Can I count on the Kingdom of Heaven as mine when I am being persecuted for righteousness sake?  And what solace, comfort or peace does that bring the persecuted today, knowing that theirs is the Kingdom?  Matthew 5:10 Blessed [are] they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Should I expect to avoid persecution having announced myself publicly a believer and follower of Christ the Lord?  Do you view it a reward to be counted with Christ, paying the price for that kinship?

Are you hated by the world or do you fit right in?  And if you are fully acceptable to the world around you how do you believe that translates with regard to your Christian walk?  If they hated Him before they hated us and we are told that all who live a Godly life will be persecuted, shall there be any reasonable expectation of escaping that persecution?  2Timothy 3:12.  Do I wrongly consider myself the person who might or may escape persecution when the Bible states that “all” who live that Godly life shall experience it?  Do I believe in the Word as written or do I hold to my favorable rewriting or interpretation?

Considering the clarity of God’s Word regarding the inevitability of my experiencing persecution should I realistically be holding out hope of avoiding it or should I be embracing the reality and preparing to walk through that fire with God’s Holy Spirit holding my hand?  What then have I been thinking, hoping to somehow evade that persecution which God’s says is inevitable?  Have I blended appropriately into the world, comfortably camouflaged, acceptable, appealing, in tandem with sin, flesh and the devil?

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.  For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?  Luke 9:23-25

How are we understanding this phrase in modern terminology?  Many tell me that picking up their cross is simply reference to addressing and carrying the burden of our own sanctification daily and that may very well be a modern definition of this term.  But in Christ’s day and why this was used is because any man or woman who picked up their cross was headed up the hill to be hung upon it.  This term means that we are die unto our selves and serve God, ENTIRELY.  Do not allow the enemy to so easily deceive us with simple twists in interpretation or phraseology.

Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.  Whom do I serve?  Is it the Lord God, Almighty, Jesus Christ, The Holy Spirit or some facsimile concocted to make me acceptable to the world and pious enough to be a church icon.  We cannot live with two personalities, two faces, masks, for this is serving two masters and one will always lose.  Which one is winning in your life?  Which one God or gods has all of your time, energy, love, dedication and ambition?

So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8:8  Without faith I know that it is impossible to please God, but this Word tells me that if I remain in my flesh I can neither please Him.  Is it suffering to you to give up the world and its timely treasures?
For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.  Galatians 1:10

Did the Apostles really rejoice at being punished for the sake of being called a Christian?  And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.  Acts 5:40-41

This all comes down to one question; If we know that God’s Word says that we WILL suffer persecution for being counted with Him and we continue to avoid doing anything for Christ because we fear the probability of persecution then are we in fact denying Him?  I know that you don’t like me saying these things but doesn’t someone have to say it.  Can I continue to live a worldly life with close regard of avoiding persecution and expect that my denial or compliance with God’s Word will free me of eternal culpability? Matthew 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
Luke 12:9 But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

Look I do not want to be persecuted, but I know that living a righteous, Godly life guarantees that I will be afforded to opportunity to rejoice in suffering for Christ.  Knowing that fact I must fear God more than I fear the persecution of man and live for Him regardless of that guaranteed persecution.  Knowing this I must then prepare my heart in faith for the day of my greatest trial, earnestly praying that when tested I will openly admit that I belong to God through Christ.  I pray in that moment that they see God and not my weakness, that they see His Might demonstrated through my willingness to go to the Cross for Him as He did for me.  Lord give us strength of character, mind and spirit.  Let us not be twisted by the whimsy of man’s desire for ease and plenty.  Let us each face our purpose with courage, faith, hope and the strength that Your indwelling provides.  In Jesus name I pray.