Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
God told Noah HE was going to destroy all flesh. But Noah found favor with God and God made a plan to save Noah from the destruction HE was bringing on this world.
Gen. 6 ... And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. 15And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: (God went on to tell Noah the length and the exact way to make this ark.)
Noah did exactly what God told him to do.
No doubt Noah suffered as he built the ark. People watching him would mock him.
When we do what God tells us to do, there is a suffering "for the word's sake" ... people watch us and mock us and despise us ... because of what we are doing ... " But it was God who told me to do that..." then the suffering is because of that instruction from God that we are doing at the moment ... just as Noah suffered and all those of God suffered before us ... we share in their sufferings as we obey God ... we share in the sufferings of Christ as we obey God.
Paul was a very religious man before he was born again. After he was born again, Paul turned from the flesh and had no confidence in the flesh and desired the following ... Phil. 3 ... 9And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
We have the "fellowship of HIS sufferings" each time we hear God and do what HE says.
I was born again in 1975. At that time I owned a business in Dallas and 3 women worked for me. During that period a customer sued me. The case went to trial in a US court of law. Just before the court trial, I heard, "Don't testify." I believed that instruction was from God. I told my lawyer I would not be testifying. He said we would have a stronger case and couldn't lose if I would testify but he would represent me anyway.
One woman who worked for me and witnessed the event, was very unhappy with me when she heard I was not going to testify. She said it left all the burden of testifying on her. I explained that I believed God told me not to testify. It didn't make any difference at all to her. She was still angry with me. (persecution for the word's sake)
We went to trial. Gordon, my lawyer, came to me and said Flo's testimony was not as strong as he would have liked but if I would testify we would not be able to lose the case. If I did not testify, he didn't know what would happen to me. I said, "Just a minute ... I'll check." So I left the court room and went into the restroom and asked God if I could testify. I heard, "Don't testify."
I returned to the court room and just shook my head "no" at my attorney.
The man I was dating at that time was very upset with me. He said, "You're not doing this girl any good by not testifying." I explained to Bob that God told me not to testify and I couldn't testify. Bob was still upset with me. (persecution for the word's sake)
The trial continued. We won the case.
Paul said: "all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." II Tim. 3:12
When we try to do what God has told us to do, people will persecute us and the persecution will be "for the Word's sake."
If you were once a drunk and then are born again and stop drinking, your drinking buddies will persecute you for you no longer join them in their sins. This is persecution for the word's sake.
If you were once the life of the party and then are born again and no longer pursue fornication as you once did, your friends will turn on you. This is persecution for the word's sake.
We think of persecution as being thrown to the lions as some were in the early church.
But the mental/emotional persecution we go through is persecution and when it comes to us because we have gone in the way of God or are following God, it is persecution for the word's sake.
Paul explains: II Cor. 1 ... Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 5For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
... 7And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
As God raises the dead, HE raises us after the persecution we encounter for the word's sake because we did what God showed us to do. God comforts us and keeps us on track as HE brings us comfort from the Holy Spirit in the midst of the persecution. Focus on that shown you by the Holy Spirit and allow that to overcome the persecution.
I Peter 4 ... 12Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 14If ye be reproached for the name of Christ (reproached for THE WORD), happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he (The Word) is evil spoken of, but on your part he (The Word) is glorified.
15But 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.
16Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.