KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 5:10 KJV” Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

The Lord Jesus iterated in John 15:20 as follows,

” Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they have kept by my saying, they will keep yours also “This implies, as the Master was persecuted, so would we His followers be likewise persecuted. Persecution may come in varying degrees. It may be either a neglect, an insult, a beating or even an outright killing, all in the name of one’s service and love for the master. The world with their god hates that, we live in righteousness, and would do everything to deter men from living godly. 2Timothy 3:12 KJV” Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution”. Persecution is Satan’s way of deterring men from living godly. Choosing to suffer for Christ is the happy way for all Children of God. You would be counted worthy for the kingdom of heaven.

A mind that is ready to suffer persecution is secured from being dominated by sin.

1Peter 4:1 KJV” Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin”. (Don’t suffer for doing the wrong things any way.) According to this scripture, although Satan seeks to use persecution to stop your service and love for the master, one is rather armed against sin when he or she has a ready mind to suffer for the cause of Christ. In the light of the above, serving Christ implies we also suffer for His name

Philippians 1:29 KJV “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;”. This truth must be fully accepted by every child of God.

From the above discourse it is fully established through the teachings of our master Jesus that suffering for the sake of our Lord is part of our service unto him. Does conditions like sicknesses, demonic dominance part of the sufferings? Our Lord Jesus on the cross made an atonement or made a substitution for us, which we must no more bear. His atonement covers our sins, sicknesses and every demonic control (Isaiah 53:1-10). During the Lord’s walk on this earth, he demonstrated that man should be free of all sicknesses. (Acts 10:38, Luke 13:16,) Psa 103:3 KJV “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases”; Don’t accept sicknesses as part of the persecutions of Christians. Persecutions are Satan’s means of using men to resist the children of God from serving their master in various capacities. When you stand for God, it is a testimony to those men of your love for Jesus and a witness to them to believe in Jesus. Welcome such persecutions, but give no place to any form of satanic direct aggression against you. The Bible clearly teaches us to steadfastly resist the devil in faith. (1st Peter 5:9)

CONFESSION

The Lord calls on us to a life of glory in Him, plus persecutions. I have armed myself to suffer for His name sake. I count myself blessed to suffer for the cause of Christ. It is a means of testifying to the world that my Lord Jesus is alive and I am ready to stand for Him as a means of witnessing (MATYRS) to His Lordship.

FURTHER STUDIES

Mark 10:30 KJV “But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. “

Romans 8:17 KJV” and if children, then heirs; heirs of him, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”