Sunday, June 12, 2016
Persecution
Bible Questions Answered:
“..what are we to do if the church
seems to be more and more under persecution...”
Charles/ Rotherham, England United Kingdom
Bible Answer:
Bible Texts:
While many Christian people are
seemingly lukewarm and complacent, the fact is that over 100,000
Christians die, every year, ….for their faith. Raped, beaten,
crucified, beheaded, jailed or left refugees.
It has stated that a Christian is murdered in the Middle East every five minutes.
Why, oh why?
Revelation 12:12 KJV
"...Woe to the inhabiters of
the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you,
having
great wrath, because he
knoweth that he hath but a short time.
Early believers, knew well of
persecution and death.
In Acts chapter 4, Peter and
John were imprisoned and threatened, not to speak about Jesus. The
church prayed and this is what they prayed.
Acts 4:23-31 NLT (Be sure to read
Acts 4:1-22)
23 As soon as they were freed, Peter
and John returned to the other believers and told them what the
leading priests and elders had said.
(They praised God, for He alone is
The Creator.)
24 When they heard the report, all
the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O
Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything
in them—
(They believed that all that happens
is a part of God's great plan, and thanked Him.)
25 you spoke long ago by The Holy
Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying, ‘Why were
the nations so angry? Why did they waste their time with futile
plans?
26 The kings of the earth prepared
for battle; the rulers gathered together against
The Lord and against His Messiah.’
27 “In fact, this has happened
here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the
governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united
against Jesus, your Holy Servant, whom you anointed.
28 But everything they did was
determined beforehand according to your will.
(They besought The Lord for His holy
anointing when speaking His Word.)
29 And now, O Lord, hear their
threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your
Word.
(They asked to be "endued"
with Holy Spirit power.)
30 Stretch out your hand with
healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the
name of your Holy Servant Jesus.”
(And God heard their prayer.)
31 After this prayer, the meeting
place shook, and they were all filled with
The Holy Spirit. Then they preached
The Word Of God with boldness.
Christian
Persecution:
Matthew 5:11 KJV
Blessed are ye, when men shall
revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil
against you falsely, for My sake.
Matthew 10:22,39 KJV
22 And ye shall be hated of all men
for My name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
39 He that findeth his life shall
lose it: and he that loseth his life for My sake shall find it.
Matthew 19:29 KJV
And every one that hath forsaken
houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or
children, or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold,
and shall inherit everlasting life.
Romans 8:16,17 NLT
16 For His Spirit joins with our
spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.
17 And since we are His children, we
are His heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s
glory. But if we are to share His glory, we must also share His
suffering.
Philippians 3:10,11 NLT
10 I want to know Christ and
experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead. I want to
suffer with Him, sharing in His death,
11 so that one way or another I will
experience the resurrection from the dead!
II Timothy 2:11,12 KJV
11 It is a faithful saying: For if
we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him:
12 If we suffer, we shall also reign
with Him: if we deny Him, He also will deny us:
Hebrews 11:24-27 KJV
24 By faith Moses, when he was come
to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
25 Choosing rather to suffer
affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin
for a season;
26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ
greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto
the recompence of the reward.
27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not
fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing Him who is
invisible.
James 5:10 KJV
Take, my brethren, the prophets, who
have spoken in the name of The Lord, for an example of suffering
affliction, and of patience.
I Peter 2:20,21 NLT
20 "... if you suffer for doing
good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.
21 For God called you to do good,
even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is
your example, and you must follow in His steps.
I Peter 3:14,15 NLT
14 But even if you suffer for doing
what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be
afraid of their threats.
15 Instead, you must worship Christ
as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a
believer, always be ready to explain it.
I Peter 4:14-19 NLT
14 If you are insulted because you
bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for
The Glorious Spirit Of God rests
upon you.
15 If you suffer, however, it must
not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other
people’s affairs.
16 But it is no shame to suffer for
being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by
His name!
17 For the time has come for
judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment
begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed
God’s Good News?
18 And also, “If the righteous are
barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?”
19 So if you are suffering in a
manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your
lives to The God who created you, for He will never fail you.
I Peter 5:10,11 NLT
10 In His kindness God called you to
share in His eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you
have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and
strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation.
11 All power to Him forever! Amen.
Revelation 6:9 KJV
And when He had opened the fifth
seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for The
Word Of God, and for the testimony which they held:
Revelation 20:4 KJV
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon
them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them
that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for The Word Of God,
and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had
received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they
lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Please pray for persecuted Christian people.