Severance and Persecution of those Living for Jesus Christ

Acts 12:1-5

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

• Christians Severed from the Social Network.
• World Rejoices at Christian Deaths.
• Christians Surrounded by Society’s Guards.

Christians Severed from the Social Network.
12 Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. ² Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 

“Death with the sword” is here in this year 2022. There is no question there is a severe division between the “right wing” and the “left wing”. The “right wing” declares to be clinging to the Godly heritage founded on Jesus Christ, and the “left wing” declares to be the “progressives” seeking to establish a “global democracy”. The sword has struck. There is a severance that is stained with hostility, and violence also arises from the cultural clash. It is a sword that severs those who seek to live for Jesus Christ from those who claim superiority, power, and authority through the mark of the beast. A fire is kindled against God’s people as the persecution has begun against those who embrace the teaching and values of the Bible.

Cities in every state around the world are dominated by those who live for the mark of the beast. They fill every job position and places of authority with extraordinary knowledge and skills given to them by the thing that has power over physiology. It is able to form thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Those who live by it boasts, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?” Revelation 13:4 They are the ones through which death comes by the sword.

Those who oppose the inner presence of the mark of the beast are severed from basic human needs. They are severed from adequate health care, severed from feeling safe and many multitudes are homeless. They are severed from social inclusion and the love that comes through other people. They are severed from respect and self-esteem, and they are severed from being what they desire to be. Just look at the migrants at the US/ Mexico border to see the millions of people severed from humanity. They are literally dying by the sword, as are many around the world are treated as aliens in their own homeland.

We who hold to the testimony of Jesus Christ are standing on the promises given in the Bible. We will have perfect health with the redemption of the body in the New Jerusalem. We will have perfect peace in the safety and security in the Paradise of God. We will have a social life with all the Believers in Heaven. We are worth so much to God that he says, “for whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye.” Zechariah 2:8 We become all that God has for us to be by being conformed into the image of His Son Jesus Christ.

World Rejoices at Christian Deaths.
³ And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. ⁴ So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.

¹⁴ ‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance. ¹⁵ Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. ¹⁶ On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat—that only may be prepared by you. ¹⁷ So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your ^[f]armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance. Exodus 12:

Passover the blood put over the door and, on each side, so that death would Passover and life be given.

“Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” 1 Corinthians 5:7

Bread. The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a significant Jewish festival that commemorates the swift departure of the Israelites from Egypt. 

There is approval for those in authority to persecute the ones who hold to the testimony of Jesus Christ. It was during the holiday of the “Festival of Unleavened Bread” that James was killed, and Peter held for execution. “Unleavened Bread” is symbolic of being sinless, those who live for Jesus Christ are made blameless in the eyes of God. This Godless world enjoys making a holiday of afflicting those who keep themselves “sinless” and apart from the chaos in the world today. God’s people welcome the Holy Spirit, recognize the need for Jesus Christ, and we believe God.

I have lived alone since 1987, currently unemployed by early retirement, and my only social contact is going grocery shopping and to doctor appointments. Those who live for the mark of the beast enjoys the suffering of those who oppose them. They do laugh at other’s afflictions. As an example, my colonoscopy was botched, and I went into a code blue before the procedure even got under way. The nurse missed my vein where the IV drip was to go, I tried to tell her, but she walked away and left the needle dripping in my arm, I soon went out. When I woke up from the code blue, there were a couple doctors and nurses that were laughing, laughter that sounded like someone laughing after pulling a prank. I spent the night in ICU.

Those who live by the mark of the beast rejoices and celebrates at the persecution and death of the faithful few who are filled with the Holy Spirit. “The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts,” Revelation 11:10

Those who live for Jesus Christ are in captivity to those who govern by the mark of the beast. We are in a prison with unseen bars, like the “glass ceiling” that is so well known in this world today. This is written about in the Bible, “It was given power to wage war against God’s Holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.” Revelation 13:7 People in every city around the world serve the mark of the beast and there are plenty of them to guard the faithful few who oppose this unGodly system of government. Just like Peter, we are being “guarded by four squads of four soldiers each.” The guards want to make sure that we stay severed from their social network that is rooted in the mark of beast. They are the neighbor to the right and left, and in front and behind, they are the co-workers, fellow shoppers, etc. They are vigilant against objectors and a fire is already kindled against God’s people.

Today, it is necessary to keep fellow Believers in our prayers. In this time of imprisonment, it is necessary to have the same motivation that the Church had for Peter, “the Church was earnestly praying to God for him.” Let’s pray for God’s grace and the strength and comfort that comes from the Holy Spirit. “To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” Revelation 2:7

PPPPPPP

⁵ Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11