Post by tlsitd on Aug 4, 2018 17:37:30 GMT -5
Pray for your persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ; encourage them if you can; care for them if you can. But do not feel sorry for them; they are blessed! And do not encourage them to pity themselves, but to trust in God and in His great love for them, and to rejoice because of their great reward in heaven, and because Jesus Christ is glorified in their sufferings for His sake. There is nothing in the New Testament about Christians pitying their persecuted brethren. Showing them compassion, yes, but pitying them, no. Self-pity and self-preservation are not attitudes of the Holy Spirit, but of the flesh; and they do not please God.
Isn't it amazing, and sad also, that Christians who are being persecuted in other countries have so much more genuine joy in the Lord and so much more faith than Christians who live in countries where there is little persecution and they are comfortable and are enjoying living for themselves and are in love with the world, and the world loves them also? Which of these two kinds of Christians---according to God---is to be pitied? The Scriptures are clear:
And He lifted up His eyes on His disciples and said:
"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
"Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.
"Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
"Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
"But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
"Woe to you who are full now, for you shall mourn and weep.
"Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
"Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets."
(Luke 6:20-26)
"I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich)...Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 2:9-11)
"I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich..." (Revelation 3:15-18)
"Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." (Matthew 10:37-39)
But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For,
"Yet a little while,
and the coming one will come and will not delay;
but My righteous one shall live by faith,
and if he shrinks back,
My soul has no pleasure in him."
But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls. (Hebrews 10:32-39)
"But as for the cowardly, the faithless...their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." (Revelation 21:8)
From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord! This shall never happen to You."
But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a hindrance to Me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."
Then Jesus told His disciples, "If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life?" (Matthew 16:21-26)
(What indeed, O suffering-avoidant Christian?)
Are not the ones pitying the persecuted the ones who ought to be pitying themselves for their own self-love, love of the world, lack of faith, and lack of love for Christ---for whose sake they are not willing to suffer, just as they are not willing to live for Him---and the forthcoming consequences thereof?
When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:21,22)
Isn't it amazing, and sad also, that Christians who are being persecuted in other countries have so much more genuine joy in the Lord and so much more faith than Christians who live in countries where there is little persecution and they are comfortable and are enjoying living for themselves and are in love with the world, and the world loves them also? Which of these two kinds of Christians---according to God---is to be pitied? The Scriptures are clear:
And He lifted up His eyes on His disciples and said:
"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
"Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.
"Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
"Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
"But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
"Woe to you who are full now, for you shall mourn and weep.
"Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
"Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets."
(Luke 6:20-26)
"I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich)...Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 2:9-11)
"I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich..." (Revelation 3:15-18)
"Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." (Matthew 10:37-39)
But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For,
"Yet a little while,
and the coming one will come and will not delay;
but My righteous one shall live by faith,
and if he shrinks back,
My soul has no pleasure in him."
But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls. (Hebrews 10:32-39)
"But as for the cowardly, the faithless...their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." (Revelation 21:8)
From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord! This shall never happen to You."
But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a hindrance to Me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."
Then Jesus told His disciples, "If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life?" (Matthew 16:21-26)
(What indeed, O suffering-avoidant Christian?)
Are not the ones pitying the persecuted the ones who ought to be pitying themselves for their own self-love, love of the world, lack of faith, and lack of love for Christ---for whose sake they are not willing to suffer, just as they are not willing to live for Him---and the forthcoming consequences thereof?
When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:21,22)