Persecuted For My Name’s Sake

Pastor Yohan Maria murdered in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh India

Some will take this as an anti-pretribulation rapture post, but it is not. My opinion on ones view of the end times is that it has no bearing upon one's salvation, so why waste your time thinking about it? My point for this post is about those who think they will not be persecuted. Which in and of itself goes against the teachings of the One we put our faith in, Jesus Christ.

by Chuck Ness

What has become one of my biggest pet peeves in Christianity these days, is how so many of my Christian brethren pray they will not be left behind or persecuted for their faith. It bugs me, because nowhere do you read that the early church believed that their persecutions would cease in this World. Thus they may have prayed for protection, but they also understood they would eventually suffer for Christ. Instead, when they were persecuted, they actually felt blessed to be persecuted. Being persecuted is the cost of doing GOD's will. So like the early Christians, we should consider it an honor to be persecuted for Christ. After all, GOD considered His Son worthy to be persecuted and sacrificed for us.

Now I do not claim we should never pray for the safety of ourselves and others, but to do so with the expectation you will never be persecuted in this World for following Jesus is not what we are told. Do you believe that those in China, the Middle East, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, North Korea, and other places do not pray for their safety? Of course they do, but they also realize that they will continue to be persecuted. For those of us in America, the writing is on the wall that, one day soon we too shall be persecuted in similar extreme ways we see our brothers and sisters around the World being persecuted.

When it came to the early church, the missionaries were busy winning converts in the face of persecution while knowing their personal comfort and safety was always in jeopardy. In Acts 5:41-42 the Apostles left the presence of the council, after being whipped, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Jesus. Every day, in the Temple, and from house to house, they did not cease teaching that the Christ was Jesus.

So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
Acts 5:41-42

Consider this fact, the word, "prison," is found (64) times in the New Testament, nearly half of those (28) show up in the Book of Acts. Obviously each time the word is used it is related to those who preached the Gospel. Yet even in prison, we all have been blessed, because the Apostle's Paul, and John, both wrote their most powerful letters while imprisoned.

Not only did the persecutions not stop, but the faith spread around like chicken pox in a day care center. Tertulian said that the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church. Maybe the church in America is dying today, because we all pray that we will not be persecuted. Which tells me that they are not willing to suffer for Christ as the early Christians were. Yet Jesus tells us that we "WILL" be hated and persecuted us for His namesake. Not "MIGHT" be persecuted, "IF", we fail to pray for no persecution.

But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake.
Luke 21:12

Peter not only warns us that we will be persecuted, he tells us to rejoice in the persecution. Yet not once did he tell us to pray that we would not be persecuted.

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are [a]reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
1 peter 4:12-14

What we do read in the Scriptures are the Saints praying for those who are being persecuted, but not that the persecution would stop.

Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also
Hebrews 13:3

After Peter and John were released by the authorities, the brethren did not pray for the persecution to stop, but rather prayed that those persecuted would be able to speak the the Word's of the Gosopel in confidence,

“For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”
Acts 4:27-30

Many years ago I had a conversation with a gentleman of my church who had recently given his life to Christ. In our conversation he readily admitted that the sermon he heard from the preacher on how Christ's church will be raptured before the tribulation is why he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior.  He went on to say that he often times prayed for his faith to be good enough to keep him from the persecution and tribulations mentioned in the Bible. I was truly taken back by his reasoning to follow Christ.

Since that day, I have met many Christians who admit the same thing. They follow Christ so they will not be persecuted. OH, they admit that persecution will happen, but their understanding of persecution is not being able to say Merry Christmas to the customers that come through the store they work at. Way too many Christians in the Western World truly believe they will never face the kind of persecution Christians in the Middle East, India, China, North Korea, and African countries like Nigeria are. In these places, Christians are being martyred for their faith by the tens of hundreds of thousands every year.

Throughout history, Christians have been persecuted, and will continue to be persecuted. Our Savior, who Himself was persecuted and lifted like a snake in the desert, warns us that we will be persecuted. So why would any Christian believe they will be free from that which we are warned about? Today, more Christians are being persecuted and murdered than at any other time in history. just because we in the West are not being physically persecuted, does not mean a believer will not be in the future, just because they believe in a pre tribulation rapture.

Again, I do not argue against the doctrine of the rapture, that is not my point. Personally, I seldom if ever teach on the end times. That's because I want those who hear the Gospel to accept Jesus with the knowledge they could, and very well may be persecuted. Accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior means you put your faith in HIM, and that one day you will live eternally in HIS presence. Jesus death on the cross wiped out our sins, and HIS resurrection proves we will live after this mortal body dies.

So go ahead and pray for peace and safety for yourself and your loved ones. However, if you are truly doing answering the Clarion Call as Jesus commands us to, by preaching the Gospel to make disciples in the World, then the reality may not be so great. Mind you, all but one of the Apostles died a martyrs death. The one who died of old age was still persecuted many times with imprisonment and whippings, and once time he was even boiled to make him deny Christ.

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28:19-20

As you read the list below of what the Scriptures and tradition tells us about how the Apostles died, I want you to understand that every one of them abandoned their leader in his time of need. One of them accepted 30 pieces of silver from those who would eventually scourge and crucify HIM. Yet something turned this band of dispirited followers into believers who would die violent deaths. That something was the proof of His resurrection, which sealed the deal for His disciples. Included in this is Paul because, like the others, he too was personally chosen by Jesus to be an Apostle.

• Judas: Committed suicied after betraying Jesus
  
• Andrew: Crucifixion (bound, not nailed, to a cross).
  
• Bartholomew (Nathaniel): BBeheaded, flayed alive, or crucified with his head downward.
  
• James the Greater: Beheaded or stabbed with a sword.
  
• James the Lesser: Thrown from a pinnacle of the Temple at Jerusalem, then stoned and beaten with clubs.
  
• John: Died of old age.
  
• Jude (Thaddeus): Beaten to death with a club.
  
• Matthew: Burned, stoned, or beheaded.
  
• Peter: Crucifixion at Rome with his head downwards.
  
• Philip: Hung from a tree by his neck.
  
• Simon: Crucifixion. or being sawn in half.
  
• Thomas: Stabbed with a spear.
  
• Paul of Tarsus: Beheaded by Nero

I pray that those who have ears to hear will hear His voice and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen