Sound Word Outreach and Ministry

Rejoice Extremely! Matthew 5:12 – Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. There is a reward for right doing and also there is a reward for right suffering. The hope of the reward should keep the Christian journey alive in us and should also cause a great joy that is beyond the comprehension of human in us – 2 Corinthian 4:17. Beloved, don’t give in to persecution. Jesus was persecuted and He received a reward as well others. Yours and mine won’t be a different issue. It is established by our choice of Jesus and faith – 2 Timothy 3:12, 1 Thessalonian 3:3, Galatians 6:12, Lamentation 5:5, Acts 8:1; 11:19; 13:50. Romans 8:35-39 encourage us the more and our response to persecution should be, “Persecution! You can separate me from Christ”. I pray that nothing will make us deny the faith. May God empower us all in Jesus name, Amen.

The Falsely Accused Matthew 5:11 – Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Persecution meted on the followers of Christ is of two types: those that the hand can do and those that the tongue can do. The hand persecution is felt physically on the bodies of the Christian while the tongue persecution is felt emotionally in the heart and soul of the Christian. Verse 10 is about the hand persecution while this verse is about the tongue persecution. Hand persecution entails all outward acts of violence while the tongue entails calumny, slander and others. Many Christians have been burn alive, some were killed and others. The tongue persecution might not kill the body but will kill the spirit of such a Christian. His character will be dragged on the mud. This was the kind of persecution that Joseph faced from the Potiphar’s wife – Genesis 39:7-20. Beloved, just as Christ and the early Christians were revil

Persecuted for Righteousness Matthew 5:10 – Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Persecution for righteousness (for the sake of righteousness) is a part of the Christian living and fate. Jesus told us that we will be hated and persecuted because of Him – John 15:18, 1 John 3:13, Luke 6:22, Luke 12:51. Why will you and I be hated by the world? We have not bought their ways and principles. More so, our fellowship of Christ pulled us from them. This is why Christ said He has come to bring division (dividing the good from the bad and turning people over to good thereby making them to be divided from their bad company but beyond the physical, Christ brought peace on earth). Right from the bible days even in the Old Testament, those that choose to follow God are always persecuted but the good news is that they are always victorious at the end. Beloved, this persecution is everywhere, in Nigeria the bad eggs in Islam are perse