a preacher some day. I know they will kill me, but that’s what I want to do.”

 

HS-COVER-KINDLE-GOLDThe scripture for today, April 4, is Psalm 4:4 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“In your anger do not sin.”

This seems like an impossibility. After all, when people get angry, don’t they lash out at other people? And yell and call them names? And show their temper? Maybe even throw a few things? After all, that’s the only way to get across to the other person that you are really angry.

Not so. If a child, for instance, does what s/he was just told not to do, we become angry. Angry at the dangerous consequence of their action. Angry at not doing something to make that child a better person.

We can choose to lash out at the child wildly so that our emotions mask our words. Or we can choose to talk calmly and explain the dangers that child was put in because of that action, or the missed opportunities. We can even punish a child without losing our temper. We can calmly but firmly tell them what their punishment is.

It is the same way with adults. If we lose our temper and shoot daggers with our eyes and rant and rave, all these things distract people from our words. Are we wanting to punish them or reconcile? Aren’t our words of explanation more important than the emotionalism and yelling? If we were hurt, just say so. If they hurt themselves, just say so.

While we’re at it, not all words help. Name calling does not help. Name calling is done when we choose not to explain how we feel.

Name calling locks the other person in and sets them up for future failures between us and them. Losing our temper during anger gets us off the issue and into sin.

Let us try to remain calm and then explain the problem in tones that the person who has angered us can truly listen to and learn from. If you have trouble doing this, practice when you’re alone. It will teach us to remain calm when we’re angry so we can explain how we feel, not how bad the other person is. When we are angry, we must not sin.

 

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#anger, #ire, #irrationality, #yelling, #shouting, #beating, #accusing, #scorning, #hating, #selfishsness, #ego, #patience, #feelings, #calm, #punishment, #hurt, #pain, #NameCalling, #failure, #temper, #sin, #consequences, #solution, #reconciliation

Scripture for Saturday, April 1 (4/1) & Update on Threatened Brother

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn church, Daily, death, faith, governments, Heaven, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, judging, persecution, power, prayer, Satan, Saved from hell, worshipLeave a comment

Update on our brother in the Middle East whose life has been threatened:  He is in hiding, but decided not to flee to the mountains. If/when caught, he will stand and defend his faith.  In the meantime, he has sent his wife and children away and notified his oldest son to contact me if he is imprisoned or killed. Keep praying mightily for your brother. 

Note what the scripture is for today.  I wrote it ten years ago.

0-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-MediumThe scripture for today, April 1, is Ephesians 4:1 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”

Jesus sometimes offended people. His apostles sometimes offended people. Specifically, the Apostle Paul sometimes offended people, and as he wrote he told people how to get to heaven God’s way instead of man’s way (which is impossible anyway).

But did it stop the Christians from telling people about the way to escape hell and go to heaven? Never. They loved people so much, they were willing to take insults and persecution and imprisonment and even death in the hopes that their persistent love would eventually lead to people becoming Christians and being saved from eternal hell. They knew their calling as Christians.

How about us today? Do we live a life worthy of our calling as Christians by standing up for Jesus and reaching out to the lost, regardless of the cost? Or do we cower and use the excuse, “Once people see my godly life, they will ask me how to be saved”?  How many times do the lost really do that?

Let us stand tall as brave soldiers of the Lord. Let us march into enemy territory and do everything we can to snatch the lost out of the jaws of Satan.

No matter what they do to us.

 

#martyrdom, #faith, #preaching, #teaching, #SavingSouls, #SpreadingTheWord, #PowerOfGospel, #cost, #CountingCost, #persecution, #prisoner, #DefendingChrist, #JawsOfSatan, #heaven, #hell

Scripture for Thursday, March 23 (3/23)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Daily, faith, good works, Inspirational, persecutionLeave a comment

The scripture for today, March 23, is Colossians 3:23 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-Luke-Slave&Physician KINDLE Cover“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”

Perhaps you are in a job that is unfair ~ you are given too much work, you are underpaid, you are not given enough work, you are given too must responsibility, you aren’t given any responsibility, you have been passed over for promotion by someone less qualified than you.

Think not that you are working for the person who supervises you. S/he is only human. You are working for God. You are representing God. If you are being treated unfairly and smile anyway, others will wonder why. Keep smiling and keep working. Others will keep noticing.

Eventually, someone will ask you, “How can you keep going?”. Then you can tell them how you have God’s approval, and that makes you feel like number one. Therefore, nothing anyone can say or do to you can ever make you feel otherwise.

So, keep on keeping on. The world notices.

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#employment, #employer, #boss, #business, #employee, #job, #position, #used, #unfair, #underpaid, #promotion, #responsibilities, #work

Scripture for Wednesday, March 22 (3/22)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn blessings, Daily, faith, governments, healing, Inspirational, persecutionLeave a comment

The scripture for today, March 22, is Lamentations 3:22 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Bk3-HeartsAfire-COVER-Kindle.medium-new“Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.”

The name of this Old Testament book comes from the word “lament” or mourn. Jerusalem has just been destroyed and everyone except the poorest has been taken away to be slaves in another country ~ Babylon (today’s Iraq). Jeremiah, the prophet and author of Lamentations, is allowed to stay with the poor powerless ones left behind.

Jeremiah had spent years warning people of the coming destruction of their country due to their sinful life and taking advantage of each other. He endured taunts, reprimands, imprisonments and threats to his life. Now it has happened. All hope is gone. Nothing left but ashes.

It is at this point that Jeremiah utters bravely, “We are not consumed.”

Are there things going on your life that seem to be consuming you? Look up. God is still there. He still loves you.

When we have the love of God, we have the courage to take the next step and the next and the next. We have the courage to keep walking and to hold our head high. Nothing and nobody can ever take away the love God has for us. With his love, we can never be consumed.

#problems, #troubles, #hope, #destruction, #failure, #courage, #love, #Godslove, #overwhelmed, #overcome, #discouragement, #persecution

Scripture for Sunday, March 19 (3/19)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn blessings, Daily, death, faith, governments, healing, Inspirational, judging, persecution, power, prayer, Satan, Scripture, truth, worshipLeave a comment

0-Mefiboset-KINDLE MediumThe scripture for today, March 19, is Habakkuk 3:19 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

”The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.”

The little book of Habakkuk was written during a period when the leaders were oppressing the poor. Habakkuk complains to God, “Why do you tolerate wrong?”. God answers that he’s getting ready to put an end to it. Not satisfied, Habakkuk pretty much asks the same question again. God tells him to put in writing a prophecy of what God plans to do to the oppressors.

Wow! God’s really going to do that? Habakkuk’s faith is renewed. His faith is strong again. So, strong he feels as though he is “on the heights.”

Everyone grows impatient when leaders are doing wrong. But we must understand that we see just part of the problem and that God is waiting until the right time to put an end to it ~ a time when people are so desperate with helplessness that even unbelievers can’t help but know God intervened.

So, when times come in your own life that everything seems to be going wrong, read the little book of Habakkuk in the Old Testament and know that God is still in control.  He has not forgotten you. He has special plans for you.

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#providence, #prophecy, #oppression, #dictators, #relief, #change, #intercession, #punishment, #faith, #renewal, regeneration, #regrouping, #relief, #Habakkuk, #control, #plans, desperation, #helplessness

Scripture for Wednesday, March 1 (3/1)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn faith, good works, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, judging, persecution, prayer, Satan, Thanksgiving2 Comments

The scripture for today, March 1, is 1st Thessalonians 3:1,5 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

PAUL COVER-KINDLE-“So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens….For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.”

In Thessalonica, there had been a riot, and the man who had given Paul and his helpers a place to live was hauled into court. Paul just couldn’t put his host through that so “when we could stand it no longer” he left the city and went off by himself so he wouldn’t jeopardize anyone else.

Still the great Apostle Paul ~ who went everywhere preaching non-stop for decades; who stood up under beatings, stonings, hunger, and ship wrecks; who explained to church leaders how to lead their congregation; whose letters were prophecy and became scripture ~ the powerful Apostle Paul still felt very tenderly toward his fellow Christians. He worried about how they were getting along spiritually. And when he “could stand it no longer” he wrote back to Thessalonica to find out how they were doing.

Tender love is a powerful love. A strong love. A love that will never, ever let go. Do you feel this way about the spiritual well-being of other people?

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#love, #worry, #concern, #power, #prayer, #Christians, #persecution, #selflessness, #humility, #spirituality, #others, #temptation

 

Scripture for Tuesday, February 21 (2/21)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn death, faith, governments, healing, Inspirational, judging, persecution, prayer, Satan, Thanksgiving, truthLeave a comment

changes-in-worship-cover-mediumThe scripture for today, February 21, is Daniel 2:21 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“He [God] changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.”

It seems there is always some amount of restlessness within each nation regarding who is ruling. Some people like the ruler, some do not. Or people may start out liking the ruler, but later dislike him. Some rulers are okay, a few are considered outstanding, and a few others are outright evil.

But God sets up the rulers of nations and deposes them. Many places among the prophets of the Old Testament, God explains that he may raise up a cruel leader just because he is strong enough to get rid of other cruel people. After that, God deposes the cruel leader.

In the midst of all this, innocent people are always hurt. That is why it is important for us not to complain, but to bear up under a hard government with patience and courage. It is in hardship that the true heart of a Christian is revealed. And it is in hardship that many people turn to God who might never have done so.

God knows what he is doing, even if we do not understand ~ at least, on this side of eternity. Remember Romans 8:28 ~ “All things work together for good to those who love the Lord.” Life is a mosaic of many colors ~ sometimes bright and sometimes dark ~ but in the end, it can be beautiful.

#Governments, #Nations, #Rulers, #Kings, #Presidents, #Dictators, #Wars, #Executions, #Cruelty, #Persecution

 

Scripture for Saturday, January 21 (1/21)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Daily, death, Death of Jesus Christ, faith, healing, Inspirational, judging, persecution, SatanLeave a comment

The scripture for today, January 21, is Job 1:21 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

changes-in-worship-cover-medium“ ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.’ “

Job had every reason to turn against God. In one day his entire wealth was stolen from him, nearly all his servants were killed by an invading army, and all his children died in a storm. Why hadn’t God protected him if he loved him so much?

We often forget that Satan exists also. Just remember, whatever Satan does, God can undo.

On a physical level, Satan is the accuser (Revelation 12:10), but God is the forgiver. Satan can cause us to get sick, but God can heal. Satan can cause us to die, but God can bring us back to life. Satan can make us miserable in this world, but God can take us to a better world.

Shall we leave God to fight Satan alone? We were made in his image.  And how do we fight Satan? Romans 12:21 says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

On a spiritual level, sometimes we are not only separated from material things but sometimes we are forced to be separated from other Christians. What can be the result? God’s kingdom arises in yet another place. James wrote to the Jewish Christians “scattered among the nations” (James 1:1). Peter wrote to “God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered.…” (I Peter 1:1).

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” There’s more….

In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life,
Neither angels nor demons,
Neither the present nor the future,
Nor any powers,
Neither height nor depth,
Nor anything else in all creation
Will be able to separate us from the
Love of God
That is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 8:37-39)

How can we be “more than conquerors” unless we have something to conquer? How can we have “victory in Jesus” unless we have something to be victorious over?

Each of us has periodic assignments from God. What bad thing has happened in your life lately? That is your assignment.

Or, must Jesus bear the cross alone?

#Troubles, #Trials, #Problems, #Loss, #Death, #Tragedy, #Lament, #Conquer, #Assignment, #Satan, #God, #Overcome, #Love, #Desertion

Scripture for Thursday, January 9 (1/9)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn blessings, Daily, faith, forgiveness, good works, Inspirational, judging, persecutionLeave a comment

 The scripture for today, January 19, is James 1:19a as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-COVER-KINDLE“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.”

There was a book published a few years ago entitled, Hurt People Hurt People. Have you ever wanted to say something like, “How dare you think you know how bad I feel!” or “How dare you think you understand the  ordeal I went through!” or “How dare you treat me like that!”?  Those are accusing words. And what do they accomplish?

We may feel justified in explaining how bad we were treated by someone. But, in reality, it makes the hurt keep going and going and going…. Perhaps this is a cycle you’ve been in for a long time with someone. Who is going to stop the cycle?

Satan is the accuser (Revelation 12:10).  God is the forgiver.  Even Jesus forgave his killers. When we have been hurt, let us be ready to listen to the other person’s hurt instead of accuse. And in the process, “bring about the righteous life that God desires.”

#Sympathy, #Anger, #Accusing, #Listening, #Hurt, #Forgiveness, #Humility

Scripture for Thursday, January 12 (1/12)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn church, Inspirational, judging, persecution, Satan, Saved from hell, Scripture, truthLeave a comment

The scripture for today, January 12, is James 1:12 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

changes-in-worship-cover-medium“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

How loyal are you to God? Is your relationship up and down, depending on how your life is going at the moment? If you pray for something and don’t get it, do you feel like God is punishing you?  If everything seems to be going wrong, do you blame God instead of Satan? Do you pray over and over for God to relieve you of a particular burden, but relief hasn’t come?

God has assignments for you. Where you are today is where he wants you. Your job is to stay loyal no matter how difficult things get.

Why? To prove that love is stronger than hatred. To prove that good is stronger than bad. To prove that God is stronger than Satan.

Determine today to thank God for whatever state you are in. And, even though you may feel helpless to do anything about it right now, in your helplessness, persevere!

#trials, #persecution, #loyalty, #good&bad, #reward, #Satan