While I was sitting with the Lord last night, He brought to mind something that had happened the other day. My husband was watching an interview of a well-known prophet from Canada, and as I walked into the room, I heard the prophet describing the persecution now facing Christians in that area. He mentioned that because of the recent laws being implemented by the government there, that he risked being arrested and jailed simply by living out his faith.
Holy Spirit then reminded me about a word I received back in February of this year. In this particular word, Jesus was doing the speaking. To some of you that might sound odd, but this isn’t the first encounter I’ve had with our Savior, nor am I the only person this has happened to.
In the NT, the Apostle Paul had a life changing encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. In the book of Revelation, John, while on the island of Patmos, had a vision in which Jesus not only appeared to him, but also dictated letters to him for the seven churches. Some might say that those supernatural encounters were only for that period of the Church, or because these were giants of the Faith. But there are plenty of testimonies of ordinary people who had never heard the Gospel having radical encounters with Jesus. I actually met someone in Bible College from a Middle Eastern region, that’s how she was saved.
Since, as believers, God’s indwelling presence resides within us, it is perfectly reasonable for us to expect to have interaction with each person of His Triune nature: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
As I mentioned before, this isn’t the first word I received in which Jesus spoke, and if you’d like to read through a couple of those, the links are listed in the description box below.
Now in this word I’m about to share, Jesus speaks encouragement to believers about coming persecution, but first, He referenced these verses from Matthew 5:
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Then highlighted this verse from Philippians 3-
“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.”
Then I heard Him say this:
There is a price to be paid by those who choose to be My true disciples. For to follow Me means walking down the path of self-denial, where their entire lives do they count as forfeit in exchange for knowing and becoming more like Me. Then since I suffered greatly during My days upon the earth, should not those who have chosen to live as I did expect to encounter trials and persecution of various kinds, where their declarations about who I am are often met with hostile and sometimes even violent rejection?
Therefore, it should come as no surprise to anyone when those who have devoted themselves to Me and My Kingdom’s cause face instances of extreme opposition. For if the world which I came to save despised and rejected Me, so too shall it be with My disciples. For if they hated Me, then surely shall My own also be hated and reviled by men.
Thus should My disciples throughout the earth ready themselves for coming persecution, as the enemy is already preparing to ramp up his attack against the Church; thus shall some believers face great hardship for My name’s sake. Still will others know physical harm because they refused to deny Me before men. For those who are My true disciples recognize that this temporal world is not their reward, and so have already counted it as loss, especially when compared to the glory which awaits them on the other side of this life.
Yet knowing that greater adversity is about to befall the Church should not dissuade any who claim to be a follower of Mine from publicly preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom so that its message of eternal hope continues to spread and reaches every people group and nation. For then shall My second coming be ushered in, which shall signal to the universe that the end of all days is at hand.
Ah, but much tribulation shall be present upon the earth before My appearance in the clouds. For the enemy, who is the author of chaos and confusion, shall stir up all kinds of strife in the hearts of men across the entire earth so that the children of God are met with hatred, contempt, and even violence, in an effort to silence their voices. For he seeks to delay his inevitable end by preventing the Gospel of the Kingdom from advancing as the Father intends.
Then those believers whose sights are set upon the horizon, thinking My appearance is imminent, have misread the signs of the times. For though the Church has entered the last days, the final days are not yet upon you, as the Gospel of the Kingdom has yet to know its full advancement. Therefore, do not listen to any voices which claim My second coming is now upon you, for they have misinterpreted the manner in which the Father’s eternal plan progresses forward, thinking it to be linear in nature, instead of advancing through the accomplishment of His Will. Yet its full completion is predicated upon the Gospel of the Kingdom having been preached in every nation.
And so it is incumbent upon every generation of believers to fulfill their role in the Great Commission, which is sharing the Gospel of the Kingdom regardless of the negative consequences this act of obedience may bring. Therefore, do not hide your light away so as not to offend those around you, as all who follow after Me were meant to shine their light for the world to see.
Then without fear of rebuke or retaliation, boldly go forth and share the truth about the One who has sent you, and do not shy away from this assignment, even if it may lead to greater persecution, as this is simply the price to be paid by those who have chosen to follow Me. For very few of the lost you encounter along this path will greet you with open arms. Yet do not hesitate or be afraid to speak up and boldly declare the Truth to anyone who will listen, for I tell you now, that great is the harvest predicted for this season.
https://mydailyletters.com/blog/a-quest-to-reclaim-victory/https://mydailyletters.com/blog/the-light-of-the-world/
(Received: 2/24/2024)