(Chapter 23)"Persicution of the saints"
Let the Lord be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant. Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world,the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does,comes not from the Father, but from the world.
My children mend your ways and your doings! Purge yourselves from ungodly sins of the world! Yea, cast yourself down at the feet of The Lord, and kiss The Son of Salvation unto the whole world this day. "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice unto Him, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."
Seek Him who is holy and righteous, for this is the way of the saints of God. These are Pearls of Wisdom: The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. Blessed be the name of Jesus!"It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out a matter."
How can they call on Him to save them, unless they believe in Him? How can they believe in Him, if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? Will anyone go and tell them without being sent by God to witness unto them?Take me now way beyond the veil Where I can see You, where I can see You, Jesus Hold me now within Your arms of love. I want to be with You, I want to be with You
Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once, he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. All those who heard him were astonished and asked, "Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who called on his name? Hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?" Saul grew more and more powerful, as he baffled the Jews living in Damascus, by proving that Jesus is the Christ.
After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him, but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night, they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. His followers took him by night, and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.
When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. Barnabas brought him to the apostles, told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord, and that the Lord had spoken to him. In Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. So Saul stayed with them, and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him. When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea, and sent him off to Tarsus.
Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened and encouraged by the Holy Spirit; it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord. We have all traveled down the Damascus road. Have we all been persecuted for the gospel sake?
If we ever hope to bring improvement in ourselves, we need to become people of encouragement. This is the only attitude that will change us. Our actions and words must be devoted to encouraging the spiritual progress of our brethren.
The Christian’s tongue should never be used for anything, but good and spreading our faith of Gods holy word. “Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word, nor unwholesome or worthless talk come out of your mouth; only such speech that is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace to those who hear it”
(Job 29:23&24) They waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouths as for the spring rain. I smiled on them when they had no confidence; and the light of my countenance they did not cast down.
This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best, pure and blameless until our Lord and savior returns for us; to take us up to heaven to be with Him forevermore in His arms of mercy and grace. "For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. I come to save the whole world from there sin." Our lord has said to be faithful. Be blessed to know our Lord. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
Come near to God and He will come near to you. "Wash your hands, you sinners,and purify your hearts, you double-minded people of the world. Come unto Me, and I will give you rest. Let your hearts not be troubled in these last days upon the earth, for I, the Lord thy God, am here with you, to lead and protect you in these times of trouble."
(James 4:1-17) What causes wars, and what causes fightings among you? Is it not your passions that are at war in your members? You desire and do not have; so you kill. You covet and cannot obtain; so you fight and wage war. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
Unfaithful creatures! Do you not know? Friendship with the world is enimie with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Do you suppose it is in vain that the scripture says, 'He yearns jealously over the spirit which he has made to dwell in us'?
He gives more grace. Therefore, it says, 'God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble'. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you men of double mind. Be wretched, mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to dejection.
Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you. Do not speak evil against one another, brethren. He that speaks evil against a brother or judges his brother speaks evil against the law and judges the law. If you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver and judge, He who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you that you judge your neighbor?
Come now you who say, "Today or tomorrow, we will go into such a town and spend a year there, trade and get gain"; you do not know about tomorrow. What is your life? You are but a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and we shall do this or that." As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Whoever knows what is right to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
God has inspired me, in The Spirit of the Holy Ghost and for All Those Who Have Ears to Hear, and eyes that you may see, just what God has in store for you and me. "Come ye all unto the crystal river of life that floweth as a river unto your souls. I am the way, the truth, and the life: there is no other, for I, alone, am the God of the whole world! Listen and be still, for I am here with you to tell you of what is to come."
We all make many mistakes. If anyone makes no mistakes in what he says, he is a perfect man; he is able to bridle his whole body. We all walk in sin from birth. Let no man think he is perfect in his ways and what he does; by no means are any of us perfect, only one was perfect...
(James 3:10) From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brethren, this ought not to be so. So put away all malice, all guile, insincerity, envy and all slander.
(Hebrews 1:1-8) In many and various ways, God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature, upholding the universe by his word of power. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has obtained is more excellent than theirs.
For to what angel did God ever say, "Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee"? Or again, "I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son"? And again, when he brings the first-born into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him." Of the angels he says, "Who makes his angels winds, and his servants flames of fire." But of the Son he says, "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; the righteous scepter is the scepter of thy kingdom, and the harvest of righteousness is sown in peace, by those who make peace.
"The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits of works to the Lord, without uncertainty or insincerity. Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain My salvation?"
All that we are is the result of what we have thought and fullfilled in life. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him in his life. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never
leaves him. Train up your child in the way he should go, and when he or she is old, they will not depart from it.
You have the words of eternal life; 'O'Lord, help us two live by them daily, training our children to walk in godly ways of you, and then helping them to maintain that walk into their adult years of life. This works closely with your ultimate plan, that our families will be as shining examples of godly living in a world filled with darkness, anarchy, and ungodly sin...
(Job 29:2-5) Oh, that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me; when His lamp shinned upon my head, and by His light, I walked through darkness; as I was in my autumn days, when the friendship of God was upon my tent; when the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me. Yet, Job remained faithful to the end of his days; even after all Satan took from him...
To the children of the world; God is here with us now, but soon Satan shall be unleashed upon you, in ways you know not! God is coming back very soon to take us away. Come and enter in while the door is open!
Thus has The Lord spoken unto us, saying, "The door shall soon be shut!” Heed His words that he saith unto you, and His calling unto you this day. Take to heart this warning, for the sinful world, for his face is filled with jealousy and wrath. He is coming to gather the pure and the ripe for the harvest of life. The Lord has purposed, and hastens to perform it at his will. Now the time has come to perform it unto the world! "Take Heed!" Be warned of what is to follow!
(2 Peter 1:1-7) Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours in the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion, and become partakers of the divine nature.
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with steadfastness, steadfastness with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.
"Ye are the light of the world." Are we hiding our light from the world? Let it be a beacon unto them. Therefore, we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it, in the last days, having arrived unnoticed by many. We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We were eyewitnesses of His Majesty.
(Hebrews 2:7-9) Thou didst make him, for a little while, lower than the angels. Thou hast crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet. Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But, we see Jesus, who for a little while, was made lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
Yet, 'O' LORD, You are our Father. We are the clay; You are the potter; we are all the works of your hand. May you experience joy, as He continually molds you in His wisdom, understanding, insights and love! Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus everyday, in life, as long as we live. "I will exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as, a partaker in the glory that is to be revealed unto you."
Sinners cannot be happy, from their very state of mind, as sinners. If they do not know Jesus, they can find no peace to rest their feet. There is no place, but in God. When we do not rest in God, we will be restless, forever seeking peace and finding none. It is naturally impossible for the soul to be happy.I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God; stand fast in it, to serve Him whole hearted in all that you do.
(Romans 8:9-11) But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit. If in fact, the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him. But, if Christ is in you, although your bodies are dead because of sin, your spirits are alive, because of righteousness. If the Spirit of Him, who raised Jesus from the dead, dwells in you, He, who raised Christ Jesus from the dead, will give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, which dwells in you.
Praise the Lord for His holy word. Praise the Lord for the Holy Spirit that leads and guides in all truth. Praise the Lord for giving us the ability to overcome and live a holy life. The scriptures given in His words are a reminder of our holy calling. To God and His Son Jesus Christ are all the glory, praise, and honor! In the love of Jesus Christ: our Lord and Savior...
God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind. I am fearless, not fearful, powerful, not powerless, loving, not despising, and of a clear mind, not confused by circumstance or world events. I put everything in His hands this morning, and I know I walk in the authority of the power given to me.
In everything give thanks to Him, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning your fleshly bodies. Quench not the Spirit of the Lord, nor Despise it! Prophesy is of his coming and to prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. These are just a few examples from the Word.
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy of comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
How much do you trust? Just take some time to think about that. In the society we live, trust is a very hard thing to have. Do you struggle with the issues of trusting in people? Are you not sure which way to go with your life? Maybe, you’re putting to much trust in the hands of man, and not the hands of a Mighty God. 'Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct thy paths.'
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord,' because the trust itself will be set free from its bondage and will obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God. Do you need protection? 'Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him.' When the world lets you down, remember there is a God that is waiting for you to put your full trust in Him. He will never let you down, and He will never forsake you. Just trust in God fully always. He will lead you home!
As it is written, "For thy sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."For his trust and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given unto us. I, unfortunately, had to learn this lesson the hard way. But, praise to God, that I finally learned it. I trust in no one, but God himself. I don't even trust myself. I trust in Him and Him alone.
Father in Heaven, I come to you in the name of Jesus. You see the people who are hurting. You see the people who need you to take them in your arms of love, and tell them everything will be ok. Father, I ask you to do this. Bring comfort to the hurting. Bring healing to the wounded. Father, be a shelter to those who are going threw a storm.
Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. "The Word is my Weapon, Jesus is my Shield, and To Witness is my Mission in life!"
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds of the Devil. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. We take captive every thought, to make it obedient to Christ in all we do. Christ is my fortress and the Devil can not penetrate the walls of my Father!
(Acts 15:15-19) And with this, the words of the prophets agree, as it is written, ‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up, that the rest of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who has made these things known from of old. Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, for I will save all who call upon my name.'
Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of our religion. He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and taken up in glory. Praise God that we can have fellowship and relationship with Him whenever we desire, because He is but a prayer away! So let’s remember to pray no matter what!
Each and every day, I will seek Your face! My soul is crying out for more! I want more of You, 'O'Lord! I see myself walking straightforward in the truth of the gospel. Our Father wants you to know that you are beautiful to him. Even when you feel ugly, depressed, guilty or ashamed, He is with you all the way, until the end and the new beginning thereof. There is an inner spark in you, which is light of the world! This light is your inner beauty. This light is your reflection of God within you. You are a child of God; you are beautiful in his sight and in his heart.
"Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you." Have true faith, and believe, in everyway, God is always with you, for He is, as Peter found out while he was in jail.
But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.
Peter’s Miraculous Escape from Prison: The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” The chains fell off his wrists. Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals,” and he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered him.
So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time, he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening. They passed the first and second guard posts, came to the iron gate leading to the city, and the gate opened for them all by itself. So they passed through, started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him. Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent His angel and saved me from Herod, the Jewish leaders and what they had planned to do to me!”
One must have faith and know that he is never alone in our walk of life. God is always with us! Be brave and true to the gosple of our Lord, for His words shall be with us until the end of our journey in life! Hold fast to His faithful promise of His return, to take us home to be with Him in Heaven."
I feel that it is important to preach the true gospel of Jesus Christ and to talk about world events in light of biblical truth, that was, that is, and that is to come. How, then, shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? How shall they hear without a preacher? How shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!
(Proverbs 14:34)
Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.
America has been falling away for many years. Here in the States, we have had a very healthy fear of God. We used to use the Bible in Schools to teach the children how to read. We used to allow prayers in public school. We use to teach them the 10 commandments, and to teach them what was right, according to the 10 commandments. All these things teach direction to the children.
Our Nation is falling due to our sin. Make no mistake about it; as the nation continues to accept sinful things as normal, we will see a further eroding of the Nation and its freedoms. Which of course, was given to us by the Lord Himself. Not convinced? Well, God's Word has told us and has warned us for years about the consequences of those nations and peoples who would turn from His standard to our own. They will fall to the ground. No one can stand without the Holy One. No nation! No man! We, as christians, need to wake up, and take our nation back! The Lord does not look at things the same as man. A man looks to the outward appearance of things, but the Lord thy God looks at the heart”
(Isaiah 5:20-24)
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!
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
Woe to men mighty at drinking wine. Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink,
who justify the wicked for a bribe, and take away justice from the righteous man!
Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble, and the flame consumes the chaff, so their root will be as rottenness. Their blossom will ascend like dust; Because they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
"I am what I am, for I am everthing and everywhere!" We, as a Nation, have rejected His Word and have turned our back on what His Word says to us. We have allowed false teachings into the churches, and in our schools. We have allowed our children to be taught that they came from monkeys and goo billions of years ago. Instead of being created in the image of God, in what is true, schools teach false ways. "My little children, have faith in Me!"
We have said false things about God and what His standards are. We have been given a false hope and a false Christ, telling us that there is no hell or judgement, and that all roads lead to God, when the Bible says otherwise. We are allowing people into ministry who do not belong in ministry. We are in many churches calling what God has said is wrong as, somehow, now, it is right in God's eyes.
"Wake up 'O' sinful world and here My vioce and My calling to you!"
America will fall, if we continue down the path we are going. We see deception on a scale that I have never seen before in all areas of our Nation. From the News organizations, to our Government Leaders, to Church Pastors, to everyday regular people, we are breaking everyone of God's laws. While it may seem dismal and hopeless, there is always hope with the Lord. I remind everyone of you who professes to be a Christian, the Lord has laid out His plan in His Word.
"Wake up and see My glory or feel the wrath that is to come! You must choose now, for tomorrow will be to late!"
Create in me a pure heart, 'O' God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. I am yours and you are mine. I love thee, 'O' Lord, guide and direct my footsteps in thy paths of righteouness this day! Man can not save you. Only the blood of our Savior can do this for you: This is true and righteous unto the Lord. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.
(Hebrews 4:13-16)
And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
So, then let us humble ourselves and seek the Lord and pray. Let us repent, return to our first love, and put our faith in Jesus Christ. While there is still time, let us get busy with the Lord's work and share the truth of the Gospel. Let us be the salt of the world that He has called us to be. Let us throw off everything that hinders us. Cling to the Lord in everyway! Let us, who are called Christians, put off our SIN!
My great grandfathers were great men of faith; without them the south would not be the Bible belt that it is today. Only becouse they served the Lord, and could hear his voice, He spoke to them. None were as great as the apostles, but were also men of faith. So, I now share a story of their persicutions. Rev.John was my seventh father before me, my fifth great grandfather. This story about him came from Chastain Central. He was a Pioneer Baptist * Patriot * Patriarch.
Rev. John's preaching voice was so clear that he was nicknamed 'Ten Shilling Bell', after the purest, clearest-sounding bell available. It is said that Rev. John's preaching could be heard more than a mile away. One of the leaders of the Baptist movement was Shubal Stearns, who had been converted under the preaching of George Whitefield.
Stearns came briefly to Virginia from Connecticut in 1755. He moved on to the central part of North Carolina and organized the Sandy Creek Church, which he pastored for the rest of his life. The Sandy Creek Church soon grew to over 600 members and became the center for dynamic growth of Baptist churches in Virginia and the Carolinas. As evangelists, including Stearns, traveled, preached, and planted Baptist churches. In January 1758, the Sandy Creek Association was established to serve these churches, and for twelve years all the Separate Baptists in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina were members of this Association.
After 1770, the area of Virginia, south of the James River, experienced wave after wave of revival, with many Baptist churches planted amid great persecution. In 1858, more than 50 years after Rev. John's death, The Twelve Mile River Baptist Association asked a committee to produce an obituary of their early pioneer, John Chastain. It is apparent that they had little original material to help them. A lot of scriptural filler and general information was used. However, there may be a memory preserved about a time when the established Virginians planned to punish him by whip. Instead, John was endowed with power from on high and enabled to speak with more boldness. His persecutors paused, one fell prostrate, and the whipping did not occur. The is was undoubtedly a common confrontation in Royal Virginia.
Rev. JOHN CHASTAIN, the pioneer Baptist of the mountain part of our State. We have laboured under great disadvantages from the long lapse of time since his death. Our only chance to gain any living testimony of him has been from aged fathers and mothers, giving their youthful recollection of him. The high estimation in which his memory is still held by them, is one proof of his greatness, and the well authenticated tradition, which has been preserved, is in the recollection of friends. The subject of this notice was born in Virginia in 1743.
Little of his ancestry is known to us except by our forfathers and some old pastors and people that past the word through our countless generations. Yet, it is known that they were subjects of severe persecution. Some of us well recollect hearing the aged H. POSEY, more than twenty years ago, teaching on the persecution of Saints, and thanking God for that Providence that directed them to his country, from whom so many faithful ministers have sprung forth.
Note: None of this could have happened without God. Our forfathers bleed for us to persue God and His Word. They still to this day persicute us, and try to tair our spirit apart. Be faithful, strong, and believe in God, not man. We are the children of God and our life belongs to him! May God bless you in all that you do. I pray salvation finds you!
Praise is not only telling God how great He is for He knows how great He is! Real praise is telling someone else how good your God is! Take a few minutes and tell someone how excellent God is! He likes to caught His people bragging on Him! Faith,
hope & being positive are all entangled if you ask me. A negative
person might say; Faith is for the naive, hope is for dreamers &
always being positive is for dorks. Well then call me a Naive Dreaming
Dork because hope, faith & being positive get me through the day
...
I hope these words sent from God will help direct your footsteps in life! Follow God whole hearted in all that you do!God wants you to know that family is not a name for a group of people, but the quality of relationships between them. Relationships grounded in mutual love, trust, caring and forgiveness. In all the ups and all the downs of life. Look closely, who is really your family, and who in truth are just strangers in for the ride?
Behold, the Lord is coming to take us home and know; We are the generation that shall not sleep until Jesus comes back for us to take us home to heaven, and to be with Him forever and ever! "AMEN"
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