8/14/2019 Standing Strong in Persecution

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Standing Strong In Persecution

Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 2Timothy 3:12

It is natural for life to be stormy, especially when you want to live a godly lifefor Jesus! Many Christians are surprised when they are subjected to attacks andoppositions. 1 Peter 4:12 says, Beloved, do not think it strange concerning thefiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you.

There is nothing strange about being a target of spiritual attacks andoppositions. If Jesus suffered persecution, we too will suffer for Him.

Remember the words of Jesus, A servant is not greater than his master. If theypersecuted Me, they will also persecute you (John 15:20). The Early Churchapostles were persecuted for preaching the name of Jesus. In Acts 4, Peter and

John were arrested by the rulers, elders and scribes for preaching the gospel. They were commanded not to speak or preach about Jesus in the city. However,they did not draw back in fear. Instead, they were strengthened in their faith

through the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness. How do westand strong in the face of pressure or persecution?

There are four things we can learn from Acts 4:(1) Be filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:29-31). When the Holy Spiritcomes upon you, you will be bold. Though Peter and John were uneducatedfishermen, they were so bold that the religious leaders could immediatelynotice something supernatural about them (4:13)!

(2) Stand up for what is right (4:20). Courage is not the absence of fear.Courage is doing what is right in spite of your fears. Instead of remaining silent,Peter and John knew they can do nothing but to speak the things which theyhad seen and heard. They persevered in doing what was right in the eyes of God.

(3) Keep praising God when you go through the fire (4:24). Instead of complaining, Peter and John, together with the rest of the disciples, openedtheir mouths to praise the Lord. Praise is the language of faith. Praise opens thedoor for Gods supernatural intervention in your life and situation.

(4) Pray for Gods grace to continue serving Him (4:32-33). After the

arrest and stern warning, the apostles could have toned down their ministrywork. But they prayed that God would empower them even more to continuepreaching the gospel. The Bible says, great grace was upon the apostles tocontinue serving the Lord.

When you are persecuted for your faith, dont be discouraged. When you cometo the end of your natural strength, remember that the grace of God issufficient for you! Philippians 1:6 is a great verse you can meditate on: Beingconfident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you willcomplete it until the day of Jesus Christ.