what should christians do about persecution tomisin ajileye 15 02-2017

What Should Christians do about persecution?

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DEDICATION

This teaching is dedicated to all our brethren particularly in Nigeria who were

among the “others” spoken of Paul who by faith “were tortured, not accepting

deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection” Hebrews 11:35


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CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION: SHOULD CHRISTIANS FIGHT BACK? ...................................... 3

2. IN REACTION TO PERSECUTION ....................................................................... 4

3. WHAT DID JESUS TEACH? ................................................................................ 6

4. WHAT THEN DO WE DO, WATCH AND DIE? ..................................................... 7

a. First Option: .................................................................................................. 7

b. Another option: ............................................................................................ 8

5. THE JESUS WAY OF STAYING ALIVE! ............................................................... 10

a. FAITH IN THE COVENANT OF TIME AND LIFE .............................................. 10

b. WISDOM ..................................................................................................... 13

c. THE SUPERNATURAL MEANS ...................................................................... 15

6. THE MINISTRY OF ANGELS ............................................................................. 17

7. SPEAKING OF SELF-DEFENCE .......................................................................... 22

8. POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCIES: WHEN CHRISTIANS CARRY ARMS! .................... 29

9. RETHINKING PERSECUTION: THE BRIGHT SIDE ............................................... 32

10. THE PLACE OF PRAYERS ................................................................................. 37

11. WE ARE NOT THE OBJECTS OF PITY! .............................................................. 43

12. FINALLY .......................................................................................................... 46

A LETTER FROM THE PAST ................................................................................ 48


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1. INTRODUCTION:

SHOULD CHRISTIANS FIGHT BACK?

Should Christians fight back? There has been a wide argument as regards this topic.

Should Christians fight back or should they watch themselves get killed? What is

the practical and applicable way of staying alive in the midst of hot persecution?

What about self-defence? These and many others are questions arising in times like

this, with various schools of thought in answers to them. But according to the grace

that God has given me I will speak freely as regards this issue. I write as one who

may not have experienced the heat of persecution first hand, but as a student of

the Word of God who believes the Word is Truth irrespective of experience. Please

note that: You cannot read just a portion of the Bible and make a doctrine out of it.

You must read it all in context to get the full picture. So also, you will need to read

the complete teaching before you can get the full message. Never take an aspect

of this teaching in isolation of others. Read carefully and wholly to be blessed. To

Christians far and wide, Grace and Peace!

1Co 10:15: I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.


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2. IN REACTION TO PERSECUTION

We must note first of all that the persecution of Christians is not new in our age;

we may not be used to it, but it has been around from the very beginning. AS A

MATTER OF FACT WE ARE LIVING IN AN AGE WITH ONE OF THE LOWEST HEAT OF

PERSECUTION EVER. It had been worse times and times before now. Jesus knew

this and has prepared us adequately for what to do about it. If you doubt this, go

and read the history of Christianity, particularly the Foxe’s Book of Martyr. Read

this story as excerpted from the Book. It showed what happened to the famous

Theban Legion – a legion of trained soldiers who were all Christians:

“In the year of Christ 286, a most remarkable affair occurred; a legion

of soldiers, consisting of six thousand six hundred and sixty-six men,

contained none but Christians. This legion was called the Theban

Legion... Maximian, about this time, ordered a general sacrifice, at

which the whole army was to assist; and likewise he commanded that

they should take the oath of allegiance and swear, at the same time,

to assist in the extirpation of Christianity in Gaul. Alarmed at these

orders, each individual of the Theban Legion absolutely REFUSED

EITHER TO SACRIFICE OR TAKE THE OATHS prescribed. This so greatly

enraged Maximian, that he ordered the legion to be decimated, that

is, every tenth man to be selected from the rest, and put to the sword.

This bloody order having been put in execution, those who remained

alive were still inflexible, when a second decimation took place, and


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every tenth man of those living was put to death. This second severity

made no more impression than the first had done; the soldiers

preserved their fortitude and their principles… enraged at their

perseverance and unanimity, he commanded that the whole legion

should be put to death, which was accordingly executed by the other

troops, who cut them to pieces with their swords, September 22, 286.”

Please note that: these soldiers though with the capacity and weapons to fight for

their lives, stood their grounds and rather died than fight back.

The “holy” book of a known religion commands its followers thus: “…So if they

remove themselves from you and do not fight you and offer peace, then God has

not made for you a cause for fighting against them… (But) IF THEY DO NOT

WITHDRAW FROM YOU TO OFFER YOU PEACE OR RESTRAIN THEIR HANDS, then

seize them and kill them wherever you overtake them…” This religion instructs its

followers to remain still if not attacked, but to be on the offensive if attacked. If

Christians also become compelled to attack in return because of the increasing

pressure, we must be asked where we learnt this from.


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3. WHAT DID JESUS TEACH?

Believers MUST be led by the Word of God and not by circumstances. Irrespective

of what we go through or what happens, it is the Word of God that must determine

what we do, even if doing it will cost us our lives. We must not be ruled by

sentiments nor by “Self”. We must resolve in our hearts which we want to follow:

our own way or God’s Word? What did Jesus teach? Please read carefully:

Mat 5:43-46: Ye have heard that… Thou shalt love thy

neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, LOVE

YOUR ENEMIES, bless them that curse you, DO GOOD TO THEM

THAT HATE YOU, and pray for them which despitefully use you,

AND PERSECUTE YOU; That ye may be the children of your

Father which is in heaven… For if ye love them which love you,

what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

Mat 5:38,39: Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for

an eye… (AMP:) But I say to you, DO NOT RESIST THE EVIL MAN

[WHO INJURES YOU]; but if anyone strikes you on the right jaw

or cheek, turn to him the other one too.

“No! No! No! Are we fools? Jesus perhaps does not mean what He said, or He does

not understand what we will be going through in our age to have given such a

commandment!” Fellow believer, we stand with the Word even in the face of

death, His Word is everlasting. For long, we have not experienced the reality of

what it means to have an enemy but now we know. For long, the commandment

to love those who persecute us was never so practicable, but now it is. Now is the

time to prove that the Word is true.


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4. WHAT THEN DO WE DO, WATCH AND DIE?

Refusing to fight back does not mean that we should hence wait, watch, and die.

The Bible gave us two possible options.

a. First Option:

Rom 13:3,4: For rulers are not a terror to good works , but to

the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that

which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he

is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that

which is evil, be afraid; for HE BEARETH NOT THE SWORD IN

VAIN: FOR HE IS THE MINISTER OF GOD, A REVENGER TO

EXECUTE WRATH UPON HIM THAT DOETH EVIL.

The military is ordained of God to execute judgment on evil doers. It is scriptural

for soldiers to defend and if necessary take lives in the process. We have Christian

soldiers in the Bible, and they didn’t leave their jobs because they were soldiers.

Soldiers asked John the Baptist what to do; He didn’t say “quit your jobs” rather he

said they should be contented with their salaries (Luke 3:14). Thus, we can engage

those legalized to carry and use arms to protect us. Of course this is really failing in

our country because we are not adequately protected. But I believe that this is the

easiest means of safety where it can be afforded; the military should be adequately

engaged and equipped to protect Christians from terrorists.

Thank God for godly Soldiers in the Bible, they may not be Christians, but they did

their jobs effectively. Even though there were no cars and no phones, these soldiers


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under effective leadership were prompt and spontaneous in action, otherwise Paul

would have been killed earlier than necessary.

They were going to beat Paul to death, but the Chief Captain in Acts 21:31,32 took

hundreds of soldiers quickly to save just one man. It happened again when they

were going to plan Paul’s death, this Chief Captain – competent at His job, sent two

hundred foot soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to

accompany Paul to safety. We need more of such spontaneous, disciplined, and

efficient military men in our days. But I fear that our military itself might have been

corrupted. And those that are not perverse are ineffectual, unequipped, or not

spontaneous. In Paul’s days, there were no phones and he was rescued before he

was killed. But in our days when there are phones and more sophisticated facilities

and weapons; military men many times only come to crime scenes to count the

number of persons fear dead. God help us!

In a case where justice fails and the men with the sword refuse to stand and defend

the weak, Jesus gave us another option.

b. Another option:

Mat 10:22,23: And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's

sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. But WHEN

THEY PERSECUTE YOU IN THIS CITY, FLEE YE INTO ANOTHER:

for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities

of Israel, till the Son of man be come.

If the heat of persecution has become life threatening and our security is no more

guaranteed, Jesus said we should flee for our dear lives. We should rather be

refugees in a peaceful land than submit our necks to death in our own town. The


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government is saddled with the responsibility of protecting its citizens, but if they

fail in doing this appropriately, my brother and sister, LEAVE YOUR FARM, LEAVE

YOUR BUSINESS, LEAVE YOUR HOUSE, LEAVE YOUR CITY, AND RUN FIRST FOR YOUR

LIFE; I didn’t say it, Jesus did. He that has life has hope; he that has hope has

everything. This seems like a cowardly commandment, but that is what Jesus did

and taught His disciples to do. Until you are ready to die, do not remain in a place

where there is no guaranteed protection for you. Run for your life; go and start a

new life elsewhere. If it is God who asked you to stay for mission purpose, that

would be an exception; in that case, you would have to stay; He will of course

guarantee your protection. But if not, I will say it again, Jesus did not merely say

run but flee. The word “flee” means “to disappear quickly.”

The disciples used this method repeatedly. The Governor of Damascus wanted Paul

apprehended, but the great man of God was let down by a wall, through a window

in a basket (2Cor 11:32,33.) After Peter was delivered by the Angel from Herod and

the desire of the Jews, “…HE FLED THE CITY…” (Acts 12:17). Over and over again we

would see disciples running from their beloved Jerusalem to other cities just to save

their necks. They simply continued to be useful to themselves, their families, and

to the Gospel anywhere they find themselves (Acts 8:4,5). The itinerant Paul also

repeatedly ran from cities to cities when his security is threatened. Sensitivity to

the Holy Spirit can also be an added advantage in this area. (Matthew 2:13)


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5. THE JESUS WAY OF STAYING ALIVE!

We must learn from the Master Himself. He remains our perfect example. If there

was a man under constant threat of life, it was Jesus. But how did He stay alive?

We must understand that as believers, God would do for us whatever He did for

Jesus and greater than this He will in fact do for us, because He loves us just the

same way He loved Jesus. This is a vital point!

Joh 17:23: … that the world may know that thou hast sent me,

AND HAST LOVED THEM, AS THOU HAST LOVED ME.

He will do for us whatever He can do for Him. Whatever is made available to Him

can be made available to us. Whatever it is that Jesus did, we can also do. (John

14:12) Whatever the Father can give Him, He can also give us.

a. FAITH IN THE COVENANT OF TIME AND LIFE

Firstly, as believers we must understand that we have a covenant of God never to

die before our time. We are not immune against persecution or death by it (Mark

10:30), but we can escape death until our time comes. This was how Jesus lived.

Paul (2Tim 4:7) and Peter (2Pet 1:14) also lived this same way. They didn’t die

before their time, they lived until they themselves knew that whatever it was that

God commanded them to do was done. They knew the time for them to die and

made an announcement of it. They lived their full age and died a martyr. Paul,

despite all he faced, referred to Himself as “Paul the aged” (Philemon 1:9) He was

the most persecuted of all the apostles of his time, yet he lived till old age. Church


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History also has it that Peter lived till he became very old, likewise John the Beloved

and some others.

The Bible repeatedly taught that they could not kill Jesus before his time, because

His hour has not come. We all have a time appointed of God for us to die, and until

then, we are not permitted to die; anything lower than that is the devil’s victory

over us. We have a promise to live till old age. (Psalm 92:14) Claim it. It is yours!

God only redeemed us from the curses; all the blessings of the Law are still ours, if

we can claim them.

John 7:30: Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands

on him, because his hour was not yet come.

Jesus Himself believed this and it thus worked for Him. He told them later that the

only reason they were able to arrest Him eventually was because His hour was

come. “When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against

me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness. Then took they him…” (Luke

22:53,54.) We must believe the same and confess it. “NO ONE CAN KILL ME BEFORE

MY TIME”. This is the foundation for staying alive. Faith in the covenants of life and

fullness of age. (Psalm 117:18; 2Cor 1:20) THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT

OF THIS ENTIRE TEACHING. This is where it all starts from; because, it all begins

from our way of thinking. For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he… (Pro 23:7) If as a

believer, you think in your heart that you can die sheepishly at any time because

some more godly persons shared the same fatal fate; then as you think in your

heart, so you will be.


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Personally I believe if you fire arms at me, it will not harm me. I believe if I am in a

vehicle it cannot be involved in an accident; I believe if I’m in an airplane, it cannot

crash. I believe no sickness can come near me. That is my faith. Someone says “You

don’t know anything, are you better than those that were killed” Well, I am not

better than them in anyway, but the Word of God says according to my faith be it

unto me (Matthew 9:29) and all things are possible to them that believe (Mark

9:23). So if you believe otherwise for yourself, no problem “according to your faith

also, be it also unto you”. I have determined to believe right and I will have

whatever I say in the Name of Jesus. We must believe right! Eye has not seen nor

ear heard what God has for them that love Him, but they are revealed to us by His

Spirit. (1Cor 2:9,10)

Psa 82:6,7: I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children

of the most High. BUT YE SHALL DIE LIKE MEN, and fall like one

of the princes

Scriptures says that we are gods being children of the Most High God. But if we fail

to take our place and stand upon the promises of the Word of God, we will die like

mere men and die before our time. I may not be able to explain why Pastor A or

Apostle B died. It is not my work to explain the death, sickness, or misery of spiritual

people. My work is to believe what God says about me and I will have whatever I

say. According to my faith, be it unto me. Amen. What was Jesus’ belief? It is this:

John 19:11: Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at

all against me, except it were given thee from above…

Somebody says “Of course, maybe it is their time to die also” (Speaking of the great

men that seemed to die prematurely). Perhaps, you are right, but Jesus knew when


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his work was finished on earth before He released himself to death. The same goes

for Paul (2Tim 4:7) and Peter (2Pet 1:14). There are other righteous men who knew

there time to die: Moses, Jacob, Elisha, Aaron, Joseph, among others. These are the

ones I like to pitch my tent with. I will have whatever I say. How about you? But

what are you saying? What are you believing?

b. WISDOM

The second way Jesus stayed alive who they sought daily to kill was by wisdom. The

threat to kill Jesus was very high in Jerusalem, he thus avoided it for long until His

time to die came (Luke 18:31.) This is wisdom. In some other occasion, Jesus would

refrain from appearing in open places until He is sure He’s in the safe hands of the

crowd. (John 7:3-14) They found it very hard to predict His movement or where He

would be per time; it means that He stayed out of sight and watched His trail. He

knew where to be per time. They needed an insider (Judas) to tell them His hideout

before they can get Him. Jesus had hideouts. What lesson is here for us? To claim

faith may not be enough, we must also be wise like serpents. Jesus gave us that

instruction. He said:

“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be

ye therefore WISE AS SERPENTS, AND HARMLESS AS DOVES.

But beware of men…” (Mat 10:16,17)

That is the commandment of Jesus. Be wise, you are in the midst of killer-wolves

and you are a sheep. We are not “killer-sheeps” blessed saints, we are to be

harmless doves but wise snakes. We must be wise and keep ourselves from

unnecessary and avoidable deaths. We must be vigilant. We must be watchful.

Even though we must be harmless as doves, we must be very “sharp”, very wise,


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and very shrewd so as to escape death and unnecessary misery. Jesus lived it and

taught it. Christians of old used many wise means to stay alive. Sometimes, it

required they had fellowship in basements or in caves. This is wisdom.

Jesus knows when to say things that will infuriate his enemies and when not to,

(unlike Stephen, Acts 7:51-58). If you want to live long, you must know when and

where to say things and where not to. It doesn’t mean you are fearful, but it means

you are wise. You don’t have to say everything you see. Stephen had a very

wonderful sermon, but right in the middle of it he insulted his accusers (Acts

7:51,52); Jesus did the same thing, John the Baptist also did the same and were not

killed because they knew when and where to do so. As if that was not enough,

Stephen saw a vision and told them exactly what He saw; and that was the end of

his life and ministry. His death glorified God and “probably” also helped to cause

pricks in the heart of Saul (Acts 9:5) but that for me was not God’s best. But the

Almighty always knows how to make all things work together for good. (You are

entitled to your opinion).

If you must stay alive you must know what to say and where to say it. Paul practiced

this several times; he spoke words that will guarantee his safety and sometimes

like Jesus said words that will confuse the enemies, but remain alive (Acts 23:6-10).

Paul knew what to say that will grant him audience rather than fury (Acts 17:22,23);

he said I become everything to everyone so I can save some (1Cor 9:20.) That is

wisdom. If you are proving gentile among the Jews, you can die; if you are proving

Jew among the Gentile, you can die as well and be unable to save them and lose

your life also in the process.


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Many of us have become naive towards our own lives. We are not on the offensive

against the devil. No shield of faith. No positive confession. We believe if we live

righteous and have our pastor pray for us, that's all. Good for you! Let me ask,

“What happened to the first righteous man in the bible?” I’ll tell you, Abel was killed

by his own brother (Gen 4:8; Mat 10:36). We must be watchful. We dwell in the

midst of wolves both at home and abroad. We must be wise like serpents. If it's the

will of God for me to die. Why not? It will be a glorious death irrespective of how.

A believer must not guard his life in such case. He that keeps his life will lose it. BUT

UNTIL THEN, I am the first custodian of my breath and I must guide it from death.

This is the will of God. I am not afraid of death. Never! But then, I'll remain on this

side of eternity by all godly means till I am empty of all of God’s purpose for creating

me.

c. THE SUPERNATURAL MEANS

Among all the ways Jesus employed to stay alive, this to me is the most necessary

in times like this. The time has come for us to believe in the ministry of fighting and

guardian angels. Jesus could not have survived without them. Despite the fact that

Jesus was very wise, He still would have been unable to stay alive without the

supernatural means.

Luke 4:28-30: And all they in the synagogue, when they heard

these things, were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust

him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill

whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down

headlong. BUT HE PASSING THROUGH THE MIDST OF THEM

WENT HIS WAY,


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What happened here? They rose up, took him out of the city, and in fact carried

him to the edge of the hill, and when they thought they would have thrown Him

down, He walked through their midst. What happened there? I believe it was the

same thing that happened in the days of Elisha. He was aware that angels were on

guard and thus asked the Lord to blind the eyes of those who had come to arrest

him. Angels are available for our protection and we must believe in their presence.

When twenty armed men look at us face to face, we must know that there are tens

of thousands of angels instantly present to destroy them if we believe and ask. All

we need to do is ask the Father (Note: not command the angels, there is no

scriptural grounds to command angels, we ask the Father and the angels carry it

out). We must believe that they that be with us are more than they that be with

them. Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with

blindness. (2Kings 6:15-20)

While they were carrying Jesus and leading Him to the mountain, I’m sure He was

just enjoying the ride fearlessly. This is because He has great confidence in the

presence of angels His Father has given to protect His life, and the faith that He

cannot die before His time. There was a time Jesus was threatened that Herod

wants to kill Him. He simply told them Herod cannot, because He is destined to die

in Jerusalem. You see? Confidence in the covenant of time and life plays out here.

Luke 13:31-33: The same day there came certain of the

Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence:

for Herod will kill thee. And he said unto them… I must walk to

day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be

that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.


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6. THE MINISTRY OF ANGELS

Mat 26:51-54: And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus

stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a

servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear. Then said

Jesus unto him… Thinkest thou THAT I CANNOT NOW PRAY TO

MY FATHER, AND HE SHALL PRESENTLY GIVE ME MORE THAN

TWELVE LEGIONS OF ANGELS? But how then shall the

scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?

I love this scripture above all others. It is to me a great revelation. Jesus said “if I

need protection from these men that have come to attack me, all I need to do is to

ask my Father for twelve legions of angels. THE ONLY REASON I WILL NOT ASK FOR

ANGELS IS: IF THEIR RESCUING ME WILL HINDER GOD’S PLAN FOR ME” isn’t that

beautiful? Jesus said if I needed to be rescued, I will ask my Father for angels; not

just one nor two, but 12 legions. A legion in the then Roman Empire was 6,826

soldiers (6,100 foot soldiers and 726 horsemen); thus twelve legion would be

81,912 angels just for a rescue mission. PLEASE NOTE THAT: JESUS DOES NOT

EXAGGERATE NOR SAY THINGS HE DOES NOT MEAN, for no lie can be found in Him.

He is the Truth. If He said God will give Him 12 legions of angels if He asked, then

He meant it to the letter. And because God loves us just the way He loved Jesus,

then He will give unto us whatever He can give Him (John 17:23). Hence, when we

face disaster face to face and we know that our death at such a time is not the will

of God, we can also make demand for legions of angel. Jesus didn’t die before His

time, neither should we!


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We must remember the worth of one angel. Just one angel in the Bible killed

185,000 valiant men in one night. (2King 19:35) Isn’t that great? Yet, we have the

promise of legions. How many persons can attack us at once? Are they up to

185,000? God is far mightier to protect us only if we believe. Enough of chanting

we serve a mighty God and yet refuse to believe. Christians have been taught to

live holy lives which is indeed far more important; it can be termed as “knowing the

hope of our calling.” But we must also come to enjoy the riches of the glory of our

inheritance in the saints and come to the experiential knowledge of the exceeding

greatness of His Power available to us (Eph 1:18,19). We cannot die before our

time.

We saw the ministry of angels and demonstration of God’s power over and over in

the early church. An angel smote Herod so that he was eaten by worms, an angel

rescued Peter from prison, Paul was stoned and did not die, that is only possible by

angelic protection; an angel rescued the Apostles from the prison (Acts 5:18-20)

As long as my time and your time has not come, brethren we must not refrain from

making demands for angels to guard, rescue, and protect us in times of need. This

is not a forgotten history or a myth. Jesus remains the same, yesterday, today, and

forever. If Jesus did not die before His time, why should you and I enjoy less? I must

state that this is not available to everyone, but to those who believe; because ALL

THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO HIM THAT BELIEVETH. But how many of us can believe?

All of us can!

Psalm 91:11: For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to

keep thee in all thy ways.


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We have a covenant of angelic protection. The blessings of the law is ours, only if

we believe. We also have a covenant of angelic ministry. They are sent of God to

serve us. The ministry of angels is almost becoming a myth in the church today. This

is because we do not believe in their presence and ministry like Elisha did.

Heb 1:14: Are not the angels all ministering spirits (servants)

sent out in the service [of God for the assistance] of those who

are to inherit salvation? (AMP)

At a particular semester in my university days, God gave me assignments in two

campus fellowships. I was an executive member of both fellowships, holding very

key positions. Being convinced of God that this is His will for me, I trusted Him for

grace for maximum success without excuses on both ends and without

relinquishing either. This made me busy literally from Sunday to Saturday every

week both night and day and as an architecture student it was like impossible. But

the Lord gave me His grace (Please do not attempt this if you are not sure that such

is God’s will for you). What seemed like a catastrophe became a huge success on

all fronts, even academically; my result even received a remarkable boost that

semester. God is faithful! (But, I said this just to introduce the situation surrounding

the tremendous experience I had during that period and to show that my request

from God was not frivolous or to be termed as “tempting God.”)

During these extremely busy period with several hours each day spent on

fellowship activities here and there, God gave me the wisdom to begin to utilize

the spare hours between lecture hours and fellowship engagement on reading.

Instead of just going home to rest or sleep, I found it better to retire to the Library.

Upon the set day for the overdue registration I had so longed for; I got to the Library


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only to discover I had left my two passports at home which was a compulsory

prerequisite for the procedure. I ransacked and emptied my bag in and out hoping

to find it but to no avail. It was a big disappointment. But I refused failure with faith

in my heart. Right there in front of the Library I said to the Lord “Father, I am going

to walk from here to the front of CCE (a building not far from the Library); and

before I get there, please send your angel to my room to pick my passports, put

them in my bag so I can find it and finish off this registration once and for all. I am

not going to wait another week” As simple as that prayer was, it was so unto me

according to my faith. I got to CCE, checked my bag, and hence the passports just

simply effortlessly lying there. Glory to Jesus! Thus when it seems to us like there

is no other way out, we face a desperate situation, and our backs seemed to be

against the wall; we can ask and trust the Lord for the ministry of angels and we

will not be put to shame. Someone says “How is that possible?” Well, that's why it

won't work for you!

God has given us angels to minister to us, protect us, and fight on our behalf. The

earlier we recognized their presence the better we will be able to make use of them

in faith. We must act in faith. Elisha asked the Lord to blind the soldiers that came

to catch him and believed the Lord has done it. Without any physical proof, Elisha

went to introduce himself to those that came to kill him (2King 6:16-19). This is a

risk, but it is faith. We must dare to believe. Whether we take risks or not, we may

die all the same; so, why not trust God? We all want to walk on the storm but also

want to remain in the sinking boat. This ought not to be!


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Nothing stops us from blinding for a season in the Name of Jesus those who come

to attack us. Either we blind their minds (as in the case of Elisha) or physically (as in

the case of Paul) Acts 13:8-11. Whatever it is we command in the Name of Jesus

shall be so unto us only if we believe. That is the promise! Jesus commanded a tree

to die and He promised we can do that to a mountain if we believe. These are not

myths to excite our minds but truths that can become a reality in our age. God is

not tired in our days, He is expecting us to stand up and believe.

We must be bold. Many of us are already petrified before the enemy comes. We

have forgotten that Greater is He that is in us. Jesus specifically warned us not to

be afraid of the enemy who can merely kill the body.

Mat 10:28: And fear not them which kill the body, but are not

able to kill the soul...

We shall shame He that is in us living in fear like that. We must be bold like the

three Hebrews before Nebuchadnezzar. The righteous man is bold as a lion

because he knows that they that be with him are more than they that be with them.

Warning: the power of God is not merely to satisfy or protect self, except in

occasions where our standing is right. We must watch! Jesus refused to turn stones

to bread because He didn’t want to use God’s power to satisfy his own flesh. He

also refused to jump down from the temple top to save time and energy, knowing

that angels will hold him up. He took the stairs. But He twice fed multitudes with

almost nothing. He also required God’s power to be safe anyway. In essence, the

safety net is that we must watch and make sure our standing is right and self is not

exalted. It is a matter of the heart!


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7. SPEAKING OF SELF-DEFENCE

Important Note:

We dare speak of self-defence today in Nigeria only because what is committed

against Christianity is not simply persecution; BUT ALSO A CRIMINAL OFFENSE

AGAINST HUMANITY; THE CONSTITUTION OF THE NATION FORBIDS IT. Otherwise,

the mere whisper of self-defence would be an abomination before God and a

thought that should not even cross our minds. This explains why saints of old

never mentioned nor considered it; because the persecution in their case was

chiefly championed by the authority which they submitted to willingly and at most

escape from or trusted God to deliver them from. Thus I will speak of self-defence

not only in context of persecution but also our response to all forms of inhuman

violence.

God honours the Law of the Land, It is therefore important that we are aware of

our rights and privileges in it. The law of the land when not at odds with the Word

of God is equally sanctioned by God. Paul’s awareness of his rights and privileges

as a Roman saved his neck a number of times and he took full advantage of it. Hence

the “The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”:

NIGERIAN CONSTITUTION: CHAPTER IV: FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT

Section 33: Right to life

1. Every person has a right to life, AND NO ONE SHALL BE

DEPRIVED INTENTIONALLY OF HIS LIFE, save in execution of the


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sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence of which he

has been found guilty in Nigeria.

2. A person SHALL NOT be regarded as having been deprived of his

life in contravention of this section if he dies as the result of the

use, to such extent and in such circumstances as are permitted

by law, of such force as is reasonably necessary

a. FOR THE DEFENCE OF ANY PERSON FROM UNLAWFUL

VIOLENCE OR FOR THE DEFENCE OF PROPERTY;

b. in order to effect an arrest or to prevent the escape of a

person detained; or

c. FOR THE PURPOSE OF SUPPRESSING A RIOT,

INSURRECTION OR MUTINY.

SCRIPTURES SAYS OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT OUR DEFENCE IS SPIRITUAL. WE

MUST KNOW AND BELIEVE THIS WITH ALL OUR HEARTS. MIGHTY IS OUR GOD!

Nevertheless, this does not violate the principle of self-defence. Self-defence may

be a luxury we refuse to take advantage of for certain good reasons, but it doesn’t

mean it has no place nor does it mean it is wrong. Nothing stops us from employing

security men licensed to fire arms to guard us. Nothing stops us from employing

uniformed men to be on guard. Nothing stops us from having the most ravenous

of dogs in our houses. This is accurate and lawful. Any life taken as result of these

is godly. They violated a laid down principle and would suffer because of it. Paul

needed such at a point in time. Remember that men in authority do not carry the

sword just to scare away wrong doers, (Rom 13:1-4) THE SWORD IS ALSO TO

DEFEND AND TAKE LIVES IF NECESSARY, not just to inflict injury. Anyone thus


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permitted by the law to carry arms is permitted also under God to defend the

helpless and take life IF NEED BE.

There are times when defending ourselves actively may be a way out, but THIS TO

ME MUST BE IN VERY LIMITED AND BALANCED FORMS. Personally, I believe it

depends on why we are defending and what we are defending. It is a matter of the

heart. If a man tries to kill my wife and I can save her without taking his life, of

course, why not; but if he dies in the process, brethren, I will carry no guilt. It is

wrong for us to think we will feel guilty if such happens. I will either save her or die

trying; that to me will make me feel guiltless. But to watch her die when I know I

could have saved her and did nothing, that to me is guilt. We definitely do not want

anyone to die, but then IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A FAR GREATER EVIL TO WATCH EVIL

TRIUMPH OVER THE WEAK WHILE WE STAND AND WATCH. (This concerns all kinds

of attack not persecution per se)

David wanted his kingdom restored and his rebellious son alive at the same time.

That is a loving venture. Eventually, restoring the kingdom came inevitably with the

price of losing his son which drove him to great wailing. Joab rebuked him for this.

To feel guilty over the death of someone who attempted to kill my family is to have

preferred they died in his place, God forbid! (2Sam 19:1-8) Joab told David, “It

means you love your enemies and hate your friends.” We are commanded to love

our enemies but not hate our friends in the process. The Bible says Jesus loved His

own to the very end (John 13:1). There is a love we should have for those that are

close to us, that will make us defend them from anything or anyone that threatens


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their peace. SOMETIMES TO KEEP QUIET IS TO SPEAK VOLUME, AND TO DO

NOTHING IS TO DO MUCH. We must be wise.

Jesus flogged people out of the Temple and scattered their businesses because He

was defending the “house of His Father”. I believe Jesus would feel no guilt, if any

of them got wounded in the process or perhaps while trying to escape loses his life.

While we are defending the course of good, we should feel no sentimental guilt

because of the havoc that is wrecked. (Be wise: this does not equal to killing a

mosquito with a sledge hammer or a shotgun.) Mercy is of God and we must show

it; Justice is equally of God and we also must show it. Though, more of mercy and

little of justice. As much as possible we must be harmless as doves, but then if we

can, we should defend the helpless. Paul also blinded a man for a season probably

for a year. That is justice with mercy. He could have blinded him forever. But the

point we want to bring out is that Paul did this because he was zealous for the

Gospel not for his own selfish purpose. The heart is very important. (Anyone that

makes attempt to defend is in danger of attack himself, thus such attempt is a noble

course.)

What do we do when we see a goat entering our house and eating our food? Do

we sit down there and just look? We will definitely react violently against it. It

would be wrong for us to see such and do nothing. Or what do we do when we see

our children doing wrong unrepentantly? We flog them, why? Because we hate the

evil in them. After exhausting all peaceful means and they still have not changed,

we conclude that the only way to get the evil out is by inflicting pain on them while

they are still young. This is love.


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I WILL EMPHASIZE AGAIN THAT ACTIVE SELF DEFENCE WOULD NOT COUNT WHEN

PERSECUTION IS LEGALIZED BY THE NATION. If the country legalizes persecution,

the best we can do is run for our dear lives and trust in God’s protection, we must

never actively defend ourselves in such a case, otherwise that would mean

rebelling against the Word of God and rebelling against authority. We will definitely

not obey them, thus exposing ourselves to penalties. We must submit to

persecution if it is legal and if we are the ones guilty of breaking the law of the land

by obeying God (Acts 5:29.) (That is why we must pray) We are commanded to

submit to authorities. You cannot go as a missionary to a place and while they try

to attack you, you defend yourself by fighting back. Never! In such a case, you either

escape for your life or commit your life into God’s hand who can defend you

supernaturally. Thus we must understand the balance.

1Co 4:12: …being persecuted, we suffer it:

In the early church and ages after it, the government of the day was their enemy.

Their government was the one making laws that inhibited the practice of

Christianity. It is the government that was persecuting the church. In that sense, it

would be wrong and entirely wrong to see a band of government soldiers

approaching you and then you try to defend yourself. That will be unlawful. In such

case, you either escape for your life, you boldly and quietly submit yourself as a

sheep before its shearer, or trust in the supernatural if you know your time has not

come. But in our days, thank God we still have the support of the government. This

is not merely persecution, it is a crime punishable under the law as far as the

country Nigeria is concerned. So it is scriptural for us to stand against it. Paul did

not refuse persecution, but when he is denied his right as a Roman citizen he called


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for justice and scared his accusers, so much so that they had to beg him. (Acts

16:36-39) Watching lawlessness have the day is in itself lawlessness. The

government is fighting against these crimes, nothing stops the church from joining

them (but in the proper sense). Apart from defending our lives, we must hate this

evil and be ready to fight against it (not hate the perpetrators). If my death will

cause the peace of my fellow countrymen, that would be beautiful and godly. Paul

said he wished he was accursed from Christ for the salvation of his countrymen

(Rom 9:1-3). It is patriotism to stand up, defend our country, and fight against crime

as a citizen. This is godliness. If there is peace in the country, it is to the benefit of

all.

I MUST EMPHASIZE THAT: THE GOAL OF SELF-DEFENCE IS TO PRESERVE LIVES AND

NOT TO DESTROY IT. WE DEFEND THE LIVES OF OUR LOVED ONES, THE LIVES OF

THE WEAK, AND DEFEND OUR PROPERTIES. Its goal is not to kill, destroy, revenge,

attack, or mutilate which should not be named among us. It simply means we stand

our guard ready to defend ourselves and not launch out to carry out attacks. We

must approach self-defence as peacefully as possible. We must exhaust totally and

completely every peaceful means before violence becomes an option. EVEN WHEN

AND IF VIOLENCE BECOMES AN OPTION, WE MUST AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE

PRESERVE THE LIVES OF THOSE THAT ATTACK US. ALL PEACEFUL OPTIONS MUST BE

DEPLETED AND TAKING OF LIFE BY ALL MEANS PREVENTED.

Luke 9:56: For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's

lives, but to save them…


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NOTWITHSTANDING, IF DEATH OCCURS IN THE PROCESS OF SUCH CAREFUL SELF-

DEFENCE, WE MUST FEEL NO GUILT. Do not let satan use your conscience to punish

you in such case; purge your conscience. We must give no place to such sentimental

religious guilty conscience which is of the flesh.

Though we employ physical means or physical wisdom. Our ultimate source of

defence and security must be divine. We may utilize physical aids but then WE

MUST NOT PUT OUR TRUST IN THEM. We may have dogs, security men with the

most automated gun ever. Nonetheless, we must NEVER make the grand mistake

of “resting in their hands” that can fail. Many kings made this mistake in the Bible

and were punished severely for it. Sometimes, God just want to prove to them that

the arm of the flesh is nothing and make useless their defences. Jesus’ ultimate

security was in God.

Isa 31:1: Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay

on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and

in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not

unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!


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8. POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCIES:

WHEN CHRISTIANS CARRY ARMS!

We have spoken in favour of self-defence which comes in different forms and

shades: some are direct and others indirect: some passive and others active.

Carrying arms to defend oneself may be in itself one of the forms of active self-

defence, but it has some likely consequences we must beware of as a church.

I will begin with the words of my dear brother:

“Believers arming themselves is just the beginning; once they start

doing that, they will also start planning attacks; if care is not taken, we

may soon have a Christian terrorists group”.

If all Christians begin to arm themselves, it can indeed go out of hands and much

more innocent lives could be taken and now it is by the church. Many complications

because of lack of adequate training may arise. Carnality may channel itself through

that means. More than that, the enemy which we think is violent, may become

much more violent and ruthless than we ever can be. Disaster is their area of

specialization; guns, bullets and bombs are their ways. If we cannot do it perfectly,

I advise we stick to what we know to do best – faith.

The teaching of “Christians getting armed” in the hands of carnal Christians may as

well lead them to teach that the best form of defence is attack. Christians

themselves would then begin to plan attacks on the enemies holds; innocent lives

can be killed in the process. They may begin retaliation missions. They can begin to


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also kill wives and children and burn up houses. BITTERNESS, ANGER, WRATH, EVIL

SPEAKING, AND MERCILESSNESS AMONG SEVERAL EVIL MAY BEGIN TO FIND

EXPRESSION (Eph 4:31). Thus we must beware! We know ourselves as believers

that many church goers are not even born again. Imagine guns and bullets in the

hands of such a self-acclaimed church member who probably just lost his daughter

to the last terrorist attack. THE SAFEST GROUNDS FOR US IS FAITH IN GOD WHO IS

MIGHTY – THE LORD OF HOST AND THE COUNTLESS FIGHTER-ANGELS HE HAS SET

FORTH TO PROTECT US.

I will defend my family with my life if anyone tries to attack them because I love

them. THE MOTIVATION FOR SELF-DEFENCE IS LOVE and it should in fact be as

spontaneous as resisting harm coming to touch the apple of my natural eyes. My

family is the apple of my eye. This is love. But, if care is not taken, Christians can

begin to take actions out of bitterness, hatred, and anger; which by then would be

grossly displeasing to God. This is one of the disadvantages we must beware of.

If we have more Christians in the military – men who have been trained and

legalized to carry arms; such can flood Christian circles and be on the defence,

guarding all churches. If the Christian Body can be also be permitted to have

trained, “LEGALIZED BY GOVERNMENT” and spirit-filled paramilitary who can look

after and assist in this affairs, I believe this will be very effective. These paramilitary

can then call for volunteers to join them in this task and be supported financially.

But if all dick and harry Christians begin to arm themselves, things can grossly get

out of hands. SECURITY MAY SINCERELY AND POSSIBLY BE ACHIEVED AT SOME

POINTS, BUT I FEAR THAT OUR END MAY BE WORSE THAN OUR BEGINNING; AND


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THE EXAMPLE WE WILL LEAVE FOR AGES TO COME AND THE INFLUENCE THIS WILL

HAVE ON THE GOSPEL MAY BE VERY CATASTROPHIC.

Luke 18:7,8: And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry

day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell

you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the

Son of man cometh, SHALL HE FIND FAITH ON THE EARTH?

We must not because God seem slow to answer and fall into extremes. God is not

slow to answer. We are the ones that fail in our faith. This is what Jesus was saying.

Faith is the way. BUT WHEN WE SEE THAT THE SHIELD OF FAITH SEEM TO BE

FAILING, AND THE PROMISE OF SAFETY IN THE WORD SEEM LIKE OLD FABLES, WE

THEN THROW FAITH OUT THE WINDOW, AND BEGIN TO SEEK OTHER MEANS. We

must beware! When we persist in prayers and it seems God is not answering, shall

Jesus still find Faith on the earth when He returns? Self-defence must be taught

with grave caution and limited application especially as a church.


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9. RETHINKING PERSECUTION:

THE BRIGHT SIDE

We must understand that God is not threatened by persecution. This is a point we

must engrave on our hearts. Persecution has never destroyed the church nor the

work of God. It has as a matter of fact made us stronger. What has done the

greatest harm to the church is the mammon and comfort gospel; it is the one sided

teaching of materialism prosperity. It’s a pity many Christians do not see the real

enemy. The church sees the persecuted others as the unprivileged and the

disadvantaged, but it is not so, Amos 6:1 says “Woe to them that are at ease in

Zion…” it is we that are at excess ease that need to be watchful. Jesus said:

Matthew 5:10-12 “BLESSED ARE THEY WHICH ARE PERSECUTED

FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS' SAKE: for theirs is the kingdom of

heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall… persecute you… for

my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your

reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which

were before you.”

The persecuted saints are blessed people not pitiful ones. Their journey might have

been shortened but it’s only a matter of time, we will see them again. A THOUSAND

YEARS INTO ETERNITY, NO ONE WILL CARE HOW YOU DIED ON EARTH ANYMORE.

There is one other queer scripture in Mark that showed us that persecution is in

fact a compulsory factor in the reward of a believer in this world.


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Mar 10:29,30: And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say un to

you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or

sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for

my sake, and the gospel's, But he shall receive an hundredfold

now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and

mothers, and children, and lands, WITH PERSECUTIONS; and in

the world to come eternal life.

Jesus promised us that even though we will be greatly blessed in this world for

seeking the Lord, persecution will never be far away from us.

2Ti 3:12: Yea, and ALL THAT WILL LIVE GODLY in Christ Jesus

SHALL SUFFER PERSECUTION.

Persecution comes in different shades and colours and varies in degrees and

extents; but whosoever shall choose righteousness in this world of sin MUST suffer

persecution no matter how small. As a matter of fact IF YOU DON’T SUFFER THUS,

YOU ARE NOT LIVING GODLY OR NOT LIVING GODLY ENOUGH. You may be born

again but you are playing it too safe. Persecution actually originates from the devil

because we live in an evil world ruled by him and yet not belonging to him (1John

5:19 AMP). BUT GOD WHO IS ALMIGHTY AND SOVEREIGN MAKES SATAN’S

GREATEST WEAPON AGAINST US INTO OUR GREATEST PRIVILEGE.

Let us think of it this way. What is the greatest evil ever done on the face of the

universe? The answer is simple: The created beings (human) took their own

Creator, humiliated, punished, mutilated, and killed Him. That is the greatest evil

done in the Universe. Now let us ask another question. What is the greatest power

of God displayed in the Universe? What is the greatest expression of love revealed?


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What showed God’s greatest wisdom manifest? The answer is equally simple: The

passion, the death, the resurrection, and the ascension of the Creator. What did

we notice? WHAT WAS TO SATAN HIS GREATEST VICTORY WAS IN FACT GOD’S

GREATEST MIRACLE.

1Co 2:8: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had

they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Every iota of persecution fired at a believer by the devil is God’s blessing in His

ultimate picture. This is why Jesus shouted on the mount of olive “WHEN MEN

SHALL… PERSECUTE YOU… FOR MY SAKE. REJOICE, AND BE EXCEEDING GLAD”

In the book of Revelation, Jesus gave Apostle John seven messages to the seven

churches in the then Asia. Jesus would first mention their strength, and then their

weaknesses in each case, giving them a very sharp rebuke. It is worthy of note that

the only church that Jesus neither rebuked nor gave a commandment was Smyrna

– the persecuted church. The church in Smyrna was known for poverty, tribulation,

suffering, imprisonment, and trials. Jesus corrected nothing in this Church nor give

them any instruction. He only asked that they keep up what they have been doing.

That is a great benefit of persecution. Anywhere persecution is dominant, the level

of Christianity next to perfection is easily produced. This is because the persecuted

believers will naturally not have their eyes on the world. WHEN A GENERATION

FAILS TO GROW BY READING, STUDYING, MEDITATING, AND PRACTICING THE

WORD OF GOD, PERSECUTION BECOMES THE ONLY PRIVILEGED WAY TO FORCE

THEM TO GROW.


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On the other hand, the only church that Jesus – as loving as He was, had nothing

good to say about was “the church of the Laodiceans” – The Rich Church. This

church was neither obviously righteous nor were they obviously unrighteous, they

were very rich, increasing in wealth, and self-dependent. Doesn’t this sound like

the average church of our time? This is the only church that Jesus used the most

terrible words for: wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. (Rev 2 & 3)

Thus, persecution has its bright side. This wasteful and playful Christianity practiced

in many places today will be changed quickly to fervency if persecution hits.

Persecution separates quickly the wheat from the chaff. Comfort has done more

harm to Christianity than persecution will ever do. We must change our view of

persecution. There is in fact a prophesy in the Book of Daniel to this effect:

Dan 11:33-35: …yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame,

by captivity, and by spoil, many days… And some of them of

understanding shall fall, TO TRY THEM, AND TO PURGE, AND

TO MAKE THEM WHITE, EVEN TO THE TIME OF THE END:

because it is yet for a time appointed.

Jesus is coming for a Church without spots or wrinkle. How will that happen? If

Jesus appears in the sky today, with this shallow and carnal Christianity

everywhere, I tell you, many will be lost. Thus if we fail to purge ourselves with the

sword of the Word of God (2Cor 4:12) we shall unfailingly by God’s mercy be purged

by the sword of persecution. (Rev 3:10; Daniel 11:21-39) The harvest of the earth

must be ripened before Jesus comes. (Rev 14:15) If the Word does not ripen it,

persecution will. (For more incredible thoughts and truths about the end time, get

my teaching titled “Eschatology Unsealed”)


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Mar 9:43-49 …For EVERY ONE SHALL BE SALTED WITH FIRE, and

every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.

Everyone must go through fire one way or the other. It is either you go through the

fire of the Word, as you submit to it, read, meditate, study, take up your cross, deny

yourself, and obey Him. Or you are by God’s mercy salted with the fire of

circumstances and persecution. NOW IF YOU ESCAPE THESE TWO FIRES, I TELL YOU

MOST ASSUREDLY, YOU WILL NOT MISS THE FIRE OF HELL. Not my Head in Jesus

Name!

Notwithstanding, It’s been stated earlier that crime must be hated, and criminals

must be loved. If you claim you love righteousness and do not hate crime, your love

is incomplete. But with great emphasis, I’ll like to say that we must not allow

bitterness, anger, strife and wrath to dwell in our hearts against criminals, only

love.


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10. THE PLACE OF PRAYERS

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O WHAT PEACE WE OFTEN FORFEIT, O WHAT NEEDLESS PAIN WE BEAR ALL BECAUSE WE DO NOT CARRY, EVERYTHING TO GOD IN PRAYER

The place of prayers cannot be overemphasized in times like this. The great man of

God – Paul wrote:

Rom 15:30: Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus

Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive

together with ME IN YOUR PRAYERS TO GOD FOR ME; THAT I

MAY BE DELIVERED from them that do not believe in Judaea…

2Th 3:1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord

may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:

AND THAT WE MAY BE DELIVERED FROM UNREASONABLE AND

WICKED MEN: for all men have not faith.

Paul repeatedly asked the church to pray for him so that he can be delivered from

evil men. He in fact pleaded that they should please pray. If there is ever a time

when persecuted saints needed our prayers, it is now. We all know that Apostle

Peter was also saved from Herod and the desire of the Jew because the church

prayed for him without ceasing. (Acts 12:5)

GOD NEEDS YOUR PRAYER: John Wesley in the words of Kenneth Hagin said:

“It appears as though God is limited by our prayers, He can do nothing

except we ask Him”


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God needs your prayer and my prayers to save the saints from the paws of the

enemy. You never can tell what your prayer can do. The effectual fervent prayer of

the righteous avails much. (James 5:16) Only when we get to heaven are we going

to know who and who our simple prayers have saved from death. Let us pray. There

was a time I made it a point of duty to pray for the safety of one random persecuted

saint per day. We can imbibe the same. I say again, only in heaven are we going to

be able to value the effect of some of these fervent prayers we offer, some of which

seem to be useless.

PRAY IN TONGUES: I believe that it was the prayer in tongues of the church that

caused the salvation of Paul on the way to Damascus; and it was the prayer of the

saints that caused the death of Herod who was eaten by worms. (That is my opinion

based on Ezekiel 22:30; because God would be unable to do something if men fail

to pray.) Let’s pray in tongues; the Holy Spirit will take these prayers and convert

them into the perfect will of God for His church. We must pray all kinds of prayers

and supplications as regards this matter in understanding (Eph 6:18), and when we

have said all there is to say, let us pray in the unknown tongue. (1Cor 14:15)

1Co 14:2: For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh

not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him;

howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.

PRAY MORE FOR THE SAINTS: Moreover, we must focus more on praying for the

saints more than praying against the persecutors. Persecution has come to stay in

the world (Mark 10:30; 2Tim 3:12). It can be drastically reduced for a time, an area

may be free for a season, and a certain group may be defeated, but it’s only a

matter of time before satan raises another. Satan is the real enemy here; and as


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long as he is out there, persecution will not cease. We must be aware of this.

Throughout the New Testament, believers never prayed against persecutors, they

only prayed and asked for prayers that believers be saved from the hands of evil. I

believed they learned that from the prayer of Jesus:

John 17:15: I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the

world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

PRAY FOR MEN IN AUTHORITY: It is equally important to pray for the military and

for the government that God will guide, guard, and grant them wisdom, strength,

courage, and boldness. We must pray all kinds of prayers. We must pray that God

will raise leaders that will make the security of believers a priority.

1Ti 2:1,2: I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications,

prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all

men; For kings, and FOR ALL THAT ARE IN AUTHORITY; THAT

WE MAY LEAD A QUIET AND PEACEABLE LIFE in all godliness

and honesty.

Note the words in upper case. Rather than sit and criticize them that they are

corrupt and doing nothing; let us pray for them all. Otherwise our quiet and

peaceable life is at stake.

YOU WILL HAVE WHAT YOU SAY: When Jesus asked us to pray for our enemies, he

didn’t mean that we should call fire upon them in prayers. He rebuked His disciples

for making such attempt. (Luke 9:54,55) In context, He meant that we should wish

them well. He said we should love them. Nevertheless, Jesus also knew that if we

ask God for fire upon the enemy and we believe, we will have whatsoever we say

as long as our standing is right. As believers, life and death is in the power of our


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tongue (Proverb 18:21). We can sincerely kill people in the Name of Jesus if our

standing is right (i.e. I mean if those people overstep their boundaries and we are

in such position of authority to make such decree). Jesus said He holds the keys of

hell and death, (Rev 1:18) and you know anything Jesus has, He has given to the

Church. Peter did this to Saphira (Acts 5:9). All the same, we can as well have mercy

on people also in the Name of Jesus. Whichever we want, if we believe, we will

receive it. But it is important we know that we will give account of how we use the

Name of Jesus that has been given to us while we are here on earth. So we must

beware and use our power wisely and justly.

Our God can destroy, oh yes, nobody can wreck more havoc than He can; if you do

not believe, ask Sodom and Gomorrah; or ask Israelites when they turned against

God. In split seconds, seventy thousand persons were dead in the Bible. There is no

man made bomb that can wreck more havoc that God can wreck. God’s water

bomb wrecked the whole world except just eight persons. NOTWITHSTANDING HE

IS HAPPIER MAKING AND SAVING LIVES THAN DESTROYING THEM. He is forced to

reluctantly destroy when He has no other choice. For the Son of man is not come

to destroy men's lives, but to save them. (Luke 9:56) Let this mind be in you!

PRAY AGAINST THEIR PLANS: It is also important we pray that God frustrates their

plans and exposes them. If the plans of the more than forty persons that bound

themselves never to EAT NOR DRINK (can you imagine) till they kill Paul was not

exposed, he would have been dead earlier. (Acts 23:12) After all effort proved

abortive to kill Paul and now ten, twenty, thirty days has passed; I can imagine one

of them saying to his fasting neighbour “Friend, me I want to go and drink


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something o, I cannot come and go and die” That is Yoruba colloquial English

(smiles.) So we can destroy, make futile, abort, and expose their plans in the Name

of Jesus.

PRAY AGAINST EVERY ISLAMISATION AGENDA: We can talk about self-defence

because we have the government on our side. May it not happen that Nigeria is

Islamised. Because, by then, there will be no such thing as self-defence. You either

escape for your life or you suffer and die. Defending yourself or your loved ones in

any means will immediately make you a rebel against the authority and against

God. In such case, all must like a sheep go to the slaughter. THUS, WE MUST PRAY

AGAINST ALL OF SUCH AGENDA. It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.

(Isaiah 7:7) I believe the message is well passed.

PRAY IN FAITH: While praying all prayers is important, it is far more important to

pray in faith. This will produce more result than the faithless prayers of thousands

put together can achieve. Our prayers must be clothed with boldness and faith in

the Word rather than fear, doubts, tears, and sorrow. Prayer and the Word are our

greatest weapon.

Jam 1:6,7: But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he

that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind

and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any

thing of the Lord.

WE MUST ACT: Faith without work is dead. We cannot just continue to pray and

fail to do our part when it is required. This is the message of this teaching: it is for

us to know how to act and when it is right. We must use all righteous means to


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achieve our prayers. More also, we must not only pray for right leaders, we must

vote them into power. We must vote godly men into power and not merely vote in

our bellies. They may all be ungodly, nonetheless, we can choose the godliest of

the ten ungodly contestants. WE MUST ALSO SEND THE MOST FEARLESS AND

MOST FERVENT OF OUR CHRISTIAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS INTO POLITICS. One of

the greatest mistake the church makes is to send the weakest yet richest of men

into politics. We send the most carnal and infant of believers into politics, all they

make of it and their lives is a mess. They go and become twice the children of hell.

We must watch!


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11. WE ARE NOT THE OBJECTS OF PITY!

We must not be embittered against terrorists. We must love them and pray for

them. That is what Jesus taught us. WE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THEIR SHOES IF NOT

FOR GRACE. These terrorists are bombing themselves, risking their lives, and going

to hell fire. This is satan destroying the lives of men. We must not join him in

destroying them. They are paying so dearly to go and perish. How sad!

Can you imagine that someone is deceived to risk his life to carry arms or become

a suicide bomber? He dies uselessly in the process and eventually still burns in the

lake of fire forever. Isn’t that person the object of pity? They are the disadvantaged

ones. We should pity them. Unlike a believer. All these Christians that die are going

into peace. Their journey might have been shortened, but they are up there

rejoicing all the same. No more hunger, no more worries, no more problem; they

are up there happy that they left this fallen decayed world, and some of us are

down here worried about them; while they are up there rejoicing. We must not

sorrow like those that have no hope. If anyone should feel sorry, and if we should

feel sorry for anyone, it is for those who are destroying their lives and making

themselves twice the sons of hell.

1Th 4:13: But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren,

concerning them which are asleep, THAT YE SORROW NOT,

EVEN AS OTHERS WHICH HAVE NO HOPE.

Our brothers and sisters that have been killed have only gone to sleep. It’s only a

matter of time. We shall see them again. Let’s not make the world feel we are


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disadvantaged. All of us sing about how sweet heaven is. When we hear people are

sent there we begin to cry. We should only weep because we will miss them not

because they are disadvantaged. No matter what this earth life might be able to

promise them, heaven has much more for them.

Psalm 116:15: Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of

his saints.

While the world here is seeing the death of Stephen as a disadvantage, in heaven,

the supposed to be seated Son of God – Jesus, was giving this man a standing

ovation to receive him. It is somehow the way Christians today approach the death

of Comrades. We address it like we have no hope. Jesus did not fall apart or begin

to cry when he heard the news that John the Baptist (His cousin and partner in

ministry) was shamelessly beheaded. Let us be careful. Let us bounce out in pride.

We are the happy people. Indeed death is sorrowful, notwithstanding, we must

mourn with focus, vision, and hope. Let us not go around discussing how

disadvantaged the Christians are. Jesus ask us to rejoice and be exceedingly glad.

Let this mind be in you.

Luke 23:27,28: And there followed him a great company of

people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.

But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem,

WEEP NOT FOR ME, but weep for yourselves, and for your

children.

This is why we should pray for these enemies of God. Jesus saw the bright side and

found that we are not the disadvantaged ones. This is why Jesus prayed for those

that were killing Him because, He knew He wasn’t disadvantaged. It’s those that


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are killing Him that needed prayers, not Him. They are the ones in danger, not Him.

So He cried “Father, forgive them, it is not their fault, they simply do not know what

they are doing”. An Excerpt from the Foxe’s Book of Martyrs.

The woman desired earnestly to die with her husband, but she was not

suffered; yet, following him to the place of execution, she gave him

comfort, exhorting him to perseverance and patience for Christ's sake,

and, parting from him with a kiss, said, "Husband, rejoice, for we have

lived together many joyful days; but this day, in which we must die,

ought to be most joyful unto us both, because we must have joy

forever; therefore I will not bid you good night, for we shall suddenly

meet with joy in the Kingdom of Heaven." The woman, after that, was

taken to a place to be drowned, and albeit she had a child sucking on

her breast, yet this moved nothing in the unmerciful hearts of the

enemies…

Rejoice Brethren. For we are not the object of pity! Make it not look thus. Let this

mind be in you!


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12. FINALLY

Love is the ultimate key. We must love our enemies and do good to those that

persecute us. We must not give room to any iota of bitterness. We must not reduce

ourselves to their level. Love is our lifestyle because God who dwell in us is love and

He has commanded us to love our enemies, and these murderers qualify perfectly.

IF FOR ANY REASON WE ARE FORCED TO HURT ANOTHER PERSON, IT MUST BE

BECAUSE OF LOVE NOT BECAUSE OF BITTERNESS, HATRED, ANGER, OR HURT. It is

very important we note this. We flog our children because we love their future. We

defend Christians because we love them and hate to watch them die helplessly.

We must understand that this is a spiritual battle. The devil is the one behind all of

these. He is the one using them to war against Christ. If we have any opportunity

to show them love, we must not hesitate. That’s why we serve a living God and

they a dead god. We must not use derogative words against them. We must put off

all evil speaking. It perturbs me when Christians begin to use vulgar and offensive

words against terrorist. This is wrong irrespective of what they do. Do not sink

down to their level. We are out to prove the power of love. We remember that

even Michael the archangel did not speak evil of satan, but simply said “the Lord

rebuke you” (Jude 1:9) Thus we must love them and pray for them, God in His mercy

can take our prayers to save some of their “Pauls”. The Foxe’s Book of Martyrs told

stories of soldiers and executioners getting saved during the persecution. Thus, the

effectual power of prayers cannot be over emphasized. The prayers of saints


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eventually turned the entire Roman Empire over to Christianity in the days of

Constantine.

Self-defence may at times be necessary. BUT FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH, THE JESUS

WAY REMAINS THE MOST RELIABLE, SOPHISTICATED, SAFEST, EFFECTIVE,

MIGHTIEST, LETHAL, TESTED, TRUSTED, AND MOST SCRIPTURALLY BASED MEANS

OF PROTECTION AND DEFENCE FOR ALL CHRISTIANS IRRESPECTIVE OF AGE, SEX,

STATUS OR CIRCUMSTANCES. The God that sent one angel to kill 185,000 in one

night; the God that mounted the hills with horses and chariots of fire all around

Elisha; the God that smote Herod with worms; the God of whom Jesus said can give

Him legions of angels for His protection, is still our God. He is the same yesterday,

today, and forever. Glory to God.

Let us teach and exhort all to believe and confess that we cannot die before our

time; that we all be wise and smart; and we all will ask and believe in the ministry

of angels. According to our faith, be it unto us; all things are possible to him that

believes. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of

perfectness. (Col 3:14) Shalom!

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise

God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. (1Ti 1:17)


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A LETTER FROM THE PAST

This is the letter written in blood, for which Richard Roth was slain on the

17th of September, 1557 which He wrote to comfort persecuted believers.

Excerpted from the Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. Pg 185-86

"O dear Brethren and Sisters,

"How much reason have you to rejoice in God, that He hath

given you such faith to overcome this bloodthirsty tyrant thus

far! And no doubt He that hath begun that good work in you,

will fulfill it unto the end. O dear hearts in Christ, what a

crown of glory shall ye receive with Christ in the kingdom of

God! O that it had been the good will of God that I had been

ready to have gone with you; for I lie in my lord's Little ease by

day, and in the night I lie in the Coalhouse, apart from Ralph

Allerton, or any other; and we look every day when we shall be

condemned; for he said that I should be burned within ten days

before Easter; but I lie still at the pool's brink, and every man

goeth in before me; but we abide patiently the Lord's leisure,

with many bonds, in fetters and stocks, by which we have

received great joy of God. And now fare you well, dear brethren

and sisters, in this world, but I trust to see you in the heavens

face to face.

"O brother Munt, with your wife and my sister Rose, how

blessed are you in the Lord, that God hath found you worthy to


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suffer for His sake! with all the rest of my dear brethren and

sisters known and unknown. O be joyful even unto death. Fear

it not, saith Christ, for I have overcome death. O dear heart,

seeing that Jesus Christ will be our help, O tarry you the Lord's

leisure. Be strong, let your hearts be of good comfort, and wait

you still for the Lord. He is at hand. Yea, the angel of the Lord

pitcheth his tent round about them that fear him, and

delivereth them which way he seeth best. For our lives are in

the Lord's hands; and they can do nothing unto us before God

suffer them. Therefore give all thanks to God.

"O dear hearts, you shall be clothed in long white garments

upon the mount of Sion, with the multitude of saints, and with

Jesus Christ our Savior, who will never forsake us. O blessed

virgins, ye have played the wise virgins' part, in that ye have

taken oil in your lamps that ye may go in with the Bridegroom,

when he cometh, into the everlasting joy with Him. But as for

the foolish, they shall be shut out, because they made not

themselves ready to suffer with Christ, neither go about to

take up His cross. O dear hearts, how precious shall your death

be in the sight of the Lord! for dear is the death of His saints.

O fare you well, and pray. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be

with you all. Amen, Amen. Pray, pray, pray!

"Written by me, with my own blood,


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OTHER E-BOOK TEACHINGS BY TOMISIN AJILEYE

The Hidden Wisdom of God

(The Wisdom of man against the 36 Wisdom of God)

Tithing and the New Testament Man

Knowing the Real God

(Vol 1: This is Eternal Life)


(Vol 2: God is Omnipotent)


(Vol 3: God is Omniscient)


(Vol 4: God is Love)

Eschatology unsealed

Do Believers have Eternal Security?

A New Commandment

(Vol 1: Loving the Lord)

Eternal Pillars

(The Three indestructible pillars of Christianity)

For questions or comments; or to get any of these Teachings sent to you:

Send a mail to [email protected] or

Call or text only +2349055353320

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what should christians do about persecution tomisin ajileye 15 02-2017

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