Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted for Doing What Is Right

Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted for Doing What Is Right

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Matthew 5:10-12 (NKJV) “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

            We are witnessing persecution of Christians all over the world.  Some of us have and are currently experiencing personal persecution.  We must remember that our Lord told us that in this world we would have tribulation, but that we should not fear because He has overcome the world. (John 16:33)

However, when we feel the onslaught of the world against us, we must seriously ask ourselves, “Am I experiencing condemnation because I have been doing the right thing?  Are others against me because I am doing what Jesus would do? 

Or, have I been self-righteous, legalistic and/or condeming?  Am I unforgiving?”   When our actions portray these attitudes, people around us perceive that our God, likewise, is self-righteous, condemning and unforgiving. We all quote John 3:16, but few of us are aware of John 3:17-18:   

John 3:16-18 (NKJV) ^“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

            Because God desires to bring salvation rather than condemnation to the world, and because condemnation is the result of not believing that Jesus paid the price for our sins, our focus should be on sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and His salvation which includes deliverance from sinful practices.  Those who do not know and have not experienced the power of salvation in their lives do not understand the loving deliverance that comes from a relationship with our Lord. Our desire must be to share God’s deliverance rather than simply to speak condemnation.  Remember Paul’s first letter to the Church at Corinth:  1 Corinthians 2:2-5 (NKJV) “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”  Our call is to bring the message of salvation in Jesus Christ. 

            Like Jesus, we are to be “Isaiah 61” Christians:  Isaiah 61:1 (NKJV) "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound.”  

           The Spirit of the Lord is not upon us to condemn, to judge, and to complain.  

            In the world, we must stand for truth, justice, morality and freedom.  We must also plan our stance with Paul’s admonition to the Church at Corinth:  1 Corinthians 40 (NKJV) “Let all things be done decently and in order.” 

            We can expect persecution in the world.  However, when we are persecuted for righteousness, for doing things the right way, for doing things decently and in order, we are promised a blessing.

Characteristics of a Christian Soldier

Characteristics of a Christian Soldier

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

2 Timothy 2: 1-3

“You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ”.

2 Samuel 23:2-39 and 1 Chronicles 11:10-47 list the mighty men of valor who graced the ranks of David’s army.  Because we know little about them, we might be lead to ask, “What are the characteristics of the valiant?  Are these the same characteristics that God seeks to develop in His people that we might be mighty ones of valor in the current age and in the coming ages.”  Perhaps we can gain some insight by considering the meanings of their names.

We find the first of the mighty men described in 2 Samuel: 23:8: “These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-Basshebeth the Tachmonite, chief among the captains. He was called Adino the Eznite, because he had killed eight hundred men at one time.”  

What does his name tell us about his character?

Josheb--“sat in the seat”

Basshebeth—“resting” (derived from Sabbath)

Tachmonite—“one who is wise”

Adino—“his adorned one”

Eznite—“he lifted up his spear”

In 1 Chronicles 11:11, he is called “Jashobeam, the son of a Hachonite” and is said to have killed 300 men at one time.

 

Jashobeam: “he who sits among the people” or “he to whom the people return:

Hachonite: the same as Tachmonite—“one who is wise.

What can we deduce about this valiant warrior who was the leader of the captains in the army of David? 

Perhaps, he is one adorned in the robe of His King, the robe of righteousness, the garment of praise (Isaiah 61:10, Isaiah 61:3.)  He sits in his seat, his designated place, among the people.  Notice that he is not seated on a throne.  He sits among the people.  He does not struggle because he rests on the promises of his Lord. Because of his God-given wisdom (James 1:5), others return to him.    

When Deborah was judging Israel, the people came to her.  She did not have to go to them. (Judges 4:5) As Christians, we are to exhibit such wisdom that people will seek us out.

The Christian warrior is Eznite who lifted his spear and routed the enemy.  We ask, “What is our weapon?”

The answer is, “The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17b).

What a mighty weapon we have! 

Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Revelation 1:16: “In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.”

We must use our weapon under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 12:11-12:  "Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.''

We live in difficult times.  Our Christian faith is under attack.  However, soldiers in obedience to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords are issued the spiritual armor of truth, righteousness, peace, faith and a salvation which includes deliverance, healing and victory (Ephesians 5).

Never forget that we have the most powerful weapon and our leader is King of King and Lord of Lords.  In Him, we can be mighty in battle.

Engaging in Political Dialogue

Engaging in Political Dialogue
By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

The season for political debate has begun.  While we are blessed with the freedom to engage in political dialogue, biblically speaking, our dialogue must be done decently and in order.  Those with whom we disagree are also created in the image of God and are worthy of our respect even if they don't respect us.  

One of the fundamental rules in dealing with offensive argumentation is never to stoop to the level of the adversary.  Simply put, don't argue with a fool.

2 Timothy 2:23:  "Don't get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights." ( NLT)
  
Proverbs 26:4:  "Do not answer the foolish arguments of fools, or you will become as foolish as they are." ( NLT)

 Proverbs 10:15: "Wise people treasure knowledge, but the babbling of a fool invites disaster."

Mark Twain:  "Never argue with a fool; onlookers may not be able to tell the difference."

 "Insults are the last resort of insecure people with a crumbling position trying to appear confident." (Wisdom Quotes)

In viable, vibrant dialogue, we must discuss issues, not personalities.  We must defend our positions with readily variable facts and not hearsay. Sometimes the best strategy is either to change the subject, to remain silent or to walk away.