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Discussion Forum : Devotional Thoughts : In the Shadow of His Cross...Our Persecuted Brothers and Sisters

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 Re: Wednesday Morning, August 24, 2016

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4. Pray that they would trust in God’s wisdom, strength, and deliverance—not their own.

“Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.”
(2 Corinthians 1:7-9)
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The 5th prayer request would be that the persecuted look to God alone for their support. Not look to themsrlves.


From the foot of His cross.

 2016/8/24 6:02









 Re: Is He Worth It...Wed. 8/31/16

Philippians 3:7-11

But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ - the righteousness from God based on faith.
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My brothers and sisters is Jesus worth it? This is the question that is posed in the movie the Insanity of God. No doubt this question is reflected in the book by the same title written by our brother Nik Ripken.

There would have been no doubt in the Apostle Paul's mind that Jesus is indeed worth it. In the verses above we see that he suffers the loss of all things so that he might know Christ. And even to make him known to others period all throughout the letters of Paul we see how he has suffered shipwrecks and beatings and imprisonment and persecutions so that he might preach the gospel to others that they might come to know the same Lord that He knew.

As I reflect upon the sufferings of our brothers and sisters who suffer in shipping containers of Eritrea and the death camps of North Korea. Their answer to the question is Jesus worth it? Their answer would be a resounding YES! YES! YES! He indeed is worth all of the suffering and all of the pain and all of the torture.

Not only that. The persecuted brotheren would say that He is worth suffering for so that they might make him known to others. They are willing to suffer the hardships of persecution for the Lord Jesus Christ so that they might share what they have encountered to those that are still in darkness. Because they have answered the question is Jesus worth it. They have answered that question with a resounding YES!!! They have answered that question with a resounding YES millions of times over. Our persecuted brothers and sisters would say that Jesus is worth it. He is worth it even if it means their own life.

Is Jesus more important to us than my right to carry a conceal and carry. Is Jesus more worth it than my right to pack a weapon and then say make my day? Is Jesus more worth it that I would be willing to lay my family and my life down before an enemy to see that they might come to Christ?

Our persecuted brothers and sisters have already answered the hard questions of laying down their families and their lives on the altar of Christ. I have shared in this forum the story of Leina and Samar. This was a husband and wife who ministered in the middle of Syria when the civil war started there. They had to work through laying down their lives. They had to work through laying down the lives of one another. They had to work through laying down the lives of your children. Perhaps the most difficult thing for any parent to do.

We in America have yet to work through those questions. Our Comstitutional right to carry a conceal and carry is more important to us than perhaps coming to the cross of Jesus Christ and laying everything down at the feet of Jesus and trusting in Him and him alone to protect us.

The persecuted brothers and siaters do not have this option. They do not trust in carnal weapons of men to protect them. Rather they trust and those divine weapons that can truly deliver them from the hand of Satan.

In Revelation 12:11 we read,

They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not love their lives in the face of death.

The persecuted brothers and sisters overcome and conquer Satan because they do not love their own lives. They have surrendered their lives at the cross. They do this because they see that Jesus is worth it. Jesus is worth it even in the face of their enemies.

Brothers and sisters let us look to our persecuted brethren and learn from them. Let us look to them and learn to lay everything down at the foot of His cross. I believe in the days and weeks and months that lie ahead the persecution in North America will continue to increase. And we will need to sit at the feet of our persecuted brethren and learn from them how to endure and even overcome what will soon come upon us.

Let us walk in humility before Jesus and learn from him through what our persecuted brethren can teach us. For this truly is posted from the foot of His cross.

 2016/8/31 9:37









 Re: 6th Way to Pray for Persecuted Church...Wed. PM, 8/31/16

6. Pray that God would give them the right words to say as fearless ambassadors for Christ.

“and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.”
(Ephesians 6:19-20)
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Even in the midst of his imprisonment Paul would ask that prayer would be made for him so that he could communicate the Gospel of Jesus. Even make it clearly known to his persecutors. Paul always looked at his imprisonment as an opportunity for evangelism.

Paul writes in Phil.1:12-13,

... Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has actually resulted in the advance of the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard, and to everyone else, that my imprisonment is in the cause of Christ...

So Paul saw his imprisonment as another opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus. It appears that the gospel even went into the house of Caesar himself. Paul writes in Philippians 4:22,

... All the saints greet you, but especially those from Caesar's household...

Our brothers and sisters in North Korea actually see the death camps as a mission field. They look up on their persecutions as preparing them for their ultimate ministry which will be the death camp of North Korea. It is said that in the death camps the N. Korean believers have the most freedom to share the gospel. Not much can be done to them since these believers are already under a sentence of death. Thus they share Christ with reckless abandonment. But bringing the hope of Jesus to those who so desperately need to hear it.

There truly is insanity and all of this. We would call it the insanity of God. Therefore let us pray that our brothers and sisters and persecuted Nations will have the boldness to share Jesus. Even in their imprisonment.

For this is posted from the foot of His cross.

 2016/8/31 16:50









 Re: Identifying With the Persrcuted Brethren...Fri. a.m. 9/2/16

This quote may not be word for word, but the message is true.....

"When I share the gospel of Jesus with others, I'm identifying with my persecuted family in Christ.....but......When I keep Jesus to myself, from my neighbors, my co-workers, from the people down the street, from the people across the seas, essentially any non believer....not only am I NOT identifying with our family of God in persecution...but I'm identifying with their persecutors who put them in chains. The worst persecution is keeping Jesus from others--because their persecution will be for eternity. The hard truth....we care more for bricks and mortar than we do for lost souls." Nik Ripken
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The above quote was posted by sister Sherri a few days ago. I thought it was worth quoting again. Particularly since it follows the previous post. The post where the persecuted asked that we pray they have right words in sharing Jesus.

Brothers and sisters a thoughtful question... Are we identifying with the persecuted church by sharing Jesus?

From the foot of His cross.


 2016/9/2 7:39









 Re: Friday Morning, 9/9/16

I use a prayer card from VOM to pray generally for the persecuted church. Today's prayer request was to ask the Lord to strengthen the persecuted church and refresh their faith through His word.

As I prayed this for my persecuted brothers and sisters. I thought of the dear saints in North Korea. I remembered seeing in videos how they would gather under blankets with small pen lights reading the word of God. Praying the word of God.

I can't begin to imagine what it is to live in a nation like North Korea where you have to look around you. And perhaps even in a spirit of fear try to grab something of the word of God. To read it quickly and hide it in your heart. And hope that you have not been discovered by other members of your family who will report you to the authorities.

As I write this time convicted by the fact that I have the freedom to read or listen to the word of God. I can listen to it in the privacy of the house I can take. I do not have to worry about the secret police busting in and Hauling me off to prison. Yet how much time do I waste in frivolous pursuits.

Lord Jesus I pray our brothers and sisters will have access to your word that they can get into their hearts and Minds. I pray that I will not waste time on frivolous Pursuits. But give more attention to your word and prayer. For I pray this in your blessed nane.

From the foot of His cross.

-bbs-

 2016/9/9 8:16









 Re:

"As I write this time convicted by the fact that I have the freedom to read or listen to the word of God. I can listen to it in the privacy of the house I can take. I do not have to worry about the secret police busting in and Hauling me off to prison. Yet how much time do I waste in frivolous pursuits."

My spirit is in agreement with you, bearmaster. And I thank our Amazing and Beautiful Lord Jesus Christ for giving us faith through grace and baptizing us with the Holy Spirit and His Word...the persecuted are also being baptized with fire...it seems...(or perhaps this will prove to be the same thing)...

...I am so grateful and have such thanksgiving for (which is also a gift from Him) the privilege of having (virtually unlimited) access to His Word AND His Spirit, and that he would convict the hearts of the saints about how they use their time "at this HOUR"...

...This conviction is an a fortiori blessing when this conviction ignites us to ACTION...inspired by and within His very Body of Believers!!!

...For example, your 30 Day NT challenge, bearmaster, coupled with the wisdom of God's Word and the Love of His Spirit (which you share unsparingly), has inspired my own "active" accountability to take this challenge and meet it with His Victory...

...and my renewed motives underlying my desire for His Word have been intensified with a sincere sense of urgency, in light of the persecuted church...

So many more reasons to get His Word into you and inscribed upon your heart, mind, soul and strength and...

...Like Him...through Him was the Word made Flesh...I want to become His Chiastic eternal parnter by becoming Flesh made Word...

Love-in-Christ,

kyp

 2016/9/9 13:05









 Re:Friday Afternoon, 9/9/16

Katherine Walden
March 14, 2016
As I was falling asleep one night, I ‘heard’ the wail and weeping of hundreds of souls in deep travail. I asked God. “Who are these who weep so?” And God answered. “These are the cries of the persecuted church, who intercede for those Christians who live in freedom of faith and take it for granted.” My heart broke.

From the foot of His cross.

-bbs-

 2016/9/9 16:37









 Re: Wed. Morn. 9/21/16

Romans 8:33-34

Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

________

It has been said that the New Testament is best understood through the eyes of the persecuted church. This is because the persecuted believers can identify with those of whom the New Testament was written to. The New Testament is a book written by the persecuted for the persecuted.

The persecuted believers today can understand the verses above set in the context of Jesus interceding for them in prayer. They can see the intercessory ministry of Jesus set against a wider backdrop of the passage of victory that Paul starts in Romans 8:26 and culminates in Romans 8:39.

Jesus is presently interceding for His beloved persecuted bride in the presence of his Father. This question I would put before us today. Those of us who are not experiencing the persecution as our brothers and sisters are in other parts of the world. Are we also taking up the intercessory ninistry of Jesus and lifting up his beloved persecuted bride in our prayers? If not, why?

I can hear the cries of some who say I am not called to this ministry. I am not called to pray for the persecuted church. I grant that not all are called to an intercessory ministry of praying for the persecuted church in a full-time capicity.

But my brother or sister and may I put this question before you gently. Can you escape the injunction of Hebrews 13:3 that says,

... Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those are ill-treated, since you yourself also are in the body...?

Is there not some time during the day that you can at least lift up the persecuted brethren in your prayers. You may not know the particulars of how to pray for them. But certainly you can ask that God in His Spirit will intercede in their particular situations and will strengthen and encourage them.

The International Day of Prayer for the persecuted church is less than a few weeks away. Those of you who do have a heart for the persecuted church I would urge you to challenge your missions pastor or your pastor to get your church involved. You can go to the website of Open Doors or Voice of the Martyrs or other websites that give excellent material and how your church can participate in IDOP this coming November.

Persecution Watch, in conjunction with other ninistries, will host two 12-hour calls on the first two IDOP Sundays this coming November. I pray Greg will let me post those calls on the Forum.

Also at the end of September we will have a 24-hour call for the persecuted church. Again I hope Greg will let me post information on that call next week.

For those of you who have a heart for the persecuted church and would like to join our prayer calls. Please email me at my email below this thread here. Also my email address is in my profile.

Brothers and sisters let us take up the intercessory ministry of Jesus. And let us remember our persecuted brothers and sisters in prayer. It has been said by one persecuted ministry that prayer is the least yet the most effective thing you can do to for our persecuted brothers and sisters. And James says that the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

Again let us remember our persecuted family in our prayers before the throne of grace.

Posted from the foot of His cross

-bbs-
[email protected]

 2016/9/21 8:36









 Re: Thursday a.m. 9/22/16

Matthew 26:22

Then He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death, remain here and keep watch with me."
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The above verses are set in a wider context of Jesus praying In The Garden of Gethsemane. Here the agony of Jesus was so great that he invited three of his closest companions to come with Him and pray.  No less than the Son of God Himself needed prayer from those closest to him. He needed prayer as He agonized over the cross in which He would carry and suffer on. Yet when he returned from His heart-wrenching prayer. He found them sleeping.  How this must have grieved and broken the heart of Jesus.

One aspect of this invitation was that it would have been an honor to come and stand with Jesus in His hour of trial.  Yet the disciples missed honor of standing with Jesus and fell asleep.

Brothers and sisters we too have been given an invite. That is an invite to stand with those that are carrying the cross as they follow Jesus. And that is the invite to pray for our brothers and sisters in the persecuted church. Yet I fear that many of us are asleep. Many of us do not hear the plea to pray for our brothers and sisters.

I remember visiting a house church a few years ago. I spoke to the house church leader about the persecuted church in other parts of the world. His glib response to me was we are not led in that direction. My heart was grieved over his response. No. Not all are called to pray for the persecuted church in a full-time capacity. Yet, I echo my question from yesterday. How can we escape the injunction of Hebrews 13:3? That is to remember those in prison as if we were their fellow prisoners and those who are ill treated because we ourselves are also in the body.

Yet much of the North American Church ignores the injunctice command to remember our persecuted brothers and sisters and keep them in our prayers. Many do not want to pray for the persecuted because they come face-to-face with the cross that the suffering church carries. Many do not want to pray for the persecuted because they see that they too must pick up the cross. That same cross that are persecuted brothers and sisters carry. The cross requires the sacrifice. It requires the sacrifice of even our own lives.

But for the few who listen. For the few who do listen to the plea how about brothers and sisters and persecuted lands to pray for them. There is honor and there is a blessing.

Persecution Watch is now going into its seventh year of lifting up our suffering brothers and sisters in prayer. I feel many times we are not worthy to wash their feet in prayer. But this is what God has birthed in our hearts. I consider it a blessed honor for us to stand with our brothers and sisters in their hour as they carry the cross.

For those who are so moved I invite you to join us on our calls. Or if you are so moved start your own prayer groups via conference call or cottage. The thing I would urge you to do is hear the cry of our persecuted brothers and sisters and pray for them. But please do not fall asleep in their hour of trial as they carry the cross.

Posted from the foot of his cross.

-bbs-
[email protected]

 2016/9/22 8:34









 Re: Tuesday PM...10/18/16

"There is no western church. There is no persecuted church. There is the church."

Nik Ripkin

-bbs-

 2016/10/18 17:26





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