The Blood of the Martyrs is the Seed of the Church

How do you go about explaining what has happened to you when you can't describe it? How do you do justice to the convicting work of the Holy Spirit? I wish I could compel you, my readers, the same way I have been compelled, but I cannot. That is the work of the Spirit. We have life so easy here in the States; we don't need to worry about persecution. The biggest concern of the church is not reaching out to the lost, it is trying to get the world to like us. What will it take for the Church of the Living God to realize that the world will never like us? The Word of God? It states that fact clearly.

If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: 'They hated me without a cause.'
But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.

I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you, But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' But because I have said these thing to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgement: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgement because the ruler of this world is judged.
(John 15:18-16:11)

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
(James 4:4)

You cannot, I repeat, cannot, be accepted by the world and by God. It just can't happen. The two worlds are diametrically opposed.

I cannot be complacent about this any longer. I cannot blend in; I cannot hope to slip under the radar and just let my actions speak for me. My actions are not strong enough! I must be in the Word so I can have the Spirit with more fullness so He speaks through my actions and my words which He will give me. One prayer. Lord, it has changed my life. How can you tell, you wonder, as it has only been a few short hours since that time? There is a fire in my chest. A passion I've been longing for. Strength I'd forgotten was possible. I cannot go back. Well, I can, but why would I want to? The world has nothing to offer me now. It may glitter, but it is not gold - it is worth nothing. And it is said:

All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost
(Tolkien)

 Aye, the Christian life is not glamorous, but it is worth far more than gold. I wish I could convey this to you. Mere words do not suffice. My heart has changed, as have my priorities, and my convictions have been strengthened. It's all talk though. Now, I pray, that I will and am walking the talk. When the church has been persecuted it has always grown. I'm ready now. If necessary I am willing for my blood to be mingled with the blood of the martyrs throughout the ages. The church will grow.

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