It is a good day to die!

[rockytopva]

If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die. - 1 Corinthians 15:32

My interpretation of the seven churches...

Ephesus - Apostolic - Left first love - Paul records all Asia as having forsaken him.
Smyrna - Martyr - Foxes has the persecutions as ten
Pergamos - Orthodox... Pergos is a tower... Needed in the dark ages
Thyatira - Catholic - The spirit of Jezebel is to control and to dominate.
Sardis - Protestant - A sardius is a gem - elegant yet hard and rigid
Philadelphia - Wesleyism - To be sanctioned is to acquire it with love.
Laodicea - Materialistic - Rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing?

So to generalize things a tad...

Persecuted age - Ephesus, Smyrna, a tad into Pergamos
Doctrinal age - A tad of Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, a tad into Philadelphia
Charismatic age - Philadelphia and Laodicea

In the persecuted age any day was a good day to die! So what... Sudden death equals sudden glory! In the present day it is even a better day to live! As far as the Pergameans, I have not read of the Orthodox folk persecuting folks for not going along with their doctrine. In the doctrinal age it was full of it. I personally am thankful that I was not alive during the Thyatirean and Sardisean ages and to have beholden the spirit of Jezebel to foolishly kill their fellow Christian brethren in the name of a church doctrine.

8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. - Rev 2

Persecution ten days (from the Foxes book of Martyrs)...

67 AD Nero This age begins with Nero setting fire to Rome, then blaming the Christians.
81 AD Domitian Declaration that no Christian should be exempt from punishment, Timothy died in 97 AD.
108 AD Trajan – Adrian Severe persecution against Christians from 108 to 138 AD during the time of Ignatius.
162 AD Marcos Aurelius Marcos Aurelius, commendable in study of philosophy, sharp and fierce towards Christians.
192 AD Severus This persecution was carried out by the prejudice of the people and extended into Africa.
235 AD Maximus Numberless Christians were slain without trial and burned indiscriminately in heaps.
249 AD Decius Began because of the amazing increase in Christianity with the heathen temples forsaken.
257 AD Valerian The martyrs that were tortured and fell during this persecution were innumerable.
274 AD Aurelian A brief persecution that ended with the emperor’s assassination.
303 AD Diocletian The last persecution ended with Constantine’s triumph against Rome in 313 AD.

 

[RANDOR]

Everyday is a good day to die..............YeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

 

[This Vale Of Tears]

 

[RANDOR]

But....but.....that's hump day..........

 

[rockytopva]

And after that the trip up to see my blessed Jesus...

 

[Tex]

Death is bad. People shouldn't want to die. There is a difference between suicide and martyrdom. The martyrs didn't want to die, they wanted their executors to glorify God. We praise them because of their persistence.

 

[rockytopva]

Death is bad. People shouldn't want to die. There is a difference between suicide and martyrdom. The martyrs didn't want to die, they wanted their executors to glorify God. We praise them because of their persistence.

Death is a bad thing. Probably should have chosen another topic name.... However...

"Therefore I say, He ordained that we should undergo death for the faith, which each man should do for the communion of the Church. For Christianity makes progress by the deaths of its followers. For if death were feared by the faithful, no man would be found to live with perfect faith. For the Lord Christ says, 'Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.'" (John 12:24) –Petilian’s discussions with St. Augustine

Death is bad. People shouldn't want to die. There is a difference between suicide and martyrdom. The martyrs didn't want to die, they wanted their executors to glorify God. We praise them because of their persistence.

In this day and time I feel more for the babies than I do the old folks who have passed away. Saw an innocent baby in church a couple weeks ago and my heart broke with pity for the poor thing.

 

[shturt678s]

Thank you folks for caring!

Matt.6:13, "...but deliver us from the evil." really is for deliverance from the entire wicked world by a blessed death grammatically and contextually.

Old Jack's opinion that agapes the "Lord's Prayer."

 

[heretoeternity]

If we are a true child of God, it is God's timing...He sees what is ahead, and will allow us to be taken out of future situations which may be too harmful and hurtful for us...it is God's timing..
We should always pray that we are a true child of God and worthy of His Kingdom in the new Heaven and New Earth
that is coming to Earth in the near future..that is our comfort, to know we are worthy to be accepted by God!

 

[cristianprince67]

Death is bad. People shouldn't want to die. There is a difference between suicide and martyrdom. The martyrs didn't want to die, they wanted their executors to glorify God. We praise them because of their persistence.

I agree that there is a big difference. Good point.