THE BETTER RESURRECTION.
Last weeks challenging message leaves us to ask,
How did they suffer such persecution?
How could they endure such pain and suffering?
THE REASON.
So they may obtain a BETTER RESURRECTION.
When a person was tortured, they were looked upon as “dead” If at any time they would relent, they were, in a sense, “resurrected.”
But if they refused to relent, it was because they had a,
BETTER RESURRECTION in mind.
It was a far more noble, permanent and honourable resurrection, which is far better.
It was a SPIRITUAL RESURRECTION.
Knowing that their bodies would be restored to immortal vigour and raised to eternal life to a place where they were not susceptible to such pain and suffering anymore.
That is called…
THE BETTER RESURRECTION.
It took great faith to believe that!
They endured so much opposition.
OTHERS HAD CRUEL MOCKINGS. (Making fun in a cruel way.)
Today, we call it Bullying!
Jesus said, “Blessed are you when men persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely on my account.”
“Rejoice” and be “Exceedingly glad” For great is your reward in Heaven.”
Remember, when you take the first step, God will do the rest.
FAITH IS A GIFT OF GOD. Yes it is God’s faith at work in you.
He has given you Power and Authority to…
Save souls. Heal the sick. Deliver from demons, and raise the dead.
You take a risk and step out and do it. You are possessed with miracle-working faith, and God will come through for you.
Look at this! “WOMEN HAD THEIR DEAD RAISED TO LIFE.”
There was the Woman of Zerapath’s son whom Elijah raised to life.
The Shunamite’s son was restored by Elisha.
Today, the true faith of Jesus is at work in you. All Christians possess His faith, but many refuse to use it.
Others were TORTURED. The Hebrew word for torture is “Typanum,” meaning “to stretch.” As you would stretch the skin of a Timbrel or a drum.
They would bend the victim in such a manner to extend his skin so that the exposed gashes would increase their excruciating pain.
How utterly cruel.
But, they would not accept deliverance and refused to renounce their faith in God.
THIS IS THE VERY NATURE AND SPIRIT OF A TRUE MARTYR.
“THEY WERE SCOURGED.”
That is the punishment of using a whip to cause significant pain. A standard mode of punishment before the martyr was put to death. The Lord Jesus under Pilate endured such punishment.
The whip they used had large, sharp metal pieces entwined in the straps, known as the “Cat o’nine Tails.”
It flayed the skin from off the body exposing organs in bare sight.
“Oh, thankyou my dear Jesus.”
“IMPRISONMENT.”
They were imprisoned in crowded, filthy, vermin-infested prisons, beaten and starved.
There was Joseph in Egypt. Daniel in Babylon. In the New Testament we read of the imprisonment and torture of Jesus’ disciples. Most dying as martyrs.
How could we not mention Paul and Silas, who sang praises to God for the privilege of suffering for His sake? They possessed “Resilliant Faith”
“THEY WERE STONED.”
Zechariah and the Apostle Stephen, who revealed “Forgiving Faith.”
They were.
“SAWED USUNDER.” Tradition has it that the Prophet Isaiah was executed in this manner. Though rare, it was practised.
The victim was placed in a wooden box or coffin or a hollowed-out tree, and they would saw, beginning from the head, as a piece of wood was sawn.
“THEY WERE TEMPTED.”
They were offered life instead of great suffering. Sometimes, when a father was about to be put to death, his wife and children were personally placed before him. Their cries of fear and anguish of soul would tempt him to relent and renounce his faith in Jesus.
“WERE SLAIN WITH THE SWORD.”
In the case where 85 priests were slain by Doeg because they protected David and his men from King Saul.
Does this scare you? It does me. Except that we are not alone,
We have Jesus living in us. The Holy Spirit will teach us what to say. Angels to strengthen us as they did Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Also, the tremendous promise that God will not allow us to be tempted above what we can bear.
As a young person, I read an old book called “Foxe’s Book of Martyrs.” It was a horrific, illustrated book of martyredom covering various waves of persecution in previous centuries.
It took some time for me to shake off some of the images I saw.
Yet one story gave me hope. I had made up my mind that I would not survive such cruelty and death and deny Jesus.
This saint of God was torched to death at the stake. As the flames leapt upon him, and the ropes that kept him bound were consumed in the flames, his voice was heard above the cheers of the crowd saying…
“NO PAIN, NO PAIN!” Then he went to be with the Lord.
So if you feel as l do, take heart, because God has promised…
“LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS EVEN TILL THE END OF THE AGE.”
Today, there are 3,000,000 people all over the world under severe persecution for their faith.
The return of Christ is imminent. Will you be found faithful?
More next week!
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Amen!
Light in the Darkness! 