4. She Dared to Save the Bibles
7. Risking her life to follow Jesus
10. Never Alone
We hope these stories will help you equip your family with the Scriptures and wisdom needed to stay faithful to God during these changing times. Each "story" will be divided into three sections:
1. The true story of a child or adult who suffered some kind of rejection or persecution for refusing to compromise
2. Scriptures and questions that encourage family discussion and personal application of God's truth
3. Explanations and insights for parents. (Some of these may repeat information you have read in our articles.)
Our prayer for you:
". . . that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and long suffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light."
Colossians 1:9-12
PERSECUTION SCRIPTURES
"...the
time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And
these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me."
"Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved." Mark 13:10-12
"...the whole
world lies under the sway of the wicked one."
"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake." Matthew 24:9
"You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved." Matthew 10:18-22
"Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life." 2 Corinthians 2:14-16
"But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." Acts 20:24
"...we have this treasure in
earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed... perplexed, but not in
despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed
— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that
the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body." 2 Corinthians
4:7-10
"Just as they have chosen their own ways,
And their soul delights in their abominations,
So will I choose their delusions and bring their fears on them;
Because when I called, no one answered,
When I spoke they did not hear;
But they did evil before My eyes
And chose that in which I do not delight."
Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at His Word;
Your brethren who hated you,
Who cast you out for My name's sake, said,
'Let the Lord be glorified that we may see your joy,'
But they shall be ashamed." Isaiah 66:4-5
"O Lord, You induced me, and I was persuaded;
You are stronger
than I, and have prevailed.
I am in derision daily; everyone mocks me.
For
when I spoke, I cried out; I shouted, 'Violence and plunder!'
Because the
word of the Lord was made to me a reproach and a derision daily.
Then I said,
'I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name.'
But His word
was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones;
I was weary of
holding it back, and I could not.
For I heard many mocking: 'Fear on every
side!'
'Report,' they say, 'and we will report it!'
All my acquaintances
watched for my stumbling, saying,
“Perhaps he can be induced; then we will
prevail against him,
And we will take our revenge on him.”
But the Lord
is with me as a mighty, awesome One.
Therefore my persecutors will stumble,
and will not prevail." Jeremiah 20:7-11
"Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven." Luke 6:22-23
"Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother." Luke 12:51-53
"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are
• hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed...
• perplexed, but not in despair
• persecuted, but not forsaken;
• struck down, but not destroyed
— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. " 2 Corinthians 2:7-10
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever." 1 Peter 5:8
"And on her forehead a name was
written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE
ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints
and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with
great amazement.
"But the angel said to
me, 'Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the
beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. The
beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit
and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose
names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when
they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is." Revelation
17:5-8
"And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.
"So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, 'Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?' And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Revelation 13:1-8
"After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, 'Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.'" Revelation 7:1-4