Break #72
WRITTEN STUDY NOTES
"Persecutions
/ Hardness in Life Today"
So
if this isn't the Last Days - what about this persecution and hardness
that seems to be growing more and more each day?
Well,
first of all, is it really all that bad? Well, it may be bad for
us individually - loss of job, health, financial challenges, family hurts
and losses, untimely death, etc. Try to tell someone who has / is
experiencing those types of difficulties, etc. that 'it really isn't all
that bad!" I know of what I am speaking of - "been there, done that" way
too many times.
But
when one steps back a few steps and looks at the bigger picture, we are
able to see a 'falling away' - like a snowball that keeps falling faster
and faster, it keeps getting bigger and bigger.
But
is this the persecution of the last days?
Is
it God putting His judgments into place today?
Is
Matthew 24:4-14
coming in to play today?
Nope
- read Break #70,71 for the detailed answers.
So,
what is it we are dealing with today?
"The
Latter Times!"
I
Timothy 4:1 - Now the Spirit speaketh expressly,
that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving
heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
The
risen Saviour teaches us, through Paul, in the King James Bible... Now
we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by
our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or
be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us,
as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means:
for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and
that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition...
We
must see that the day of Christ is NOT AT HAND ...yet. But we most
certainly are experiencing that falling away! Each day the world
/ our country / our leaders / our morals, etc. seem to have fallen that
much more - and never to get up again in this dispensation!
So
then we must ask ourselves, what are the words from Paul that we need to
remind ourselves daily - in order for us not to allow ourselves to be shaken
in mind, or be troubled?
Romans
8:31-39 - If God be for us, who can be
against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us
all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall
lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is
risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession
for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation,
or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted
as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors
through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor
life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor
things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be
able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
II
Corinthians 12:8-10 - For this thing I
besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto
me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in
weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities,
that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in
infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses
for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
II
Thessalonians 1:4-12 - So that we ourselves
glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all
your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: Which is a manifest
token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of
the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: Seeing it is a righteous
thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And
to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed
from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on
them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence
of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be
glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because
our testimony among you was believed) in that day. Wherefore also we pray
always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and
fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with
power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you,
and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
II
Timothy 3:1-14 - But thou hast fully known
my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,
Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at
Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered
me. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being
deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast
been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
II
Timothy 3:12 - Yea, and all that will live
godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
II
Timothy 2:1-4 - Thou therefore, my son,
be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou
hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful
men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness,
as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself
with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him
to be a soldier.
II
Timothy 4:9,10 - This is a faithful saying
and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labour and suffer
reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all
men, specially of those that believe.
God
has made it possible for us to get back up onto our feet no matter what
happens in our lives. We must not allow ourselves to be troubled
or let someone else get us to feel troubled. These are hard times
but they have been worse and will be getting worse in the future.
But don't give up - don't give in - just get up!
We
can even look to those tribulational days when it WILL be tough for those
people for advice for us today... James
4:14 - Whereas
ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even
a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
Our
man of the hour, Paul, reminds us in
II Timothy 1:7-10 -
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love,
and of a sound mind. 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; 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, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light
through the gospel:
II
Timothy 4:15,16 - Meditate upon these things;
give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take
heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing
this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
II
Thessalonians 2:15-17 - Therefore, brethren,
stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether
by word, or our epistle. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even
our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation
and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every
good word and work.
I
Thessalonians 2:11-16 - As ye know
how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father
doth his children, That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you
unto his kingdom and glory. For this cause also thank we God without ceasing,
because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received
it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which
effectually worketh also in you that believe. For ye, brethren, became
followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for
ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they
have of the Jews: Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets,
and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all
men: Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to
fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.
Colossians
2:1-8 - For I would that ye knew what great
conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have
not seen my face in the flesh; That their hearts might be comforted, being
knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding,
to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of
Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And
this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. For though
I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding
your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. As ye have therefore
received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built
up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding
therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through
philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments
of the world, and not after Christ.
Yes,
that was a lot of reading... I hope you read them slowly and didn't hurry
up on the long ones. There is a wealth of understanding in those
verses. Open up your own KJB and read them again - fantabulous reading!
