There
is not a person alive, or deceased for that matter, that has not known ridicule
or persecution for their looks, their thoughts or their beliefs...it just comes
with the territory of being human. But some of us deal with persecution better
than others and some of us totally melt into oblivion when persecution comes
knocking at our door.
You
see, there is always a payout for persecution..either to our benefit or our
demise. Often, we react to persecution based on our value system and what the
end game might be. But as Christians, Christ forewarned us that as His
followers, we would be PRIME TARGETS for persecution of all kinds. He implored
us to "put up treasures in Heaven" and by so doing, ease the pain of
persecution.
But
what does that mean? Well, you can always tell the difference between a
believer who has his feet planted in the world and the one that has firmly
planted his feet in the Kingdom to come. Though we all may live in both worlds,
we must choose daily where to plant our feet and where to build our treasure.
Those who build for the here and now are noticeably shaken when their world is
shaken; but the believer who is firmly grounded in Kingdom endeavors, he is
able to persevere through any of life's pitfalls or persecutions.
And
when does persecutions come? When we are most committed to following the
leadership of the Holy Spirit; when we are truly pursuing the ways of
righteousness as demonstrated by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ...well, you
can bank on persecution to come knocking! But God has promised us not only
deliverance, but a place of deliverance...our eternal home! When we are
persecuted, we need only lift our eyes toward Heaven and see that glorious
promise...
Blessed are those who are persecuted, for
righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Persecution,
probably more than anything else a believer may face, reveals how eternally
focused he may be. It lets him know, in no uncertain terms, the true depth and width
and breadth of his faith... and in the
midst of that persecution, his faith is purified and built up...stronger and
more resilient than he may have ever imagined. It is in the midst of this fiery
oven that all the dross is burned away and we can see more clearly what our
heart's treasure truly is...a treasure of unspeakable worth!!!
So,
do as Paul urged the Corinthians to do in II Cor. 4:8-9, " We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; we are
perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but
not destroyed."
Look
to the author and finisher of your faith to accomplish His will and His way in
the midst of any persecution, knowing that He is with you always...and He is
ALWAYS victorious...and in that promise of the last beatitude is that one day,
for we will all be persecuted for the Lord's sake, we will all be
home...eternally present in the Kingdom of Heaven.
AMEN
and Amen,
WPQ
Poem for the day:
Life is hard; the storm clouds
come...
And no one seems to care;
But lift your eyes toward heaven,
See the Savior waiting there.
For He knows the pain and suffering;
The persecution that is near;
And He will draw you close to Him
To relieve your pain and fear.
For He has walked this path before
That lead to His great loss;
So if we are to follow Him,
We, too, must bear our cross.
For persecution will surely come,
It may seem too much to bear;
But this burden is not ours alone
For Jesus will be there.....
He'll walk with us hand in hand
Where He has gone before;
He'll lead us to our home prepared
As we pass through Heaven's door....
Evermore to be with Him
In our heavenly resting place;
To spend our days in eternity
Gazing upon His face....
So take great comfort in this my
friend;
When dark clouds of persecution come....
Jesus is with you every step of the
way;
Ready to lead you HOME!
WPQ @August 2019
This is the last post in this
series...remember to
Be Blessed, Not Stressed
and
Give God the Glory!!!!
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