Persecution is promised!!!

[Karl Peters]

A promise is something good you give a person, yet persecution is promised!

If the Bible is correct, and I believe it is because God had it written, then we are going to encounter persecution!!! It is a good thing, a promise, but it is hard to understand how it is a good thing. We don't battle with people, but with powers, principalities, and the dark forces of this world. And if we, those who know the Lord Jesus Christ (King of kings) personally, then how about those who don't know Him. Are they not totally bind to what is happening around them in the spiritual/heavenly realm.

Anyway, I was a retail manager telling people at work about Jesus Christ. He was walking and talking with me and He was also doing miracles in our midst. He had healed one ladies wrist, and healed another so she was again having her time of the month. He had me talking to many employees about Him, and according to the laws of the USA you talk to employees about Him. If that makes them feel uncomfortable in their own mind (and where to spirits work?) then I could be fired for it. I could actually talk to them about pretty much anything else but religion, with the possible exception of sex.

I was going to get fired, but isn't telling people Him worth it. I did try a be nice about it. And if anyone didn't want to talk about Him it was ok by me. In fact that lady who had listen to me about praying to Jesus and had gotten healed by Him after she did, later asked if I would not talk to her about Him again. So I never did again.

So towards the end of my time at that store He started giving me parables and sayings. At the next store He would only have me speaking in parables and saying, and even though most figured out that I was telling them about Jesus Christ, any report evil spirits made through the employees didn't go any where. That is what Jesus has to do when we decide we are not going to listen to Him.

There are other places I can and have used some on this site but they are also part of my testimony about Him; that he uses parables because we don't want to listen to Him.

In The Dark:

There once was an animal that lived in a cave. So all its life it had been in the dark. It knew there were other things that lived in the cave with him, but because it couldn’t see them, it didn’t know how big they were. After a while the animal got to thinking that he was the biggest, strongest, and smartest animal in the cave.

Then came a rumbling.

AHHH

(Oh my thought the animal)

And the noise grew.

AHHHHHH

(Oh no thought the animal)

And then.

AHHHH… CHOOO!!!

Instantly a strong wind blew the animal out of the cave.

In the light the animal could see that he wasn’t big at all. Wow, he was so small. He was just a microbe, and he felt sad.


After a little while he realized that it was ok that he was a microbe, because he was still him. You know it’s ok if you’re a microbe, because even a microbe has a purpose.

 

[quietthinker]

If you have learned to love, persecution will be underway in your reality already.....be it small or great. You'll be an offence to someone in your sphere of influence

 

[Truman]

A promise is something good you give a person, yet persecution is promised!

If the Bible is correct, and I believe it is because God had it written, then we are going to encounter persecution!!! It is a good thing, a promise, but it is hard to understand how it is a good thing. We don't battle with people, but with powers, principalities, and the dark forces of this world. And if we, those who know the Lord Jesus Christ (King of kings) personally, then how about those who don't know Him. Are they not totally bind to what is happening around them in the spiritual/heavenly realm.

Anyway, I was a retail manager telling people at work about Jesus Christ. He was walking and talking with me and He was also doing miracles in our midst. He had healed one ladies wrist, and healed another so she was again having her time of the month. He had me talking to many employees about Him, and according to the laws of the USA you talk to employees about Him. If that makes them feel uncomfortable in their own mind (and where to spirits work?) then I could be fired for it. I could actually talk to them about pretty much anything else but religion, with the possible exception of sex.

I was going to get fired, but isn't telling people Him worth it. I did try a be nice about it. And if anyone didn't want to talk about Him it was ok by me. In fact that lady who had listen to me about praying to Jesus and had gotten healed by Him after she did, later asked if I would not talk to her about Him again. So I never did again.

So towards the end of my time at that store He started giving me parables and sayings. At the next store He would only have me speaking in parables and saying, and even though most figured out that I was telling them about Jesus Christ, any report evil spirits made through the employees didn't go any where. That is what Jesus has to do when we decide we are not going to listen to Him.

There are other places I can and have used some on this site but they are also part of my testimony about Him; that he uses parables because we don't want to listen to Him.

In The Dark:

There once was an animal that lived in a cave. So all its life it had been in the dark. It knew there were other things that lived in the cave with him, but because it couldn’t see them, it didn’t know how big they were. After a while the animal got to thinking that he was the biggest, strongest, and smartest animal in the cave.

Then came a rumbling.

AHHH

(Oh my thought the animal)

And the noise grew.

AHHHHHH

(Oh no thought the animal)

And then.

AHHHH… CHOOO!!!

Instantly a strong wind blew the animal out of the cave.

In the light the animal could see that he wasn’t big at all. Wow, he was so small. He was just a microbe, and he felt sad.


After a little while he realized that it was ok that he was a microbe, because he was still him. You know it’s ok if you’re a microbe, because even a microbe has a purpose.

Lol! Bless you, too, Karl.

 

[dev553344]

A promise is something good you give a person, yet persecution is promised!

If the Bible is correct, and I believe it is because God had it written, then we are going to encounter persecution!!! It is a good thing, a promise, but it is hard to understand how it is a good thing. We don't battle with people, but with powers, principalities, and the dark forces of this world. And if we, those who know the Lord Jesus Christ (King of kings) personally, then how about those who don't know Him. Are they not totally bind to what is happening around them in the spiritual/heavenly realm.

Anyway, I was a retail manager telling people at work about Jesus Christ. He was walking and talking with me and He was also doing miracles in our midst. He had healed one ladies wrist, and healed another so she was again having her time of the month. He had me talking to many employees about Him, and according to the laws of the USA you talk to employees about Him. If that makes them feel uncomfortable in their own mind (and where to spirits work?) then I could be fired for it. I could actually talk to them about pretty much anything else but religion, with the possible exception of sex.

I was going to get fired, but isn't telling people Him worth it. I did try a be nice about it. And if anyone didn't want to talk about Him it was ok by me. In fact that lady who had listen to me about praying to Jesus and had gotten healed by Him after she did, later asked if I would not talk to her about Him again. So I never did again.

So towards the end of my time at that store He started giving me parables and sayings. At the next store He would only have me speaking in parables and saying, and even though most figured out that I was telling them about Jesus Christ, any report evil spirits made through the employees didn't go any where. That is what Jesus has to do when we decide we are not going to listen to Him.

There are other places I can and have used some on this site but they are also part of my testimony about Him; that he uses parables because we don't want to listen to Him.

In The Dark:

There once was an animal that lived in a cave. So all its life it had been in the dark. It knew there were other things that lived in the cave with him, but because it couldn’t see them, it didn’t know how big they were. After a while the animal got to thinking that he was the biggest, strongest, and smartest animal in the cave.

Then came a rumbling.

AHHH

(Oh my thought the animal)

And the noise grew.

AHHHHHH

(Oh no thought the animal)

And then.

AHHHH… CHOOO!!!

Instantly a strong wind blew the animal out of the cave.

In the light the animal could see that he wasn’t big at all. Wow, he was so small. He was just a microbe, and he felt sad.


After a little while he realized that it was ok that he was a microbe, because he was still him. You know it’s ok if you’re a microbe, because even a microbe has a purpose.

Karl, might I suggest not preaching at work? You're not there to preach, you're being paid to work and provide a service. This is why Jesus gave us the sabbath and time off. So that we can share.

I also got fired for sharing the gospel at work once. And I learned when I sought God, "give to Caesar that which is Caesars" which is the time at work and the money you make for them to share with you some lesser amount.

 

[Psalm51]

If you have learned to love, persecution will be underway in your reality already.....be it small or great. You'll be an offence to someone in your sphere of influence

This is very true! By just spreading good cheer and making for good company by being a loving individual, you will offend certain others and they will seek to undermine or attack you. Let us thank the LORD! These are opportunities, I truly from my heart cherish these gifts from God to love our enemies; who knows, you may spark something within themselves that may lead to reflection on their end...your love may make way for the Spirit...

 

[Karl Peters]

If you have learned to love, persecution will be underway in your reality already.....be it small or great. You'll be an offence to someone in your sphere of influence

Persecution happen simply because we choose to follow Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit is not the only spirit around. We - every single person on earth - battle with the powers, principalities, and dark evil forces of this world - evil spirits. Most people do not have a clue this is happening in their life. Yet Jesus Christ is the light - which is to say He opens your eyes to that battle with dark forces (Sin) that each of us have. Therefore knowing and following Jesus means you come out from under the control of those evil spirits and they thus do what they can to use others against you. So it is not about the people, who we wants to help and care about, but persecution is all about those dark forces!!

During that time at work, I tried especially hard to be nicer and more pleasant, but that could not or can not keep us from really trying to help the people by telling them about Jesus Christ - thus persecution -aka the use of evil spirits to influence people to come against you.

The promise of persecution helps you learn, and more specifically it helps you learn about good and evil and how it is not a battle with flesh and blood people, but with evil spirits!!

We are trying to help people by trying to hook them us with Jesus Christ - and BTW Jesus the Christ is the King of kings - meaning He commands the angels in the Kingdom of God and there are more with you than against you. The persecution also make you more aware of this too.

 

[Brakelite]

QUOTING BIBLE CALLED “HATE SPEECH CRIME” IN FINLAND
“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20).
[Yes, this thinking could be coming to our shores soon!]
Religious liberties are in danger in Finland, and Christianity has a giant target on its back.
In a court case with monumental implications, a pastor and a member of the Finnish Parliament are on trial for their faith. Juhana Pohjola, 49, faces criminal charges for teaching the Christian word that has been established for thousands of years.
Pohjola has ministered to small delegations of only dozens and has worked a lifetime building a tight-knit network of churches across Finland.
But Pohjola’s life work faces a harrowing test of persecution when he and Finnish MP Päivi Räsänen go to trial on January 24th.
Almost 70 percent of Finns are still members of the national Lutheran church. But that doesn't mean they're believers. Less than a third of Finns now say they believe in God. This historically Christian nation has not only left the faith but has begun criminal investigations of Christians even though Finland still has a constitution that still tells the national church to "proclaim a Bible-based Christian faith."
Päivi Räsänen is under two investigations for allegedly defaming or insulting homosexuals. The first after she shared a Bible verse on Twitter last year aimed at Finland's Lutheran church for promoting the homosexual lifestyle.
Räsänen told us, "In my tweet, I directly cited Romans first chapter and verses 24 to 27 and posted the picture of the passages from the Bible." The passage condemns homosexuality.
Rasanen’s alleged crimes in a country that claims to guarantee freedom of speech and religion include tweeting a picture of a Bible verse.
Potential penalties if they are convicted include fines and up to two years in prison.
Rasanen and Pohjola are being charged with “hate speech” for respectively writing and publishing a 24-page 2004 booklet that explains basic Christian theology about sex and marriage, which reserves sex exclusively for within marriage, which can only consist of one man and one woman, for life. The Finnish prosecutor claims centuries-old Christian teachings about sex “incite hatred” and violate legal preferences for government-privileged identity groups.
For a country that supposedly believes in free speech and religion, this prosecution is nothing more than a witch hunt.

 

[Karl Peters]

We do not battle with flesh and blood but against the powers, principalities, and the dark evil spiritual forces of this world (demons).

We, even we Christians, tend to forget that the battle is not with people but with demons, which are spiritual beings who are against God!! If we forget this, even as "Christians", it is because we are not seeking our Lord Jesus Christ as we should. God is spirit! The Holy Spirit is sent to us with the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit speaks to our spirit. Because of that, it is impossible to not understand about the influences we get from the spiritual/heavenly realm with is around us.

So, if we, even if we are "Christians" (Lutheran, Baptist, Catholic, or even "Spirit-filled") are not actually seeking the voice of our Lord Jesus Christ, who sends the Holy Spirit with His words (that small voice), we will wind up being the tool of demonic spirit even to the point of persecuting other Christians.

In the OP - explained how I got fired for telling people at work about Jesus Christ. The man that actually was used to fire me was a Christian man who regularly attended Bible studies every Wednesday. I was the manager of the front of the store, and he was the director of the store. He was generally speaking a pretty nice guy. I liked him.

Still, I remember when one day were driving together to a meeting the company was having us attend. At one point I brought up hearing from the Lord and he instantly shot that down. He didn't hear the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, and he didn't even want that talked about. 'Jesus Christ' was not a subject to be talked about at work! Yet we had talked about many normal, and non work related items, on the way to the meeting. It took an hour to get there, and we didn't need to talk much about the store.

The point is: it is not really different here in the USA!! Persecution is promised, because it helps us understand the battle and the deception that is constantly taking place. The persecution brings attention to it, but if we are truly followers of Jesus Christ and not just pretending obedience to Him, then we understand. If the battle is not with flesh and blood (people) then it is for the people who are in flesh and blood!!!

How does that director of the store, which fired me, now act at Bible studies, when the Bible combined with the Holy Spirit clearly convicts Him of His sins???

He is either going to dig in his heals and be more rebellious toward God, or perhaps it will put him in a situation where he now has to realize that he needs to repent and quit pretending. The same would be true in Finland - and it is true through-out the world because persecution is indeed promise. Note: a promise is a good thing, right? So persecutiom this is a good thing. It will turn some people back to the Lord Jesus Christ so that they might be saved by faith. Some of course will just dig there heals in against God all the more, so that they will truly earn their place in hell.