BLESSED THROUGH PERSECUTION
Matthew 5:11
"Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
My brother Dave was hunting in western Montana for elk when he heard a strange noise and commotion around the backside of a rock outcropping just 20 yards above him. Moments later a mule deer buck came running and bucking the outcropping. On the mule deer's back was a mountain lion, holding on for dear life. The two went around the other side of the rock. It all happened so fast Dave wasn't sure he had really seen what he thought he saw. Within a few seconds the buck came back around and the lion was gone.
No one likes to be unjustly attacked, insulted, persecuted or falsely accused of things. It's one thing when we deserve it, because we had done wrong, then it might be embarrassing or painful. However, when it is undeserving we are hurt. Jesus tells us in Matthew that we are blessed when this happens. I'm not sure of anybody else, but I don't feel blessed... I feel heartsick. I can understand the pride in knowing that we are serving under persecution, but it is still painful.
We can take the abuse far easier when it comes from those that you don't know... who cares? But when the attacks come from those that we consider a close friend, someone that you would do anything for, including taking a bullet, the pain can be paralyzing.
Charles Spurgeon was once called "one of evangelical Christianity's immortals". God used him to build a church that was one of the biggest of all time. He preached and served for many years and you would think that he would have had a great positive daily perspective, you would have thought wrong. Spurgeon fought back depression because when you follow Christ and fight satan, you will come under attacks at every level. Friends, family and strangers alike will find ways to bring you down.
While the ministry that Charles Spurgeon preformed helped usher in a revival for Christ, it wasn't without pain... He was quoted as saying,
"I think it would have been less painful to have been burned alive at the stake than to have passed through those horrors and depressions of spirit"
There are promises of suffering for Christ. If you are serving Him, those attacks will come. It doesn't matter if it is physical or verbal, while it might be painful, it comes with eternal benefits. 1 Peter 5:10 confirms this.
"After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you."
One main thing that we need to remember as we are under attack. Satan doesn't want God's work to be done. Satan will use any means possible to destroy our witness for Christ and the stronger that witness becomes the more the attacks get thrown at us.
Stand strong and be blessed.his text
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