Be Faithful To The Very End

¹ “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. ² They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. ³ They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. ⁴ I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them.”

Misled Motives

Many throughout the last two thousand years have been murdering disciples of Christ, believing that they are offering a service to God.  From Saul of Tarsus – who later because Paul – to fundamentalist adherents to the greatest of all deceivers, many believe that ridding the world of the disciples of Christ is the right thing to do.  There are two main reasons why they want to do this:

• They think that they are offering a service to God (heresy)
• They greatly disagree with holiness and righteousness, and seek to silence anyone who reminds them that their actions are evil (self-centeredness)

In China, it is open season on believers.  Disciples are being hunted down through genocide in Middle Eastern and African countries.  This is now spreading throughout Europe, and will soon come to the Americas.

Ironic Ignorance

The sad and ironic end of this is that many believe that they are following the one true God, YHWH.  Instead, they show by their actions that they don’t know Him, and never knew Him, since if they knew Him, they would accept what His disciples have to say.  In this, it is necessary to love them with the same love that God loves you.  Pray for them, that the blindness that they have is removed, so that they may see the One True God.

Well Warned

When they come door-to-door looking for disciples of Christ, do not be alarmed, and do not be caught unawares.  Jesus has warned us that this would happen.  Even as the fundamentalist adherents to the greatest of deceivers presses towards the eradication of Jews, the disciples of Christ, and any who would dare not convert to barbarism, remember to keep the faith until death:

¹⁴ But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” ¹⁵ But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, ¹⁶ keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. ¹⁷ For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Do I show fear when I am threatened?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, I thank You that You have provided for all my needs.  You give me Your peace that surpasses all understanding.  Help me to stand strong that it would be a witness that You are real.  Strengthen me in my weakness.  Help me to overcome my fears, that should I ever need to stand strong, that I would be able to stand on the solid rock of Christ.  Remember those who falsely accuse me, and persecute me for the sake of the name of Jesus.  This I ask in the precious name of your Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?