Two sides to the Glory of God Pt.2

Theme: Understanding the Glory of God

Message for Sunday October 25^th 2015

Two sides to the Glory of God Pt.2

Introduction: Last week, we began to look at two sides of the glory. We took our text from Mark 10:29-30 where Jesus said:

“… Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,

But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.”

We saw a few of the good things of life we are rewarded with and pointed out that these good things come with persecution. Today, we shall be looking at the persecution side of the glory and we shall also see how to handle persecution.

First let us define persecution as the unpleasant experiences we get from others in reaction to our faith. These experiences include the contradiction of others, envy rooted in jealousy, rejections of family members and friends and in extreme cases extermination of life. See Hebrews 12:2-3,

Examples of persecution in the bible include where Jesus Christ was said to be casting out devils by the power of evil spirits when he just healed a blind and dumb man in Matthew 12:22-24.

Another example of persecution in the bible is seen in Acts 4:21 where Peter and John were threatened for ministering healing to a man born blind and thereby glorifying Jesus Christ. They were later arrested and flogged for preaching in the name of the Lord.

Another example of persecution is seen in the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ due to the envy of the religious leaders of His time. See Matthew 27:18 and Mark 15:10.

Another example of persecution is seen in the selling of Joseph into Egypt by his brothers as described by Stephen in Acts 7:9 Stephen was stoned to death by the Jews being persecuted for his faith.

Another example of Persecution is when the Jews spoke against the message preached by Paul and his companion out of envy that people went out to hear them in large numbers. This is why Church growth by the hand of God is a breeding ground for the persecution of others who desire it but are not paying the price to get it. See Acts 13:45 and Acts 17:5.

Another example of persecution was the case of the man born blind who was healed by the Lord in John 9. The religious leaders excommunicated him for affirming the Lordship of Jesus Christ. See John 9:28-34.

We can go on and on about persecution but for want of space and time, let us quickly see how to handle persecution.

1.     Forgive your persecutors Matthew 5:11-12, Mk.11:24-25.

2.     Leave their environment as the Holy Spirit leads you. Matthew 10:23, Ps.1:1-3.

3.     Pray for your persecutors. Matthew 5:44, Luke 6:28. This is because they do not know what they are doing. Our prayers help to open their eyes to the truth so that they can come to the saving knowledge of the Lord. See the example of Jesus Christ and Stephen in Luke 23:34, Rom.12:14 and Acts 7:59-60.

4.     Understand that their unjustifiable persecution sets the pace for your divine promotions so you can walk in love without striving with them knowing that Jesus left us an example to walk in His steps. See Matt.5:11-12, John 15:20, 1Peter 2:19-23 [We ought to live above reproach so that the persecution we endure is not justified].

5.       Recognize the difference between persecution and lawlessness. The latter requires that you press legal charges to stop it’s continuation. For example, when people steal from you because of your faith or slander you in such a way that would adversely affect your business or met out injustice to you. This is why Apostle Paul appealed to Caesar when Felix cunningly kept Paul bound unlawfully in the hope that Paul would bribe his way out of Prison in Acts 24:25-27 and Acts 25:9-12.

Anointing service for grace to handle persecution wisely: Pray for the outpouring of the Glory of God to enable us enjoy the benefits of glory and endure trials as the need arises.

However, this blessing is meant for those who have entered into the covenant relationship of the New Birth with the Lord. The bible says that Christ in you is the hope of glory and this mystery was hidden from the foundation of the world for our glory. They are not hidden from us but for us to be able to discover them. If you desire this new birth experience so as to take advantage of what God has given us, you can do so right away by saying the following prayer out loud in faith and you will be saved and granted access to the mysteries of God that would enable you manifest His glory on earth. When Jesus was about to round off His mission on earth, he said he had brought glory to God by fulfilling His purpose. See John 17:4. If you want to be able to say the same thing when the time comes, please say the following prayer out loud and God would honor your faith:

Heavenly Father,

Have mercy on me a sinner. Today, I believe that Jesus died for me and you raised Him from the dead for my Justification. I therefore declare that Jesus Christ is my Saviour and Lord and from today, I renounce the fatherhood of Satan and embrace Jesus Christ as my Saviour and Lord. Thank you for this father in Jesus’ name!

Amen.

Congratulations! For more information and resources that would help you grow in this new life, please visit our website at www.kingdomheirsministries.org and our blogs at www.flourishinggirl.blogspot.com and follow us on twitter at alero_nanna and on face book on www.facebook.com/flourishinggirl www.facebook.com/khmii2015; www.facebook.com/thewellbeingcenter. Or www.facebook.com/kingdomjointheirsfamily email:  jointheirsfamily@gmail.com.   

Remain on top of your challenges in Jesus’ name!