Sunday, August 14, 2016

"Blessed are the Persecuted..."

“All violence consists in some people forcing others, under threat of suffering or death, to do what they do not want to do.” Leo Tolstoy

  Did you hear the recent news report that as many as 15,000 Americans are on various “kill lists” the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist organization has put out, with many of them not knowing they’ve been marked for death?
  Writing for Charisma News, Michael Synder, says some of those on the kill lists have been notified by the FBI. However, many haven’t received FBI notification and are unaware they’ve been marked for death by ISIS. Since the lists aren’t publicly available, Americans wouldn’t know whether their names are on the kill lists. He went on to report he was contacted by someone who told him the FBI had informed him that he and his wife were on the ISIS kill lists. Even more alarming was their discovery that other members of their church, including their pastor, are also on kill lists.
  Islamic terrorists aren’t afraid to target and kill innocent people in Western Europe and the United States, as proven by their attacks in Orlando, Dallas, Nice and Baton Rouge. Recently, it was reported a 21-year-old Islamic radical purchased a gun and admitted to police he planned to go into a Detroit megachurch and start shooting people inside on a Sunday morning. After he was arrested and subsequently charged in court, the suspect told authorities since he couldn’t do his jihad in the Middle East, he intended to “do my jihad over here.”
  Though our brothers and sisters in many parts of the world think often of it, we in America have forgotten Jesus’ words in Matthew 5. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted” (5:10). Then, in verse 11, He said, “Blessed are you…” to those already suffering persecution. In saying these things, Jesus serves notice to His disciples that those who follow Him faithfully should expect to experience a measure of rejection. It’s critical to notice Jesus doesn't say, “Blessed are you if people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you.” Instead, Jesus says, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you.” Persecution, death threats are inevitable for those who faithfully follow Christ.
  Because of religious freedom in Western Civilization, Christians have become accustomed to persecution free lives. Yet, it’s not the experience of most Christians in the rest of the world. It’s not been the experience of most Christians throughout history.
  We take for granted religious liberty in America. But, even here, in those early days in America, it wasn’t the case. As late as 1774, James Madison wrote to a friend in Pennsylvania about troubling developments in Virginia.
  While today we hear much about oppressive British taxes, it wasn’t Madison’s primary concern in this letter. The “worst” news he had to deliver was that the “diabolical Hell conceived principle of persecution” was raging in the colony. “There are at this [time]…not less than 5 or 6 well meaning men in [jail] for publishing their religious sentiments…Pray for liberty of conscience to revive among us.” Today we think of early America as a bastion of religious liberty, in Colonial America it wasn’t the case. Baptists, Quakers and other nonconformists suffered discrimination and abuse in America believers today in places like China or Nigeria would find strangely familiar.
  For example, in 1651, a man named Obadiah Holmes, accused of proselytizing for the Baptists, was taken from his cell at Boston’s prison to receive a punishment of thirty lashes with a three-corded whip. Holmes had been alone in prison for weeks, struggling to come to terms with the impending travail. But the day of his whipping, an unusual calm came over him. Although his captors tried to keep him from speaking, he would not be silent. “I am now come to be baptized in afflictions by your hands,” Holmes said, “that so I may have further fellowship with my Lord, and am not ashamed of His sufferings, for by His stripes am I healed.”
  Holmes was tied to a post. The officer tasked with meting out Holmes’s sentence spit on his hands, took up a whip, and began flailing him with all his might. Still, Holmes felt the presence of God as at no other time in his life. The pain of the scourging lifted away. When they untied him, Holmes stood up and smiled. “You have struck me as with roses,” he chided them.
   Long before political correctness, multi-culturalism and secularism took hold in America, persecution was part of the American story. Where religious freedoms failed Bible-believers, they endured oppression for their theological convictions. Every generation of Christians must be prepared for it. “A servant is not greater than his master,” said Jesus. “If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20).
  To be sure, some Christians believe they’re suffering persecution for their faith, when instead because they’re obnoxious or annoying, they’ve brought attacks upon themselves. If you goof off at work, if you’re rude or surly in sharing your faith – you’re not being persecuted for your faith. You’re suffering natural consequences of bad behavior.
  As believers, even when we’re mistreated, harassed or persecuted – we are commanded to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit to the very ones who abuse us. We’re to be the most loving, joyful, peaceful and gentle of people. If they persecute us, our Christlikeness should be our strongest rebuke for their abuse, just as it was in the early church.
  This may sound strange, in many ways it would be an honor to be on an ISIS hit list. It would be a commendation to be so faithfully serving Jesus the Enemy is threatened by you and plots to take you out! That Satan would be so threatened, he’d urge his followers to silence you.
  It’s what it truly means to be a Spirit-filled Christian. The Lord Jesus is so in control of your life, the minions of Hell are threatened by your faith.  


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