Continuing the Persecution Series...
The pretence of faith is one thing, but the use of faith is another. The hypocrite makes faith a cloak while the martyr makes it a shield. Faith beats down all oppositions. By faith, we resist the devil. (1Peter 5:9) Faith is a victorious grace. An unbeliever is like Reuben: 'Unstable as water, he shall not excel.' (Genesis 49) But cast a Believer on the waters of affliction & he'll follow YAHUSHUA on the water, without sinking. Cast him into the fire & his zeal will burn hotter than the flames. Cast him into prison & hell be enlarged in spirit. Get faith!
Faith makes us truly believe that 'I can do all things through Messiah.'
(Philippians 4:13)
Faith shows the soul better things than the world, it gives a sight of MESSIAH & HIS glory. It gives a prospective of HIS Kingdom.
Faith gets strength from promise. Take the fish out of the water & it dies, take faith out of a promise & it can't live. When a garrison is attacked & is almost ready to yield to the enemy, auxiliary forces are sent to relieve it. When faith begins to be weak & is ready to faint in the day of battle then the promises muster their forces together & all come in for faith's relief & now it's able to hold out in the fiery trial.
Faith gives us the right notion of suffering. Persecution can only take away this life at worse case scenario, but faith gives us the right notion of sufferings so we can prostrate our life at the feet of YAHUSHUA.
Faith reconciles providences & promises. As it was on Paul's voyage, providence seemed to be against him, there was a crosswind that arose (Acts 27) but YHWH had given him a promise. Therefore when the wind blew ever so contrary, Paul believed it'd at last blow him to the haven. So when sense says, 'Here is a cross providence, sufferings come, I shall be undone,' then faith says 'all things shall work for good to those who love YHWH.' (Romans 8:28) This providence shall fulfill the promise. Affliction shall work for my good, it shall heal my corruption & save my soul. Thus faith, making the wind & tide go together, the wind of a providence with the tide of the promise, enables us to suffer.
Faith picks sweetness out of the cross & shows the soul YHWH reconciled & sin pardoned & then how sweet every suffering truly is!Faith looks on suffering as YHWH's love-token. Afflictions are sharp arrows, but they're shot from the hand of a loving FATHER. Faith fetches joy out of suffering. (John 16:20)
Suffering grace is love......
Love is active; It lays a law of constraint on the soul; 'The love of MESSIAH constrains us.' (2Corinthians 5:14) Love never thinks it can do enough for YAHUSHUA, love's never weary. It's not tired unless with its own slowness.
Love is passive; it enables to suffer. A man who loves his friend will suffer anything for him rather than allowing him to be wronged.
Most pretend love to the MESSIAH. How shall we know that we have such a love for HIM as will make us suffer? True love is a love of friendship, which is genuine & when we love HIM for just being HIM. There's a 'love,' when we love divine objects for something else. A man may love YAHUSHUA for HIS 'head of gold,' because HE's enriched with glory, but true love is when we love HIM for who HE is, not just for HIS position or what HE can do for us.
True love is a love of desire, when we desire to be united to YAHUSHUA. The soul that loves YAHUSHUA is ambitious of death because this dissolution tends to union. Death slips one knot & ties another. True love is a love of benevolence, so when we're able, we endeavour to lift up YAHUSHUA's name in the world. We can never love HIM too much, nor can we love HIM to HIS worth, but we must strive to in our daily lives.
Another suffering grace is patience. Patience is a grace made & cut out for suffering, it's a sweet submission to the will of YHWH so we're content to bear ANYTHING that He's laid on us. Patience makes us innvincible, it's like the anvil that bears all strokes. We can't be child of YHWH nor can we be a martyr without patience. Patience makes us endure. (James 5) Faith keeps the heart from sinking but patience keeps the heart from murmuring. Patience isn't provoked by injuries, it's sensible, but not 'whiney.' Faith says, 'YHWH will come,' & patience says, 'I'll go through whatever it takes until He comes.'
YHWH's made promises of protection. 'No man shall set on you to hurt you.' (Acts 18:10) And 'there shall not be a hair of your head that perishes.' (Luke 21:18) Persecutors are lions, but chained lions.
YHWH's made promises of HIS special presence with HIS saints in suffering. 'I'll be with him in trouble.' (Psalms 91:15) YHWH will hold us when we're fainting! HIS honor is dear to HIM, it wouldn't be for HIS honor to bring HIS children into sufferings & leave them there. HE'll be with them to support them & when new troubles arise: HE shall deliver you in 6 troubles. - Job 5:19
YHWH's made promises of deliverance: 'I'll deliver him & honor him.'
(Psalms 91) 'HE'll with the temptation make a way to escape.'
(1Corinthians 10:13) Thus he did to Peter, his prayers had opened Heaven & YHWH's angel opens the prison. YHWH can either prevent a snare or break it. 'To YHWH belong the issues from death.' (Psalms 68:20) YHWH sometimes makes enemies the instruments of breaking those snares which they've laid themselves. (Esther 8:8)
In case of martyrdom, there's promises of consolation: Your sorrow shall be turned into joy. - John 16:20
YHWH will abundantly recompense all our sufferings, 'in this life a 100-fold & in the world to come life everlasting.' (Matthew 19:29) Our losses for YAHUSHUA are gainful. 'He who loses his life, for MY sake, shall find it.' (Matthew 10:39)
Set before your eyes suffering examples. Look on others as patterns to imitate. 'Take the prophets for an example of suffering affliction.'
(James 5:10) Examples have more influence on us than precepts. Micah was in the prison, Jeremiah in the dungeon & Isaiah was sawn asunder. The early Believers had their flesh boiled, roasted, dismembered, yet they remained invincible. Such was their zeal & patience in suffering that their persecutors stood amazed & were more weary in tormenting than they were in enduring. YHWH has so much love in HIS heart to pity us & so much strength in HIS arm to help us as before. Let's think what courage the heathens have shown in their sufferings; when Julius Caesar was foretold of a conspiracy against him, he said he'd rather die than fear. Mutius Scaevola having his hand held over the fire till the flesh fried & his sinews began to shrink, yet he bore it with an undaunted spirit. Quintus Curtius reports of Lysimachus of him being cast naked to a lion, that when the lion came roaring at him, he wrapped his shirt around his arm & thrust it into the lion's mouth taking hold of his tongue & killing it. Did nature infuse such a spirit of courage & gallantry into heathens! How much more shall be in us! Let's be as Paul: Not counting my life dear, so that I might finish my course with joy. (Acts 20:24)
Consider whom we suffer for, YAHUSHUA. There's many who suffer shame & death for lusts. He suffers disgrace for a drunken lust, for debt, etc. He'll suffer death for a revengeful lust. Shall we also die for our lusts & not for YAHUSHUA? Will a man suffer for that lust which damns him & not suffer for YAHUSHUA who saves? If no man shall 'kindle a fire on YHWH's altar for nothing,' (Malachai 1) then surely no man shall sacrifice himself for YHWH in the fire for nothing.
Jason Desmond
Ambassador of HIS Kingdom