Despite Tribulations & Persecutions

Despite Tribulations & Persecutions

The Earliest Persecutions of Christianity

2,000 years ago Christianity was considered nothing more than a “sect” of Judaism referred to in Paul’s day as “The Way.” But Jesus’ apostles boldly testified for Jesus despite the many negative rumors that had spread about them. They began in Jerusalem but quickly spread as far as Europe and Asia. St. Andrew carried the gospel as far as Scythia (Ukraine and southern Russia) and was crucified in Achaia (southern Greece). Phillip evangelized as far as modern day Turkey and Asia minor before being martyred there at Hieropolis. Simon (the Zealot) went as far as North Africa and Persia (Assyriean empire which is modern day Iraq) where he was killed along with Jude(Thaddaeus).

Peter Evangelized even in Prison

During the final days of Peter in Rome, he was cast into a horrible prison called the Mamertine for nine months, in absolute darkness; he endured monstrous torture manacled to a post. In spite of all the suffering Peter was subjected to, he converted his jailers, Processus, Martinianus, and forty-seven others.

They preached Jesus’ words with unflinching conviction and courage in the face of severe persecution by the Roman state. Their legacy remains and continues through the faithful actions of those who continue to evangelize in the face of great obstacles. Here is a brief mention of more recent examples.

Heroic Examples of Faith in Modern Times

Lives of Exemplary Faith

A. W. Milns sold everything he had, placed it in a coffin, and then went to missionize a tribe of head hunters from which no missionary had ever come out alive. 35 years later (they didn’t kill him) when he died the tribe burried him and wrote this as his epitaph, “When he came there was no light. Now that he leaves there is no darkness.”

When the experts told pastor Joshua Jung Myung Seok, the founding pastor of Providence church, that the rock landscape God wanted him to build could never be built with such huge rocks, he decided to direct the construction himself. After months of intense labor the rock landscape collapsed like a set of dominoes. And so they rebuilt it again. It crumbled again. They rebuilt it again and again each time learning how to get the work done properly. After what they thought was the final construction it collapsed yet a fourth time. Many lost hope. Pastor Joshua himself wouldn’t eat or speak. Finally in the morning he said, “Because it is God’s will, we will rebuild it 1,000 times if we have to. Though the rock stadium crumbled, my heart hasn’t crumbled.” The fifth rock stadium still stands to this day.

By their fierce mentality, devotion to the Lord’s will, and by the grace of the Holy Spirit the heroes of faith accomplished great things for the kingdom of Heaven in the face of huge persecutions. But now that the message has reached nearly every tribe of the earth the work has not stopped. Even today we are preaching the gospel despite many persecutions.

Today Jesus’ message is more important than ever as his second coming approaches. As he said in the Mathew 24, the greatest persecutions will take place in these end times.

Rev 2:10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Today’s Persecutions

One should not be surprised to see that those who preach about the Lord’s Second Coming the most passionately are persecuted to this degree even in the 21st century. In the following article I will describe one such case in more detail.

 [image: Joshua Jeong Myung Seok: Breaking News]

Christians on Trial: Pastor Joshua Jeong Myung Seok

11 thoughts on “Despite Tribulations & Persecutions

  1. Very interesting article. Changes my perspective on things and helps me see things in a different light. Thank you for the post.

  2. The story of the rock landscape that Pastor Joshua keeps rebuilding although it crumbles is really inspiring to hear. I can definitely see that if it’s God’s Will, no matter what happens, it will be fulfilled!

  3. I love the article and my fav part was about “heroes of faith” part. Thank you for putting hard work into this article. 🙂

  4. Truly the road of salvation is paved with blood, sweat, and tears. The love of God is really that powerful.

  5. Many people may only look at the bible as history written thousands of years ago, and just simply that. This article really shows that history is happening and is in progress as we speak. Tremendous things are happening as we live right now.How great is it for those who realize,acknowledge and follow. For those are going to be the ones written about as part of a Majestic and Glorious History.

  6. what a moving article! 2000 years ago, Jesus’ disciples preached on with a great pride in the truth. I can see the same mentality in Pastor Joshua.

  7. I’ve heard a lot of stories that people say about him, but not only does this article prove that he is innocent. Just by seeing his life and all the miracles the Lord has done through him are testimonies that he is living this life of faith to the fullest. The word itself he preaches are Words that uplifts, gives you the fire of the Holy Spirit and makes you want to pray, love and take action. How can such a person be used by God if he is proven guilty?

    I used to think before, ‘Why is that I’m a Christian, but I’m not persecuted”. Didn’t it say in the Bible that blessed are those persecuted for His name sake?’
    Now I realized that those who live up to the truth, they are the ones who are walking the same path as Jesus did. Those who aren’t, even thou they are called ‘Christians’, are merely living a complacent life. (I think that makes sense for me).

    In the end, I believe that Joshua Jung Myung Seok will be released and will be proved innocent. I have already prayed about this and have confirmed it with the Lord. Whatever people may say, let them be~ Let’s not be haters but lovers of truth and of mankind.

  8. The article enlighten me, the truth is become water clear when the time come just like lord told us.

  9. The history of God is indeed a history of cults due to people’s ignorance and resistance towards change. Jesus’ example as well as that of numerous prophets and God’s people tell us that we must truly suspend our judgment, seek God’s will in each time period.

    The truth behind Pastor Joshua’s case will come to light one day, and truth / mistruths spoken about him will come to light as well, and every person will be accountable before God for every word they have spoken.

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