Category Archives: Persecution

Bible, Blood, Innocent, Murder, Persecution, Scripture

INNOCENT ONES

ROMANS 3:15

“THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD,”

In our society today, innocent blood is shed every day. Whether it be at the hands of an abortionist or a terrorist, these people are intent on shedding innocent blood. Right now, across our globe souls are entering into heaven, robbed of their life’s breath. God sees and knows every soul and welcomes them into His bosom to embrace. These are the innocent ones, ones who had given their lives to Christ or ones that had never even had the chance breathe their first breath. God knows.

Paul quotes the first part of Isaiah 59:7 in today’s verse. Isaiah says, “Their feet run to evil, and they hurry to shed innocent blood;” We’ll see more from Isaiah in the next couple of verses from Paul, but for today, let’s look at this passage. Paul knows those who lie about God, who deny God, who defy God will do exactly what Isaiah said. They will shed innocent blood swiftly without as much as a second thought. God will judge these individuals in His time. We can rest on that.

APPLICATION

It’s interesting that the Greek word used here for “swift” is only used seven other times, all in the book of Revelation and every time there it is translated “sharp” in reference to a sharp sickle or sword. Have you ever seen a sharp two-edged sword? You had better know how to handle it or you will wind up cutting yourself. People who shed innocent blood had better be careful as well. Blood shedding can cut both ways.

The Greek word for “shed” literally means to pour out, gush out. This is not a delicate shedding of blood. It is vicious and cruel. There is no concern for the life of the innocent one. Look around you. All around the world we see this happening. What is a Christ follower to do? Pray! Seek God’s face! Pray for protection for all those threatened by these faithless ones.

This is a hard thought, I know. But we cannot pretend this is not happening today. This doesn’t just apply to the first century martyrs or a new believer in a Muslim country. It’s happening everywhere. Pray for the Lord to do a miraculous work in our world today and shield the innocent in such a way that it drives their persecutors to their knees in repentance. That’s their only hope – Jesus.

Father, send Your guardian angels to surround those facing persecution and death. Show up and astound the world.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

Standard
Bible, Enemies, Persecution, Perseverance, Salvation, Scripture

WINNOWED

PHILIPPIANS 1:28

“and in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and this too, from God.”

Forty years ago, I went on a mission trip to Liberia. I was part of a three person team (a doctor, a nurse and me). We conducted medical clinics in several locations in Southwest Liberia near the coast. I will never forget in one village I watched this young lady thrashing grain and then separating it from the husk by tossing it in a shallow platter, letting the wind blow away the chaff. It was such a neat process and one which she had done many times.

Why am I talking about this? Because the word Paul uses in today’s verse for “alarmed” describes that process of winnowing. Strong’s Lexicon says this, “The Greek verb pturó primarily refers to the agricultural process of winnowing, which involves separating the grain from the chaff using a fan or by tossing it into the air. This term is used metaphorically in the Bible to describe the process of separating the righteous from the wicked or purifying one’s life from sin.” This word is only used here in today’s verse in the New Testament.

APPLICATION

Paul knew persecution of Philippi. Remember back in Acts 16 when Paul and Silas went there, they were attacked and thrown into prison for delivering a slave woman from her demon. They were accused of preaching against their gods. Paul knew these Philippian believers were facing similar persecutions from these pagan idol worshippers as well as the Judaizers who wanted to force Mosaic law on them.

Don’t you love what Paul tells them? He says this persecution will be “a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you.” I am reminded of Deuteronomy 32:35 which says, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay.” Paul knew God was aware of their persecution and would repay the evildoers in due time. He would use this persecution for their salvation as proof of their dedication to Jesus.

Are you being winnowed right now? Do you feel like you are being thrashed like grain? Remember my story. The winds of persecution are blowing away all the chaff in your life. God will see you through this. He will use it to purify you and make you more like Him. Do you trust Him? Let Him take vengeance in His time. He will repay.

Father, remind me when I feel the rods of thrashing against me that You are purifying me for my salvation.

Standard
Affliction, Battles, Bible, Danger, Enemies, Fighting, God's Will, Persecution, Protection, Safety, Scripture

IT DOESN’T LOOK GOOD

ZECHARIAH 9:5

“Ashkelon will see it and be afraid. Gaza too will writhe in great pain; also Ekron, because her hope has been ruined. Moreover, the king will perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon will not be inhabited.”

I have had some tough experiences. Let me explain. I have shared with you in the past about my two stem cell transplants. Well, with the first one, I didn’t quite know what to expect. It was a new experience. But when I found out I had to have my second one, I knew what was coming. I could see the days of nausea and sickness. I knew I would be weak and fatigued. I knew what was headed my way. And there was nothing I could do to stop it.

Asheklon, Ekron and Gaza knew what was coming. They had heard of Tyre and Sidon’s fall. They knew the invading power was headed south towards them. The Lord says in today’s verse that they would “be afraid,” “writhe in great pain” and their “hope has been ruined.” There was no escape. They must have felt completely helpless. Can you imagine how they felt, looking each day to see if the armies of the enemy were approaching?

APPLICATION

Thanks be to God we don’t have to worry about that as believers. Sure, the enemy is always attacking us, but he is already defeated. Our victory is rooted in Jesus. Our tower of refuge is our God and Redeemer. The enemy’s fiery darts may come, but with our shield of faith and battle armor, he cannot make a dent. Jesus defends us.

How do I know that? Because the Bible tells me so. I love Psalm 23. Don’t you? It says in verse 4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” He is always with me. God has my life in view. He can see enemies coming long before I can.

That is why I don’t worry about the enemy. God has it all under control. If the enemy strikes me, it is only because the Lord has allowed him. And if God has allowed it, then with His strength I can handle it. Look up Philippians 4:13. When things don’t look good, look up. He is there – always.

Your vision is trustworthy and sure. I know You are watching over me.

Standard
Affliction, Battles, Bible, Confession, Defeat, Exile, Forgiveness, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Judgment, Obedience, Persecution, Restoration, Scripture

NO TRAFFIC

ZECHARIAH 7:14

“‘but I scattered them with a storm wind among all the nations whom they did not know. So the land was desolated behind them so that no one went back and forth, since they made the pleasant land desolate.’”

No traffic sounds good, doesn’t it? I live in a city where we have daily traffic jams. One spot in particular causes daily delays. They have attempted to correct that spot and improve the flow of traffic, but it really hasn’t helped a lot. But traffic congestion can also mean that many people are coming to your area or at least coming through it. It helps the economy which in turn helps your community.

God promises the traffic will stop in Israel. He says, “so that no one went back and forth.” Because of their unrepentant sins, God “scattered them…among all the nations.” They were led into exile by foreign invaders. Their land would be left desolate. There would cease to be any reason to come to that land because everything of value was gone.

APPLICATION

Has your life been left desolate because of your sin? There is hope in Jesus. He can restore that which was lost. He can return you to a place of fruitfulness. But that is only possible as you confess and submit to Him. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

You see, our cleansing is just waiting – waiting on us to respond to His calling on our lives. When we do respond, He is there – faithful and righteous to forgive us. What are you waiting for? Aren’t you tired of the windswept streets of your life – desolate due to sin? He can restore the flow of His Spirit.

Warning: When you decide to go all in with Jesus, He will make your life exciting and real. He will lead you to new opportunities for service. He will give you a hunger for His Word that can only be sated by study and application. He will give you a passion to reach the lost with the Gospel. Are you ready for some “traffic” in your life?

Lord, lead me and I will follow. I want to be about Your business.

Standard
Battles, Bible, Defeat, Famine, God's Will, Judgment, Persecution, Prophesy, Scripture

JUST WHAT DO THESE COLORS MEAN?

ZECHARIAH 6:2

“With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses,”

If you know anything about me, you know that these two colors, red and black, mean one thing to me. Go DAWGS! The University of Georgia’s colors are red and black. I went to school there and have cheered for our teams ever since. In my office and in my wardrobe, there are a lot of red and black things. Some people say I bleed red and black. I am sure that’s quite true, lol.

We’ll look at the colors of the horses today and tomorrow and see what they represented in the vision of Zechariah. The first one is the red horse. Scholars pretty much agree that this represents the bloody empire of Babylon. They were known for their ferociousness in battle. And the black horse symbolized the Persian (Medes and Persians) empire which also brought in famine and death. We’ll see the other two horses tomorrow.

APPLICATION

Okay Carl, what can you get out of this verse to apply to our lives? Well, let’s see. Both of these horses represented empire that had defeated Israel and had been used by God to judge the nation. So, what has defeated you? What has caused you a spiritual famine? We have all faced those times.

In my life, I can point to one thing that has caused defeat and famine. When I stop having my daily Quiet Times with the Lord, my world begins to fall apart. I stop seeing things like God sees them. I become selfish and self-centered. I long for the things of the world. That always brings spiritual defeat and famine.

It is so important for us to spend time every day with Jesus. Read John 15 today. Make a note at the number of times the word “remain” or “abide” appears in that chapter. Do you not think it is important? You have got to spend time with Him to stay attached to Him. Then and only then will you ward off that defeat and famine. Will you still have tough times? Sure, but He will be with you. Do not fear!

Father, I know through You I can walk victorious every day.

Standard
Abiding, Bible, Covenant, Persecution, Scripture, Storms, Trust

BENEATH GOD’S FEET 

NAHUM 1:3 

“The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. In the gale and the storm is His way, and clouds are the dust beneath His feet.” 

Walking around in Africa during the dry season can get your shoes awfully dusty. The simplest, smallest step stirs up whirlwinds of dust that cover your shoes. You can wipe them off, but the next step produces the same dust cloud. I usually wait until the end of the day and then clean them for the next day. 

Notice, Nahum did not say God’s feet got dusty. He said the dust is beneath His feet. There is not a part of God that could be called dirty or dusty. But God will stir up gales and storms here on earth to display His power and anger to those who come against Him. Nahum is warning them – a storm is coming. 

APPLICATION 

Now, today’s verse may be a challenge for us. What can we take from this verse and apply to our lives? Is there something in this verse that strikes you? For me, it is the last phrase – “clouds are the dust beneath His feet.” That comforts me. Why? Because no matter how fierce the storm, God is above it. 

Everything that is over our heads is under His feet. It does not matter what it is. He is above it. Financial crisis – He is above it. Health concerns – He is above it. Persecution – He is above it. There is not one, solitary thing in your life that God cannot handle. He is above all things. 

I am thankful the Lord is walking on the clouds of dust. I wish I had that capability. But wait! I do! I am in Christ, and He is in me. If He is above it, I am above it. He carries me in His bosom and leads me through these hard times. How incredible is that? 

Cloud Walker, show me Your power in the storms. Hold my hand and see me through. 

Standard
Abiding, Bible, Darkness, Devil, Evil, Persecution, Satan, Scripture, Victors

VICTORY THROUGH PERSECUTION

MICAH 5:6

“They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, the land of Nimrod at its entrances; and He will rescue us from the Assyrian when he invades our land, and when he tramples our territory.”

The persecuted church is a real thing. We do not see it much here in the U.S., but it is happening all over the world. Satan thinks he can destroy us. He thinks he can defeat the church and thereby destroy Christ. It is not possible. We have seen time and time again how the church has risen up in the midst of persecution.

Micah says here in today’s verse that although the nations are coming against them, their Chief Shepherd will arise and defeat them. “The land of Nimrod” refers to Babylon, which succeeded Assyria in its persecution of Israel and Judah. But God took the fight to them and defeated them. He will do the same for us.

APPLICATION

The battle belongs to the Lord. We have no power to defeat darkness. It can overwhelm any of us. But thanks be to God, He can defeat the darkest dark. His light can pierce through and enlighten those deep crevices where evil lurks. Our part in the fight is to cling to Him.

Clinging is hard, though. We want to venture out and sling our sword at anything that moves. We are just like the foot soldier. We must wait for our orders. Only then may we go out, in His power, to attack and defend the faith. It is His battle, and we are His vessels.

When I finally realized that the battle, much less the war, was not mine to fight, I was able to rest. It is not up to me. God’s got this! He knows exactly how to defeat the evil one. He will equip us and prepare us, but we must not try to do this on our own. Will you rest in Him today?

Lord, thank You for fighting for me. I will rest in Your capable hands.

Standard
Abiding, Accountability, Devil, Enemies, Exile, Following, God's Will, Judgment, Persecution, Rescue

INTO EXILE

AMOS 5:27

“‘Therefore I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus,’ says the LORD, whose name is the God of armies.”

What does it mean to go into exile? Well, it means to leave your homeland and be carried somewhere else. All through history we have seen that happen when one nation conquered another. This usually followed a war. It was humiliating and disgraceful.

The Israelites were facing this. Their continued disobedience had forced God’s hand. He was through with them (for now). They had to face their judgment. Stripped, beaten and shamed, they were led away to a foreign land by a foreign power.

APPLICATION

You are probably thankful right now that hasn’t happened to you. We have human rights commissions now that try to make sure that isn’t done anymore. But there is more than one kind of exile. You could be in an exiled status due to other things besides war.

We may even choose to exile ourselves. We choose to hide away from others. This is not God’s plan for us. He made us to be part of community. We need others in our lives. The devil loves to get us alone so he can tear us down. Don’t fall for it.

Today I choose to walk with my Savior. I want to stay close to Him. I don’t want to experience exile. I need Him in my life every second of every day. Wherever I go, He is there. As long as I rest in that, there is no exile. Wherever I live, I am in His presence.

Thank You, Lord, for not exiling me. I long to be in Your presence.

Standard
Accountability, Affliction, Bible, Brokenness, Compassion, Condemnation, Courage, Destruction, Encouragement, Judgment, Persecution, Punishment

TOTAL DEVASTATION

JOEL 1:7

“It has made my vine a waste and my fig tree a stump. It has stripped them bare and hurled them away; their branches have become white.”

Have you ever witnessed total devastation? I’ve seen it a couple of times, both times after severe storms. Most recently I witnessed it in my hometown when we were struck by a tornado. Neighborhoods that had been tree-lined and ornate were left in shambles. Most of the trees were gone or snapped in half. Houses were torn apart and, in some cases, just plain missing. It hurt to see it.

Judah experienced the same thing. In the case of the locusts, they wiped out everything. Even the bark on the trees was eaten. And when the nations came in as part of God’s judgment, they crushed and destroyed buildings and homes, leaving nothing of any value behind.

APPLICATION

If you have ever suffered loss like is described above, you can relate. Whether it is physical loss, like a house, or loss of health from an illness, it is hard to get over it. Do you think the Lord allows losses to punish us or teach us? Actually, every loss we encounter as a believer has gone through the hands of God first. He measures and makes sure it is what we can handle. He would never put more on you than you can handle.

But why do we even have to deal with this? Because He is teaching us to depend on Him. We could lose everything we have, but we still have our Savior. Physical things come and go. Prized possessions will eventually rust or rot away. Our faith only gets stronger. Our faith only grows.

So, as you watch things around you fall apart, remember who it is who holds you close. I can rest in His unshakeable arms. He will sustain and strengthen me. He will protect me and love me. What else could you ask for? He’s got this!

I am so thankful, Lord, to know You have me in Your grip. I am safe and secure.

Standard
Affliction, Battles, Bible, Courage, Destruction, Encouragement, God's Will, Harvest, Judgment, Modeling, Persecution, Scripture, Trouble

LOTS OF BUGS

JOEL 1:4

“What the gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; and what the swarming locust has left, the creeping locust has eaten; and what the creeping locust has left, the stripping locust has eaten.”

I was hunting a couple of years ago during the very beginning of the deer season. It was still a little warm outside, so the mosquitos were still around. I got into my blind and got situated. I had applied repellent on my body. I even had a Therma cell unit working which is supposed to get rid of them. But that day nothing scared off those little pests. I eventually had to leave because of them.

Locusts aren’t mosquitos, but they are just as relenting. Joel recalls a severe locust infestation. Four different kinds are mentioned – gnawing, swarming, creeping and stripping. In other words, they left nothing. This would have been devastating for the economy which centered around the wheat and barley harvest. They couldn’t run out to the local supermarket and buy groceries.

APPLICATION

We face seasons like this in our lives. It may not be locusts, but jobs losses or medical issues can wipe us out. It’s strange to me that people who trust God with their eternity can’t trust Him with their paychecks. I used to be one of them. I fretted about everything. I usually didn’t tell anyone. I kept it all inside which is not good.

Are you fretting over something right now? Let God have it. He is big enough to handle anything you are facing. It’s been said that anything over our heads is under His feet. I like that. God stands above and beyond any trouble we encounter. Will you trust Him with your crops today?

Locusts don’t scare me because I don’t live in an area where they are an issue. I have to battle taking back from the Lord what I have laid at His feet. Will you pray with me today that we won’t do that? Once He has it, let Him have it. There is too much work to do for the kingdom to let locusts bother us.

Thank You, Father, for delivering me from the fear and dread of locusts in my life. Help me persevere through any troubles that may come my way.

LOTS OF BUGS

JOEL 1:4

“What the gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; and what the swarming locust has left, the creeping locust has eaten; and what the creeping locust has left, the stripping locust has eaten.”

I was hunting a couple of years ago during the very beginning of the deer season. It was still a little warm outside, so the mosquitos were still around. I got into my blind and got situated. I had applied repellent on my body. I even had a Therma cell unit working which is supposed to get rid of them. But that day nothing scared off those little pests. I eventually had to leave because of them.

Locusts aren’t mosquitos, but they are just as relenting. Joel recalls a severe locust infestation. Four different kinds are mentioned – gnawing, swarming, creeping and stripping. In other words, they left nothing. This would have been devastating for the economy which centered around the wheat and barley harvest. They couldn’t run out to the local supermarket and buy groceries.

APPLICATION

We face seasons like this in our lives. It may not be locusts, but jobs losses or medical issues can wipe us out. It’s strange to me that people who trust God with their eternity can’t trust Him with their paychecks. I used to be one of them. I fretted about everything. I usually didn’t tell anyone. I kept it all inside which is not good.

Are you fretting over something right now? Let God have it. He is big enough to handle anything you are facing. It’s been said that anything over our heads is under His feet. I like that. God stands above and beyond any trouble we encounter. Will you trust Him with your crops today?

Locusts don’t scare me because I don’t live in an area where they are an issue. I have to battle taking back from the Lord what I have laid at His feet. Will you pray with me today that we won’t do that? Once He has it, let Him have it. There is too much work to do for the kingdom to let locusts bother us.

Thank You, Father, for delivering me from the fear and dread of locusts in my life. Help me persevere through any troubles that may come my way.

Standard