Mr. M Posted December 31, 2023 Group: Royal Member Followers: 8 Topic Count: 743 Topics Per Day: 1.36 Content Count: 3,893 Content Per Day: 7.10 Reputation: 1,797 Days Won: 12 Joined: 10/28/2022 Status: Offline Birthday: 02/18/1956 Share Posted December 31, 2023 (edited) Psalm 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all. One of the more personal ways to know the Lord is as our deliverer. To know the Lord as your deliverer is to know the afflictions of the righteous. 1 John 3:7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. ******************************************* To practice righteousness requires the commitment to meet regularly with other saints for intercession, which will literally shake a city with the power of Christ. This is illustrated in scripture by the narrative found in Acts 4. The early church came swiftly under persecution from the religious elite. Acts 4: 24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, 25 who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? 26 The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His Christ. 27 For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. 29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus. 31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. First note the importance, whether in personal or corporate prayer, to acknowledge God's Word before Him. This is to accept your circumstances as ordained by Him, and anticipate His hand to intervene in the circumstances as they arise to bring great deliverance to His people. Secondly, note the specific nature of their prayer, and the answer in response. The saints requested boldness, and immediately began to speak with that boldness to shake the city. ***************************************************** The Afflictions of Joseph One of the great testimonies of scripture and a personal favorite is the narrative of Joseph. Acts 7: 9 And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him 10 and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. Psalm 105: 17 He sent a man before them— Joseph—who was sold as a slave. 18 They hurt his feet with fetters, He was laid in irons. 19 Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the Lord tested him. In the end, Joseph was able to offer his powerful testimony before his brothers. Genesis 45: 6 For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. ************************************ The afflictions of the righteous will involve suffering loss, and in that loss is great gain. Philippians 3: 7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain the resurrection from the dead. ************************************************** Practicing righteousness brings great grace, with great power that changes hearts with the love of God that we may shed that love abroad. Acts 4: 32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. 33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. 34 Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, 35 and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need. ******************************************* Benediction 2 Peter 3: 17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. Edited December 31, 2023 by Mr. M 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. M Posted January 1 Group: Royal Member Followers: 8 Topic Count: 743 Topics Per Day: 1.36 Content Count: 3,893 Content Per Day: 7.10 Reputation: 1,797 Days Won: 12 Joined: 10/28/2022 Status: Offline Birthday: 02/18/1956 Author Share Posted January 1 2 Timothy 1: 8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; 9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Who me Posted January 1 Group: Royal Member Followers: 5 Topic Count: 17 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 3,300 Content Per Day: 1.72 Reputation: 1,686 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/27/2019 Status: Offline Share Posted January 1 GaHere in the west we have not began to suffer for our faith as any reading of missionary magazines or websites will show. Do readers and posters know what is happening to Christians around the world? How often do they pray for there brothers and sisters who are in real distress and need. Historically this happened as Pliny recounts:- "in the case of those who were denounced to me as Christians, I have observed the following procedure: I interrogated these as to whether they were Christians; those who confessed I interrogated a second and a third time, threatening them with punishment; those who persisted I ordered executed." Who is ready for this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neighbor Posted January 1 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 18 Topic Count: 955 Topics Per Day: 0.35 Content Count: 13,598 Content Per Day: 5.03 Reputation: 9,063 Days Won: 6 Joined: 12/04/2016 Status: Online Birthday: 03/03/1885 Share Posted January 1 2 hours ago, Who me said: GaHere in the west we have not began to suffer for our faith as any reading of missionary magazines or websites will show. Hi, I don't know what is being referenced as being the "West", but in the USA there is definitely awareness of other regions of this earth. Plus there is both government and societal oppression with real physical danger now in being Christian in the USA. One simple example can be seen when going into church now; look and take in seeing security cameras, doorway attendants that are armed and trained, medical personnel and equipment at the ready, body guards for overseers (pastors). It has been a full 25 years now since I took my first All Hazards training from the State ( I was the only non SWAT team member in that first class) and then applied it to the local church body's needs. I am now long retired and the process goes on with the ever hardening of facilities, the training of staff. The need to deal with very intrusive government attempts at control over and actually the destruction of anything Christian. The hardening of Christian facilities is a very very expensive proposition, now requiring a substantial portion of any church body's budget. Security is really a department all of it's own nowadays, not just a passing thought at a monthly staff meeting. There are security businesses that specialize in analyzing the security and needs of Christian facilities, a rather basic report from one might cost 7 to 10 thousand dollars and implementation can then very quickly run into a few hundred thousand dollars between equipment needed, staffing, and ongoing supplies. This also involves planing for the immediate emergency medical needs of people in a conflict when one arises. That too is a serious part of planing nowadays. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Who me Posted January 4 Group: Royal Member Followers: 5 Topic Count: 17 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 3,300 Content Per Day: 1.72 Reputation: 1,686 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/27/2019 Status: Offline Share Posted January 4 On 1/1/2024 at 1:55 PM, Neighbor said: Plus there is both government and societal oppression with real physical danger now in being Christian in the USA. One simple example can be seen when going into church now; look and take in seeing security cameras, doorway attendants that are armed and trained, medical personnel and equipment at the ready, body guards for overseers (pastors). The ' West ' a common term to cover Europe and North America, the historically Christian and wealthy part of the world. Yes Society is growing increasingly hostile to Christianity and to Christians. Yet your reply shows ignorance about what is happening to Christians. What use would your security systems and armed guards against a government lead attack on your church? How would the members of your church react to the loss of their employment, because they were Christian, or to an attack on their home by the majority of people in the neighbourhood? https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewelinaochab/2022/01/20/one-in-seven-christian-minorities-under-threat-in-2022/ It's an old account of the nature of persecution, persecution that spending money on protection would have little or no affect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Who me Posted January 4 Group: Royal Member Followers: 5 Topic Count: 17 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 3,300 Content Per Day: 1.72 Reputation: 1,686 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/27/2019 Status: Offline Share Posted January 4 On 1/1/2024 at 1:55 PM, Neighbor said: Plus there is both government and societal oppression with real physical danger now in being Christian in the USA. One simple example can be seen when going into church now; look and take in seeing security cameras, doorway attendants that are armed and trained, medical personnel and equipment at the ready, body guards for overseers (pastors). The ' West ' a common term to cover Europe and North America, the historically Christian and wealthy part of the world. Yes Society is growing increasingly hostile to Christianity and to Christians. Yet your reply shows ignorance about what is happening to Christians. What use would your security systems and armed guards against a government lead attack on your church? How would the members of your church react to the loss of their employment, because they were Christian, or to an attack on their home by the majority of people in the neighbourhood? https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewelinaochab/2022/01/20/one-in-seven-christian-minorities-under-threat-in-2022/ It's an old account of the nature of persecution, persecution that spending money on protection would have little or no affect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Who me Posted January 6 Group: Royal Member Followers: 5 Topic Count: 17 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 3,300 Content Per Day: 1.72 Reputation: 1,686 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/27/2019 Status: Offline Share Posted January 6 No idea how I ended up posting twice! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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