With people like "rogue," "sheblew," "bob young," "Mark T" and other
unbelievers persecuting Christians and Christianity it seems needed
to show what the Bible says as to how Christians should respond to
such persecution. There are different degrees of persecution ranging
from the nonsense that occurs on Usenet all the way up to Christians
being murdered for their faith. God has informed all Christians that
they would be persecuted for believing in Him so it's not unexpected.
Even false teachers and heretics who teach false doctrine persecute
Christians who believe in orthodox Biblical doctrine. "Bible Bob,"
Steve Winter, and "Pastor" Dave Raymond are prime examples of this.
However by the fruit they produce we know them to be just as false as
the unbeliever.
So how should we Christians respond to such persecution? Paul Fritz's
sermon gives us Biblical instructions. Please take the time to read
them and ask God to help you abide by them. For me personally, it is
a big help spiritually.

May God bless,
Carl
my website -- http://www.nettally.com/saints/
my blog -- http://www.anniemayhem.com/cgi-bin/wordpress/

---

How To Respond To Persecution
by Paul Fritz

(John 15:20)

We live in a world that is loath to experience any persecution. Few
seem willing to endure hardship for the sake of righteousness, truth
and enduring freedom. No wonder CNN and the New York Times
continually promotes victimology in their daily reports. However,
Jesus reminds Christians that persecution is a part of abiding in Him.

Illustration: Richard Foster, in his Celebrration of Discipline,
tells the story of a medieval monk who was unjustly accused of
various offenses. One day the monk looked out the window and saw a
dog biting and tearing a rug hanging out to dry. God said to the monk,

"That is what is happening to your reputation. But if you can trust
me, I will care for you - reputation and all."
When our reputation is being bitten and torn, we need to trust God to
restore, repair and reconstruct.

Peter wrote, "But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it,
this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because
Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you follow his
steps. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate;
when he suffered, he made no threat. Instead, he entrusted himself to
him who judges justly." (I Pet 2:20,21,23)

John 15:20 "Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater
than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you
also."
Illustration: In ancient Rome, crowds by the tens of thousands would
gather in the Colosseum to watch as Christians were torn apart by
wild animals. Paul Rader, commenting on his visit to this famous
landmark, said, "I stood uncovered to the heavens above, where He
sits for whom they gladly died, and asked myself, 'Would I, could I,
die for Him tonight to get this gospel to the ends of the earth?'"
Rader continued, "I prayed most fervently in that Roman arena for the
spirit of a martyr, and for the working of the Holy Spirit in my
heart, as He worked in Paul's heart when He brought him on his
handcuffed way to Rome." Those early Christians "lived on the
threshold of heaven, within a heartbeat of home, no possessions to
hold them back."
Our Daily Bread.

1. PERSECUTION FOSTERS MATURITY - Realize that persecution of the
Godly is a normal part of the maturing process for every Christian.
Jesus reminded us that a part of following Him is to identify with
Him even in His suffering.
"For consider Him who endured such suffering of sinners against
Himself lest you be worried and faint in your hearts." (Heb. 12:3)

The most mature Christians are those who are willing to continually
take up their cross and follow Christ regardless of the pain, shame
or adversity.
Remember that God is working His will in ways that we cannot see or
appreciate at the time.

Illustration: One old hymn says, "Must Jesus bear the cross alone and
all the world go free. No there's a cross for everyone and there's a
cross for me!"

As we follow Jesus we will have to experience more of the pains,
shame, and hardships as we are called to carry our own cross and
follow Him. God uses people who have shown themselves to be faithful
in little things and rewards them proportionate to their endurance
under hardships. (Luke 16:10)
2. DESPISING PERSECUTION IS SELF-INJURIOUS - Jesus said, "If they
persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. (John 15:20) By
complaining or shirking from hardships, persecutions, or criticisms
we are in effect distancing ourselves from identifying with all
aspects of Christ.
We must remember that no servant is greater than His master, but
every pupil when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. (Luke
6:40)
A part of growing into a useful servant is enduring the suffering,
shame, and indignities that Jesus went through. This process is meant
for our benefit to produce greater maturity, godliness, and insight
into His will for our lives.

Job said, "When I am tried I will come forth as gold." We too need to
have this optimistic outlook for the stresses that we face as this
will help us triumph through the most difficult of circumstances.

3. YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN BEING PERSECUTED - Let remember the numerous
examples of people who endured persecutions for the sake of Christ
throughout history.

Heb. 11:35-38 says, "Others were tortured and refused to be released,
so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and
flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They
were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the
sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute,
persecuted, and mistreated. The world was not worthy of them."

Isaiah was the most quoted prophet in the New Testament and yet he
found strength even though it meant that the Lord allowed him to be
sawn in two.
These people were blessed by God through His enabling grace that was
sufficient for any trial. God used these great pioneers of the faith
to lay a trail for the rest of us to follow.

Many great Christians were humble people who when reviled they did not
retaliate in kind, but kept entrusting themselves to the Lord and His
greater purposes.

Allow God to work through you regardless of whether you can
understand all that is happening to you. When you look back on your
hardships from heaven you will fully understand why God allowed each
and every trial to come into your life.

When we look at life from an eternal perspectives it alleviates
stress and helps us focus on God's perspectives rather than our own
limited-selfish views.

4. BLESS THOSE WHO PERSECUTE YOU - Love your enemies and pray for
those who persecute you, Jesus said in Matt. 5:43,44. This may be one
of the most difficult commandments, but it is entirely within the
realm of our God given capacities.

Remember when Stephen prayed for those who were stoning him in the
book of Acts. Others declared that his face was like that of an angel
because they observed the power of God flowing through him. This is
not an admission of weakness, but rather of the strength that we are
relying on through God's sufficient grace. (2 Cor. 12:9,10)

5. FORGIVE YOUR PERSECUTORS - Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them,
for they do not know what they are doing. (Luke 22:34) Jesus knew
that many who persecute the Godly are doing so in ignorance. We need
to learn how to forgive as Jesus forgave us. (Col. 3:13)

6. PRACTICE SELF-CONTROL - Be diligent, vigilant, and self-controlled
when you are undergoing persecution. Recognize that the devil prowls
around us like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour and will use
anyone or anything to cause us to stumble - even carnal Christians.

As I Peter 5:8-10 says, "Resist the devil, stand firm in the faith
because you know that your brothers throughout the world are
undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who
called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a
little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and
steadfast."
This great promise should give every Godly person the incentive to
persevere in trials!

7. DO NOT FEAR - Do not fear persecution as much as fear not living
up to the potentials, callings, and levels of maturity that God wants
you to attain.

Paul said, in 2 Timothy 1:8,9 "Do not be ashamed to testify about our
Lord or be ashamed of me His prisoner. But join with me in the
suffering for the Gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and
called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but
because of His own purpose and grace."

The greatest sins that most Christians make are not the sins of
commission like lying, stealing, and killing. Yet, the sins of
omission - not living up to the high calling of God in Christ Jesus,
but merely settling for levels of others expectations.

Jesus said, "If anyone will come after me, let him deny himself and
take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever will save his life
will lose it, but whoever loses it for my sake will save it." (Luke
9:23,24)
8. PRAY FOR PERSECUTORS - Pray for those who are undergoing
persecution. That they will stand firm in their faith (I Pet. 5:8-10)
That they will forgive those who persecute them (Lk. 23:34) That they
will not be fearful of men, but trust God. (Rev. 2:10)

That they will not repay evil for evil, but will seek to live at
peace with everyone. (Rom. 12:17-21)

God will ultimately vindicate the righteous and allow them to
experience the victory that is in Christ Jesus. "In the world you
will have tribulation but be of good cheer for I have overcome the
world." (John 16:33)