Embracing Persecution

Sunday 1 April
READ: Acts 21: 1– 14
M O R E L E SSON: Mark 10: 29 - 30

Paul was about to go to Jerusalem and a prophecy was given to him that if he did, persecution and bond was waiting for him. He replied that he was willing to go, not only to be bound but to be killed for the cause of Christ. His companions wept, trying to dissuade him from going to the place of persecution. He told them that they were only breaking his heart by their tears because he was ready to suffer for the sake of Christ and also to die for Him, if the need arose. It is high time the Church began to study the lives of men like Apostle Paul again. One would wonder whether it is the same faith that these people received that we have received today. When the Lord called Paul to preach, He told him that he would suffer greatly for the cause of Christ. Paul heeded the call and embraced the suffering. How many people today will answer God's call if the Lord tells them that the call includes suffering and persecution?
Several times, Paul was put in jail for preaching; on getting there, he would start preaching in the prison and convert all the prisoners to Jesus. He was charged to court for preaching the gospel and was brought before the judges and kings. He stood up as if to defend himself but started preaching to everyone in the court so much so that he nearly converted King Agrippa to Christianity (Acts 26: 28). It was Paul who said ...woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel: 1 Cor. 9:16. This man actually vowed that he should be cursed if he stopped preaching the gospel.
The depth of the commitment of Paul and many others in the Bible and post-Bible days was what made Christianity survive till it reached our generation. Living less than the standard set for us is failing in passing on the baton that was passed to us. Jesus asked whether He would find faith on earth when He returns (Lk. 18:8). Each generation is to preserve the faith that is handed over to them and hand it over to the next generation. I pray that our generation will not be the one to fail the Lord. We must rise and rescue Christianity from the decadence that is setting in. We should go back to the ancient path and see how the fathers did it. We should learn from the example of men that laid all down to make sure the baton reached us and we should not be afraid to pay the price to see that we pass on genuine faith to the next generation.

Prayer/Action
* From today, I lay off my idol I go for Jesus.
* There shall be nothing too precious for me not to give up for Jesus.
* My life, my time, my everything I surrender all at the feet of Jesus.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: Jesus, Your death and resurrection made today ajoyful day, thank You for April's good!