March 13, 2026

Blessed Are The Believers

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Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.   Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

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Sticks and stones may break my bones,
But words will never hurt me.
Yet, words hurt me when I am alone,
With no one to help me be
Happy and to be me.

People are going to talk
Behind my back
As I quietly walk
Down the road and back.

Evil will be spoke against me,
And I will try to block it out
As I try to be
My best without any doubt.

There will be those who hate
The belief that I hold dear
But I know my fate
Just as I know theirs.

They will answer one day
For all that they do
And everything they hurtfully say
Yet they have no clue.

Yet I know what that one day
Will bring to me and believers all
Who believe what One has to say
For we answered His call.

Our reward brings joy
To our hearts because it is great
To know that glory
Is now our fate.

Those who went before
Were treated the same
But they knew the score
Was with the one without blame.

We should all smile
And hold our heads high,
As we walk our hard mile
For our reward is nigh.

He will come soon
And end all the hate.
It may be high noon,
But unbelievers will meet their fate.

Believers will have eternal life,
With joyous smiles and eternal glory.
Nonbelievers will have eternal strife,
Within the confines of eternal fury.

The Cross bore the brunt of the hate, but Jesus still won.  He beat the persecution and the evil so that we could live in eternity.  The prophets knew this was coming, and we know that it happened.  We know the joy and the rewards that await in Heaven, and that should get us through these days of hate and pain.

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Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for defeating evil.  Thank You for the opportunity to walk with You and be in a relationship with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Persecuted In The Present Tense

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Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.   Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

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In this last of the Beatitudes, Jesus offers encouragement to those who suffer for His sake.  This Beatitude carries on the thought from the previous one, but this time Jesus makes it personal: not just “those who have been persecuted,” but “you when they revile you and persecute you.”

Verse 10
Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Verse 11
Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you,
and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.

Clearly Jesus expected His followers to be ill-treated, and He speaks of this ill-treatment in three ways: reviling them, persecuting them, and saying all kinds of evil against them.

Reviling comes when you are insulted or verbally abused because of your faith. The early Christians were mocked because of their belief in the Resurrection. They were called “atheists” because they denied the Roman deities and believed in a God the Roman government did not recognize. The Jews considered them heretics and blasphemers because they identified Jesus as God.

By persecuting I think we can understand Jesus to mean what usually comes to mind: physical abuse, and blatant singling out for “special treatment” on account of one’s faith. This may encompass the other two (reviling and speaking evil of someone), but I think it also brings in beatings, political pressure and punishment, social restriction, and so on. Whenever Christians are denied advancement—either politically, or in the workplace—on account of their faith, or are in other ways treated differently and adversely because they are Christians, persecution is taking place.

Say all kinds of evil against you falsely covers false accusations brought against a Christian to sully his or her reputation, often to justify persecution. In the early church, the Christian sacrament of communion was said to be an orgy, with the participants engaging in illicit sexual behavior and cannibalism. Whether or not this was a genuine misunderstanding of the Christian “love meal,” wherein the symbolic body and blood of Christ is consumed, or a deliberate distortion, it didn’t help the Christians gain favor in the world.

Not only are Christians blessed when they are persecuted, but they should, in fact, rejoice and be glad.  Why?  Because ‘your reward is great in heaven.’

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward [is] great in heaven;
for in the same way they persecuted the prophets [who were] before you.
Verse 12

Note that this is in the present tense.  This means that the heavenly reward that belongs to the ill-treated Christian is not some future hope, but it is a present reality.  Because the Christian is willing to suffer reviling, persecution, and character assassination for the sake of Jesus, he or she is blessed.  And what’s more, the Christian can–and should–rejoice and be glad in the face of such abuse, because God has already granted him or her a reward in heaven.  What is that reward?  Jesus doesn’t say.  But it should be enough to know that the Lord knows what we go through for His sake and, while He doesn’t promise to make life easier here, He does assure us that we already have something infinitely better waiting for us in eternity.

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Lord, we thank You for the reward that is awaiting the children that are being persecuted for Your name’s sake. We trust You in all things! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Take Joy

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Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.   Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Ever been accused of doing something you did not do?  It can be an occasion to become angry, confused, and desperate.  Jesus was foreshadowing how His life was going to play out.  Even though He knew the outcome of His life, He still chose to let others in on God’s basic plan.  God wanted His people, Israel to come back to Him.  From the time that Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, they have done nothing but whine and complain.

In the New Testament we have Christ’s example to follow in order to honor Him. We also have the Apostle Paul and John the Baptist as examples of how to live and not become discouraged. Jesus was tasked to show and tell others about His Father in Heaven, about how to get to Heaven, and how to grow in our faith.  Paul showed us through his perseverance during his journey across the Middle East that teaching others about God’s love was more important than his own safety and comfort. While Paul was beaten, whipped, stranded, jailed, and shipwrecked, he never lost his passion and drive to share with others. The zeal he had used to persecute the Christians was the same he used to tell others the good news!

John the Baptist is an example of sacrifice for his beliefs. God sent John to be a messenger for Jesus’ ministry.  John was raised with rules and a different purpose than most other kids.  Being taught Scripture by both parents, he was raised in a strict Nazarene lifestyle—set apart and different.  I am sure he was persecuted for the way he behaved and how he was different while he was young and definitely during his ministry. The Holy Spirit was with John while he preached the coming of the Messiah. He was able to discern the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and other religious leaders when they came to hear him speak.

We all know the outcome of each of their lives. What is more important is how they lived. The desire to serve God was so overwhelming they could not stop themselves. I pray that we, also, would receive a desire like their’s to share the Lord’s love with others as we live our lives.

Boldness

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Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.   Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

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Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:11-12

Last week I wrote about rejecting Christ. Is denying Christ to be accepted by man acceptable in your eyes? Who truly is the Lord of your life? Are you a God-pleaser or is people-pleasing more important? As easy as it can be to point out the negative, it’s only fitting that the positive be addressed. Standing for Christ or having boldness can be scary; it’s one of those things that is better shown through example. And I know exactly where to find some great examples!

Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
Daniel 6:10

On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance.
Esther 5:1

The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live.
Esther 1:17

Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.”
1 Samuel 14:6

David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
1 Samuel 17:45

If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and He will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.
Daniel 3:17

Each of these verses is pulled from a record in the Bible of an ordinary person standing boldly for Christ. Boldness isn’t about our ability, but about our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Boldness is about what He can do—not what we can do. Boldness is saying “No, I won’t cheat” when everyone else is. Boldness is not being different for the sake of being different, but with godly purpose.

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.
A man reaps what he sows.
Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction;
whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
Galatians 6:7-8

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Dear Lord, give me the strength to be bold for Your cause and Your cause alone. In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

Beautiful Words

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Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

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Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:10

Beautiful Words, beautiful Words, He spoke beautiful Words.
The wind lay still, and the whole world listened as He spoke beautiful Words.

Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth.
Blesses are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the Children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake;
For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you,
And shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Beautiful Words, beautiful Words; He spoke beautiful Words.
The wind lay still, and the whole world listened as He spoke beautiful Words.

Persecution For Our Lord

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Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

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Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:10

Here, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is reminding those listening about the prophets who suffered in the Old Testament. We should be glad when we  are persecuted for our belief in Jesus Christ. When persecuted, we are associated with His meekness, with how He mourns over us when we willfully sin and how He shows mercy.  Jesus wants us to walk by faith, not by sight.

Jeremiah is one of these Old Testament prophets.  He was selected by God to call His people back to Him.  The leaders kept ignoring Jeremiah.  They felt all he had to say were negative things about them and about what was going to happen to them if they did not repent and turn back to God.  Jeremiah even cried out to God, asking why he was supposed to tell the people about the devastation awaiting them if they did not change their ways.

They said, “Come, let’s make plans against Jeremiah; for the teaching of the law
by the priest will not cease, nor will counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophets.
So come, let’s attack him with our tongues and pay no attention to anything he says.”
Listen to me, Lord;
hear what my accusers are saying!
Should good be repaid with evil?
Yet they have dug a pit for me.
Remember that I stood before You
and spoke in their behalf
to turn Your wrath away from them.
So give their children over to famine;
hand them over to the power of the sword.
Let their wives be made childless and widows;
let their men be put to death,
their young men slain by the sword in battle.
Let a cry be heard from their houses
when You suddenly bring invaders against them,
for they have dug a pit to capture me
and have hidden snares for my feet.
But You, Lord, know
all their plots to kill me.
Do not forgive their crimes
or blot out their sins from Your sight.
Let them be overthrown before You;
deal with them in the time of Your anger.

Jeremiah 18:18 – 23

While Jeremiah complains, he still completes the task God has laid before him. Jeremiah felt such an urgency to share God’s words, that he could not contain them.  In the New Testament, Paul of Tarsus would be an example of what it means to serve God and be persecuted.  Paul endured beatings, imprisonment, hunger, sickness, and lonliness for Jesus.  He was always willing to share the Gospel with those who wanted to hear and just as willing when the ears of unbelievers didn’t want to hear.  We are to plant the seeds of faith, the seeds of wonder, and let the Holy Spirit do the rest.

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Father, thank You for those that have followed the examples of Your prophets. Thank You for the missionaries of today, who are persecuted for sharing Your love, grace, and mercy with those who do not know You.  Surround them, Father, with Your protection as they persevere through their hardships and let the Holy Spirit bring peace in their distress, comfort when there are tears, and bring words of inspiration when they feel loss.  Let us learn more about these individuals so we may lift them up to You every day. Thank You, Father. In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Blessed Are the Followers

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Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

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Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:10

Our world is in chaos. Our world is slowly self-destructing. This has all been predicted by God. We have a Shoulder to lie our heads on when the world pulls on us to the point where we ourselves are about to self-destruct. We already know Who wins. That is glorious news to come!

However, until that day comes, we must wait here on earth for Jesus to return for us. Until then, we are supposed to spread the good news of His birth, life, death, and resurrection. However, as we proceed to do this, we will always meet those who scoff at the story of Jesus and do not believe in the miracle that He performed on the Cross.

  • Prayer is no longer in our schools.
  • Students and teachers must be careful of what they say and do in school.
  • The National Day of Prayer is under attack.
  • Our missionaries are being imprisoned in foreign countries where Christ is not welcome.
  • The freedom of worship is being attacked and prohibited in our military.

BUT

  • God is with those who are with Him.
  • He leaves those who forsake Him and do not follow His laws.

Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
1 John 3:13

We should not be amazed that the world hates Christians nor should we dwell on this fact either. As Christians, we should forge ahead carrying our shields of faith into battle. The world does not like what it does not understand. For those who have no real exposure to Christ, they do not understand who He is or what He has done. Therefore, they choose to hate instead of getting to know the Truth. It is our mission as Christians to live as Christ did and show those who do not understand the truth behind God’s love.

The world will try everything it can do to bring us down. It will hurl insults and injure those who do not conform to its will. Yet, the ones who live by God’s grace and follow His will live a blessed and eternal life with God when time ends. They will also inherit the Kingdom of Heaven and receive their reward for enduring the wrath of the world. They will worship God throughout eternity in the heavenly place that is being prepared for them.

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Dear Heavenly Father, we pray that You will stand with us as we walk through this life and spread Your wonderful message. We know that there are those out there who do not understand the story, and they are the ones who try to bring us down. We pray that You show them the Truth and help them to understand. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Kingdom of God

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Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

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Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:10

This simple petition carries a lot of meaning.  We have already seen in our meditations on the Beatitudes that Jesus often spoke of “the Kingdom of Heaven,” or “the Kingdom of God.”  For him, as for many Jews at that time, it was a future expectation, something to look forward to, a day when the reign of God would be complete, absolute, and apparent to every sentient creature on Earth.  It was a time when oppressed Jews would no longer be downtrodden, but be free to worship God whenever and wherever they pleased.  Their oppressors would be vanquished, and there would be a restoration of some form of theocratic government.  From this perspective, it makes sense that this petition would be coupled with the previous, “May [or “let”] Your name be held sacred.”

However, on the lips of Jesus, this petition means a lot more than just a change of governments. When Jesus teaches us to eagerly anticipate the coming of God’s Kingdom, He appears to mean this on varying levels which we deduce from His teaching elsewhere.

For Jesus, the Kingdom was something that will come at a future time (e.g., Matthew 5:19-20; Luke 21:31; 22:16) but also something that was a present reality.  He proclaimed that the Kingdom has “come near” (e.g., Matthew 3:2 and 4:17) and indeed was the present possession of some (e.g., Matthew 5:3 and 10).  Jesus taught what the Kingdom of Heaven is like—present tense (e.g., Matthew 13:24-53), and who may or may not enter it—again, present tense (e.g., Matthew 19:14, 23; 23:13).

From all that Jesus tells us, I think it’s fair to say that God’s Kingdom is not some kind of hoped for military take-over, as with previous revolts and theocratic kingdoms. Rather, God’s Kingdom arrived with the coming of the Messiah, and the proclamation of the Gospel. Those who are Christians—for whom Christ is Lord and Savior—are citizens in the Kingdom of God, while being residents in this world (1 Peter 1:1 describes us as “resident aliens”–a perfect description of Christians at present). But this is just a deposit—a promissory note anticipating the full payment of the Kingdom in the end times.

At some time in the future, God will call all men to final judgment and the events predicted in the Book of Revelation will come to pass, with Satan and his minions, along with hell, being cast into the lake of fire.  Then God’s dominion will be established totally, with all people under His loving and gracious authority.

You might ask: if God is sovereign, doesn’t He already have absolute power and authority…so what are we asking for here?  I would respond by saying, yes, God is sovereign, and He has absolute power and authority.  He can do as He pleases whenever it pleases Him.  Which means that the state of affairs as they are right now, with the name of God slandered throughout society, and Christians being demeaned and, to varying degrees, persecuted, is part of His plan and is in accord with His timing.  When we pray this prayer, we are not asking for God to establish something that is not currently His, or to gain authority by conquest.  Rather, we are asking the Lord to hasten the day when He executes the final stage of His plan of redemption, when all His elect are called to Him, the present godless age is brought to an end, and He establishes His rule throughout the universe, with Satan, sin, and all that oppose Him set aside permanently.

This means that when we pray for the salvation of our non-Christian friends and family members, we are asking God to extend His kingdom on Earth in this present age.  But we also pray that God will, indeed, shorten the time we have to endure this godless age, and bring about what we so long and hope for.

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Father, we thank You for who You are in us and us in You!  And for Your unconditional love for us in Jesus’ name, we say ‘thank You!’ Amen!

Rejection and Persecution

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Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

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You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution.
The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.
Matthew 5:10

  • Stephen was stoned to death (Acts 7:54-60)
  • The Apostles were put in jail for teaching in Jesus’ name (Acts 5:17-33)
  • John the Baptist was beheaded (Matthew 14:1-12)
  • Jesus was crucified

As Americans we are blessed and privileged to have the luxury of not being likely to suffer extreme persecution.  Our modern-day persecution largely consists of Christians being labeled as intolerant.

Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
2 Timothy 3:12

Christian’s are destined for persecution.  Our Lord’s teachings go against everything the systems of this world idolizes.  God’s children were not made to be accepted by the world.  No!  We were called to be salt and light to the world (Matthew 5:13-16).  Different.  Godly.

I think one of the toughest tests of faith is persecution, right alongside hardship and loss.  Even Peter failed to stand for Jesus and he walked to Him on water! Standing up and openly claiming Jesus as your Lord can be scary.  Nowadays, the worst that we face is denial from people (people we were never suppose to be accepted by), thank God for America.

Rejection isn’t an easy thing to face.  Jesus himself was rejected, though, but of course that doesn’t make it any easier.  Here’s how I’ve decided to look at rejection.  When faced with the choice to stand for Christ or not—to face possible rejection or not—if we choose to deny Christ to be accepted by people, we are rejecting Christ.  Is rejecting Christ worth not being rejected ourselves?

I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth,
the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels.
But anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God’s angels.
Luke 12:8-9

Will you stand for Christ in front of man?

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Lord, I’m thankful that I don’t have to worry about being beheaded!  Give me the strength to stand for You, regardless of whether it’s easy or not.  Right is right and Your truth is truth.  One easy, but wrong, choice can set us on a road we never intended to take.  Help us to make the right tough choices now so we won’t have to pay the consequences later.  I pray that I do not shy away from proclaiming Your name to the world!  Amen.

Paving the Path

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Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

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Blessed and happy and enviably fortunate and spiritually prosperous (in the state in which the born-again child of God enjoys and finds satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of his outward conditions) are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake (for being and doing right), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!   Matthew 5:10 AMP

Today, many of us living in the United States feel we have never been truly persecuted for our beliefs…for doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord.  Oh, we may have been called into question for our actions or harshly criticized for our beliefs but persecuted?  Probably not.  Yet persecution has many forms and comes in varying degrees – from insults, harassment, and ostracism to imprisonment, torture, and even death. As representatives of Christ, the fact that we are a Christian will bother some people Our desire to live for Christ, our non-conformity to this world will bring persecution. 2 Timothy 3:12 assures us of this. “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

As Greg Laurie states: “If you live a godly life, you will be persecuted. It is not a matter of if; it is a matter of when and how much.”

Why the persecution?

If you belonged to the world, the world would treat you with affection and would love you as its own. But because you are not of the world [no longer one with it], but I have chosen (selected) you out of the world, the world hates (detests) you. John 15:19

The world cannot [be expected to] hate you, but it does hate Me because I denounce it for its wicked works and reveal that its doings are evil.                     John 7:7

For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.                                                                                               John 3:20

Persecution is a result of righteous living. Most of us have never experienced the harshest extremes of persecution.  Many of us never will.  But we will experience persecution in some form.  How we react to persecution, in any form, is what matters.  What happens when we are taken out of our comfort zone?  Are we steadfast, consistent, unwavering in the face of challenges?  Or do we run from confrontation and actively try to avoid persecution?  There comes a point in our lives where we must decide if we will stand for our Lord, no matter the cost.  It takes courage to stand for our faith.  The stand we take paves the way for others to follow.

He who heeds instruction and correction is [not only himself] in the way of life [but also] is a way of life for others. And he who neglects or refuses reproof [not only himself] goes astray [but also] causes to err and is a path toward ruin for others.   Proverbs 10:17

Which path are we paving?

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Lord, help us to stand our ground and defend our faith no matter what the challenge.  With Your strength we can remain steadfast and unwavering in any situation. You were willing to die on the Cross for me.  Let me be willing to stand firm in doing what is right in Your eyes.  In Jesus’ name, amen…so be it.