Heb 10:33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.
Heb 10:34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
Do you remember when you first came to the knowledge of Christ as your personal Savior? For most it is a memory worthy of personal celebration, isn't it? It should be. The first moments of realization that you are no longer condemned but there is hope for eternal life is something amazing. Because our lives vary so greatly it'd be hard to say that instantly afterwards our lives took a turn for the worse- at least in a worldly way. Some are born again in Christ under the loving influence of family members. Others are born again into salvation with like believers eager to surround them with their love. Still others aren't quite so lucky, they have the experience of joyous conversion and then shortly thereafter are thrust into a life surrounded by people who ridicule them for their faith. On a completely opposite end of the spectrum some embrace their Savior's promise and are instantly facing a life of torture for their beliefs.
When we read these verses people were living in a time when Christianity was new and rejected by the majority. There was no- do as you please as long as you don't bother me. Professing Christianity was a reason for death. It's like that even today in some countries- really- it is! Look up Christian persecution on Google and see what it brings up.
Here's a few examples-
China threatened by Christian meeting
China is not allowing Christians to attend the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelism in South Africa as officials claim their attendance to the mission-minded gathering is a "threat to national security."
More than 230 Chinese Christian leaders were invited, mostly through the underground church movement, to the conference, but they were stopped one-by-one at airports in China and turned away. Some were placed in detention, but ChinaAid founder Bob Fu says his information indicates a handful were able to go.
"The Chinese government [is] basically saying that the Chinese church should not participate as long as they are not under the total control of the Chinese government," Fu laments.
Pasted from
*
NEWS ALERT: Iran Releases Pastor's Wife as Husband Faces Execution
Posted on: 2010-10-18 02:00:30
By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
TEHRAN, IRAN (Worthy News)-- The wife of a prominent evangelical pastor in Iran was free Monday, October 18, after four months of detention, but her husband still faced the death penalty for abandoning Islam, the Church of Iransaid.
Fatemeh Passandideh, the wife of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, was released October 11 by a court in Gilan province,in northern Iran, an official linked to the Church of Iran told Worthy News and its news partner BosNewsLife.
"The release of Fatemeh Passandideh comes ten days after the announcement of the death sentence for her husbandPastor Youcef Nadarkhani," he said, speaking on earlier agreed conditions of anonymity, amid security concerns.
Pastor Nadarkhani was convicted of "apostasy", or leaving Islam, last month by the 11th Chamber of the Assize Court of theprovince of Gilan. The pastor's attorney is expected to file an appeal against the ruling after he reportedly found"serious procedural flaws" in the case.
Pasted from
*
Ethiopian Muslims Burn Down Christian Homes, Farms
Posted on: 2010-09-30 02:52:08
by George Whitten
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Worthy News)-- Twenty-five Muslims burned down ten Christian homes, leaving eighty Christians homeless in Ethiopia, a Washington-based rights' group said Thursday, September 30.
International Christian Concern (ICC) said on July 15 at 8 PM local time, attackers who were led by a local government militia, destroyed the homes in the Goda district of Jimma, Ethiopia. They also set fire to their barns, killing their animals and destroying their harvest.
"The assailants asked the Christians to leave their homes and told them, 'We will show you what we are going to do to your homes, and if you inform this to anyone we will burn you the way we burn your homes.' Then they set the Christian homes on fire and began celebrating by singing near the burned homes," ICC quoted a Christian leader, who apparently spoke anonymously due to security concerns.
The attackers then prevented the victims from leaving the village for 16 days. Finally, one of the Christians managed to escape and report the attacks to district officials after walking for 16 hours. The police temporarily arrested the person who led the attack and a local official. However, they were later released on bail.
The Muslims have prevented the Christians from rebuilding their homes and the Christians now live under trees.
Pasted from
*
8 Christians Captured, Forced to Return to Buddhism in Bangladesh
Posted on: 2010-09-24 02:14:14
by Joseph DeCaro
CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh (Worthy News) -- Buddhist extremists held eight Chakma Christians for four days in order to force them to return to Buddhism.
The Buddhists held a pastor, a church secretary, a village leader and five members from a Baptist church in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. The captives were all forced to wear Buddhist robes, shave their heads, bow down before a statue of Buddha and clean the temple; they were also threatened with beatings and even death if they tried to escape.
Detained Aug. 23, they were initially told they would be confined to the temple for one to two weeks, but after four days the Chrsitian captives were released provided they remained Buddhist.
"They are not allowed to pray to Jesus, nor read Bibles, but they say they are still Christian in their hearts," said Josette Lindem, who added that 10 new Chakma churches formed with about 300 Chakmas professing their faith in Jesus. However, persecution of Chakma believers soon increased.
Pasted from
*
These are JUST A FEW articles on Christian persecution today in our world. Christian persecution DID NOT end with modernization, with civilization's advancement. Christian persecution might not be something people in democratic societies face but that doesn't mean it's stopped existing altogether- it hasn't and it won't- ever. So reading these verses of Christian persecution is very relevant to us all.
Heb 10:32 But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;
Heb 10:33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.
Heb 10:34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
Do we know this? Do we have this experience in our lives? Or is this something we need to use our imagination to capture for us?
Have YOU ever been made a gazingstock for you faith? Have you ever faced reproach and afflictions for your faith? Have you ever been put into bonds for your faith? Have your goods been spoiled because you believe in Christ? Most likely you'll be able to answer no to most of these questions. Most likely if you can answer yes, the things you endured were miniscule compared to what others are suffering or have suffered at the hands of those who would rather see Christian's dead than suffer them to live. No matter the form or the intensity of Christian persecution we've faced or others face we ALL need to take this advice--
Heb 10:34 '...knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.'
We have in heaven a BETTER and ENDURING SUBSTANCE!
Here we do not have anything! We don't! We kid ourselves when we think we have good things and become content in those good things knowing somewhere in the back of our minds that all the good things here on earth can be stripped from us in a moment. Yet we allow ourselves to take comfort in our things, in our life the way it is, in our family around us, in our marriages, in our free time we use to do things that bring us pleasure and comfort, relaxation. We hold onto our lives as if they are the greatest treasure and is it no wonder when our lives are shattered that we are sometimes willing to blame God for it and turn from Him? Where are we supposed to be focused? Where is our mind supposed to be turned? Where??????? On the next trip to the store to gather our goods- whatever they might be? On a visit to our friends or family where we can chat and visit? On tomorrow's existence continuing to be on an even keel without sickness or hurt? Where?
IN ALL WE DO, yes, I'm shouting, IN ALL WE DO we need to have our minds on HEAVEN FIRST AND FOREMOST. Is it any wonder we are to pray… 'THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN'? Is it any wonder Jesus prayed… 'Luk 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. ' We have to be heaven focused. When we wake up in the morning we need to focus our minds heavenward, to our heavenly reward. We need to pray to have a constant desire for the heavenly over the earthly. We need to pray that we are focused heavenward. We need to pray God's will be done and mean it. We need to pray for acceptance that our earthly life might be a life of torture and pain, heartache and ruin, but our heavenly life is safe in our Savior, a life He promises to us that when He comes again we will go with Him to heaven. We will suffer here on earth, we will. And even if we are flowing in earthly riches, earthly treasures; even if we have the love and respect of all those around us, we have to realize it all is nothing compared to our heavenly rewards. The heavenly… in heaven we have a better and an enduring substance.
Let us remember by the grace and mercy of our Savior we live with hope in Him for a NEW life, a life that is heaven bound.
In His love!
Amen!
No comments:
Post a Comment