by Jamie Pantastico | Sep 26, 2022 | Daily Encouragement |
and not in any way terrified by your adversaries (our persecutors), which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.
Philippians 1:28
What is Paul saying? We read but don’t study. And this verse alone should give Christians who understand what Paul is teaching in this one verse… Great Comfort!
Persecutors of believers throughout history have lit their noses on fire to eternal damnation. Not changing one bit even to this day.
Perdition signifies eternal death for anyone who opposes the Gospel or persecutes believers. Paul says, “Those who persecute believers and put pressure on us are doomed.”
Persecution is proof of our salvation. If everyone praises you, beware. Because unbelievers along with the world system are in total opposition to God. Because they hate God and because they hate God they hate you.
The apostle Paul is teaching the Philippians and us today that when persecution comes and it will, it is evidence of our persecutor’s doom and our redemption.
Read Breaking News Story Below
The FBI used a major show of force to arrest pro-life Christian Mark Houck, 48, with dozens of agents reportedly descending on his home with guns drawn as Houck’s wife and children looked on in horror. Listen and subscribe to Quick Start: Early Friday morning the FBI arrived at the Houck’s residence in Bucks County, PA, and began pounding on the door.
Despite putting his hands up and willingly cooperating, multiple agents pointed guns in Mark’s face as his family – including his seven children – were forced to watch their dad “shackled” and taken away, according to family representative Brian Middleton, who spoke with CBN’s Faithwire. Houck’s wife Ryan-Marie described the shocking scene to LifeSiteNews, saying her husband was pleading with agents. “‘Please, I’m going to open the door, but, please, my children are in the home. I have seven babies.
Soon after Joe Biden’s September 1 speech where he declared war on conservative Christians, dozens of Trump allies had their homes raided by the FBI, which Steve Bannon referred to as “a Gestapo tactic,” and said it was “all about intimidation.”
In March of this year, the FBI rounded up 10 pro-life activists, including Joan Andrews Bell, with SWAT team raids that serve to intimidate and humiliate the accused through an exercise of excessive force.
A surfaced video of one of these raids shows armed agents holding pro-lifers at gunpoint and ordering them to put their hands up, drop to their knees and scoot backward out their front door in the middle of the night. The pro-lifers are respectful and compliant throughout.
Click here to view the source of this article www.faithwire.com
by Jamie Pantastico | Sep 25, 2022 | Daily Encouragement |
‘In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. ‘
I Peter 4:4
The gospel is powerful and can transform even the vilest heart
When a person believes the gospel alone by faith alone, they become a new creation. They no longer have the same desires or appetites they had before.
Those closest to us, such as family, friends, and coworkers, are the first to notice our changed life. However, these same people will be surprised and offended by your new outlook on life. They will also be the first to ridicule you for no longer wanting to partake in the dissipation that they do. And as we are no doubt so close to the Lord’s return, ridicule is turning into hatred and hostility. Persecution for the believers in America is closer than we might imagine.
I Peter 4:1
‘Therefore, since Christ suffered (Christ’s death on the cross) for us in the flesh (and died for us and paid the price for our sins), arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
I Peter 4:2
‘that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.’
What is Peter saying here? When a believer dies for his faith, he is naturally subjected to the power of ungodly men who kill him. However, as soon as that believer dies, he is free from the authority of the enemies of the flesh and in the presence of God. And the whole point here is that when persecution and death face the believer (as believers have for thousands of years), we must take comfort in the fact that once the suffering is over and death arrives, we are immediately in Glory!
And it is this that will have to sustain us if we are ever persecuted. And the whole point here is that (for these Jews to whom Peter is writing), if they have to die for their faith, their eternal life will begin immediately.
I Peter 4:3a
“For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the (who?) Gentiles,…”
Do you see how obvious it is that Peter is speaking to Jews now? He refers to those Gentile persecutors. Which were, of course, Romans in this case.
I Peter 4:3b
“…when we walked in (This was the moral state of the Gentile world in which Israel had to move, breathe, and live. This is how the Gentile world lived…) lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, (or drunkenness) revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:”
That was the image of the Gentile society in which these Jews were living. It’s important to note that this was the wicked, immoral environment in which the Apostle Paul spent his entire 25-year ministry. He was constantly confronted with this life. And yet, by simply preaching the gospel of grace (that you must believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins, was buried, and rose again), he had a large number of people come out of this lifestyle and live a godly lifestyle.
I Peter 4:5
“Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
So, what does it mean? I’d say that’s a change of pace. Peter tells these Jewish Christians all of a sudden that they shouldn’t even want to be like those Gentiles. Why? Because those of us who believe know that the unbelieving Gentile world will face judgment. And it will be the Lord Jesus Himself judging at the Great White Throne.
I Peter 4:6a
“For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead.,…”
In other words, people who have already died for their faith. Those who have died because of persecution are the focus of these passages. They died as believers.
I Peter 4:6b
“…that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, (the unsaved world and its system). (The ungodly gentile world around them and the world system did not like their holy lifestyle, so they killed them.) but (the result of that persecuted death was too) live according to God in the spirit.”
Peter admonishes, “Once you break from Gentile wickedness and godless lifestyle, they’ll persecute, detest, and kill you. When they kill you, you enter eternal life with the Lord, so it’s worth it.”
Let’s take a look at what Paul says in Romans chapter 8
This is, of course, from the apostle of the Gentiles under grace. But we’re dealing with the same God and the same ungodly world. So, whether it’s Paul, Peter, Jeremiah, or Ezekiel, or the story of Cain and Abel (because, after all, why did Cain kill Abel? ), that part is the same. Because Abel was a righteous man. And Cain was envious of Abel’s righteous relationship).
Romans 8:18
“For I reckon that the sufferings (persecution) of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us.”
Do you understand what he’s saying? Paul says something similar to what Peter said: “Okay, so you’ve faced severe persecution as a result of your faith. It may even bring you to the point of physical death, but the moment you exit this human experience through the death of a martyr, you enter eternal bliss and presence with the Lord.”
It is with this promise from God that we can console ourselves if and when we face persecution; if we are faced with martyrdom. We simply go through it, knowing that when death comes, we will be free of this old body of flesh and in glory!
And we have no idea how glorious that glory will be! That is what motivates us to continue living under pressure.
We are fortunate in America because only in recent months have we seen just a glimpse of what persecution looks like.
Beloved, Persecution is Coming. Get in the word, have a prayer life, and fellowship with other members of the body of Christ.
by Jamie Pantastico | Sep 22, 2022 | Daily Encouragement |
This is an uplifting and real account of Frank Jenner, sometimes known as the “little white-haired man,” who was unwavering in his commitment to sharing his faith. His story will serve as a source of encouragement for Christians. As believers, we are to share our faith at any moment. We are ambassadors for Christ here on this planet and we must be skilled in the Word of God. So as not to get discouraged, understanding full well that doing the Lord’s work is for His glory, not ours.
‘Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. ‘
II Corinthians 5:20
‘Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.’
I Corinthians 3:8
‘Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord [always doing work for the Lord], being continually aware that your labor [to the point of complete exhaustion] in the Lord is not futile nor wasted.’
1 Corinthians 15:58
The Story Below by Stephen Tucker
During a time of testimonies at Lansdowne Baptist Church, Bournemouth, England in the Summer of 1952, Rev Francis Dixon heard two very similar stories from two British sailors who had never met each other before. Both sailors, while on shore leave in Sydney, were approached by a man who asked the question: “Young man, if you were to die tonight, where would you be, in heaven or in hell?” In the course of time they both returned home, but the encounter with this mysterious man on George Street, Sydney, left such a deep impression on their hearts and minds that they both sought spiritual help when back in England. Later, they both became Christians, Francis Dixon himself having the pleasure of leading one of the sailors, Peter Culver, to Christ.
Shortly after this, Francis Dixon departed with his wife Nancy for his first preaching tour to Australia and New Zealand. Deeply fascinated by the coincidence of the two stories of the sailors and recognizing that he was heading to the land where these events had happened, he resolved to investigate the matter further. Who was this unconventional street evangelist? Why had he chosen to act in such a way? And how many other people had been impacted by his ministry?
It didn’t take long to get some answers. The tour commenced in Adelaide and, while preaching in a large hall one night, Francis Dixon related the stories of the two sailors from England. At this point, their host – who happened to be sitting next to Mrs Dixon, and to whom they had just been introduced – waved his arms around, jumped up, and said, “I’m another! I’m another!” This man, Murray Wilkes, later told them that during the war the evangelist had approached him while he was running to catch a tram, and that he had given his life to Christ in an army barracks two weeks later.
“Young man, if you were to die tonight, where would you be, in heaven or in hell?”
While in Perth, Francis Dixon again shared the story of the two sailors. This time, a man approached him after the talk to say that he too had become a Christian as a consequence of the single sentence uttered by the evangelist on George Street, Sydney. What’s more, he had gone on to lead Christian Endeavour for Western Australia.
And so, Francis Dixon reached Sydney determined to meet the man behind these stories. On arrival, he related the stories to local Christian worker Alec Gilchrist, and asked if he knew the evangelist. “I know him well”, said Alec. “His name is Frank Jenner. Like me he works with the Forces and he is a sailor himself. He worships at one of the Christian Brethren assemblies in Sydney”.
Later, in Frank and Jessie Jenner’s humble town-house, as Francis Dixon told the four stories of the men who had responded to the evangelist’s simple question, Frank Jenner, with tears in his eyes, fell to his knees and prayed: “O Lord, thank you for tolerating me”. After a time of prayer, Jenner confessed that after speaking to 10 people a day for the previous 16 years, this was the first time he had heard of lasting results. “You know, I never heard that anyone I ever spoke to had gone on for the Lord. Some made professions of salvation when I spoke to them but I never ever knew any more than that”, he said to his guests.
Those who knew Frank Jenner testify that his nature was generous and warm, that he quickly inspired trust in others, and that his life was marked by persistence in prayer.
The circumstances of the Second World War – particularly the horrific images of Japan after the atomic bombs – so heightened Jenner’s sense of urgency that he felt it necessary to confront others directly about their standing before God. Not that this came easily: Jenner struggled to overcome a gambling habit acquired as a sailor, and he suffered persistent health problems throughout his life. He was so aware of his weakness that before each encounter on George Street he silently prayed: “I can do all things through him who gives me strength”. He first coined his now-famous question in 1937, and over the years probably asked nearly 100,000 people.
It is no surprise, then, that his influence extended far beyond Australia. Just a month after meeting Frank Jenner, Francis Dixon spoke at a Methodist Church in Keswick, England. After the service, a man who worked for ‘Mission to Mediterranean Garrisons’ approached Mr Dixon and said, “I too was challenged by Mr. Jenner and now I am in a soul-winning work myself”. Four years after this, while ministering to missionaries in India, Mr Dixon found another convert from George Street, Sydney. She had responded to the evangelist’s challenge and offered her life for service in India. In all, Francis Dixon knew of 10 people who had come to Christ as a consequence of the influence of Frank Jenner. I wonder how many more there are?
Frank Jenner, in his own way, and to the embarrassment of some Christians, got to the heart of the issue: he directly challenged sailors about their standing before God. His simple question is not a formula for us to copy, but his life is a wonderful testimony of how God can use those who remain faithful to him.
Source
by Jamie Pantastico | Sep 16, 2022 | Daily Encouragement |
This warning sign would have been located somewhere on or near a wall that prohibited Gentiles from going beyond a specified point in the temple complex. Only Jews were permitted beyond this wall.
The apostle Paul refers to this middle wall of partition as being broken down in Ephesians chapter two. Where Paul writes that prior (the previous 2000 years since Abraham around 2000 BC) to this middle wall of partition being broken down the Gentile world had no access to Israel’s God. And were without hope. Only after (NOT BEFORE) the finished work of the cross, the shed blood of Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection 3 days later do Gentiles have access to Israel’s God and salvation apart from the Mosaic Law and Temple worship.
Ephesians 2:11-12
‘Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:’
But Now…
‘but now (not before cross) in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:’
Ephesians 2:13-16
The bottom line is that Jesus Christ was the minister of the circumcision, the Jews (Romans 15:8). To fulfill the promises He Himself made to the people He created for Himself through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The promise that one day Israel would have a King and a kingdom in a geographical area of land. Israel would be the preeminent nation above all nations. With the Son of God as their King, ruling from David’s throne in Jerusalem. But Israel rejected their Messiah and, along with the Romans (the Gentile world), crucified Jesus Christ. Because of Israel’s unbelief, God has temporarily blinded the nation of Israel and for the last 1900+ years has been pouring out His grace on ALL mankind with the gospel of the grace of God. Preached by the apostle of the Gentiles, Paul. That salvation is by faith alone in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ alone apart from the Mosaic law and temple worship.
The unassuming slab of limestone doesn’t look like much. It’s crudely fractured and chipped on the sides, pockmarked with age, and is perched not too prominently on a shelf at the Israel Museum. But its smoothly hewn face and crisply etched Greek letters, still bearing faint traces of red paint, belie monumental significance.
“If we talk about the closest thing to the Temple we have,” said David Mevorach, senior curator of Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine Archaeology, “on the Temple Mount, this was closest.”
Two millennia ago, the block served as one of several Do Not Enter signs in the Second Temple in Jerusalem, delineating a section of the 37-acre complex which was off-limits for the ritually impure — Jews and non-Jews alike. Written in Greek (no Latin versions have survived), they warned: “No foreigner may enter within the balustrade around the sanctuary and the enclosure. Whoever is caught, on himself shall he put blame for the death which will ensue.”
There are actually two extant copies of the warning notices — a partial one here in Jerusalem at the Israel Museum, and a second, complete, in the Istanbul Archaeology Museum — and they are among a small handful of artifacts conclusively belonging to the shrine built by Herod toward the end of the first century CE. Contemporary accounts mentioned their existence, and 1,800 years after the Temple’s destruction, a French archaeologist found a complete copy that had been incorporated into the wall of a Muslim school in Jerusalem’s Old City.
“It is remarkable that this stone that… comes from the ancient Jewish Temple hasn’t been carried away far from from its original location,” Charles Simon Clermont-Ganneau wrote about his 1871 discovery. “Indeed, the place where I found it is only 50 meters away from the Haram al Sharif, the sanctuary of the Jews.” […]
Click here to view the source of this article www.timesofisrael.com
by Jamie Pantastico | Sep 15, 2022 | Daily Encouragement |
‘For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.’
Romans 5:10
‘And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.’
Romans 5:11
The world system is set on happiness. Everybody wants to be happy, but few talk about joy, and do you know what the difference is? Happiness is the result of our material surroundings, joy is a spiritual attribute. That is why the apostle Paul rarely uses the word happy (just once), but he does use “Joy” over and over like in the Book of Philippians, “Rejoice, and again I say rejoice.”
Because we are filled with the Holy Spirit and have eternal life; regardless of whether we’re happy or not, we have that joy that is unspeakable!
‘whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: ‘
1 Peter 1:8
Christians can be happy in poverty as well as in wealth because joy is a spiritual thing.
Praying for all. Share the gospel. Study the Word.
Amen.