2 Thessalonians 1:4 (KJV) - So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

Personally, I do believe in the possibility that there could have been some self identified witches who were executed during the witch hunts.

The other 99%, either confessed to witchcraft in the hopes of being spared for recanting, or denied the accusations to the pyres and gallows.

I need you to understand or try to understand that being for Jesus Christ is the best decision you'll ever make in your entire life. He will and truly changes your life. He removes the dirt, the messiness, the brokenness, the trauma, the hurt and pain. He mends, heals, cleanses, transforms, uplifts, comforts and most importantly loves you more than you could imagine or know. He gives hope, strength, joy and peace (amongst other things); there is life in abundance within Him. Abide in Him. Nevertheless, walking the narrow path with Him comes at the cost of your life. That means that you need to know that having made the decision to follow Him, accept Him and represent Him could possibly get you persecuted and martyred. Nevertheless, it could also either mean losing relationships which might draw you away from Him, losing the life you had planned in exchange for His plan. Give over your control to Him, He is much more powerful and capable of working things out for you than you are. Yet, let not the fear of potentially, possibly, literally losing your life fill you (God has not given you a spirit of fear but of love, power and a sound mind). Consider Him laying down His life for you, for your sins, out of love for you. There's no greater love than that. Instead consider it a joy in the time of persecutions, suffering for His name sake. Acknowledge Him in front of men and He will acknowledge you in front of the Father. Recognize and be aware that as you share the Gospel and truth, that as many believers, there will be the unbelievers (some may be extreme in their opposition of it) who will curse you, tell lies about you, try to gaslight you, try to manipulate you as well as try and do their best to discourage you from doing the work of God. Realize it might or might not get physical with the unbelievers (try not to engage, love them, pray for them, bless them). Vengeance belongs to the LORD. Do your best to forgive those who wrong you. The fight is not against flesh and blood, continue to bear this in your mind as well as your end goal: being called a faithful servant by Jesus Christ because of doing God's will in your faith towards Him. Continue to bear in mind that when the world hates you, it hated Him first. Remember to be of good cheer because He has overcome the world. This walk with Jesus is a journey, to which the destination is eternity with God in Heaven. Be bold, be strong and keep your faith in Jesus Christ while being obedient and submissive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Stay close to Him, deny yourself each day, keep watch and be ready. May God be with you 🙏🏼✝️🤍.

Come all crosses, welcome, welcome! so I may get my heart full of my Lord Jesus.

Samuel Rutherford

Today we celebrate the Holy Seven Sleepers of Ephesus. These saints are possibly one of the most interesting in all of Christendom! During the Christian persecutions, these seven soldiers were stripped of their military rank for confessing their faith and which they suffered tortures. As their final torture, they were sealed in a cave, in other words, buried alive, and on the seal was the names of these soldiers and the events of their lives. Two whole centuries passed before someone was excavating in that very spot where they came across the seal with the name and lives of the seven youths. When he opened the seal, he found them as if waking from a gentle sleep. When one of the young soldiers went to the city to buy bread, his coins still had the Roman emperor’s face on them, which had now been replaced by Christian symbols. He was astonished to see crosses everywhere and the name of Christ spoken freely. He was taken to the bishop who confirmed that these holy youths had in fact been miraculously put to sleep by God for 200 years in order to prove the doctrine of the general resurrection of soul and body. In August we celebrate the awakening of the seven youths while in October we celebrate the event where they went back to sleep, this time until the general resurrection. #saint #saints #seven #sleeper #sleep #sleepers #sevensleepers #ephesus #turkey #asiaminor #persecution #persecutions #martyr #martyrs #soldier #soldiers #century #centuries #cave #sevensleeperscave #orthodox #saintoftheday (at Ephesus, Turkey) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj_HJS8LcPD/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

When I was put into that [prison], the Lord's power and presence did so fill my heart, that I Sung for joy, to the admiration of those that put me in.

Thomas Briggs, early Quaker, who was arrested after preaching in Manchester, 1685

[-This is authentic. -It is fantastic. though history of the sect records no persecutions. What are we gonna make?]

Fox's Book of Martyrs

https://www.biblestudytools.com/history/foxs-book-of-martyrs/ Edited by William Byron Forbush This is a book that will never die — one of the great English classics. . . . Reprinted here in its most complete form, it brings to life the days when “a noble army, men and boys, the matron and the maid,” “climbed the steep ascent of heaven, ‘mid peril, toil, and pain.” “After the Bible itself, no…

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practicing buddhists throughout the centuries, who were persecuted, incarcerated, and at times exiled for their faith, were treated with the same disrespect as we practicing in Scotland are treated today.

every time i start thinking about the Cagots i go a little insane

Catholic Manhood Discussions: CMCS Answers Your Questions

CMCS is a ministry that helps men become strong disciples of Jesus Christ. Through CMCS, men will be formed and sharpened as witnesses to Jesus Christ, who are committed to serving him and willing to boldly live and share their faith. It is the mandate of every Catholic man to bring Jesus to a broken world. To live his faith and engage in this mission, every Catholic man needs a strong relationship with God that is rooted in prayer and the sacraments.

Catholic men need to proactively invest in their on-going faith formation, to be a part of a dynamic brotherhood that supports, sharpens, and strengthens them to be holy men, hus-bands, and fathers. This is especially important in today's society, where there is a growing secularization of society. Catholic men need to be intentional about their faith and how it impacts their daily lives. They need to be part of a community of men who are committed to living out their faith in a way that is both authentic and effective.

.. and on Brighteon:

Discussion Timeline

The CMCS Team Answers Your Questions:

2:00 The reason for this topic. 2:04 Prompts to talk about. 5:45 Personal resolutions. 7:00 Our spiritual growth tools. 9:00 Frank's personal growth tools. 10:00 Using Advent as pre-season to Christmas. 13:45 The importantce of writing things down. 15:30 Using an 'Idea Book'. 17:00 Witnessing in the workplace. 22:30 Being an example to family and friends. 26:15 Standing in the face of persecutions. 27:15 The why of Catholic male spirituality.

no asoiaf posting i do will ever beat lebanese people hanging banners over highways asking god to protect jon snow when s8 premiered

“ the people of beirut support jon snow against his battle with the white walkers” “jon snow….may allah protect you” like this is so funny i love my ppl

March 26, 2023 Verse Of The Day

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HERE COMES DIANA WITH THE STEEL CHAIR

fundamental to bioessentialist and zionist ideology is a refusal to recognize that victimhood is situational rather than ontological

Circumstances and Situations

Where many still have a covenant mentality: they let the world’s circumstances and situations, define the Bible for them. But we are not under the circumstances of this world, rather, we operate despite them – work through them. We are not in a covenant relationship with God today, as a covenant relationship speaks to circumstances. The things happening in the world today, are happening…

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