Matthew 5:10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Important Takeaways:
- Prepare To Stand: The Unexpected Blessings From Persecution
- Four dangers that can knock us out if we’re not prepared for persecution: the danger of acting according to fear; the danger of the heart becoming offended toward God; the danger of pursuing pleasure as an escape; and the danger of being derailed by deception.
- I’ve also suggested six steps that prepare our hearts to stand.
- Step one is to talk about persecution so we’re not caught by surprise.
- Two, develop fear of God, in the right perspective.
- Three, pursue the heart of God.
- Four, build perseverance. This is how we persist under pressure.
- Five, build community.
- And six, guard the Word. These last two are safeguards for us, our families and our churches against sliding into deception.
- So what can we expect if we practice these steps and remain faithful under pressure? Blessings!
- Persecution can draw us closer to Jesus.
- Intimacy, one that comes from being tested. The testing and proving of our love brings us into a more confident intimacy with God
- The truth is that pressure can push us to run after God in a way that we don’t normally do.
- Experiencing the hardships that Jesus experienced draws us closer to His heart.
- What we do here really does matter for eternity. Jesus will honor those who prove their faithfulness in difficulty.
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