There is one kind of suffering that all of us will experience as believers. It is being persecuted for our faith. However, it doesn’t mean that God has forsaken us when we are persecuted for our faith and for righteousness’ sake.
John 15:20 (NKJV) 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 keep yours also.
When persecution comes, often we are surprised and perplexed. Sometimes, we even ask, ‘Why is this happening?’ But in this passage, Jesus practically promised that persecution will come.
Romans 8:35 (NKJV) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
We would have read about how the first martyr, Stephen, was stoned to death for his faith. The Apostles and many other followers of Christ suffered persecution, tortured, and died horrible deaths ¾ beheaded, crucified, boiled in a vat of oil, flayed alive, dragged by horses ¾ and that is just to mention a few.
Praise God that we do not live in fear of these kinds of persecution. In the modern world, we face a different kind of persecution. Our speech is limited, we always face the possibility of being labelled bigots. Our opinions are ridiculed, we are called narrow-minded and old-fashioned.
Through it all, the early Christians counted it joy to suffer for the sake of the Kingdom. Compared to the intense persecution and cold cruelty they endured, the afflictions we face here and now in these modern times are indeed minor. We might be persecuted, but they were, and we are, never forsaken. Let us take these moments to exercise our faith muscle, our perseverance will eventually produce character, and character hope!
He will turn our sorrows into dancing. Let us look forward to the sound of percussions and prepare to break into a dance of joy!
Sermon Series: The Dependability of God
四面受敌却不被困住
作为信徒，有一种患难是我们每一个人都会经历到的，那就是为信仰遭受逼迫。然而，当我们为信为义受逼迫时，这并不意味着 神离弃了我们。
约翰福音 15:20 你们要记念我从前对你们所说的话：“仆人不能大于主人。”他们若逼迫了我，也要逼迫你们；若遵守了我的话，也要遵守你们的话。
当逼迫来临时，我们常常会感到惊讶和困惑。有时候我们甚至会问：“为什么会发生这种事？”然而，在这段经文里，主耶稣实实在在地向我们保证逼迫必将到来。
罗马书 8:35 谁能使我们与基督的爱隔绝呢？难道是患难吗？是困苦吗？是逼迫吗？是饥饿吗？是赤身露体吗？是危险吗？是刀剑吗？
我们都曾读过有关第一位殉道者司提反是如何因信仰而被石头打死的。使徒们和许多跟随基督的人都遭受逼迫、受尽折磨 并惨死 – 斩首、钉十字架、被扔进沸腾的油锅里、
活生生被剥皮、被马拖行 。凡此种种不一而足。
感谢赞美主，如今我们不活在这种逼迫的恐惧中。在现代世界里，我们面临的是另一种逼迫。我们的言论受到限制，我们总是面临被贴上偏执狂标签的可能性。我们的观点受到嘲笑，我们被称为思想偏狭以及守旧的人。
自始至终，初期的基督徒视为神国受患难为喜乐。与他们遭受的强烈迫害以及冷酷残忍相比，我们在当今时代所面临的患难确实微不足道。我们也许会受到逼迫，然而他们从未被丢弃，我们也从未被丢弃。让我们借此时刻来操练我们的信心肌肉，因为患难生忍耐，忍耐生老练，老练生盼望！
祂将使我们的愁苦（哀哭）变为跳舞。让我们期盼鼓声，准备好欢欣起舞吧！
讲章系列：神的可靠性
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