With every lifting and beauty comes persecutions, but I’d like you to know that God’s faithfulness is stronger than any attack that the quest for righteousness me bring your way.
Read 2 Timothy 3:12 from your Bible
By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, I defined persecution as, “a display of emotional displeasure, which leads to unjust treatment. Borne out of hatred,bitterness, envy, misgivings, etc, it is the heritage of the front liners.”
Naturally, the seed of the bond woman is on a commission to persecute the child of promise. So, when you are persecuted for righteousness sake, God is giving you a signal of lifting from heaven.
As you begin and continue on this journey of holiness, be rest assured that plenty of mockeries will come from wayfaring Christians, the ones who are not going anywhere. They are wayfaring because they just stand on the way. They are the seeds by the way side, so the birds will soon come and pick them up.
You must allow those who are behind you to do their job: to see your back and both talk at your back and bite it. Therefore, everyone who wants the blessings must automatically want the persecutions as well—that is, the lies, the mockeries, the slanders, the castigations, etc. If you don’t know that these things are there, you will be tired.
Read Luke 6:26 from your Bible
Those who mind men will miss God. If I had minded men, I would have missed God. But the Lord said to me, “Develop yourself to enjoy persecutions; but just make sure you’re not in error.”
Persecutions are no afflictions; they are signals and proofs of promotion. A brother heard and received the word that, “You must not give or take bribe”, and for 10 months he was humiliated, because he refused to give bribe. His friends perhaps mocked him. He was asked to return the one million naira cheque they had given him. Since they now knew his stand, they were out (as the children of the bond woman) to persecute him. But when they persecute you for righteousness sake, it provokes God to promote you, as every persecution for righteousness equals exaltation from heaven.
Read 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 from your Bible
Every child that shies away from exam will remain in the same class. If you like, go on sick leave when exams are around; that’s not a certificate that you have passed. You will still come back to take the exam when you are well. Everybody must write this exam we are talking about, or you won’t go forward. God said to me: “Develop yourself to enjoy persecutions. They are no afflictions; they are signals of your promotion. I am out to stir up jealousy through you!”
Every persecution against your righteousness is announcing your promotion, so rejoice at them. Note that persecutions are not just from sinners, but also from saints, preachers, and even very close acquaintances. If you choose the holy life, you are going to write the tests of persecution, but you will pass them and be promoted by them.
Please, expect persecutions! Develop yourself to enjoy them also. Rejoice at them, because they will announce your promotion. Persecution does not kill; ignorance is what kills. Every greatness from heaven is always welcomed here on Earth by persecutions. Moses was born into the midst of persecutions. Pharaoh had already announced that every male Hebrew child should be killed. When Jesus arrived (the Moses of the New Testament), persecution was waiting also. Herod said, “Kill all the children born, because I have heard that a king is born.” Hell has heard of your status now, and is setting up snares to trap you. He will not catch you!
The persecutions of life are a reality, but your power over them is also a reality. The sole aim of persecutions is to stop the persecuted from attaining his goal. So, let your eyes be single. You will attain your goal for holiness and righteousness, in Jesus’ name!
Anybody can call you any name, that is his opinion. If they call you a thief, just make sure you are not stealing. If they say you are a liar, make sure you are telling the truth. Among liars, the only one telling the truth is reckoned as a liar. So, leave them to their opinion. The Judge of the whole earth is watching. Don’t fight them. so you don’t lose your righteousness. Don’t be embittered against them either, so you don’t defile your holiness. If Jesus had minded the comments of the Pharisees, He would never have arrived heaven. Leave the Pharisees, Sadducees and scribes where they are, and stick with Jesus!
Prosecutors have their ministry, leave them to it. Rather, take heed to your own ministry, and don’t bother about other people’s ministries. You know where you are going, so don’t look back. May the love that you have for Him keep you away from all the horrors of persecution.
Heaven is the home of overcomers, and only those who sail through in the temptations of life, will find their places there. When you endure persecution, you win a crown of life. You are not to endure sin, but persecution.
Friend, a crown of glory and honour awaits you; you will not miss it!
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Shalom!
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