Tag: persecution

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The scripture for today, February 12, is 2nd Timothy 2:12 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

CHANGES IN WORSHIP-COVER-KINDLE“If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us.”

God loves us, but never forces us to love him. He has given us a beautiful world to live in full of excitement and challenges and comforts. He has given us family and friends. He has given us his Son to take our punishment for our sins so we can live with him in his home ~ heaven. He is constantly calling to us, “I love you!”

But being the Gentleman that he is, he never forces himself on us. Instead, he lets us lead the way so to speak. If we don’t want to listen to God’s words, God doesn’t want to listen to our words. If we don’t want to spend extra time on God, God doesn’t want to spend extra time on us. If we don’t want anything to do with God in this life, he will not want anything to do with us in the next life.

He never forces us. But oh, how he weeps when we walk away from him.

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, Daily, Inspirational2 Comments

The scripture for today, November 16 n(11/16), is John 11:16 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Header-Persecution“Then Thomas…said to the rest of the disciples, ‘Let us also go that we may die with him.’ “

This apostle is most often called “Doubting Thomas.” We’ve all heard the story about Thomas being absent when Jesus appeared to the other apostles, then later said he wouldn’t believe Jesus was alive again unless he could touch him. Well, the other apostles hadn’t believed until they saw him either.

After returning to life, Jesus first appeared to the women. Then, “when they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others…But they did not believe the women because their words seemed to them like nonsense” (Luke 24:9-11).

Now let’s look at our scripture for today. In the months before Jesus’ death, he had been traveling everywhere except to Judea where Jerusalem and the religious leaders were. Those leaders were after Jesus’ life, and everyone knew it. Then Lazarus died and was buried about six miles from Jerusalem. It was dangerous for Jesus to go there.

John 11:7-8 says, “Then he [Jesus] said to his disciples, ‘Let us go back to Judea.’ ‘But Rabbi,’ they said, ‘a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?’ “

After explaining that he needed to get to Lazarus, it was Thomas who bravely spoke up and said, “Let us also go that we may die with him!”

Doubting Thomas? Far from it! Brave Thomas. Devoted Thomas. Thomas who was willing to follow his Lord to the death. That was the real Thomas.

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The scripture for today, September 23 (9/23), is Luke 9:23 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Then he said to them all: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.’ “

There is another verse similar to this: II Timothy 3:12 ~ “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

Have you been playing it safe? Have you been associating only with other Christians and thereby sheltering yourself from persecution? Have you been withholding the gospel from people who might be persecuted if they believe, even if they will be saved by following it?

Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). To do that, we must seek out the lost and try to save them, even when they do not think they are lost. It will end in persecution sometimes ~ you, them, or both. That’s a fact.

Let us not play it safe all the time. Jesus didn’t.

The scripture for today, June 27 (6/27), is Daniel 6:27 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“He [God] rescues and he saves, he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth.  He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.”

This was proclaimed by none other than Darius, Emperor of Persia and Babylon.  He normally worshiped idols.  What made him respect God?  It was Daniel’s example of being true to God no matter what.

Everyone has problems.  You can consider them opportunities.  People of the world do not see any benefits to Christianity in their everyday life.  You can show them the advantage by how you face your own difficulties.  They will notice.

A friend of mine was a logger (lumber jack).  This big guy got up at 4 AM every day and didn’t get home from work and finish eating dinner until about an hour before bed time.  So he began reading his Bible out in the forests during his lunch break.  The other men made fun of him.

They had to ride a small bus together to get deep into the forest, and the guys would harass him on the bus.  One day they harassed and teased him so bad because of his Christianity (he wouldn’t cuss and swear with or at them) and Bible reading, that he asked the bus driver to stop.  He got out and walked ten miles toward his home.

Some time later one of the men who had teased and harassed my friend went to him in private with a problem.  He said, “I teased and harassed you with everyone else, but deep down I admired you.”  Then he went on to explain his problem to my friend “because you are the only one I know to turn to.”

So today, if you are facing a problem, face it together with God.  Face it with courage.  Face it with the belief that it is for a reason and that reason may be so you can be an example of godly strength to others.  Give it a try.  You can do it!

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The scripture for today, May 29 (5/29), is Acts 5:29 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Peter and the other apostles replied, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’ “

There are many countries in the world today where a person is beaten, imprisoned and/or killed for believing in Jesus Christ or owning a Bible.  They must stay in the background and try to remain relatively unnoticed in order to survive.  But their faith continues unabated, even amidst their fears.  The church has survived persecution for 2000 years.

Even if they’re not killed, they are by-passed for promotion at work or fired, they are harassed when out shopping, they are threatened in public transportation, they are turned down for a good education, and they must tolerate derision just walking down the street or waiting at a bus stop.  But their faith continues unabated, even amidst their fears.

Such events are usually covered up by governments and news media, and the good people of those countries never know it is happening.  There are various newsletters on the internet about the persecuted that you can sign up for.  One is at www.persecution.org that sends news as soon as it happens.  Let us daily hold up these brave souls in our prayers ~ those who obey God rather than men.  In eternity, it will be God that we turn to, not men.

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The scripture for today, May 25 (5/25), is Galatians 5:25f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”

When someone is better than us in doing something, do we pick fights with them as punishment, or spread gossip about them in order to get others to quit respecting them?

Perhaps we don’t do this all the time.  But what about times when there is something we feel we are really good at, but another person not as talented gets the honor?  That’s when it’s hard to “keep in step with the Spirit.”

Whenever we envy someone, deep down we consider that person our enemy.  Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:44-45a).

To many, loving our enemy is the most difficult command in the Bible.  Perhaps one way to love our “enemy” is to realize that Jesus loved his enemies.  Every time we sin, we become one of his enemies.  But Jesus keeps right on loving us, even when we don’t want to stop doing whatever we shouldn’t.

Jesus demonstrates the love of the Son of God.  And here he says, if we love our enemies, we are demonstrating what the sons of God do.  That is far more important than honor that goes to those we envy.  Leaving behind conceit makes it much easier to love everyone.

 

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The scripture for today, May 18 (5/18), is 1st Thessalonians 5:18 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

This is one of the most difficult verses in the Bible to follow.  How can we rejoice with the loss of a loved one, of health, of a job, of a home, of a position?  The Christians at Thessalonica, in Greece, had been suffering a lot of persecution for being Christians.

Satan will do all he can to cause bad to happen in your life in order to get you to blame God and forsake him.  But the real blame belongs on Satan.  It may sometimes seem like the harder you try to follow God, the worse things get in our life.  In that case, apparently Satan is afraid of your strength in the Lord and is trying to weaken you and get you back on his side.

And sometimes God stands back and tells Satan, “Do your best.  This person will grow stronger, not weaker.”  Along with the Christians in Thessalonica, you can “become a model….your faith in God can become known everywhere” (1st Thessalonians 1:7-8).

So rejoice that Satan is so afraid of you.  And at the same time, keep your eyes on Jesus who never gave in when Satan caused bad to happen to him.  Rejoice that you are counted worthy.