(John 15:20 -Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also…).
Since we aren’t teleported to heaven right after with said the sinners prayer, living in this broken down world, persecution is not avoidable. BUT don’t be terrorised by persecution.
Persecution is like a dark moment of our lives. Knowing that light will get rid of darkness, night will never last forever, day light will eventually come.
I too, had been persecuted. After I received Christ into my life when I was 14 years old, the next thing I knew was that my friends fled away from me and my parents were hostile toward the idea of me being a Christian.
Even though there was no upright objection from them, my parents tried to tempt me with all the goodies they could think of. It was tempting but I remained ‘glued’ to God. After realizing that their plan weren’t working, they did it the hard way. They stopped giving me pocket money. Thinking that that will work and I will stop going to church. There was once I got beaten up for going to church and returning home ‘late’, it was approximately 8pm.
But after a year, after praying for quite some time, my parents finally accepted it.!!!
But there are still persecutions in my life.
Back in school, I received criticisms from schoolmates and classmates whom I was never close with or worst, someone I don’t even know. Humiliation and insults became part of my school life. My books occasionally ended up missing or torn and my desk was vandalized.
Badly insulted and put down by my classmates and schoolmates, as a person, obviously I am very discouraged. I will count that as one of the most demoralizing period I went through.
My friends fled from me and some made fun of me for being a ‘holy Joe’.
All in all, these lasted for about 2 and half years.
But the thought of leaving church was almost non-existence during those horrible days.
God is so real to me till the point where persecution became insignificant to me.Matthew 5:11
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me."
I don’t mean you must be popping champagne and partying while going through persecution. Come on, I am not a sadist. But it is really through persecution, we learn to be dependant on God more than ever before. Either we fall or we grow and emerge as a winner in God.
Psalms 71:19-21 says
"Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God you who have done great things. Who, O God is like you? Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honour and comfort me once again."
Knowing these that God is with you even when you are under persecution of man. Don’t be afraid. Also, help those who persecute you when they need help. Don’t curse them the way they persecute you.
Romans 12:19
"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.God will eventually judge your persecutors."
PERSECUTION + FAITH = GOD (VICTORY + A STRONGER YOU in CHRIST
Lor Huiyun
