If one comes to the lord Jesus in faith and is baptized and receives the holy spirit and lives out his/her life in subjection to the massage and instruction Jesus brought for us to live by we will suffer persecution. To be a follower of the lord Messiah Jesus is not a bed of roses, it can be difficult, very difficult indeed. It may cost us the loss of family and people we thought were our friends. But, if we turn our hearts and minds to what it cost the lord Jesus to make the way possible for us to be saved and to eventually inherit with him this earth and all that is in it, and to co-rule with him in the coming new age over all the nations, then our present suffering is a small price to pay for such a glorious future.
Notice what the a search of the word persecution shows in the scriptures:
Lamentations 5:5: Our necks are under persecution: we labor, and have no rest.
Matthew 13:21: Yet does not have root in himself, but endures for a while: for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, by and by he/she is offended.Mark 4:17: And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.Acts 8:1: And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the called-out Assembly which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.Acts 11:19: Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.Acts 13:50: But the Jews stirred up the devout and honorable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.Romans 8:35: Who shall separate us from the love of the Messiah? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?Galatians 5:11: And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? Then is the offence of the cross ceased.Galatians 6:12: As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of the Messiah.2 Timothy 3:12: ...and all that will live godly in the Messiah Jesus shall suffer persecution.Indeed, Jesus says all who will live godly in the anointed one Jesus shall suffer persecution!Paul is another example of what it takes to serve the living God and His beloved son Jesus:Philippians 3:8: Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of the Messiah Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win the Messiah,Notice: Luke 14:26-33: If any man come to me, and loves not less his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also [die to self], he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever does not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sits not down first, and counts the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sit not down first, and consults whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an ambassador, and desires conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he/she be of you that forsakes not all that he has [is not willing to walk away from all in order to serve the lord Jesus], he cannot be my disciple.Jesus is saying that one should count the cost that might come to one who follows him. That if called to do so would be willing to walk away from any earthly possession or family if need be!The rewards that have been promised to all who totally commit to following and obeying the words of the Messiah Jesus far out way anything that might come our way as we walk in the spirit towards entry into the coming Kingdom of God and become co-rulers with the lord Jesus over that nations, and inherit with him all that he will receive as our elder brother. And after the 1000 year rule of the Messiah Jesus comes to an end, and after the White Throne Judgement has taken place, and after fire has cleansed the earth, all who have become immortal glorified men and women will into into a glorious newly created earth and heavens, that Yehovah and His son Jesus will be located on the newly recreated earth at Zion.Revelation 21 & 22:The New Heaven and Earth
1And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and the sea is no more.2And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.3And I heard a great voice out of the throne saying, “Look!, the tabernacle of God is with man, and he will live with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them, and be their God,4and he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, nor will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more; the former things have passed away.”5And he who sits on the throne said, “Look! I make all things new.” And he said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”6And he said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts a drink from the spring of the water of life freely.7Whoever overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son.8But for the cowardly, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and the sexually immoral, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
The New Jerusalem
9And one of the seven angels came—one of those who had the seven bowls full with the seven last plagues—and he spoke with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”10And he carried me away in the spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,11having the glory of God, her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal,12having a wall great and high, having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written on it, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel.13On the east were three gates, and on the north three gates, and on the south three gates, and on the west three gates.14And the wall of the city had 12 foundations, and on them 12 names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.15And he who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, and its gates, and its wall.16And the city is laid out like a square, and the length of it is as great as the width, and he measured the city with the rod, about 1,380 miles, the length and the width and the height of it are equal.17And he measured the wall of it, about 200 feet,b according to the measure of a man, which is also the angel’s.18And the material of its wall was jasper, and the city was pure gold, like pure glass.19The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second, sapphire, the third, chalcedony, the fourth, emerald,20the fifth, sardonyx, the sixth, sardius, the seventh, chrysolite, the eighth, beryl, the ninth, topaz, the tenth, chrysoprase, the eleventh, jacinth, the twelfth, amethyst.21And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each one of the gates was of one pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.22And I saw no sanctuary in it, for the Lord God the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its sanctuary.23And the city has no need of the sun, nor of the moon, to shine on it, for the glory of God has illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb.24And the nations will walk in the light of it, and the kings of the earth bring their glory into it.25And its gates will never ever be shut by day (for there will be no night there),26and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it,27and unclean things will never ever enter into it, nor whoever does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
1And he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb,2in the middle of the street. And on this side of the river and on that side was the tree of life, bearing 12 manner of fruit, yielding its fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.3And there will be no curse any more, and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will serve him4and they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.5And there will be no more night, and they will not need any light from a lamp, nor light from the sun, for the Lord God will give them light, and they will reign forever and ever.
Brothers and sisters his is our heritage if we hold fast to the end of our lives or this age. All that has been set before us is worth any persecution or trials we may have to endure until the end of this age. Just to be called the sons and daughters of our God and Father Yehovah, and be placed as members of His household is reason enough to hold fast to the end!
1And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and the sea is no more.2And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.3And I heard a great voice out of the throne saying, “Look!, the tabernacle of God is with man, and he will live with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them, and be their God,4and he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, nor will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more; the former things have passed away.”5And he who sits on the throne said, “Look! I make all things new.” And he said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”6And he said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts a drink from the spring of the water of life freely.7Whoever overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son.8But for the cowardly, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and the sexually immoral, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
The New Jerusalem
9And one of the seven angels came—one of those who had the seven bowls full with the seven last plagues—and he spoke with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”10And he carried me away in the spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,11having the glory of God, her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal,12having a wall great and high, having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written on it, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel.13On the east were three gates, and on the north three gates, and on the south three gates, and on the west three gates.14And the wall of the city had 12 foundations, and on them 12 names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.15And he who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, and its gates, and its wall.16And the city is laid out like a square, and the length of it is as great as the width, and he measured the city with the rod, about 1,380 miles, the length and the width and the height of it are equal.17And he measured the wall of it, about 200 feet,b according to the measure of a man, which is also the angel’s.18And the material of its wall was jasper, and the city was pure gold, like pure glass.19The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second, sapphire, the third, chalcedony, the fourth, emerald,20the fifth, sardonyx, the sixth, sardius, the seventh, chrysolite, the eighth, beryl, the ninth, topaz, the tenth, chrysoprase, the eleventh, jacinth, the twelfth, amethyst.21And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each one of the gates was of one pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.22And I saw no sanctuary in it, for the Lord God the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its sanctuary.23And the city has no need of the sun, nor of the moon, to shine on it, for the glory of God has illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb.24And the nations will walk in the light of it, and the kings of the earth bring their glory into it.25And its gates will never ever be shut by day (for there will be no night there),26and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it,27and unclean things will never ever enter into it, nor whoever does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
1And he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb,2in the middle of the street. And on this side of the river and on that side was the tree of life, bearing 12 manner of fruit, yielding its fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.3And there will be no curse any more, and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will serve him4and they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.5And there will be no more night, and they will not need any light from a lamp, nor light from the sun, for the Lord God will give them light, and they will reign forever and ever.
Brothers and sisters his is our heritage if we hold fast to the end of our lives or this age. All that has been set before us is worth any persecution or trials we may have to endure until the end of this age. Just to be called the sons and daughters of our God and Father Yehovah, and be placed as members of His household is reason enough to hold fast to the end!
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