All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others
Persecution
Tammy will be thrilled to know that Joyce Meyer's site was down a bit today and therefore, I took to listening to Jackie Francis Chan. LOL I gotta pull her chain on this occasionally.
So Chan is talking about how most people say they're not persecuted because we live in America and he disagrees. He says if we're not persecuted it is because we don't go to the dangerous places to preach. He quotes about Paul going into the places he knew were dangerous but doing so because that's where God told him to go.
Ok...so God told Paul to go there. To some He called as pastors, some teachers, some evangelists, etc. And to some...maybe He told them to be missionaries, to go into dangerous places, etc. Perhaps He has another call for others. If we're not being shot at, imprisoned or threatened with death...is that all there is to persecution? How about being refuted by relatives, neighbors, friends? They may not threaten our lives, but then did God tell each of us to leave your home and family and go into the most dangerous places you can find?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on
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Understood. I always seek a peaceful resolution, but some times one does not come and one has to do what it takes to protect what is imprtant. There are many who would disgree with this and I can live with that :-)
Lord Bless,
LT
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Permalink Reply by Amanda on
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Lol. When I looked at the discussion earlier after you told me you posted it I thought maybe you were learning some self defense moves from Jackie Chan to help you overcome persecution when it gets life threatening. That's way more interesting than Joyce.
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Permalink Reply by Seek on
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That's what I thought persecution was. It seems some, like Jackie aka Francis Chan feel persecution is only if we're being imprisoned, stoned, threatened, etc. Like our lives are on the line. But not even all the believers in Biblical times were treated that badly. Some of the more known ones were, just as some more well known missionaries are today. It's almost like trying to force people to go do something dangerous whether or not God told them to do that for their lives.
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I imagine that the ones who are truly called into dangerous places are given a special grace to see them through and help them endure and even to die if it's God's will. But we are all called in the Great Commission to" go and make disciples" and the question is, are we being called to other nations or to do this in our own nation? And since Jesus was persecuted we will be also. It actually means what it says.
Some of the ways Jesus was persecuted was by being threatened, hated, scorned, laughed at, mocked, and so forth, and I think many Christians are sharing in His sufferings to that extent. The part we won't share is having to experience the wrath of God that Jesus experienced for us. We won't drink from that cup because Christ took it for us. However, we will suffer with Him and some are asked to die for Him.
All the apostles were martyred except John. Yes, the child being bullied in school because she doesn't cuss, drink, smoke, or want to go to the parties her peers are throwing and won't give in to peer pressure to have sex because she is saved and wants to save herself for marriage is most definitely being persecuted for wanting to live a godly life. The verse says "everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ" not just those who are succeeding at it. Just expressing the desire to live for Him will lead to being criticized and mocked, etc ...
Matthew 28:16-20
New International Version (NIV)
The Great Commission
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
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Permalink Reply by Tammy on
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Char, here you say that Francis feels persecution is only if we're being imprisoned, etc. You sure he said this?
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By what he said:
He says if we're not persecuted it is because we don't go to the dangerous places to preach. He quotes about Paul going into the places he knew were dangerous but doing so because that's where God told him to go.
He was talking about the dangerous type of persecution and never mentions any other.
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That's what the Bible says, too, Michelle.
2 Timothy 3:12
New International Version (NIV)
12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
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Permalink Reply by Carla on
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hey Seek,
I agree that persecution comes in many forms and can be very subtle.
Blessings, Carla
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It's obvious that Job was being persecuted by Satan but when I read what his friends say to him, I think his friends are persecuting Job as well. In the end of the book of Job, God tells Job to make a sacrifice for his friends and Job does and God accepts it. So Job's friends had sinned and I'm assuming they had sinned by the advice they had given Job. I wonder in what ways I have persecuted others? I know I'm guilty, too, as much as I know that I have been persecuted, not just for my faith but in other ways. Anything meant to hurt someone, whether physically, mentally, or verbally, is abuse and therefore a form of persecution.
Here is an article about how we should respond to persecution involving our faith:
http://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-persecution.html
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