Not All Roses (Hebrews 10:32)

ROSES

DESIRING THE DRAMATIC

Depending on a person's individual experience, believers often want some type of 'Word' from God or a dramatic pronouncement from a prophetic voice. All of those have merit, but experience has shown, that every revelation we receive is also accompanied by attacks from the enemy intended to make the individual let go of that revelation and not 'endure' to victory. What is even more evident, is that the more dramatic the revelatory experience [e.g. an audible voice, or strong prophetic pronouncement], the more intense the actual persecution that comes against the person. In fact, anyone who has received those dramatic supernatural experiences is often very reticent about receiving another such dramatic "word from God". God usually allows such supernatural dramatic displays because you will need something very profound to "hold on to'' in the suffering that lies ahead.

DIRECT CORRELATION

A direct correlation exists between receiving spiritual revelation and the enemy's attacks. Granted, we can cause problems for ourselves through bad decisions, even as Peter writes, "...let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters" (1 Peter 4:15). But, in the parable of the Sower and the Seed, it clearly says, "...tribulation [(thlipsis), 2347, internal pressure; anxiety] or persecution [(diogmos), 1375, physical violence] arises because of the word,..." (Matt.13:21), or, "...affliction (thlipsis), or persecution (diogmos) arises for the word's sake..." (Mk.4:17).

HEBREWS 10:32 says, "But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great fight of afflictions."

CALL TO REMEMBRANCE

This is all one word in the Greek, (anaminnesko), 363, which is only used 6 times in the NT [Mk.11:21; 14:72; 1 Cor.4:17; 2 Cor.7:15; 2 Tim.1:6; Heb.10:32], and is in the present tense, implying the constant habit of recalling or going over something repeatedly, in your mind.

THE FORMER DAYS

Readers should constantly remind themselves of past events because they reveal spiritual patterns.

AFTER YOU WERE ILLUMINATED

This is all one word in Greek, (phōtízō), 5461, [from (phṓs),5457, 'light'], and is where the English word 'photo' comes from, and the meaning is 'to give light' or 'to shine'. The idea is receiving spiritual illumination or revelation regarding your life, with the strong implication, that once you receive revelation about something in the Word, the enemy tries to make you back off from experiencing what legally belongs to you.

EXAMPLES:

You receive Christ into your life, are born again, and he tries to tell you, "It was all just emotions," "It wasn't real," or "You're not really saved".

You receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, speaking in other languages you've never learned, and someone tells you, "That's just jibberish," or, "You're just making things up," or, "Maybe you received something from the devil".

You receive healing in your physical body, or start to see healing in the Word, and other manifestations of the supernatural, and someone tells you, "That was just for the early church," or, "All that passed away with the last apostle," or, "That was only for the Jews under the Old Covenant." A host of other lies like these are bought into by the uneducated or religiously brainwashed, causing them to be robbed of God's best for them.

ENDURED

This is the Greek word (hypomeno), 5278, which is a combination of (hypo), 'under' and (meno), 'to endure'; 'remain'; 'continue'. The idea is that despite the conflict, suffering, mental or physical persecution, the individual does not quit; they continue 'to remain under' the pressure, for as long as it takes to win, or come through successfully.

FIGHT

This word is (athlesis), 119, which is only used here in the NT, and specifically refers to an athletic contest, and is a direct analogy to engaging in a public contest, or to being combative in the Grecian games; even of gladiators. Some versions translate it as 'wrestling'.

EPHESIANS 6:12 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

AFFLICTIONS

This is the Greek word (pathema), 3804, which, of the 16 times it is used in the NT, 11 times it is translated as 'suffering', which generally refers to some type of physical 'suffering', pain, or hardship, or even mental pressure affecting the mind.

NEVER FORGET

God the Father wants the best for His children, but it's important to understand, and never forget, that the revelation those 'heroes' of the Faith walk in—the ones many desire to experience—was and is accompanied with suffering, from the attacks of the enemy, through some very hard fought endurance to victory.

You are God's Best and God's Best is Yours