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The Deaths of the Apostles
DWIGHT:
Hi Mark,
I see what you're saying now. I was worried that one of us had offended you, but I know what you mean about the Apostles sufferings compared to ours. Maybe that's why Paul said in "1Corinthians 4:9
For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men."
There probably were other sufferings after the first century, but so much of history has been lost due to wars, fires and such that we have no records. And I certainly don't know what the future holds, but Paul did say, "2 Timothy 3:12
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." Just what kind...I don't know.
Much love brother,
Dwight
Deborah-Leigh:
Hello everyone
Our suffering is not in the literal boiling in oil or being thrown down a mud sistern but this does happen in our mental anxieties and the toll it takes on us is less explicit that in the days of Paul I believe.
Look at the rejection we have suffered. The ridicule and hostility for our understanding of the gospel of the good news. We are mentally flogged and beaten. Some of us cry. I did! Some of us feel the sting of rejection and some of us carry the scars of abuse. This abuse comes in the forms of the spiritual warefare against us in sexual mental and physical abuse. Every disease is an abuse against the diesease free body we will receive when Jesus returns. Every snarling hateful rejection we will rule with a rod of iron with our Lord in His Kingdom until every knee will bow. Today the judgement is on us and this is painful and it calls us to admonish, urge and encourage one another every day.
We face violence, crime and lawlessness at levels that are unprecedented. We are surrounded by blindness, profanity and harlotry.We have prison bars around us because the light of Christ is not welcome in the world. We suffer pine for and long for the return of Christ and this is not made visible by our righteousness and stand for Christ, but it is made visible to us through HIM opening our minds to understand HIS word and HIS call to us to become separate from those that do "not see fit to acknowledge God or approve of Him or consider Him worth the knowing..." Rom 1 : 28
Like Lisa says, our torment is not literally physical it is spiritually mental and not the less painful for those who suffer the pain and anxiety of loss through assult, pain through physical disease and in short, the battle against wickedness in high spiritual places.
For this our hope in heart and mind is to set our eyes on HIM our GOD of the old and new as HE brings us forward to meet HIM out of all our suffering to enter into HIS Kingdom.
Peace to you
Arcturus :)
DWIGHT:
Arcturus,
You are so right...the sufferings are within, they are spiritual and there is spiritual warfare at all times. The servant is not greater than his Lord. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you. As He is, so are we in this world. Knowing that He is, was and will be, so are we. It's not what happened in the past or what will happen in the future...it's now..in us. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time....it's all now...Jesus is now...the kingdom is now...and we are now. Repent,for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Oh sister, that God will open our eyes and open our ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches now. Thank you for sharing your insightful post.
Your brother,
Dwight
Redbird:
Arcturus,
That was so well said. Thank you my beautiful sister!
God be with us,
Lisa
Deborah-Leigh:
Hello Dwight and Lisa
Thank you for your sweet thoughts of encouragement and love. They are mutual!
Dwight I believe you know what the Spirit is saying to the Churches now. :D
HEAR Oh Israel, the Lord your God is ONE! Mark 12 : 29
As you have said, the doctrines of Hell, Free will and eternity bind together to shut us out of the Kingdom. Do they know how they do this? I doubt it! They reject seeing. They object to the truth. In objection and rejection they lock the door to the Kingdom to themselves and others.
Matt 23 : 13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders hypocrites! For you SHUT THE KINGDOM of heaven in men's faces: for YOU NEITHER ENTER YOURSELVES, NOR DO YOU ALLOW THOSE WHO ARE ABOUT TO GO IN TO DO SO.
This is what the Synagogues of Satan are doing. We are touched by this revelation through the merits alone of Christ. We have this information and truth through the suffering of Calvary of our Lord. We are called.
Once we hear, then we believe then we trust and then we repent and then we come out of the past and the struggle for the future. NOW becomes our judgement everyday and NOW is where we find the rest of God and Christ that is being sought after here and there but never is to be found anywhere outside. Behold, HE is nearer than hands or feet within as you point out Dwight and as the Scriptures bear witness.
HE will come again literally to the unsuspecting world. He descended from Heaven and so too does He come again from the right hand of the Father to the world. For others he comes with the Father to supper with those who hear and open within as He knocks on the door of our hearts.
Heb 3 : 13 But instead warn, admonish, urge, and encourage one another every day, as long as it is called TODAY...
Heb 4 : 7 Again he sets a definite day, a new TODAY, and gives another opportunity of securing that rest saying through David after so long a time in the words already quoted, TODAY, if you would hear His voice and when you hear it, do not harden your hearts....
2 Cor 6 : 2 For He says, In the time of favour, of an assured welcome, I have listened to and heeded your call, and I have helped you on the day of deliverance, the day of salvation. Behold, NOW is truly the time for a gracious welcome and acceptance of you from God, behold, NOW is the day of salvation....
Isaiah 62: 2 your rightness and justice – not your own, but HIS ascribed to you....
Peace to you
Arcturus :)
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