How should we prepare ourselves to be martyrs?

[LifebyChrist]

Okay, this is my first thread here so please correct me if I've posted it in the wrong place.

I am trying to get close to God again, and I've been reading a lot about revelations and the end times lately.

I do believe they aren't too far off, but I need help in understanding whether the rapture will come before or after the Great Tribulation. My kind of understanding right now is that it will be after...

But my actual question relating to this is that...well, if we enter the Great Tribulation, how are we to prepare ourselves to become martyrs?

I love God and I want my faith to be stronger...I can be such an idiotic human sometimes...and I want to have faith that my relationship with the Lord will hold me through someone threatening to kill me, but I am also scared to death that my idiotic human self is going to turn me the wrong way at that time.

I REALLY do not want to be one of the ones who loses their faith in the end.

How can I prepare myself for all the persecution, and suffering, and starvation, and the prospect of being a martyr when those times come?

Please listen for a moment if you will because I see you really are trying and I want to offer you some advice.

Romans 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"

Romans 3:10 "As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one;"

What you are asking is not required and here is why,

1 John 1:10 "If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives."

If you could be a saint on your own, this is making the death of Christ quite unnecessary, that is like saying, no no Jesus you did not have to shed your blood and die a horrible death on the cross for me, because I can make myself perfect through my own suffering.

God sent his son to die for you! He died so you can live!

John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Isaiah 53:5 "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed."

This man who was beaten, mocked, hated and crucified. Jesus was blameless, he was a perfect man, flawless and without sin.

John 1:14 "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

The Word! God's Word which is in the Bible.

So to prepare yourself do this, read the Bible and pray.

Learn how to pray according to the Bible, learn to pray in the Spirit.

John 16:13 "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come."

Now then how can you be a martyr you ask?

James 1:27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

If you see somebody who looks lonely, perhaps be a friend to them.

If you see a bully, put a stop to it and stand up for what you believe in.

Don't cower away from your faith and give in to the world, for we will all die someday and they know it not.

You must love your neighbor as yourself, when you see somebody hurting put yourself in that place.

Don't love people because they are lovable because they are not always lovable, people can be very hard to deal with and can be quite selfish at times.

Love people because God loved you first, because while you, still a sinner, God sent his one and only son to die on a cross just for you. If you were the only one who needed it, I am sure God still would have died for you. God died for you and you now must die to your sinful self.

You can now live in safety and freedom by faith in God, you are by no means perfect, none of us are. This is why we need the blood of Jesus to make us clean, we need the Holy Spirit and God's word ingrained into our hearts to truly become the children he desires us to be.

God is not out to take away from your life, and another thing Jesus says

Matthew 6:34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Just if you see an opening to help someone go for it You have nothing to lose, sure they could just throw it back in your face but you have nothing to lose and everything to gain from it.

If you are confused about anything to not hesitate to ask God for guidance and wisdom as well.

James 1:5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."

I strongly recommend you read the book of James and anybody who is serious about being a Christian, I recommend you read the book of James to add to your studies or to simply refresh your memory.

Reading Psalm 23 may also assist and aid you alot.

 

[ablevr]

I love the thread you got going here! I think believers will always have good arguments as to when during the tribulation God will bring His people home. I'm not sure that will ever be settled till Jesus is here. But I do have to comment on the post that said that the government will never let Christianity be outlawed. It's my opinion that the government is doing everything it can to outlaw Christianity. I'd love to have such a view of our government so enlighten me, please.

 

[paul1149]

Someone here commented that they would rather live for Christ than die for Him. And sometimes, that may be the harder thing to do. But spiritually, they're essentially the same. Paul said, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives within me" (Gal 2.20), and "I die daily". And Jesus said that those who come after Him must take up their own cross daily (lk 9.23). There's an element of laying down our will - dying to self-interest - that the Christian must make sure he is in compliance with. We don't know if or when we'll be called on to make the ultimate sacrifice, but placing the Lord's will above our own is a spiritual quality that we need to be nurturing right now.

Blessings,
p.

 

[ManFromUncle]

pray, fast, and continue to live as He did. Continue to speak all truth fearlessly.

 

[Karpalokuu]

I think the best thing to do is to seek for God, believe in him and just keep on praying and worshipping. be a christian, believe in it and live it. That is what I think will matter then.

 

[OzSpen]

See #27 below

 

[OzSpen]

Peachyme,

Okay, this is my first thread here so please correct me if I've posted it in the wrong place.

I am trying to get close to God again, and I've been reading a lot about revelations and the end times lately.

I do believe they aren't too far off, but I need help in understanding whether the rapture will come before or after the Great Tribulation. My kind of understanding right now is that it will be after...

But my actual question relating to this is that...well, if we enter the Great Tribulation, how are we to prepare ourselves to become martyrs?

I love God and I want my faith to be stronger...I can be such an idiotic human sometimes...and I want to have faith that my relationship with the Lord will hold me through someone threatening to kill me, but I am also scared to death that my idiotic human self is going to turn me the wrong way at that time.

I REALLY do not want to be one of the ones who loses their faith in the end.

How can I prepare myself for all the persecution, and suffering, and starvation, and the prospect of being a martyr when those times come?

To prepare for persecution, keep your faith "hot" in Jesus. Keep close to Him and foster your relationship through prayer and reading the Word. For times of persecution, we need the body of Christ. I urge you to be an active member of a local church and engage in regular fellowship with other believers. We need one another.

As to pre- or post-tribulation rapture, two views of eschatology influenced the church through its history until 1826. These views were:

(1) Historic premillennialism (that includes a post-tribulation rapture). that is presented in the book edited by Craig Blomberg and Sun Wook Chung, The Case for Historic Premillennialism: An Alternative to “Left Behind” Theology (Baker Books 2009). Here is a review. I’m of the view that this position best represents the biblical material. One of the leading advocated of historic premillennialism has been the late George Eldon Ladd. His commentary on the Book of Revelation concludes in favour of an historic premillennial position. His view of eschatology is expounded in, The Blessed Hope.

(2) Amillennialism.

Then in 1826, J. N. Darby, the founder of the Plymouth Brethren, introduced a new view of the rapture, pre-tribulation premillennial dispensationalism. Until the time of J. N. Darby, in the first 1800 years of the church, to my knowledge, the pre-trib rapture was not known. Now it has become the dominant view in evangelical, dispensational circles. C. I. Schofield's reference Bible has been very influential in spreading this view and then comes the Tim LaHaye, "Left Behind" series.

See my brief article in support of post-tribulation, historic premillennialism.

Sincerely, Oz

 

[akaspooky]

Okay, this is my first thread here so please correct me if I've posted it in the wrong place.

I am trying to get close to God again, and I've been reading a lot about revelations and the end times lately.

I do believe they aren't too far off, but I need help in understanding whether the rapture will come before or after the Great Tribulation. My kind of understanding right now is that it will be after...

But my actual question relating to this is that...well, if we enter the Great Tribulation, how are we to prepare ourselves to become martyrs?

I love God and I want my faith to be stronger...I can be such an idiotic human sometimes...and I want to have faith that my relationship with the Lord will hold me through someone threatening to kill me, but I am also scared to death that my idiotic human self is going to turn me the wrong way at that time.

I REALLY do not want to be one of the ones who loses their faith in the end.

How can I prepare myself for all the persecution, and suffering, and starvation, and the prospect of being a martyr when those times come?

Rapture... Jesus says He will keep the Church of Brotherly Love from the Great Tribulation... John himself is our best human teacher of what love is... which is why he's chosen to be the teller of Revelation. And Paul's 7 Churches pretty much match up with Revelation's Churches... they're all Paul's in Asia. And Acts 15's letter matches what Jesus says about what the Churches went ahead and did anyway... sexual immorality and idolatry -- they're physical and spiritual halves of adultery.

Losing faith in the end... not possible to lose what was never yours to keep. Jesus says nothing will take us out of their Hands... can't lose what you never earned. Faith itself is a gift of God... you either have it or you don't.

Martyrs means witnesses. Only the 144k Hebrews will get beheaded... as the first Century Church was mostly Hebrew. Smyrna is those souls under the altar... the Roman and apparently Jewish persecutions. And in the end times, they will be persecuted by their brother Jews again... we see them today in Philadelphia's Church, busily Judaizing and stuff, just like Jesus says in Matthew 23... and as the Prophets all say, actually.

The Holy Spirit, Who began His OWN good work in you, will complete it without your help, too. It's not up to you to do anything but believe the Gospel and the Doctrines Paul wrote down for us.

 

[akaspooky]

Revelation 13:15 and it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast could even speak and cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. Also it causes both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand of the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell who does not have the mark, that is , the name of the beast or the number of its name.This calls for wisdom; let anyone with understanding calculate the number of the beast for it is the number of a person. Its number is six hundred and sixty-six.

Rev 3:10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be faithful until death, and I will give you a crown of life. Let anyone who has an ear to hear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Whoever conquers will not be harmed by the second death.

Rev 6:9 When he opened the fifth seal. I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered for the word of God and for the testimony they had given; they cried out with a loud voice, 'Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long will it be before you judge and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?' They were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number would be complete both of their fellow-servants and of their brothers and sisters, who were soon to be killed as they themselves had been killed."

Michael Defeats the Dragon

Rev 12:10

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming,
'Now have come the salvation and
the power
and the kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Messiah,
for the accuser of our comrades
has been thrown down,
who accuses them day and night
before our God.
But they have conquered him by the
blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their
testimony,
for they did not cling to life even in
the face of death,
Rejoice then, you heavens
and those who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
for the devil has come down to you
with great wrath,
because he knows that his time
is short!'

Rev 13 5
The beast was given a mouth uttering
haughty and blasphemous word, and it was
allowed to exercise authority for forty-two
months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God,
blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell
in heaven. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. It was given authority over every tribe and people and language
and nation, and all the inhabitants of the earth will worship it. everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slaughtered.'

Rev 14:8 Then another angel, a second, followed saying, 'Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.'
Then another angel, a third, followed them, crying with a loud voice, 'Those who worship the beast and its image, and receive a mark on their foreheads or on their right hands, they will also drink the wine of God's wrath, poured unmixed into the cup of his anger, and they will be tormented with fire and sulphur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image and for anyone who receives the mark of its name.'
Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and hold fast to the faith of Jesus.
And I heard a voice from heaven saying, 'Write this: Blessed are the dead
who from now on die in the Lord,' Yes,' says the Spirit,'they will rest from their labours for their deeds follow them.'

Revelation 13v15 -- Solomon's Temple will be rebuilt... it's the reason for the number... can't serve God and mammon.

Rev 3v10 -- Has already happened.

Rev 6v9 -- 144k will be killed just like their kin were in above verse... it's the reason for the name.

Rev 12v10 -- The male Child, and those who will rule with a rod of iron along with Him (Rev.2v27), were caught up to Heaven early in this Chapter (Col.2v12) and Body and Head are physically united in Heaven. There's neither room nor reason for Satan to be in Heaven any longer at that point... Jesus only ever advocated for His Christians. Christians will take his place in Heaven, and Hebrews will take his place on earth.

Rev 13v5 -- Which ever Bible version you're using is letting you down. "And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His Name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in Heaven." The Church is not the tabernacle... we see the tabernacle in Revelation 15v5.

Rev 14v8 -- These are the 144k since they keep the commandments... later on we see that they have the song of Moses, as well... and we see that the Spirit is somewhere else apart from them so they're not Christians.

 

[pitseleh]

I'm not going to be a martyr. I think I'm going to be an overcomer. I'm in a rough position with money and food right now. So, I think I'm being prepared.

I believe in a mid-trib Rapture. BTW. But, if God asked me to stay. I would.

 

[Ruta]

The bible makes it very clear that the revival then the rapture will come and then the tribulation. Breath.... dont worry God is in total control. I now believe that Satan has no control but he does have power. How could God be in total control and yet not have all control? Yes this world is so evil but... As long as you trust God and are totally sincere you have nothing to worry. With saying that God does want a harvest of souls and to change this world. He wants your focus on him and his heaven. That is how you become a martyr focus on heaven and the cross. My advice get a active friend who lives in the persecuted church , keep contact. I have a asian friend from Mumbai and he carries his cross he is a real encouragement to me , he preaches with his friends and church to villages in India and the slums. May you be encouraged greatly in your journey. Peace. Ruta

 

[brittany111]

(President Obama has recently passed laws which will require a RF tracking device in people to obtain health information etc. We are not far from having the government demand all citizens to get the ID microchip or be jailed and beheaded. Government sites have been seen to receive modern guillotines at several bases and enough to supply the whole nation. They were imported from China and Japan. Chinese use guillotines to preserve the organs for transplant, as the gas and lethal injection ruin the organs. You can check online about Fulung Gong, a group working for peace and harmony, and the hundreds of thousands who are killed and organs used recently).

Would you mind sharing a source for this?

Tim's Stupid Question Of The Day:

"Why would you want to prepare yourself to be a martyr?"

I think the question isn't so much how to prepare yourself to be a martyer, but to be persecuted. (Many American Christians-myself included have little experience with being persecuted for our faith.)

I have very good news for you on this subject. The government will never allow christianity to become outlawed. It is far too useful tool to control people with. Right now most of the country is one faith or the other. There would be a revolt. Personaly I have to worry alot more of bieng persecuted in my life for not bieng christian then a christain does for not bieng an atheist. So please put your fears to rest. This is never going to change. Its the same reason why there will never be an atheist president. The day will come much sooner when the government becomes a christian extremist group that will drag me and my family out of my house and kill us in the streets for not bieng.... <insert specific version of christianity here>
and yes that scares the crap out of me....

Interesting point of view never heard that before.

Okay, this is my first thread here so please correct me if I've posted it in the wrong place.

I am trying to get close to God again, and I've been reading a lot about revelations and the end times lately.

I do believe they aren't too far off, but I need help in understanding whether the rapture will come before or after the Great Tribulation. My kind of understanding right now is that it will be after...

But my actual question relating to this is that...well, if we enter the Great Tribulation, how are we to prepare ourselves to become martyrs?

I love God and I want my faith to be stronger...I can be such an idiotic human sometimes...and I want to have faith that my relationship with the Lord will hold me through someone threatening to kill me, but I am also scared to death that my idiotic human self is going to turn me the wrong way at that time.

I REALLY do not want to be one of the ones who loses their faith in the end.

How can I prepare myself for all the persecution, and suffering, and starvation, and the prospect of being a martyr when those times come?

My advice is to simply continue persuing the Lord in Bible study, prayer and worship (which we should be doing anyway.) Press closer and closer to Him, he will hold onto you!

I also advise you to memorize scripture. I have not studied the tribulation enough to know if we will still be here or not, but if we are we will need to stand on God's Word. How can we if we don't know His word?

 

[alive2Christ]

I also advise you to memorize scripture. I have not studied the tribulation enough to know if we will still be here or not, but if we are we will need to stand on God's Word. How can we if we don't know His word?

While I absolutely agree with what you say,my thoughts on it are;

Don't worry about memorising the word because I have trouble memorising words which is why I can't sing since I don't remember the words to any song(not all the way through, anyway) but with scripture, I find that when I need it it pops into my head.Iis obviously vital that you read them to get them into your head (and heart) in the first place but I don't worry that I can't remember 'till it's needed.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
Luke 12:11
And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers,
take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:
For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

 

[OzSpen]

While I absolutely agree with what you say,my thoughts on it are;

Don't worry about memorising the word because I have trouble memorising words which is why I can't sing since I don't remember the words to any song(not all the way through, anyway) but with scripture, I find that when I need it it pops into my head.Iis obviously vital that you read them to get them into your head (and heart) in the first place but I don't worry that I can't remember 'till it's needed.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
Luke 12:11
And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers,
take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:
For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

It varies from person to person as to how well we memorise. I was able to do it well enough when studying for my MA and now PhD. If it can work for my degrees, why can't it work for memorising Scripture?

My wife has memorised the entire Book of Romans, Hebrews, Ephesians, Philippians 1 & 2 Peter, and 1 John in the NIV. She is amazing and she is aged in her 60s. It can be done if we set our minds to it. She has to be constantly testing herself and going over these books - again and again.

While we must rely on the Holy Spirit's ministry, that should not stop us from hiding God's word in our hearts/minds.

Psalm 119:9-16 states:

9How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.
10I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
11I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
12Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees.
13With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.
14I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.
15I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.
16I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.

Memorising Scripture is a practical way to hide God's Word in our hearts.

Sincerely, Oz

 

[Heather Pearce]

I too believe the End Times are near, but I don't think martyrdom is something that is easily prepared for. I hope that we are all - not just Christians but humanity in general - spared the pain and terror of what may come in our lifetime, and that when faced with the prospect of death we are are filled withthe Spirit and Strength of God to endure and remain steadfast.