Matthew 5:10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is … patience.

   

Some questions that come from these verses are:

1. What is persecution?
2. What is the kingdom of heaven?
3. What does patience have to do with persecution?
4. How do we apply these things?

WHAT IS PERSECUTION?

God approves of those who are persecuted... and because of His approval they get the kingdom of heaven!

Almost every day there is a report of an attack or kidnapping in Nigeria, a country in the western central part of Africa that borders the Atlantic Ocean on its southern border. The violence against Christians has become so frequent, so widespread, that on average, every two hours a Nigerian is murdered for their faith.

That’s nearly 13 Christians a day, 372 a month and 4,650 a year—representing only the deaths there is a record of (many go unreported).

And while the numbers help tell the story, it’s the lives of Nigeria’s martyrs that can bring us up close to the more vivid picture of what’s happening.

The reports of violence in our world are so commonplace that as individuals, we have become desensitized and numb to the humanity. We can get lost in the numbers and brutality—forgetting that every martyr was a son, a daughter, a mother, a father, or a beloved friend.

As you hear about these believers and learn their inspiring stories, please pause to consider the reality and humanity and pray—for comfort, for strength, for courage, for perseverance, and for hope.

Deborah Samuel, daughter, sister: To a shocked world, 19-year-old Deborah Samuel, also known as Deborah Yakubu, is the most prominent face of Christian persecution in Nigeria. She was stoned and her body set on fire by a mob of her Muslim classmates for a series of posts that began in a chatroom when she was asked how she passed her exams. She replied, “Jesus” and refused to take down the post when Muslims in the chat group demanded it. She was the daughter of Emmanuel Garba and Alheri Emmanuel, the second oldest of six siblings and little sister to Nakaka Garba. Deborah was a second-year home economics major at Shehu Shagari College of Education, in Sokoto State, one of 12 areas governed by Sharia (Islamic) law.

Deborah’s father, a security guard, traveled to the school to bring home his daughter’s body and bury her in the town’s Christian cemetery. The family has been outspoken, like their daughter, about their trust in God. Speaking for the family, her father said, “I have nothing to say, we are pained by what happened, but we have left all to God.”

According to one of Deborah’s classmates, Deborah’s last words were to her attackers: “What do you hope to achieve with this?”

Chukwudiorinya Onuoha, son, brother, husband, father; Deborah Onuoha, daughter, sister, wife, mother: The Onuohas were two of the worshippers who were celebrating Pentecost at St. Francis Church in Owo, on June 5, when a group of armed men opened fire on the congregation, killing 40 people, including four children.

The couple was sitting beside each other in church when the attack happened. Deborah, 54, was a petty trader and is remembered as always being willing to help. Chukwudiorinya, 60, was a gardener at a university. The BBC interviewed their son, Chinedu Onhoha, who shared, “My mum was extraordinary, always willing to help the less fortunate, and was not biased.” He said he had lost a mentor in his father.

All three had been in church when the attack happened but Chinedu was sitting in a different section away from his parents. He believes his mother would still be alive if she had received medical treatment in time. “Fake news,” he said, circulated that the nearest hospital was not receiving patients.

Bridget Agbahime, daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother: Bridget Agbahime was the 74-year-old wife of a Christian pastor in Kano city—she was fondly referred to as “Mama Pastor.” She was also a small businesswoman who sold kitchen utensils at the Kofar Wambai Market. She was killed in her place of work after she asked a Muslim man engaged in ritual Islamic cleansing to move his ritual from her shopfront.

She and her husband were meeting with the market landlord about the persistent problem when the man and other Muslims returned and began chanting that she must die for blasphemy, shouting the jihadist chant “Allahu Akbar (God is greater).” The mob overpowered the few policemen present.

Bridget and her husband Pastor Mike Agbahime led Deeper Life Bible Church in Kano, where she had lived for 38 years. She was known to be a humble, quiet and devout believer who lived out her faith in word and deed. She had been a seller in the same market for nine years without any incident or conflict.

Before she was beaten and clubbed to death, Bridget knelt and began to pray.

Daniel, son, brother, husband, father:  Daniel was watching TV with his family when Boko Haram fighters jumped the gate to the house and stormed into the family’s home, shouting. That day, Daniel was martyred by Boko Haram extremists who told him, “Today is yours; tomorrow isn’t yours.”

Daniel had lived in Maiduguri all his life and was the father of five children: four sons and a daughter. He loved Maiduguri. When the Boko Haram insurgency sprouted in their city, leaving the area wasn’t even a thought. He and his wife Amina raised their children to love Jesus. They were active church members and he and Amina were known to be people who supported and helped others where they could.

The day he died, Daniel and his sons repeatedly refused the fighters’ demands to renounce their faith. They told them, “If you are not going to denounce Christ, we are going to kill you today.”

When they killed Daniel, he was praying to Jesus.

Those are just a few examples of those who were “persecuted for righteousness’ sake”.  Here is a quote taken from research from the World Watch List:

“According to the research, the persecution of Christians has reached the highest levels since the World Watch List began nearly 30 years ago. “Across 76 countries, more than 360 million Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith – an increase of 20 million since last year.” 312 million Christians live in the top 50 countries alone. One in every seven Christians live under at least high levels of persecution or discrimination for their faith.”

While we do live in a relatively free country, perhaps the freest in history, there will never be a complete freedom from persecution, especially regarding faith in Christ.  We may not be stoned and burned alive or beaten in the streets – at least not yet anyway – yet there is a growing hatred of Christianity in our culture. People are finding it narrow-minded, offensive, judgmental, and limiting to their personal self-satisfaction and lust for things.

You may be passed over for a promotion, forced to do or say things that go against your faith in order to accommodate others, be fired if you stand up for what you believe, feel ostracized or hated because you are opposed to the ungodly sinful direction the culture is moving in.  Free speech has always been limited in certain ways and it took court cases to limit it:

   Freedom of speech does not include the right:

• To incite imminent lawless action. Brandenburg v. Ohio, 395 U.S. 444 (1969).
• To make or distribute obscene materials. Roth v. United States, 354 U.S. 476 (1957).
• To burn draft cards as an anti-war protest. United States v. O’Brien, 391 U.S. 367 (1968).
• To permit students to print articles in a school newspaper over the objections of the school administration.  Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, 484 U.S. 260 (1988).
• Of students to make an obscene speech at a school-sponsored event. Bethel School District #43 v. Fraser, 478 U.S. 675 (1986).
• Of students to advocate illegal drug use at a school-sponsored event. Morse v. Frederick, __ U.S. __ (2007).

How long before we can add a court case that will penalize Christians who refuse to use “preferred pronouns” and label that as hate speech. Or a case where churches are fined or closed if they refuse to marry gay couples.  Or churches are demanded to have equal representation in the pastoral or leadership roles, disregarding any biblical requirements, but instead looking to the cultural demands – if there are 50% women, 5% atheists, 7% LGBTQIA+, 20% Hispanic, 13% Black, 6% Asian, 1% Indian, then the churches should have Pastors or Priests that represent that exact proportion in them!  And how long before sermons are “audited”, scrutinized, and searched for what is to be considered “hate speech” and churches are then limited in what they can say or else face penalties of either fines, jail time, leadership replacement or permanent closures!

WEBSTER’S 1913 DICTIONARY

Per′se·cute

Persecuted

Persecuting 1. To pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict; to beset with cruelty or malignity; to harass; especially, to afflict, harass, punish, or put to death, for adherence to a particular religious creed or mode of worship.

Do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.

     Matt. 5:44

2. To harass with importunity; to pursue with persistent solicitations; to annoy. Johnson.

Syn. — To oppress; harass; distress; worry; annoy.

GK G1503 | S G1377   διώκω   diōkō   45x  

to put in rapid motion; to pursue with malignity or evil intent.

There are numerous warnings about the persecution that will follow for anyone who professes faith in Jesus. It would not be too hard to come up with a list of well over 100 verses, but for time’s sake we will just look at 6:

John 15:20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

Matthew 10:22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

2Timothy 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

2Corinthians 4:8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;

2Corinthians 4:9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;

Romans 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

Romans 8:36 As it is written,

     “For your sake we are being killed all the day long;

              we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Romans 8:38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,

Romans 8:39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Persecution is not something we can avoid or escape from.  It is guaranteed. Christians will be marginalized, mocked, made fun of, mauled, and murdered! It is something Jesus told us to be prepared for, pray over, and persevere through! There is always a call for endurance. Don’t specifically go looking for trouble, as it will easily find you wherever you go, but simply be prepared for it – and the attitude that is to be put in place as we go through persecution is that of prayer for those who persecute us and to bless them instead of cursing them!  The perfect example is what we see of Christ throughout His entire trial to crucifixion. Remaining quiet, praying to His Father for those who cursed Him as they did not know what they were doing, and the blessing from that is in His resurrection, power over death, all authority given to Him on heaven and earth. What good came from Jesus’ persecution?  Only the salvation of countless millions of people, an eternal hope of life free from sin and dwelling with God! Which brings us to the next question:

WHAT IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN?

Simply put, the kingdom of Heaven is the kingdom that is from above. It is the kingdom that God dwells in, as opposed to any earthly kingdoms where man rules and Satan is the prince of the power of the air – which is an interesting notion as it means that Satan is a force the literally “blows” around and influences all that his “wind” can influence. And James picks up on this idea about unstable people affected by Satan’s “air” or “wind”:

James 1:6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

The kingdom of heaven, which is for those who are persecuted for their faith in Jesus – which is for righteousness’ sake – is seen coming down to dwell with man in Revelation 21:

Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

Revelation 21:2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Revelation 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

Revelation 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Revelation 21:5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Revelation 21:6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.

Revelation 21:7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

Revelation 21:8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

This is why the persecuted are blessed! Eternal joy, newness of life, free from all the effects of sin, dwelling with God in this kingdom of heaven come down to man.  This is nothing new as God is the one who initiates and is seen coming down to man:

1. God was walking in the garden of Eden with Adam and Eve.
2. God was in the burning bush to appear before Moses, as well as on the mountain top experiences.
3. God came down in various ways to speak to the prophets.
4. God’s presence filled the tabernacle and the temple, to dwell with His people.
5. Jesus came down from heaven to become human and dwell among us.
6. Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James, and John on a mountaintop, revealing His glory to them on earth.
7. The Holy Spirit comes down to indwell believers after Jesus’ ascension.
8. Jesus is coming back again, descending like he ascended, in the clouds, to judge all, establish His millennial kingdom, as well as usher in the eternal kingdom of heaven as the New Jerusalem comes down from heaven as a bride prepared for the groom.

This is the reward all Christians long for.  It makes persecution worth enduring because the reward is so great and guaranteed to those who love God which is why they are being persecuted in the first place!  Being persecuted is a reinforcement of the concept that you are actually on the right path:

John 15:18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.

John 15:19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Does all the world love you?  Does anyone even know you are a Christian?  Do you find the current culture offensive and does anyone know that about your beliefs?  Speaking the truth in love is a blessing to those who hear, even though they will curse and revile you because they don’t want to hear the truth.  To respond in hatred to their hatred will accomplish nothing but make you bitter and vengeful.  It will take away your inner peace and joy that comes from God. It will diminish your faith in God and show your lack of love and contempt for others. Jesus confronts such thinking later in His Sermon on the mount:

 Matthew 5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

Matthew 5:44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Matthew 5:45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Matthew 5:46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

Matthew 5:47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

Matthew 5:48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

The kingdom of heaven is for those who love God, want to be obedient children of God, want to imitate and be transformed into the image of His Son, and aren’t afraid of the condemnation and judgment of other people but rather endure through the persecution and bless and pray for those who do such things to them.  That is why the kingdom of heaven is described as a narrow path that few will find while many are content to go down the broad way:

Matthew 7:13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.

Matthew 7:14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

WHAT DOES PATIENCE HAVE TO DO WITH PERSECUTION?

Everything!! James tells us that patience produces perfection, where we will be lacking nothing, especially regarding persecution!

James 1:2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, (what! Is he nuts??)

James 1:3 for you know that the testing of your faith (that would be called persecution) produces steadfastness (which is patience or the idea of patient endurance).

James 1:4 And let steadfastness (or patience) have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (Persecution gives the opportunity to endure through it with patience which is what causes us to be lacking in nothing, or complete).

Patience is found in complete faith in God.  In His sovereignty over all of creation, regardless of circumstances you find yourself in, or the level of persecution you are undergoing.  Patience under fire goes against every fiber of our natural person.  It is the exact opposite of our initial response, which is to fight or to flight.  Get angry, seek revenge, and complain to anyone who will listen. It just isn’t fair!!  Instead of those responses, we are to humbly pray for our enemies, show them love, and seek no vengeance as God will repay them what is due.  And if they repent then they too will receive eternal life!  If not, then the full cup of God’s wrath being poured out on them is way more just than anything you or I could ever do to try and get even!  We won’t have accomplished anything other than to move further away from God and cement hatred and bitterness in our hearts.

Look how patient God is with every single person who has ever lived!  Look in the mirror and ask how patient God is with you.  How many times have you offended a holy, perfect, righteous creator who wants nothing more than to bless and guide you in love like a wise and caring parent?  How much have you persecuted God while enjoying the blessings of His patience and common grace?

Listen to this very carefully… You are never more like your heavenly Father than when you show love and patience towards those who offend and revile you!

The prayers of the Psalmists, the martyred saints, and all who are faithful cry out for God’s justice to be poured out on a sinful, rebellious world system that hates them and persecutes them. And here is God’s response through Peter:

2Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

More patience = more believers in God’s kingdom! If anyone got what they deserved the second they deserved it, not one person would have made it to their first birthday, including you and me!  And certainly no one would be in the kingdom of heaven!  Job was also certainly one who had patience through much trial and tribulations in his life and was blessed for it at the end of his life, along with the eternal life that awaits.  Jesus was also very patient with His disciples, along with those who persecuted Him.

Are you a persecuted, patient, child of God who will be in the kingdom of heaven?

First of all, what types of persecution do you endure, if any?  Do other people treat you differently?  Do they avoid you or make snide comments behind your back?  Are you fearful of what others think of you so you keep your faith to yourself?  Are you content with other people going to hell so you don’t feel the need to confront or say anything to them? 

There are numerous ways to be hated or persecuted!  Being physically assaulted is only one of those ways, even though it is the most synonymous with persecution today – martyrdom. While that may become a reality for the minority of Christians alive today, all will face some level of persecution for their faith.  The world system is so against the “truth”, or even the idea of there being any absolute truth, that when it is presented it will be met with opposition and often retaliation.

What are you and I willing to stand up for?  Part of the reason we might not be willing to stand up for the truth is we know so little of it!  While we live in a Christianized society in some sense, more schools, literature, bible studies, books, lessons, radio/tv ministries, internet, software programs, etc.; all pointing to the abundance of opportunities for us to learn and grow, we are becoming more and more biblically illiterate!  There are more and more divisions among churches, more compromise with the truth of God’s Word and the lies in the culture and popular science models, less and less impact on individual lives as well as families and society in general, and dwindling attendance.

As an example, we have Sunday School hour here at this church where we go through a book of the Bible one verse at a time, allowing for comments and discussion together, while the teens go through age-appropriate materials in the back where they can learn things that are at their level and of importance to things that they will be going through.  We then have a main service that follows with a teaching time on various subjects that lasts around 40 minutes with a lot of Scripture weaved through it and it’s posted online with the notes for all to review or listen to if they miss a service or want to reevaluate throughout the week.  We also have Wednesday night studies and prayer time where we go through an entire survey of a single book in the Bible, understanding the main themes and placement of that book, along with going through a prayer list of people who need support and help.  We have men’s and women’s Bible studies to promote growth and fellowship in those areas and a time of discussion meeting twice a month on Saturdays.  Besides personal study and growth at home, how much do you attend all the opportunities that are available just in this church alone?

This is not a guilt trip or an attempt to make you feel inadequate in some way, but rather just a simple illustration of how in our society everything else seems to take center stage over what is of eternal value.  More and more activities are consuming our time and energy, taking away from the only thing that will matter after we pass on.  We won’t be sitting before God and going through a list of all the things we accomplished and attended in our non-stop busy schedule. Our faith is what God is interested in, and then the obedience and submission to that faith is seen in our actions.  Because of those actions we will get persecuted.  Count that persecution as joy as it grows our faith and our patience and proves that we are on the narrow path, giving us the endurance to finish the race that is set before us.

Secondly, are you interested in the kingdom of heaven? Are you longing for God’s dwelling in your presence and being before His glory and majesty? Do you want to experience unending joy and a newness of life that transcends time and fans out into all eternity?  Do you want an inheritance, being co-heirs with Christ, for all that God wants to bless you with, both now and in the kingdom?  Do you want to be free from stress and worry?  How about a body that is specially prepared to last for all eternity, that never wears out or has aches and pains, but functions as it never has or ever could in this sin-cursed life?

Knowing what awaits us in eternity, why would we not want others to experience that, or get a head start now on what God wants from us in “the middle”.  He didn’t create us so we could be saved through a simple prayer, then never change or experience transformation for the rest of our life, and then go to heaven where we will be blessed forever!  If you are a believer then your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, meaning that God dwells within you even now, transforming you into the image of Christ, showcasing the spiritual gifts God has blessed you with.  Using those gifts for the benefit of others, humbly submitting and reverencing God above, are both foreshadows of the kingdom of heaven that we will be a part of some day!

Lastly, and I know you’ve been waiting for a lastly, is no pun intended “patience”!  Godly patience is evident in the life of a believer because it goes beyond any set of circumstances.  It is not easily shaken or lost.  It is especially hard to come by in the face of persecution.  If we can’t even be patient with the little things that go wrong, then how would we do in the face of great struggles, such as facing death if we don’t deny Christ or hide our faith? 

Does this describe you and me: I am joyous and feel blessed when other people hate and attack me for doing what God wants me to do, and I patiently endure their attacks while loving, praying, and trying to bless them in return!

I would expect we all have some more work to do in those areas!  Luckily, God is the master sculpture, and He is never done with the lump of clay that we are until our last breath.  Wherever you are at on your journey know that God is not done with you.  There is much more to be done, regardless of how much time you think you have left.  And it is always a 2-way street!  God works with you to transform you, and the biggest enemy you have to your transformation sees you in the mirror every morning! Today is the day of salvation! Today is the day of transformation! Today is the day to get your priorities straight! Today is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!  Tomorrow is a hope that no one is guaranteed as our lives are but a vapor, here on minute and gone the next. What will you and I do with today? I can guess what Billy is doing today:

Billy – Somalia – one last story…

Somalia might be the most dangerous place in the world. Decades of conflict have gutted the country’s infrastructure. Somalia’s economy ranks dead last among all nations, and it isn’t a matter of if you will experience a terrorist attack but when.

Billy was born into a religious family in Mogadishu. His father was a tribal and religious leader who had memorized the entire Koran. Out of curiosity, Billy started studying an English Bible alongside his Koran. After three years of study, he converted to Christianity. He learned a lot from Christian radio broadcasts from the Seychelles and Kenya, and it was on the radio that he first heard the voice of another Somali who was a Christian.

Billy’s family threatened him when he confessed his new faith. That was when he first began to understand the words of Paul in 2 Timothy 3:12: “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

Six years after his conversion, Billy met his first Christian Somali. Together, as underground Christians, they gathered twelve other believers and started an underground church. A year later, Muslims discovered the growing Christian community and started persecution in earnest.

One of their church members, Liibaan, now a famed Somali martyr, was the first to be murdered. Then a doctor who attended the church was shot to death. An educator was kidnapped and executed. A Christian man and his Muslim wife were executed together in their own bedroom. Another church member was taken off a bus and executed in broad daylight.

Twelve in all were murdered. None of the murderers were ever prosecuted.

Today, just two members have survived out of the original church of fourteen—Billy and one other. Billy escaped many attempts on his life before moving to another country. From that base, he travels in and out of Somalia, planting, and nurturing underground house churches. No longer are there only fourteen Christians in Mogadishu. The church is quietly growing, partly because of the testimony of those twelve who died for Christ.

 

Let’s pray…