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Tag Archives: persecution

Intensely Prepared

08 Wednesday Jan 2014

Posted by Ron Thomas in history, Preaching

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

church history, cross of christ, persecution

The Lord told His disciples that as He was opposed, they would be also (John 16:1-4). In the 21st century in which we live, in the United States our appreciation for that sentiment is hardly experienced. Those who were faithful to the Lord in the first century, and the following centuries, experienced it often. For instance, even going back to the time of the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 20), the Lord’s prophet was put in stocks (similar to hand and leg cusps) that was designed to torture its victims. One man said it was designed to distort one’s posture, making it crooked. If you can’t appreciate that, be sure to thank the Lord for it. Again, in the first century, at the time in which Nero was emperor (A.D. 54-69), Christians were persecuted in Rome, even used as human torches to be a “lamp” in Nero’s garden. “The Roman people who hated Christians were free to come into the garden, and Nero drove around in his chariot wickedly enjoying the horrible scene” (The Church in History, p. 8).

Persecution, the Lord told us, is something that each Christian should be prepared to experience (2 Timothy 3:12). Because of such preparation is made, because there is clarity of vision with regard to why it occurs, and because there is hope associated in the knowledge of eternal things, does not mean the one who must be willing to endure will necessarily have the intensity of his experience lessened. Let us not forget, however, that when Paul wrote to the Thessalonians he said, “…it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed” (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10, NKJV).

There is no real way to speak in a positive way of persecution, but it is much easier to speak well of those who are prepared to endure it for the cause of Christ. Jesus willingly went to the cross of His death; it wasn’t because He looked forward to the pain and agony, but because He understood the purpose of it all. This is in contrast to one who has placed his or her hope in self-preservation, or that hope one finds in worldly things.

Religious Loyalty and Commitment

02 Monday Dec 2013

Posted by Ron Thomas in Uncategorized

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Tags

church, commitment, loyalty, persecution, trial

When the apostle Paul was being prosecuted (Acts 23) by those in authority, it did not take long before Paul took advantage of the situation to bring the “trial” to a stand-still. He noticed the divided loyalty that existed amongst those  persecuting him for the cause of Christ. Taking advantage of the situation that he knew was nothing more than a farce he threw the proceedings into confusion by bringing his own religious heritage into the discussion. Those of a similar persuasion then set themselves to defend their own honor by defending Paul against a contrary persuasion (the Sadducees). For many, religious loyalty is still like that today; there is more commitment to one’s own honor than to the Lord’s way of righteousness. RT

It is Naïve to Deny

08 Tuesday Oct 2013

Posted by Ron Thomas in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

baotism, islam, liberal politics, National Park Service, persecution, river, socialism

In a news article dated August 30, The National Park Service in Missouri pitted themselves against religious institutions such as the Baptist and Pentecostal churches. Evidently, the Park Service felt they needed a 48-hour ahead-of-time window before representatives of these churches (or any other) could perform baptisms in the river.

Of course, this did not go without a response from the various churches, the media, and a congressman (Jason Smith). The response was so great that not soon after the National Park Service gave a clarification: “As of today, the park’s policy has been clarified to state that no permit will be required for baptism within the Riverways,’ Supt. William black wrote in a letter to the congressman. ‘I can assure you the National Park Service has no intention of limiting the number of baptisms performed within the park’” (www.foxnews.com).

Do you think that if there was no outcry the National Park Service would not have this policy in place? Don’t be naïve, they sure would! Those in position of authority within the park service calculated the response that would be given them, but they calculated not as well as they thought—or they did calculate accurately, but wanted to test the waters (no pun).

To further exemplify this tendency of the government to act against Christianity, illustrations are given from Michigan University, the San Francisco International Airport, and the attorney general with regard to a religious baptism in Heritage Park in Olympia, Washington.

Many in our country have turned away from any semblance of Christianity. This same “many” have accepted the intolerance of the Islamic religious community and have denied that the mouth they feed (Islamic radicalism) will shortly turn and devour them. They are naïve. RT

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