Poster | Thread |
| | 2016/7/25 8:03 | |
| Re: Monday Morning, July 25, 2016 | | . ... For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our lord... Romans 8:38-39
"Persecution is not a punishment, but rather enduring persecution faithfully is a way of expressing Christ’s love, he said, adding that there is a need to pray for Christians in northern Nigeria and assist those in need. They need to be encouraged in prayers to respond to persecution not with violence, but with Christ’s message of peace, love and joy, he said."
... Nigerian pastor who lost his beloved wife in a jihadist attack...
Paul reminds his hearers in the letter to Romans that nothing in heaven are on earth or in hell can separate them from the love of Christ. Not even persecution and death. The persecuted brothers and sisters do not ask the questions of "why". That is if God so loved them why does He put them through suffering and martyrdom? It is enough to know that in the midst of their suffering and martyrdom they are not separated from the love of God.
The brother pastor in Nigeria who recently lost his beloved wife in a jihadist attack understands that persecution is simply another expression of the love of Christ.
Let us pray that our persecuted brothers and sisters be aware of the love of Christ in the midst of their tribulations. Let us also pray that we be aware of Christ in the mist of our tribulations.
For this is from the foot of His cross.
|
| 2016/7/25 8:20 | |
| Re: Monday Evening, August 1, 2016 | | . The following is a story of one of the early English martyrs who died for their faith in Christ. This is from DC Talks put out by Voice of the Martyrs.
--------------
"Thomas I have to know. I must know. Tomorrow when they take you to the stake to be burned. And if you have presence of mind. Will you raise your hands if you do not feel the pain of the fire. Brother I must know." Thomas told his friend. "If I have presence of mind and do not feel the pain of the fire. I will raise my hands and let you know.
The next day Thomas was led to the stake to be burned for his faith in Christ. He was chained to the stake. The torches were set to ignite the wood that was under him. The fire started coming up toward him. Eventually the flames consumed his body and his skin was burning to a crisp. Everyone thought for sure that he had burned to death. Then suddenly, Thomas raised his arms toward heaven. His arms are covered in flames. Then 3 times he clapped his hands. By this time the crowd was breaking into cheers.
The dear brother had his answer.
------------
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For monetary, light Affliction is producing for us and eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
2 Corithians 4:16-18
From the foot of His cross.
|
| 2016/8/1 22:37 | | Theophila Member

Joined: 2007/1/15 Posts: 365
| Re: | | Dear Lord Jesus, Please help us be sensible to You in our afflictions. Please help us be sensible to Your Body especially in nations where there is intense physical persecution. Amen! _________________ Tolu
|
| 2016/8/2 6:13 | Profile |
| Re: Wednesday Morning, August 3, 2016 | | . This entry has also been posted on the board as Two Rows by the Sea.
-------
Two Rows by the Sea Reply To This Post | Edit | . A little over a year ago 21 followers of Jesus were martyred on the shores of Libya. The following is an account of these 21 precious saints who passed into glory into the presence of Jesus.
--------------- . They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated, the world was not worthy of them.” (Hebrews 11:37-38)
I don’t think I will ever read this passage again without seeing in my mind images of men dressed in orange jump suits with black-clad, masked executors behind each one of them. ISIS’s brutal killing of 21 Christian Egyptians in Libya last month for being ‘people of the Cross’ devastated their families and shocked Egypt – and the world.
Very encouraged
When I arrived at the Bible Society office the morning after the video was released, feeling sad and depressed, a young coworker told me that as well as the horror and sorrow she felt at the young men’s deaths, their faith had left her feeling ‘very encouraged.’
“What has happened has shown me that there are Christians today who are brave enough to face death rather than deny their Lord,” she told me. “It has shown me that the the Gospel message can still help us to hold onto the promises of God, even when facing death.”
Mourning nation
To bring comfort to a mourning nation, we at the Bible Society produced more than a million copies of a leaflet called ‘Two Rows by the Sea’, which is being distributed throughout the country. It contains a collection of Scripture passages about faith in adversity and God’s enduring love. It also includes a poem, from which the leaflet takes its name, written by medical doctor who has a gift for writing poetry. I’d like to share the poem here. May it bless you as it has blessed many people across the world over the past two weeks:
Two Rows By the Sea
Two rows of men walked the shore of the sea, On a day when the world’s tears would run free. One a row of assassins, who thought they did right, The other of innocents, true sons of the light. One holding knives in hands held high, The other with hands empty, defenseless and tied. One row of slits to conceal glaring-dead eyes, The other with living eyes raised to the skies. One row stood steady, pall-bearers of death, The other knelt ready, welcoming heaven’s breath. One row spewed wretched, contemptible threats, The other spread God-given peace and rest. A Question… Who fears the other? The row in orange, watching paradise open? Or the row in black, with minds evil and broken?
--------------------
Revelation 12:11
And they overcame him because of the blood of the lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.
Posted in respect of those martyrs that have passed out of this life into eternal life with Jesus.
But this truly is from the foot of His cross |
| 2016/8/3 7:42 | |
| Re: Tuesday Afternoom, August 9, 2016 | | . ...Remember my imprisonment...
Colossians 4:18
One simple verse of three words written by the Apostle Paul to the believers in Colossae. Remember my imprisonment. One simple phrase of three words that are persecuted brothers and sisters would ask of us in the West. Remember my imprisonment.
Can we remember the tens of thousands of believers who are imprisoned in North Korea? Can we remember the 2000 believers imprisoned in shipping containers or holes in the ground in Eritrea. Can we remember hundreds of brothers and sisters imprisoned in jails in Iran and China?
How do we remember them? We remember them in our prayers.
Ephesians 6:18
With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view,]be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,
This truly is from the foot of His cross.
|
| 2016/8/9 17:03 | |
| Re: Wednesday Morning, August 17, 2016 | | . This article was sent to me yesterday. Here a brother describe seven ways to pray for the persecuted church as seen from the ministry of Paul. I had posted this under another thread heading on the board. I now put this at the foot of the cross, the persecuted Church.
May this article help you and give you direction as you faithfully pray for our brothers and sisters in the shadow of the cross.
-----------------------------
Seven Ways To Pray for the Persecuted Church
When members of the body of Christ suffer, the whole body suffers together (1 Cor 12:26). Even if we are geographically removed from those being persecuted, we can still draw near to them spiritually:
“Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body” (Hebrews 13:3).
The apostle Paul himself was well acquainted with suffering and persecution. In fact, many of his pastoral letters were written while he was behind prison bars. Since Paul was a man acquainted with grief and persecution, we can learn how to pray for the persecuted by looking at his life, ministry, and pastoral letters. Here are 7 ways we can pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters, taken from the ministry of Paul:
1. Pray that they would see the grace of Christ as all-sufficient, magnifying God’s power in their weakness.
“‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
2. Pray that they would treasure Jesus more than life itself.
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)
“But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus” (Acts 20:24)
3. Pray that their unshakable joy in Christ would be a witness to their persecutors.
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25)
“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.” (Philippians 1:27-28)
4. Pray that their future glory would overshadow their present afflictions.
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18)
5. 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)
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)
“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison– that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.” (Colossians 4:2-4)
7. Pray that God would protect and deliver them to safety, according to His good and perfect will.
“I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints” (Romans 15:30-31)
“At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you.” (Philemon 1:22)
------------------------------
From the foot of His cross
|
| 2016/8/17 8:17 | |
| Re: | | That's really good stuff Bear. Thanks for sharing it. God Bless, Jeff |
| 2016/8/17 9:42 | |
| Thursday Mornong, August 18, 2016 | | . I thought for the next 7 days I would post each of the prayer points contaoned on the article Seven Ways to Pray for the Perercuted Church. If you are so led this will be a good way to take a minute or two and lift up our brothers and sisters in prayer in your personal time with the Lord.
...........................................
1.Pray that they would see the grace of Christ as all-sufficient, magnifying God’s power in their weakness.
“‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9
..........................................
From the foot of His cross |
| 2016/8/18 6:00 | |
| Re: Thursday Evening, August 18, 2016 | | . Nik Ripken was asked what would the persecuted church say to us in the West. He responded they would say three things to us Western Christians.
1. Take joy in your suffering. It is an honor to suffer for the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. To share Jesus is obedience. You are free to share Jesus irregardless of politics. Because you are sharing Jesus out of an obedient heart.
3. Do not fear. Satan brings fear. Jesus remove fear.
Certainly profound things to take to heart from our persecuted brothers and sisters.
From the foot of His cross. |
| 2016/8/18 20:22 | |
|