Persecution 

Luke 6:22-23 ESV

“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.”

This scene happened in the first century AD. Jesus told those who would hear Him that there would be a time when people hated those who would believe in Himself. In fact, thousands of Christians in the first century were killed for their faith in Jesus Christ. And under latter persecutions of Christians many more were killed and their murderers were thinking they were doing God a favor.

People may not renounce us to our face, but they hate Christianity and what we stand for.  For when someone is martyred or persecuted openly for their faith in Jesus, they are not just attacking that person, or group of people, they are attacking us all that believe the same way.

Listen to Jesus words as remembered by Luke, “…when they exclude you and revile (insult or censure) you and spurn (snub or slight) your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!” We all have been either excluded, insulted or snubbed because of our faith in Jesus Christ at some point, even if we did not know it was being done to us at the time.

In this persecution, we will be blessed beyond measure. Take courage, have faith, trust God through the persecution!

Prayer:

Lord, we stand in faith in You, and we will overcome by he blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony (Revelations 12:11a). We count it all joy to stand for You as You have always fought for us. In Your name Lord Jesus, we thank You, Amen!