Don’t Think It Strange
Scripture: 1 Peter 4:12Devotional Series: Preparing for Persecution
Teaching: Preparing For Persecution pt. 4 (WED 2021-04-21) by Pastor Star R Scott
The Scripture is very clear that we’ve been given all power and all authority over all the power of the enemy, and nothing that he does shall by any means harm us. So, we rest in that. We know that we are in an hour when Satan is coming in like a flood against the church of Jesus Christ, but the Bible says when the enemy comes as a flood, the Lord raises a standard against him—that blood-stained banner of the Lord Jesus Christ; amen? We realize very clearly as the Scripture just assures our hearts in this particular hour, that there is no weapon formed against us that can prosper. Can you say “praise God” for that? We are living in a day when Christianity is under the attack of secularism. America, that used to be a Christian nation, is now totally a secular nation, and as we watch the deterioration of our country, a lot of oppression is going to begin to come upon the church; rights that we’ve had are going to be taken away, but that verse that we quoted goes on to say, “And every tongue that rises against you in judgment, we would condemn; for that is the heritage of the servants of the Lord.” There are going to be a lot of words coming against us in this hour, all manner of evil that’s going to be said about Christians and their hatred for the state—the same things that happened in the first century. It’s very simple. You read the book of Acts, you read it in the Bible, and it was because they wouldn’t worship the deities of the state that Christians were so persecuted. We look at it today, and the fact that Christians were being accused of bringing sedition and anarchy into the state because they wouldn’t bow and worship Caesar, just like we see in the Old Testament when the three Hebrew children would not bow to the gods that were erected and were thrown into that fiery furnace. Aren’t you thankful tonight for the fourth man in the furnace? Hallelujah! Thank God for the fourth man in the furnace. Those three Hebrew children, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were standing in the midst of that fire and they looked into that pit and said, “There’s a fourth man in there, and He looks like the Son of God.” Hallelujah! The Son of God will show up and be with you in all of your fiery trials. Jesus said, “I’ll never leave you nor forsake you.” Tough times are coming, but our faith is the victory; amen?
We’re talking about the need for you and I to stir up that gift that’s in us, that faith that has been gifted us through our redemption, through our sonship in Jesus Christ. Thank God for His mercy. And we know very clearly in the Scripture that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. We’ve got to get quiet with God and hear what He has to say through His holy Word, through His Holy Spirit; amen? No other way to stand in these last days. And the moment we begin to see faith rising up in us, all that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution: The more godly you become, the more persecution is going to come. As faith begins to rise up in you, what’s the next thing that’s going to happen? Satan comes immediately for the Word’s sake; amen? When you’re getting fired up for Jesus and you know that you’re having visitation and fellowship with the Holy Spirit, don’t find it as some kind of a surprise, “Why is this happening to me?” It’s prophesied; that is what’s going to happen. Think it not strange concerning the fiery trials; amen? What do those fiery trials do? Well, James tells us that we’re to “count it all joy when we fall into different temptations, tests, and trials; knowing this, that the trying of our faith works.” If you’re growing in faith, you will be tried, and in the trial, if faith is growing in you, you will be patient, you won’t panic, and you won’t begin to look to the arm of the flesh.
We’re talking about the need for you and I to stir up that gift that’s in us, that faith that has been gifted us through our redemption, through our sonship in Jesus Christ. Thank God for His mercy. And we know very clearly in the Scripture that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. We’ve got to get quiet with God and hear what He has to say through His holy Word, through His Holy Spirit; amen? No other way to stand in these last days. And the moment we begin to see faith rising up in us, all that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution: The more godly you become, the more persecution is going to come. As faith begins to rise up in you, what’s the next thing that’s going to happen? Satan comes immediately for the Word’s sake; amen? When you’re getting fired up for Jesus and you know that you’re having visitation and fellowship with the Holy Spirit, don’t find it as some kind of a surprise, “Why is this happening to me?” It’s prophesied; that is what’s going to happen. Think it not strange concerning the fiery trials; amen? What do those fiery trials do? Well, James tells us that we’re to “count it all joy when we fall into different temptations, tests, and trials; knowing this, that the trying of our faith works.” If you’re growing in faith, you will be tried, and in the trial, if faith is growing in you, you will be patient, you won’t panic, and you won’t begin to look to the arm of the flesh.