Persecution Shall Come

There have been times in my life where someone has come against me. One time in particular and heart wrenching, was with someone from my church. Someone I trusted and treated like a brother. That person intentionally tried to destroy my reputation, business, and hurt my wife and I deeply. He lied and tried to rally people up against us behind our back, while to our face pretending to be our best friend.

Many people, when they found out what was happening, would have been enraged and confronted the friend and told everyone around what kind of person this guy really was; especially those whom had been told lies about us. Many people would have taken offense in the situation and justifiably so.
But we didn't. I have never spoken to him of it. Matter of a fact, this is the first time I have publicly mentioned it. And I do so, not out of wanting to get revenge, but only because I feel that this testimony may give glory to God and help someone else needing to hear my testimony.
I was hurt and broken hearted but God was able to heal me and replace my grief with compassion and concern for him. I was concerned about the example he setting towards his children. I was concerned about him and his relationship with God and the internal turmoil that must be happening in his worship and relationship with Christ.

So I ask you, does being able to not let this offense stew and boil and rage inside me make me super-human? Why yes it does! 1/3 of who I am in Holy Spirit. I am born again with the Spirit of God living in me. And it has enabled me to overcome many things that, without Him, would be impossible. And if you are born again, you too can do the same.

I have a friend that is going through a hard time with an offense right now. And my heart breaks for her, because she continues to re-live and dwell on the offense. She is born again and has the same ability that I have to put aside her emotions and be healed.

I have tried to share with her about how to be healed from it and she is not receiving it. I will continue to try as long as she lends me her ear, but I am concerned that she may not allow me to share what the Spirit of God is putting in my heart for her any longer. So I will share it with whomever will lend their ear, and maybe it will be a blessing to you.

We all have a choice to make when offense comes our way. I feel a little different than many people do. I feel, that the emotions that we encounter are rooted in the spiritual. (Eph 6:12 - For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.) For the simplest illustration, and the most common and easy to understand, you have a devil on one shoulder and you have and the Holy Spirit on the other shoulder. Each of them will speak to your heart about a situation that may arise and you will come into agreement with one of them. Which one, is your choice.

One of them says, 'She didn't smile at me when she passed because she thinks she is better than me'. They other one says, 'She didn't smile at you, I hope she is okay. You should pray for her'. The first one is a dark thought (or a fiery dart) that if you receive produces bad fruit (anger, pride, frustration, etc). The second one, if received, produces good fruit (love, peace, patience, compassion, tenderness, goodness, kindness). One fruit is from the devil, the other fruit is from the Holy Spirit. At that moment, check your heart. Are you feeling the presence of and intimacy with the Holy Spirit? If not, then you need to take dominion and captive over that thought and not let it be seeded into your life.
2 Cor 10:4-5 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
One thing that you will notice is that the Holy Spirit may only tell you once, that you should pray for that person. However, the devil, will sit on your shoulder and tell you over and over again, shooting these darts at you trying to get you receive them. "But remember when she was giggling with her friends, I bet they were making fun of you." "They are all out to get you because they are jealous of you", "I bet she is spreading rumors about you". Once you start receiving these darts, the devil will make connections with more darts and try to develop a strong-hold in your life that's sole purpose is to put you in pride. Pride is where you are thinking about yourself over others.

Once you have built this stronghold of pride, you are walking down a dark road to destruction. A place where God is resisting you and not showering you in grace. James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5 says, "God resists the Proud and gives Grace to the humble." This makes things seem even darker and darker and if you don't stop it, will ultimately bring destruction to your life. Proverbs 16:18 says, "Pride goes before destruction and a prideful spirit before a fall'. And you will feel a desire to share your offense with everyone around you hoping that they will come into agreement with you that you are justified in feeling the way you do. What you don't realize is that you are sharing your offense and shooting your own fiery darts from the devil. If they receive them and take offense with you, they too are developing a stronghold that will take them down the path of destruction with you.

The good news is, that we have a God that is ready, at a moments notice, to heal you, to break the stronghold and restore you. All you have to do is repent and be forgiven of your pride, walk boldly into the throne room, and be healed.

The next step is then the hardest. Every time you sense a fiery dart (one that doesn't produce the Fruit of the Spirit), you cast the devil off your shoulder and take dominion over that thought. Capture that dart and replace it with a Word of God that ministers Good Fruit, and life. Refuse to receive those darts. And if someone starts chatting in your ear about an offense they have received. Minister to them forgiveness and compassion and generosity and love, instead of letting them puke in your ear.
If you have taken offense, do not share your offense with anyone unless it is intended to bring glory to the Father. Take it to God and let God fight your battle for you. He will use your patience and your humbleness to build character and will elevate you in time. If you were wronged, just forgive, ask God to allow you to love and have compassion and take a stripe and stone for Jesus. Stephen and Timothy didn't cry out 'unfair' when they were stoned. Paul and Silas were not in jail trying to raise up a revolt about how they were treated. If you want to be a true Christian, declare Jesus your Lord, and give your life to Him, persecutions will come.

2 Tim 3:10-12 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted

 It is how you handle the persecution that sets you apart from others and brings glory to God by your testimony.