1 Thessalonians 2:14

14 For [gar] ye, [humeis] brethren, [adelphos] became [ginomai] followers [mimetes] of the churches [ekklesia] of God [theos] which [ho] in [en] Judaea [Ioudaia] are [on] in [en] Christ [Christos] Jesus: [Iesous] for [hoti] ye [humeis] also [kai] have suffered [pascho] like things [tauta] of [hupo] your own [idios] countrymen, [sumphuletes] even [kai] as [kathos] they have [autos] of [hupo] the Jews: [Ioudaios] KJV-Interlinear

14 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews, NASB

Suffering by the hands of ones own countrymen, means simply that. And this is not a new concept. Described in Acts 17, the Christians were persecuted by the Jews within the country of Judea, and outside of the country, the Christians were persecuted by the locals (the pagans) who were pushed by the Jews.The Jews usually used the Law to win their argument in Judea and outside of Judea, they would use anti-Rome accusations, to create disruptions for the Christians.

Of course, knowing human history, you know that it is Satan who is behind all of these accusations. From the time of Adam, Satan has been anti-truth, continually.

And after the destruction of Jerusalem and most of Judea in 70 A.D., then the accusations transferred from the Jews as the instigators, to the unbelieving gentles. But that is not our subject here.

Ones own countrymen, is the point here. And the word for countrymen means from ones own tribe or family, or group. People, of whom you think you have something in common, and of whom you would never suspect anything seditious against you, are the very ones who will turn against you, when truth and anti-truth is involved.

This means those of your own immediate family, those of your community, those of your own country.And if we expand that, then we can know that even elected officials and hired public servants will turn against the citizenry.This has been true many times in history in Hitlers Germany, in Mao s China, in Stalin s Russia just to name a few.

So, within the nation of Judea, there were countrymen (all Jewish folks of course), some adhering to the Judaism faith and some adhering to the Christian faith. And a schism arose not because of their common heritage, but because of the differences between truth (Christianity) and non-truth (Judaism).

The nation was split along family lines, neighborhoods, towns and cities and across the nation, even into the other nations of the world, as Paul herein states. Christians were persecuted because of Christ, and Christ is truth, therefore Christians become the target of persecution because of their beliefs.Actually it is God, Christ, doctrine and overall truth, who are the targets of persecution.We as believers who hold onto these truths, just happen to be in the line of fire, so we get stepped on as well.We might be thought of as collateral damage in the war between good and evil.

In ancient times, God invented the concept of sanctuary. We have studied this before, but it has been many years probably since we have studied this concept.When a people fall into persecution, wrongly, then they had a place of sanctuary to go to, where they would be safe and until some impartial judge could hear their case.

There is also the concept of the frontier, which also serves as a place of escape as well as a place of expansion to promote prosperity, and opportunity. In the world, the frontiers have been geographical.People have left their local regions from the Middle East into Asia and Africa, and Europe, and nearer to our time, people left their persecutions to cross the oceans to the New World, as the Americas were called.

In our country, the frontier was to the west until the lands between the oceans have become populated.

These places, these frontiers, are geographical and have their obvious limits. In order for a destination to be a valid frontier, it has to be accessible by virtually everyone, and so under the oceans and outer-space regions have severe limitations as far as being viable frontiers. The vast majority of peoples cannot simply get up and walk there and make a home for themselves.But when the frontiers, the places of refuge and sanctuary run out, then people have nowhere to go to escape the persecutions that are sure to come.

The ultimate frontier is the spiritual life and more specifically the fellowship sphere. That place is accessible by everyone who chooses to believe in Christ.It is our ultimate place of sanctuary from the unfair persecutions that have and certainly will come from this world. Christ is the sovereign judge and He will decide all cases in due course.

The Thessalonians became imitators of the Christian churches in Judea. That is to say, they followed the same pattern of spiritual learning, spiritual growth and spiritual persecution as others have.This concept applies to you and me.Our spiritual life pattern is the same as that which those folks followed, way back then.

And even though out environment is much different, the spiritual life has never changed. And likewise, the pattern of persecution of Christians will never change either.

In this dispensation, if Satan could eliminate Christians, then there would be none to Rapture. In the Tribulation, if Satan could eliminate Christian Jews, then there would be none to rescue at the Second Advent. In either case, Gods plan, the whole concept of Gods plan, is under attack.

But remember one important thing, Jesus Christ controls history, not man. So Christ s plans will be successful, and mans plans will not.

Today I heard some of the details of this health plan being promoted by the government, and who would have guessed the things that are included in that proposed law. Mandatory health ID registration cards for everyone,mandatory government run health coverage, mandatory change to a government plan if anything in your present plan changes, mandatory access allowance by the government into your personal bank accounts to pay them what you owe, rationed health care, old age end of life review for coverage, mandatory government access to your health records, mandatory oversight of what care you will or will not be granted, penalties against you if you do not sign up for their health coverage.

And with all of these things clearly written in the proposed bill, the elected officials lie without blinking, about what is in the bill.And finally the thing that takes it all, an email address flag @ whitehouse.gov to which anyone is requested to send messages regarding folks that oppose the government health law.

Does this sound sinister or what?And it is said by many, that this type of thing could never happen here. If you live in another country, don t feel safe.Your turn will come sooner or later, if not already.And the world places of sanctuary and refuge, and protection from persecution, are seemingly disappearing.

Life is not man pursuing mans own destiny.Life is Satan attempting to defeat God, using man as His evil tool. Unfortunately most folks just won t see this side of life.

Paul tells us clearly here in this verse, that persecution is not limited to the Christian Jews, or the Greek Jews, or only to their ancient time in history.

Persecution applies to all of humanity throughout history, and our only true place of refuge is through Bible doctrine and the spiritual life. The spiritual life is our sanctuary, where Satan cannot go, and it is our frontier, where opportunity knows no limitations.

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