Friday, October 10, 2014

Psalm 119:86

Commandments & Persecution
By Pastor Dr. Ronnie W. Wolfe

God's commandments are faithful. They never change nor need to change. They stay the same and are not in flux. They do not bend with man's mind or man's wisdom or his philosophy or sophistry.

God's commandments are faithful in their execution. They are given upon God's true demand for us to obey, and it is certain that any disobedience will receive true recommence. They are faithful, also, in their execution of blessing; for, if we, his servants, will obey his commandments, we shall be blessed and rewarded in the last day.

God's commandments are faithful in their demand for our faithfulness to them as well, in our carrying out of God's will in our lives as we know it, growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

They (the wicked) persecute us wrongfully. They may think or believe they are doing their hurt for God's sake, as Saul of Tarsus did to the church at Jerusalem in his day; but he found later that he was doing it against God's will and was sorry for it seemingly the rest of his life, saying that he was the chief of sinners because he persecuted the church of God.

The psalmist, as we can today, called out to God for help in his times of persecution, and certainly we do need our God's help when persecution comes. Americans know little of Christian persecution, but many of our Christian brothers and sisters in Christ this very day are being severely persecuted in other countries (as well as our own country to a small degree).

We as God's children, as his servants, as obedient children to his commandments, should be crying out to God for those who now are being persecuted severely. We do not know when we, too, may need the prayers of believers around the world for our own help in persecution.

So many times we forget this verse:  Philippians 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

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