22/09/2013 - WHY ARE WE PERSECUTED?

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Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:10

Those who do God’s work according to the Scriptures are always persecuted by the devil, as well as discriminated against, ridiculed, shunned and almost always referred to as fanatics by those who consider themselves the Lord’s people. Those who are in the Kingdom of God must expect persecution that will come in the form of offenses or temptations because the purpose of the evil one is to destroy anyone who can ruin his plans.

When the divine healing movement arrived in Brazil, the preachers used by the Lord were accused of many crimes, including illegal practice of Medicine. Many were arrested, banned from returning to certain cities and attacked by authorities elected by the leaders of the religion that dominated the country. But our brothers did not worry about that because Jesus spoke of these ordeals in the Sermon on the Mount.

Those who are persecuted because of righteousness shall rejoice in it because it shows that they are part of God’s Kingdom. The sad thing is when the world, the religions and sinners honor a Christian. How can they love us if they do not love our Lord? They live under the dominion of the enemy, just as we used to (Romans 3:23). However, today Satan tries to weaken us because we are a danger to the kingdom of evil.

If your friends have abandoned you and your relatives have given you the cold shoulder, do not give in. This is part of the spiritual warfare in which you are involved. So, once you have this understanding, follow the guidelines from on High and make sure you bear witness to the truth, because one day you will see that your “training” paid off. Gradually, you will get your family to be saved as well, thus escaping perdition. The members of the Body of Christ will always be more than conquerors (Romans 8:37).

Notice that the world does not persecute anyone who does what it wants. The devil does not even care about what church you attend, provided you always agree with him in everything, without opposing his onslaughts. Those who love God’s righteousness do not get discouraged when things do not go well for them because they have a goal: to do the will of the Lord. For this very reason they understand the divine guidance in all matters.

It is better to be successful with the Lord than to be embraced by the world, it is better to believe in what the Word tells you rather than in what some leader preaches. In order to succeed in the presence of God, you have to be persecuted by those who do not respect the eternal Word. Do not despise them or be angry with them, but love them always (Matthew 5:44).

In Christ with Love,

R. R. Soares