(Mat 5:10) Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Those who are happy in Christ can find themselves abused, tormented, and ignored by those who oppose the cause of Christ. How can it be that we can find happiness in being mistreated for our Lord? Persecution is evidence that we are one of Christ’s. It shows that we are willing to put Jesus ahead of ourselves, our comfort and our well-being. It exposes the King of Kings as the ruler of our hearts and actions. Our membership in His Kingdom is proved by His reigning in our lives.
When He reigns in us, we can rest assured He is our King. We are a part of His kingdom now and will enjoy being a part of His perfect Kingdom in eternity future. This is the source of a Christian’s joy in the midst of persecution for His name’s sake.
This is one mark of a person who has been blessed by God and is living a happy life in Him. Does today’s verse describe your life? Do you have lasting peace and happiness in Christ? If not, trust in Christ and follow Him. He makes us a promise “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”
May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.
SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
SIH Text Blog: http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/
SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/
SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com
None of us like being persecuted (term used lightly as we don't really know what it means when compared with some in other parts of the world). We probably avoid persecution when we can, but when we do endure it, we experience the Lord's presence in a very real way and His encouragement and comfort see us through . . . and even bring joy.
ReplyDeleteAngela,
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, if we define persecution as "putting our lives or limbs at risk", this is a wonderful blessing for those who have the privilege of being citizens of our great country.
However, I've seen in my experiences that, many times, persecution is "in the eye of the beholder" if you know what I mean. For example, I've seen true suffering on behalf of a Godly person who is has an unsaved spouse who is constantly being bitter and critical and demeaning of their spiritual walk... to them this is true persecution for their faith. Or for the saved person whose boss constantly ridicules them for their stand for Christ, overlooks them for promotions, treats them unfairly and does everything they can to make their life miserable... again, to them this is a true type of persecution. It may not be life threatening, but it certainly does make life a genuine struggle from day to day. To them this is persecution, and on a certianl level, I believe they are correct.
Thanks for another great comment,
Lord bless you
Pastor Rob, our minister shared a most encouraging meditation last evening at Vesper Service about being able to rejoice in the midst of persecution for His Name's sake. When we truly devote ourselves to walking in His footsteps, we are excluded,ridiculed, etc., even if we are not put to death for our faith, as many still are around the world. Wonderful post here! Bless you!
ReplyDeleteHow very true.... the ultimate persecution results in our physical lives given for Him... but there are many lesser types of persecution that most of us face every day. Lord bless you, Granbee
ReplyDeleteGood morning Rob! I LOVED this post! I guess it's because I can relate to it. I didn't develop a serious relationship with Christ until later in life, after my present husband and I had been married for quite some time. He is one of those who don't believe a person can change. So it has been very difficult for him to understand the "new creature" in me. He is always mocking me calling me names such as "holy roller" and other stigmas pertaining to my faith, and I just grin and say "yes, that's me, and I'm proud of it. What is so funny (strange) is that even though he laughs at me for my faith, he is always the one if for some reason thinking of not going to church or something will encourage me and remind me that I need to go and I always feel better after I get there.
ReplyDeleteI guess I'm strange, but I welcome the "persecution" from others. It gives me an open door to witness and explain why I am the way I am, and my love for God. I wish my memory was better, but a verse that pops into my mind when someone starts mocking and ridiculing me is Philippians 3:7 where Paul said that But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Well, you know me, I could go on and on, so I will stop while "your ahead" haha.
God Bless,
PJ
I do not know how difficult it must be to be ridiculed for your faith by your spouse. I have been poked fun at by others but never my spouse. Eva's support for my ministry has been a tremendous blessing for me. I certainly am in prayer for you. I'm really glad that you seem to be handling the ridicule VERY WELL. I can see the Lord's grace at work in your life. As you say... the ridicule opens the door for you to be a tremendous testimony for the Lord. Lord bless you PJ.
ReplyDelete