Adar 17
Persecution
“Blessed
are those persecuted for righteousness’ sake, because theirs is the reign of
the heavens. Blessed are you when they
reproach and persecute you, and falsely say every wicked word against you, for
My sake. Rejoice and be glad, because
your reward in the heavens is great. For in this way they persecuted the
prophets who were before you.” (Mat 5:10-12 ISR)
When I looked up the word “persecute” in Noah Webster’s
Dictionary, I was somewhat astonished at the cruelty, ugliness, and spitefulness
this word portrays. It means: “to pursue in a manner to injure, vex or
afflict; to harass with unjust
punishment or penalties for supposed
offenses; to inflict pain from hatred or
malignity; to afflict, harass or destroy
for adherence to a particular creed or system of religious principles, or to a
mode of worship”[1].
Our history books teach us that the United States of
America was founded on the principles of religious freedom, and according to
the First Amendment to the Constitution, we are guaranteed “the free exercise
thereof” – a freedom that many believe we are already in danger of losing. More and more, especially on any social media,
we bear witness to the mudslinging and “hate speech”, all in the name of
religious intolerance.
I
studied the Rev Sha’ul’s (Apostle Paul) list of credentials in 2Cor 11:22-28;
yet in all of the many hardships and persecutions that he suffered, even at the
hands of his own countrymen, Sha’ul’s first concern was always for the congregations
he had founded, and for his flock. Sha’ul
knew that he could safely leave the judgment of those who troubled and
persecuted him in the hands of his Elohim (see Rom 12:19; 2The 1:6); his focus
would always be on what the God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had called him to do.
We
are told to seek first the Kingdom of
YHWH and His righteousness (Mat 6:33).
The person who, having accepted all that Messiah Yeshua has done through
His birth, death, and resurrection,
then, in faith, submits him/herself completely and totally to the seeking and doing of God’s will and WORD – this is the person who is in right
standing before Elohim.
Yes,
persecutions will come; Yeshua Himself warned us of this. We are instructed to pray blessings over
those that “spitefully use us” (Mat 5:44).
And we also are warned about serving two masters (Mat 6:24), denying our
knowledge of Yeshua before others (Mat 10:33) and the dangers that lie in wait
for us there. But when we stand for what
we know is right, and righteous, great is our reward, and He has promised that
He will never leave us or abandon us as we make our stand (Jos 1:5; Heb 13:5). We never
stand alone, and he is always the fourth Man
in the fire (Dan 3:25).
“The wicked become a ransom for the
[uncompromisingly] righteous and the treacherous for the upright [because the
wicked themselves fall into the traps and pits they have dug for the good].” (Pro 21:18 Amp)
“The Name of יהוה
is a strong tower; The righteous run into it and are safe.” (Pro
18:10 ISR)
©2018
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