OCT 11

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”  Matthew 5:11-12

Have you ever been truly persecuted against?  Have you been persecuted against because of your faith in Jesus Christ?  Those can be two different things, you know.  Jesus is speaking to His disciples about when they will be persecuted…not if.  In our American Society, with one month to go for the midterm elections, the persecution, allegations and mud slinging seem to be part of the plan for some people.  Some politicians have even been encouraging their supporters to harass other politicians.  Sounds like a bunch of bullies on the play ground getting others to do their dirty work, if ya ask me.  But alas, Jesus tells His followers that when they face persecution because of their faith in Him, they are to rejoice and be glad.  It may be difficult, my friends, in the moment, but we shouldn’t be surprised.  After all, the prophets of God were ridiculed as well; even put to death, just as Jesus was (and so were these disciples).  Are we ready, to our dying day, to rejoice and be glad in the face of persecution?  May God help us all when that day comes.