September 11, 2009
“He Who FAINTS in the day of adversity his strength is small” (Proverbs 24:10).
Continued from August 28, 2009; September 4, 2009
Dear Brethren,
The Soon-Coming Persecution —
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by [in] all nations for My name’s sake [Mr. Armstrong stated this apples to both physical Israel and the Church]. And then many will be OFFENDED, will BETRAY one another, and will HATE one another” (Matthew 24:9-10).
Will there be a repeat in the near future of the persecution such as Jeremiah experienced from faithfully proclaiming God’s message to the Jews before Judah was conquered by Nebuchadnezzar?” (604-585 B. C., Jeremiah 36-38)
Jesus Christ made known the answer by saying what is coming will be worse than anytime in human history or ever will again (Matthew 24:21-22; Daniel 12:1-2).
“Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who ENDURES TO THE END WILL BE SAVED. A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household? Therefore DO NOT fear them ... And do NOT fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. But rather FEAR HIM who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Gehenna – the 2nd death) ...The very hairs of your head are all numbered, DO NOT FEAR therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will confess before My father in heaven. But whoever DENIES Me before men, him I will also DENY before My Father in heaven. ... And a man’s foes will be those of his own household. ... He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. ...” (Matthew 10:21-39).
Past Persecution and Martyrdom of God’s People
From The Roman Government —
ANCIENT HISTORY IN BIBLE LIGHT, Dorothy Ruth Miller, Page 256, ‘Nero’ 54-68 A. D.
“
In
July, 64 A. D., a fire broke out which laid more than half of Rome in
ashes. ... To turn suspicion from himself Nero PERSECUTED THE
CHRISTIANS. The Christians before this had suffered persecution at
the hands of the Jews, but this was the first persecution by the
Roman government. At the beginning of the persecution they were NOT
accused upon the ground of being Christians, BUT
UPON THAT
OF INCENDIARISM
AND
OF BEING HATERS OF HUMANITY
The latter charge arose from their NOT
TAKING PART IN THE HEATHEN FEASTS OR ATTENDING THE BLOODY
GLADITORIAL CONTESTS OR OTHER SPORTS OF THE AMPHITHEATER.
This persecution brought the Christians into prominence, and from this time Christianity began to be looked upon as a crime, and to be banned.
Tacitus [Roman historian] thus describes the persecution: “They died by methods of mockery; some were covered with the skins of wild beasts and then torn apart by wild dogs, some were crucified, some were burned as torches to give light at night. Nero had offered his own gardens for this show, and also, exhibited a game of the circus and, dressed as a charioteer, mixed with the people, or drove his chariot himself. ...”
From The Jews —
Within the confines of the city of Jerusalem during the latter 60s A.D., the Christians were unmercifully persecuted for other reasons than those by the Romans.
Pages 258-259 The Revolt In Judea, 66 A. D..
Pages 258-259 The Revolt In Judea, 66 A.D “... The Jews rose now in open revolt against Rome ... At this time the Christians SUFFERED FANATICAL PERSECUTION from the Jews because they did not sympathize [or join in with them] with the determination of the Jews to revolt. The Lord Jesus had by example and precept taught His disciples obedience to the temporal powers, and the teaching of Paul was the same.
The
PERSECUTION
to which they
were subjected because of their adherence to those principles was
doubtless a contributing cause, T
WO
OR THREE YEARS LATER, to their REMOVAL from Judea, and their
consequent ESCAPE
FROM THE HORRORS OF
THE SIEGE!” (My emphasis
throughout these
historical writings).
Lessons from History and Duality
We would do well to seriously think about what we read in those brief paragraphs of the history of God’s early Church because for the very same reasons the Church of God will experience the same persecution as was brought upon them by both Nero and the Jews.
Think About It —
Haters of Humanity— Nero accused them of being haters of humanity due to their not participating in the heathen feasts, such as Christmas, New Years Days, Easter, Valentine, Halloween, etc.
Likewise,
we as Christians do not have Christmas lights on our homes and no
tree in view in the large window of the living room. This plainly
marks our houses as people who are different and completely out of
step with the Christian world. It is already believed that we do not
believe in Jesus Christ!
This I know personally for I appeared for this kind of questioning some years ago before a leader of a Church group who had purchased the hall we were renting for our Sabbath services! Whether we could remain there or not depended on my answers.
We are conscientious objectors to participating in warfare; we do not involve ourselves in politics; and we do not vote nor serve on juries. Our people do not join in picket strikes or attend Union meetings.
Notes are sent by parents to the teachers in the public school system asking to excuse our children from participating in Christmas parties, and from exchanging cards on Valentine Day, etc.
From these historical writings, we should be able to clearly see that the same charges that were leveled on those early Christians that brought about persecution, great sufferings, and death, apply to all of us today! Haters of humanity!
Think about this with the future in mind.
Whether God sees fit to deliver us sooner or later, we must be preparing ourselves as much as we can both mentally and spiritually in order to faithfully endure unto the end regardless of whatever is ahead of us! And we must not be offended because of whatever the source of the persecution comes, or even if some of us have to suffer martyrdom.
“But he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13).
This Generation Will Not Pass —
After Jesus Christ had enumerated all of the major events to take place before the actual time of the end, which includes the persecution, He then spoke of these coming sufferings on the Church, along with the horrors to come on Israel, and later the world:
“So you also, when you see all these things, KNOW that is near, at the very doors. Assuredly, I say to you, THIS GENERATION (in which these prophetic events will take place) will by NO means pass away TILL all these things are fulfilled. Heaven and earth will pass away BUT My words will by no means pass away” (Matthew 24:33-35).
Though we are fast approaching the time of these end-time prophetic events, we are yet to experience the persecution shortly before the time of God removing us from it all.
Each of us would do well to think about the very possible duality with the early Christians in Jerusalem in 70 A. D. They had to endure the persecution for two or three years before God removed them. Will it be the same with us?
We can only hope for those who were so involved, and yet live, to repent and come fully back into the Philadelphia Era of God’s Church and the Congregation Jesus Christ is now using as a conduit to carry forth His gospel and perhaps the final warning before He closes the door (Revelation 3:8).
At the same time, we need to be drawing close enough to our God that our LOVE FOR HIM AND HIS TRUTH will be so deeply engrained within our very hearts and beings that nothing “shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” – just as the people of God clung faithfully to that LOVE from the beginning of the Church unto our time (Romans 8:31-39; Hebrews 11).
In Conclusion —
Though much can be written and added to this subject it is my hope that this will be enough to make us think deeply about our priceless calling and not let anyone or anything deter us from the glory and endless life that will soon be ours— ours, by enduring faithfully unto the end!
Please remember and think about the following Scripture: “If you faint (or quit) in the day of adversity, your strength is small” (Proverbs 24:10).
Let us be building our spiritual strength through a right and close relationship with our God and our Savior Jesus Christ who said He would never leave nor forsake us (Matthew 28:20; Psalms 34; Hebrews 13:5-6).
To be continued—
Until next time, your brother and servant in Christ,
Don Billingsley
http://bodyofchristonline.us/ http://cog-ff.com http://www.ezekielwatchman.org/ http://worldnewsbulletin.com
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