Week 28 Day 4

The Daily Take 10

The Gospel of John

Week 28 Day 4

Introduction…The first Christian Martyrs were those who suffered under the persecution of the Romans in the early ages of the Church. For 240 years, or from about the year 64 after Christ to the time of emperor Constantine in 306 AD, the cruel punishments inflicted upon the Christians by their heathen enemies are described by the ancient historians as being as various and horrible as the mind of man, inspired by the devil, could invent.” Foxes Book of Martyrs, page 11.

Read John 16:1-6 “I have spoken these things to you in case you should be caused to stumble in the way. They will excommunicate you from the synagogue. Yes, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think that he is rendering a service to God and they will do these things because they did not recognize the Father or me. But I have spoken these things to you so that when their time comes, you will remember that I spoke them to you. I did not tell you these things at the beginning because I was with you. But know I am going away to him who sent me and none of you asks me, ‘where are you going?’ But grief has filled your hearts because I have spoken these things to you.”

Bible Study

• From the beginning of time God revealed Himself to be the Creator, a good God, merciful and wanting a relationship with His Creation. God has chosen us and loves us, but many have not chosen God.
• Some people, who did respond to God’s love, later fell away for various reasons, especially for reasons of persecution. Revelation 21:8 condemns those who are unbelieving and fearful.
• While some in the early Church showed such courage and spiritual heroism, there were those whose faith was shown to be weak, failing to endure persecution.
• Jesus spoke of 2 ways in which His followers would be persecuted…
  • Excommunication from the synagogue, which was difficult for the Jews.
  • Being killed by people thinking they are doing a “latreia,” service for God. This word is used for the work of a priest rendering at the altar for religious service.
• The Apostle Paul, formerly Saul of Tarsus, who wrote many of the New Testament Epistles, was a Jewish Pharisee, a religious leader, who tried to eliminate the name of Jesus, Christians and the Church in the years after Jesus’ death and resurrection. See Acts 26:9-11.
  • Saul/Paul consented to the first martyr of the Church, Stephen. See Acts 6:5-8:2
  • Saul/Paul “made havoc of the Church, entering into every house and haling men and women, committed them to prison.” Acts 8:3
  • Saul/Paul, “yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord,” Acts 9:1
  • And then God intervened with a light from heaven that blinded him, knocking him off his horse to the ground, and then Jesus speaking to him saying, “Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” See Acts 9:2-31 where Saul’s life amazingly changed by Jesus Christ.

Application

• Joan of Arc was quoted as saying regarding loneliness, “People have sometimes learned, it is better to be alone with God. It is the price of fellowship with God.”
• Anyone thinking they have a monopoly on God’s grace and truth is dangerous and does not have the mind of Christ or the heart of God. We are to love the people of the world, not kill them!
• Regarding denominations…there are many, but as long as they believe it is the shed blood of Jesus Christ that saves us and in the Word of God…we are brothers.
• Have you ever prayed for someone who persecuted you? Jesus encouraged this. Matthew 5:10-12 says, “Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice, and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven…”
• Pray for the vilest sinner and the most vocal person who comes against God because once saved, they make great Christians when Jesus gets a hold of them.
• Jesus said to His disciples that He would make them fishers of men. It’s our job to catch them/people, but it is God’s job to clean them. We don’t have to tell new believers what a Christian does and doesn’t do…God will speak to them through His Word.

Tags: Take 10

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