... an extension of www.prophecyfulfillment.com ...

ISSUE NUMBER 16

Fallen Warriors in God’s Beloved Army

EXPLANATION: Some have asked why the newsletters are so infrequently and irregularly issued recently. I have been very busy, wishing I could be given 40-hour days. I also have been enjoying unusually gorgeous summer weather and tomatoes, okra, summer squash, and other favorites grown in my garden. (I feel sorry for readers who do not live in the South and do not have a Southern wife. You may never have eaten really good food!) Back to the subject: I am preparing a two- or three-part series on abortion as an end-time challenge for the nations, but I want a few more days to complete it. I will mail the first part next week, but I hurriedly write this newsletter to fill time and as a follow-up to the last newsletter.

INTRODUCTION:

In the last issue, www.prophecyfulfillment.com/en015a.html , I discussed preparation for perilous times in the last days. There is, however, another end-time peril for which we cannot prepare. Christians will be hated and persecuted, as the time approaches for Jesus’ return.

Consider the following Scriptures (and know that other pertinent Scriptures exist):

■ Genesis 3:15: [The LORD God said to the serpent]: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” This verse, called the protevangelium, is the Bible’s first proclamation of the Gospel. This Scripture prophesied the centuries-old war between the serpent (Satan) and God’s children (the Jews and Christians). Satan “bruised Jesus’ heel” at the crucifixion, but Jesus will “bruise Satan’s head” when He casts him eternally into the Lake of Burning Sulphur, or Hell (Revelation 20:10). Jews and Christians have been Satan’s enemies because of their covenant relationship with God. Satan will always attempt to destroy the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the followers of Jesus.

■ Matthew 10:16, 18, 21-22, 28, 39: [Jesus said]: “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. |...| And you will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. |...| Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. |...| And do not fear those who will kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both body and soul in heal. |...| He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.”

■ Matthew 24:21: Jesus spoke of horrendous times in the Tribulation. You will avoid the Tribulation, if you are snatched up in the Rapture to be with the Lord.

■ Read John, chapter 15 to learn the relationship of believers to Jesus, to each other, and to the world. Pertinent verses include John 15:18-21, 25: [Jesus said] “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.... If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. |…| If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.. |…| But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do know Him who sent Me.|…| But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’”

■ Revelation 6:9: John saw the souls of saints martyred during the Tribulation by the evil Antichrist’s government. After the Resurrection/ Rapture, billions of people will be left behind. The Holy Spirit manifests seven functions (Isaiah 11:2)– the Spirits of the LORD, wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear of the LORD. The Holy Spirit’s restraint of evil will be removed from earth, but His conviction of sin and call to salvation will remain (at least for three and one-half years). The Holy Spirit’s conflicting ministries will lead to two situations:

• During the seven-year period of the Tribulation, many will be converted to faith in the Christ through the ministry of 144,000 Jewish evangelists (Revelation, chapter 7). These converts will be martyred because of their faith by the Unholy Trinity– Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet.

• The lack of restraint of the Holy Spirit and the Christian Church will permit evil to flourish as never before. God’s twenty-one judgments, the evil designs of the Antichrist, and Satan’s panicked realization that he has only a short time to inflict evil on mankind will make this period the worst of all times. An unprecedented number of Christians will be martyred. There is a suggestion that these Christians will be beheaded (Revelation 20:4). Execution by beheading is preferred by Islamists. Some prophecy students believe that the Antichrist will come from an Islamic (Muslim) background.

■ Revelation 12:12b: [A loud voice in heaven said]: “... Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

■ Revelation 13:15: He [the False Prophet] was given power to... cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast [the Antichrist] to be killed.

FALLEN SOLDIERS IN STEPHEN’S ARMY:

Introduction: I write from an American’s background. We American Christians are blessed by God as no other believers have ever been blessed. We have freedom to worship. Churches are open in every community. The Gospel is freely spread from pulpits, in printed materials, and on radio and television to anyone who will heed the message. We are truly blessed.

Freedom to worship God (Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) and His Son (our Savior, Jesus the Christ) is denied to billions of people in the world.

Worldwide, there are at least 200-million Christian brothers and sisters who daily face persecution or the threat of martyrdom (death) for only one reason– they have accepted Jesus as their Savior. Heartbreaking reports of torture, rape, imprisonment, mutilation, enslavement, loss of property, and execution of Christians are readily available.   

Christian martyrdom– first, Stephen:

Stephen was one of the seven deacons of the early church. He supervised church benevolence (Acts 6:5); was a powerful preacher (Acts 7:2); was full of faith and the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5), and full of wisdom (Acts 6:3, 10), power (Acts 6:8, 15), and light (Acts 6:15); and possessed fullness of love (Acts 7:60) and faith (Acts 7:56).

Stephen was martyred for his faith in AD 34 (Acts 7:54-60): When they heard [Stephen’s preaching] they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look!  I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.”  And when he said this, he fell asleep.

Stephen was the first person recorded in the Bible to die for his Christian faith. In the cited Scripture, Jesus was seen standing. Jesus is usually described as seated at the right hand of God, but this time He stood. Did Jesus stand out of respect for Stephen’s brave martyrdom and for all the martyrs who would follow?

The young man Saul, who held the garments of those who stoned Stephen, would later be re-named Paul. Paul, after his conversion to Christianity, tirelessly spread the Gospel to many people. As Saul, Paul consented to Stephen’s death (Acts 8:1) and persecuted early church members (Acts 8:3-4). As the apostle Paul, he would later lament his role in Stephen’s death (Acts 22:20): “‘And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’”

Christian martyrdom– those who followed Stephen:

After Stephen’s death, millions of martyrs have followed. Each martyr has given up the most precious possession he or she would ever own– his or her life– rather than recant belief in Jesus as personal Savior. These martyrs literally have formed an “army” of believers, marching across all continents and through nearly two-thousand years of history. These martyrs have given quiet testimony of love for and belief in the Savior Jesus and in stubborn, defiant rebuke of Satan. History testifies that the harder Satan has tried to stamp out the Christian church, the stronger that church has become.

HOW MANY CHRISTIANS HAVE BEEN MARTYRED?

Italian journalist Antonio Socci estimates that 70-million believers have been martyred for their belief in Jesus in the nearly 2,000 years since Christ’s church was established (on the Day of Pentecost, AD 33).

Of these, 45.5-million were martyred in the Twentieth Century, accounting for 65 percent of all martyrs. Consider the magnitude of this recent bloodshed: Twice as many Christians were martyred in the last century than in all the preceding centuries combined! 

Reference: www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/681473/posts .

There is an acceleration of martyr deaths, as the return of Jesus (the Rapture/ Resurrection) nears. John tells us in the Book of Revelation that the greatest revival of all time will occur after the Rapture, due to the tireless work of 144,000 Jewish evangelists. There will be wholesale slaughter of these newly converted Christians by the Antichrist’s government, however. The Fifth Seal Judgment (Revelation 6:9-11) tells of the cries of these martyred Tribulation saints, as they seek vengeance against those who have martyred them.
 

EARLY CHURCH MARTYRDOM:

If you are interested in the heavy price paid by early Christian martyrs, read a book popularly known as Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. The book was written by John Foxe, a Sixteenth Century English historian. This book may be read free online through several Websites, including:

www.ccel.org/f/foxe/martyrs/home.html .

SPECIAL REWARD (CROWN) FOR MARTYRS:

The Bible mentions five special eternal rewards (“crowns”) for certain believers. One of these rewards is the Crown of Life for Christian Martyrs (Revelation 2:10): [Jesus said] "Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

If you are curious about the other four crowns, they are:

■ Crown of Glory for Faithful Servants: 1 Peter 5:4.

■ Crown of Rejoicing for Soul Winners: 1 Thessalonians 2:19.

■ Crown of Righteousness for Those Who Love His Return: 2 Timothy 4:8.

■ Incorruptible Crown for Victorious Lives of Purity: 1 Corinthians 9:25. 
 

GOD’S ARMY MARCHES ON, BUT SUFFERS CASUALTIES:

God has an army of believers who fight against Satan, the enemy of God and man. For reasons known only to God, we believers have been called to take the fight to Satan and to tell of the grace of redemption for those who live in darkness and practice sin.

All armies experience casualties in battle. In God’s army, these fallen warriors include those who have been martyred for their beliefs and many, many more who have been– and are now being– mocked, harassed, and persecuted for their faith. Coming to America soon, I fear, will be an acceleration of harassment and persecution directed uniquely against Christians. If you do not see this coming, you have not been keeping up with news reports.

You may some day be required to defend your faith, even at great personal cost. Never forget Jesus’ words (Matthew 10:32-33): “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men. Him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”

If you read Foxe’s history of early Christian martyrs, two points stand out:

(1) Given the opportunity to recant (deny) their faith, Christians would be spared death. No one recanted, though. Their faith was genuine, and they kept their eyes on Jesus, their Savior.

(2) Soldiers marveled at the peace and serenity– even joy– possessed by those marching to death. There was no pleading for mercy, no crying, no begging, and no cursing their captors. These Christians knew their home was Heaven, and they were only going home to meet Jesus face to face. They agreed with Paul’s great promise (2 Corinthians 5:8): We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Fallen soldiers in God’s army– Christian martyrs– have not died.... Rather, they have passed from this life with the promise of Jesus to the next life with the realization of Jesus. Their death was gain for them.

PRAYER CONCERNS FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH:

Consider adding these concerns about Christian persecutions in other countries to your daily prayers:           

   Sunday: Pray for the African nations of Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Sudan, Morocco, and Algeria.*

   Monday: Pray for the Asian nations of Nepal, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, China, Laos, North Korea, Bhutan, Maldives, and Uzbekistan.*

   Tuesday: Pray for the European nations of Belarus and the European Union.*

   Wednesday: Pray for the Latin American country of Cuba.*

In my church, Wednesday night service’s offering goes for missions. Consider donating sacrificially to missions to aid oppressed and persecuted persons at home and throughout the world, in expectation that the will see the love of Jesus in action. Be inventive in giving more for missions. For example: If you smoke cigarettes and give up this health-robbing habit, you can offer another 25- to 30-dollars per week with your saved “cigarette money” for each pack you stop smoking. If you eat out at work five days each week and drink a soft drink, you can drink free water instead of purchasing a soft drink, and offer 10-dollars or so per week to missions with your saved “soft drink money.” And so forth.

   Thursday: Pray for the Middle Eastern countries of Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Turkey, Jordan, and Palestine.*

   Friday: Pray that the efforts of liberal civil liberty groups will not be successful in limiting free exercise of Christian worship. Pray that courts will apply the Constitution, rather than legislating from the bench, and that Christians’ First Amendment rights will not be taken away.

   Saturday: Pray that your church and churches throughout the world will stand up for freedom to worship and will reach out in love to help those who are being persecuted and martyred. It is up to Christians to reform a country, if God’s healing is expected (2 Chronicles 7:14): [The LORD said] "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

– – – – – – – – – – --

*Listed countries represent countries where there are known human rights violations because of persecution or severe discrimination against Christians. REFERENCE: www.persecution.org .
 

PRAYER CONCERNS FOR ISRAEL:

We are witnessing the unfolding of God’s end-time plans, as foretold in numerous Old and New Testament prophecies.  All end-time prophecies hinge on God’s chosen people (the Jews), His Holy City (Jerusalem), His covenant land (Israel), and how other (non-Jewish) peoples deal with them. These prophecies, being fulfilled daily, warn of persecution of Jews. All Israel is at risk, especially now that her enemies are armed with weapons of mass destruction.

We are commanded to pray for Jerusalem. (Psalm 122:6):  Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. “May they prosper who love you....” AND (Isaiah 62:6-7): I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem, who shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. 

Consider adding to your prayers, concerns for the people and land of Israel:

Sunday: Pray for Jews under persecution and intimidation by Muslim and godless peoples, including the humanists and atheists of Europe  and  the  United  Nations; pray for Israelis “imprisoned” by  fear  and violence; and pray for comfort for those hurt by violence. (Hebrews 13:3): Remember the prisoners as if chained with them, and those who are mistreated, since you yourselves are in the body also.

Monday: Israel is torn by violence, hatred, and mistrust. Pray for unity in Israel, that Jews, Christians, and Arabs may live together in harmony. (Psalm 133:1): Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

Tuesday: Some Orthodox Jews in Israel are expecting the soon appearance of HaMashiach, the Messiah, but the majority of secular Jews seem unconcerned about this event. Pray that Jews will await the coming of Messiah with great anticipation and preparation, and that they will come to realize that their long-awaited Messiah is Yeshua– Jesus. (Matthew 24:30): [Jesus said] “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with great power and great glory.”

Wednesday: Israel is surrounded by Islamic nations and terrorist groups within those nations which have a common purpose– the total destruction of Israel as a nation and the expulsion of Jews (the Saturday people) and Christians (the Sunday people) from “their” land. Israel is outnumbered many times over by enemies, all armed with sophisticated weapons (including weapons of mass destruction). However, Israel will always have One more on her side than will her enemies, and that One is the Almighty God who will ensure victory for His people.  Read the promises in Isaiah, chapter 62, including verses 1-2a: For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burns. The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory....  Also, read Ezekiel, chapter 37, in which the prophet saw: (1)-dry bones coming together to become flesh-covered, living people (fulfilled by the return of Jews from the Diaspora to Israel in 1948); and (2) two sticks– “For Judah... and Israel...” and “For Joseph... and Ephraim...”– joined together as a single stick, Israel, never again to be divided, that all nations will know that Israel’s redemption comes from the LORD, that Israel will be made holy, and that God’s sanctuary will be established there forever. (This prophecy was partially fulfilled by the establishment of Israel as a nation in 1948, but will not be complete until Jesus returns and New Jerusalem descends to earth one millennium later.) Pray for God’s protection of Israel from her enemies, and thank and praise Him that you have been permitted to be grafted into His eternal Kingdom (Romans 11:11-36).

Thursday: Only a small number of Jews– Messianic Jews– accept Jesus (Yeshua) as Savior. (John 14:6): [Jesus said] “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Pray for evangelical efforts in Israel, that the Holy Spirit’s power will descend upon that land in order that Jews and Arabs will accept Jesus as Savior.

Friday: Both Jews and Arabs in Israel live in fear– fear of terrorists’ attacks and even war. Pray for God’s comfort for His children, that the evil plans of homicide bombers or attack by Iran and other nations will be thwarted, and that peace may come to this troubled land. (Isaiah 40: 1-2a): “Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” says your God. “Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned....”

Saturday: This day is Shabbat (the Sabbath) in Israel. Shabbat is the day of the week set aside by God for His people to rest and seek peace (as recorded in the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:8-11, including verse 11b): ...Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. See also Leviticus 23:1-3. Pray for Shabbat shalom (the peace of the Sabbath) for God’s chosen people (the Jews), His Holy City (Jerusalem), His covenant land (Israel), and His children engrafted into His chosen land (Christians). Pray for God’s strength be given to the present and coming trials for Israel (as foretold in Psalm 83, Ezekiel, chapter 38 and 39, and other prophecies.                   

SCRIPTURES: Unless stated otherwise, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURES:

Romans 9:35-39: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, not things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Colossians 4:18: ...Remember my chains....

2 Timothy 3:12: Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

Matthew 25:35-36, 40: [Jesus, quoting the King said] ...”’for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.... |…| ...Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to me.’”

Revelation 22:20: [Jesus] who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.”  Amen.  Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

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MARANATHA! Members of the First Century church– the church present at the time of the martyrdom of Stephen and the beginning persecution of Christian believers– used Maranatha among themselves as a greeting in their coming and going. The word appears untranslated in 1 Corinthians 16:22 (King James Version only). Maranatha combines two Aramaic words:

#   If divided Maran-atha, it means “Our Lord has come!” (a statement of faith).

#   If divided Marana-tha, it means “Our Lord, come!” (a prayer of expectant hope).

Until the next newsletter, I extend Maranatha! to you.

Keep faith, whether persecuted or even martyred. Jesus will come for you soon, and He will bring your reward with Him.

CONTACT ME: raymondfinney@ymail.com or (865) 984.1424. If you have questions, comments, or especially if you need to know how to become a Christian, please contact me. I will be honored to try to help you in any way possible.

May God bless and protect you and your family. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20b)

Raymond Finney

Maryville, Tennessee U.S.A.