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

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 Re: From the Foot of His Cross...The Persecuted Church

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

 2016/8/18 22:35









 Re: Sheri

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Quite right my sister. To that I say Amen.

 2016/8/18 23:22









 Re: Friday Morning, August 19, 2016

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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)

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I have recently began asking myself and the Lord the question why would our brothers and sisters suffer so much torture and heartache? Why would they endure so many years of imprisonment? Why would they even endure the heartache of martyrdom either to their family or themselves? In other words why would they undergo persecution?

For sure it may be out of fear that if they deny Jesus then He will deny them.  But then that almost sounds like a legalistic reason for suffering persecution. It would almost make their sufferings altruistic in some sense. Such reasoning would make suffering and martyrdom a cult.

I would like to suggest that there is something far deeper here. That what our persecuted brothers and sisters find in Jesus is something far more valuable.  To our persecuted brethren Jesus has become their pearl of great price. Jesus has become their treasure.

Paul writes in Philippians 3:7-9,

... But whatever things were gain to me, these things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in him not having a righteousness of my on derived from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.

Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians from a Roman prison. And even in that prison where he was suffering for the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul makes the declaration that he has counted all things as loss for the surpassing value of knowing Jesus alone.

In the midst of his sufferings Paul would say that Jesus is worth it. He is worth suffering for. For what Paul saw in Jesus was a treasure so great. So eternal. So far more encompassing. That like Moses. He would suffer the reproach of Christ so that he might gain Jesus. Counting as rubbish all the treasures of this world. Rubbish because there was great delight and value in the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is why when I read about dear sisters such as Fatima of Saudi Arabi, Senait Habta of Eritrea. or Surta of Somalia, or countless others who are martyred for their faith in Jesus. I see in their testimony that they count Jesus as far more worthy to suffer and die for than the things of this world.

This has been the testimony of our brothers and sisters down through the ages.  They were not dying for a theological abstract. They were not dying for some esoteric idea. They were dying for a Person.  For these dear saints had had an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ.  They had a personal marvelous encounter With Jesus. That as such they were willing to consider Him is far more precious than even their own lives. Something theit persecuters could never understand.

Brothers and sisters let this be our example. May we count Jesus as far more precious than even our own sufferings that we may endure. Because He is worth it.


"Eighty and six years have I served Him, and he never did me any injury; how then can I blaspheme my King and my Savior."
--Polycarp, disciple of the Apostle John, and Bishop of Smyrna.


For the Word did not become a philosophy, theology, or a concept to be discussed debated or pondered. But the Word became a Person to be followed, loved, and enjoyed.
... From a Christmas card I saw years ago.


This is from the foot of His cross.


 2016/8/19 7:53









 Re: Friday Evening, August 19, 2016

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John 6:67-69.

Jesus asked the twelve, "You do not want to go away also, do you?" Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God."


Earlier today brother Frank and I were talking about why the persecuted would endure so much tribulation in following Jesus. I shared with him the revelation the Spirit had given me regarding the persecuted finding an intrinsic value in following Jesus Himself. That there was a beauty in Jesus that the persecuted saw. That they were willing to follow him even to the gates of hell.

Frank shared with me about the testimony of his dear mother who came to Jesus. Prior to the time of her coming to Jesus. Frank's father had never laid a hand on her. But after Frank's mother came to Christ, Frank's father would mercilessly beat her for following Jesus. Yet Frank's dear mother would never deny Jesus. Despite the constant beatings and she held firm in her faith in following the Lord Jesus Christ. It was the testimony of our dear brother's mother that brought our brother Frank to the Lord Jesus.

Frank's mother would always respond regarding her situation, Where will I go? For I have discovered life?

This was the testimony of the disciples of Jesus. The twelve, later who would become ekeven. They had discovered eternal life. For they knew that Jesus was the Holy One of Israel. Where else would they go to find words that would give them spirit and life. And all of the other disciples except one died martyr's death. Because they had discovered the one who would bring them words of eternal life.

This is also the testimony of our brothers and sisters in persecuted lands. Particularly when Muslims come to Jesus through a dream or a vision. They have discovered the One who would bring them meaning and purpose in life. They have discovered Jesus.

This is why our brothers and sisters will suffer persecutions in shipping containers and holes in the ground and death camps in North Korea. This is why believers are willing to be beheaded by Muslims. For they have discovered the One who would give them eternal life.

As I said in the morning post. Believers in Jesus Christ do not die for a theological abstract. They do not die or some type of esoteric force or idea. They die for a Person. They're willing to lay down their lives for the One who will give them eternal life and meaning. They die for the one who will give them purpose in this life and in the life to Come. They die for the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is why are brothers and sisters in persecuted nations endure so much for their Lord Jesus Christ. O that we would find Jesus to be so worthy to us. That we are willing to suffer for Him. Even the loss of our own life.


For this truly is from the foot of His cross.

... Frank gave me permission to share about his mother and her wonderful testimony...

 2016/8/19 21:43
StirItUp
Member



Joined: 2016/6/4
Posts: 949
Johannesburg, South Africa

 Re:

Beautiful Blaine.

Thank you.


_________________
William

 2016/8/20 5:19Profile









 Re: Saturday Morning, August 20, 2016

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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)

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There is something very unnatural about the joy that the persecuted show when they are reviled or slandered or even beaten or tortured for the name of Christ. This is not some type of masochistic enduring of pain. But a fruit of the Spirit that is being worked out in their lives. That the persecuted brethren have joy that they consider themselves worthy to suffer for the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is certainly evidenced to the early church. We see in Acts 5:41,

... so they went on their way from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer abuse for His name...

A number of times Paul is akwsys speaking of the joy of Christ in his imprisonment in that marvelous little book of Philippians.

The only way the persecuted believers in times past and in times present can have the joy of Jesus in the midst of persecution is through the power of the Holy Spirit. For one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit is joy.

Let us pray that our brothers and sisters this day will have the joy of Jesus in the midst of their persecution. Let us pray that their joy will be a witness to their persecutors. And let us pray that we may have the joy of Jesus in the midst of our sufferings whatever we may go through.


For this post is from the foot of His cross.

 2016/8/20 9:17









 Re:

... Cancel Post...

 2016/8/21 8:17









 Re: Sunday Morning, August 21, 2016

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Matthew 5:11-12

Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me, rejoice and be glad. For your reward in heaven is great, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
___________________________________________

I wanted to continue thinking about joy in the midst of persecution. In the above verse Jesus is telling his disciples that they should rejoice and be glad when people insult them and persecute them and falsely say all kinds of evil against them because of Him. He says they are blessed. He also says they have a great reward in heaven. Luke goes as far as to say that they who are persecuted are to leap for joy in the midst of their tribulations (Lk.5:23).

If I may borrow a term for our brother, Nik Ripken, this seems almost insane. Why is Jesus saying that in the midst of our persecutions we are to rejoice, be glad, even leap for joy. Truly this is an insanity of God

Brothers and sisters I must share with you that I do not have a clear answer of why Jesus commands us to rejoice in the midst of our persecutions. Let alone have the experience to draw from. Thiugh I suspect in times to come Jesus will teach me to rejoice in the midst of whatever sufferings I may go through.

Suffice to say though that our brothers and sisters are going through persecutions and to a degree rejoicing in them. And as I said in yesterday's post. This is something worked out by the Holy Spirit giving them that spiritual fruit of joy.

We are told in Matthew that those who are persecuted are to rejoice in that there is a great reward waiting for them in heaven. Again I do not think that this is some type of anesthetic suffering and that they suffer for reward sake. But I think that because their Lord has gone through suffering. They count it a joy to enter into His sufferings in that they, as their Lord, do take up their cross to follow Jesus.

Hebrews 12:2 says that who for the joy set before Him Jesus endured the cross despising not it's shame.

I can only imagine that in the midst of those who suffer persecution that the ultimate reward will be Jesus Himself. That perhaps for those who go through the fires of affliction that Fourth Man will be all the more precious to the persecuted when they see Him in heaven. Perhaps the ultimate reward will be the smile on Jesus face when He says well done my faithful child.

Saints I have prayed for the persecuted for the last 6 years. But even in praying for them I still have not plummeted the depths the mystery of persecution. I can only assume by God's grace that as I continue to pray for them. And as I continue to identify with the persecuted brethren that perhaps God will show me by revelation the mystery of persecution that they experience And perhaps this will only come through my being persecuted as our brothers and sisters endure in restricted nations. So that I may know His joy in the midst of persecution.

In the meantime let us continue to pray that our brothers and sisters will find joy in the midst of their persecutions. Let us pray that they realize there will be a reward waiting for them in heaven. May they realize that that reward will ultimately be Jesus himself.

And let us also pray that in the midst of our persecutions that we two will have a reward. And that reward ultimately will, no doubt, be Jesus himself.


For this post is from the foot of His cross.





 2016/8/21 8:41









 Re:

Please refer to previous post for today's entey.

 2016/8/21 8:41









 Re: Teusday Morning, August 23, 2016

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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)
______________________________________________

I wanted to pick up again on the seven ways to pray for the persecuted church. The fourth way that we are asked to pray for the persecuted church is that there future glory will overshadow their present circumstances. Some will probably dismiss this as pie in the sky by and by. Perhaps wishful thinking.

But for our persecuted brothers and sisters this is a present reality that gives them hope. Mainly because they are looking toward Christ who is the hope of glory. They see Jesus as their hope. Our persecuted brethen look to Jesus because He conquered death. And He is reigning at the right hand of His father. As such they too will reign in the millennial Kingdom with Jesus.

Our brother Paul had this confidence and expectation. For he writes in 2nd Corinthians 4:17-18,

---For momentary, liight affliction is producing for us an 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---

For ultimately our brothers and sisters know that this world is not their eternal home. But their eternal home will be with Jesus. For in the midst of their sufferings they know that they will reign with him. And may we in our sufferings know that we will also reign with Him.

Let us pray that our brothers and sisters will have the hope of glory that is found in Jesus this day.


For this post is from the foot of His cross.

 2016/8/23 12:32





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