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"Those who have decided to accept all persecution are living far below what God intended."

THERE ARE certain things in the Word that are spoken as extremes. By this, I mean they are written to “deal with” situations which are serious and on the extreme end of what can happen in the church, in a church, or in a child of God. Unfortunately, we as the church have taken many of them as middle-of-the-road and in so doing, have accepted what God wants us to resist. Persecution is one area. Demonic oppression is another. We do not have to be persecuted. I personally refuse to confess this. Yes, I am aware it can happen, but the Word also says I have “favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man (Proverbs 3:4).”

So which is it? Which do we believe for and confess as ours? I’ll take the favor please. I will not have anyone, anywhere, for any reason speak against me or write negative ungodly reviews for my books. No one will decry me in the pulpit or criticize what the Spirit has to say. That is God’s promise to me from the Scriptures.

Paul’s thorn-in-the-flesh is used as both an example of this. It is touted as persecution we should look for, and also as God’s willful demonic oppression. I cannot begin to tell you how wrong both of these are, but especially the second. God does not oppress anyone. He does not work hand-in-hand with the devil. Else, why bother to send Jesus to defeat him and condemn sin? Too, James 1:13 says God doesn’t tempt or test anyone with evil, “for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.” 1 Corinthians 14:13 tells us, “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.” And in James 3:16, we read, “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”

All through the Scriptures we are told God is the God of peace, the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3). “Comfort” there is the same word translated “Comforter” in reference to Jesus and the Holy Spirit in John 14, 15, and 16. God is shalom, wholeness and well-being. All of these go against any teaching that lays what happened to Paul on God. Instead, Paul’s thorn was what the verses tell us it was – a messenger of Satan – or we could say, a demonic influence (2 Corinthians 12:7). Now, it doesn’t tell us if it was through a person or group of people or from a demon itself, but it does give us Jesus’ response to Paul. He said “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).”

In other words, “Lean on me and walk in the Spirit.” This is essential knowledge AND behavior. It isn’t enough to know what God’s Word says, it must become real to us. It must be our default thinking and behavior. We must meditate in the Word (or mutter it, as the word “meditate” means) until it becomes a part of us. Just like I wake up every morning knowing I am an American, I wake up every morning knowing God loves me and His love has freed me from ALL work of the devil. He left not one devilish thing for me to “deal with.” Nor did Paul stay in that place, that season, and remain there, but he pushed forward toward the goal to win the prize the Father had promised him (Philippians 3:14). And in the end, said he’d “fought the good fight” and “won the race.” He had laid up for him the crown of life and glory which I’ll bet he’s enjoying to this date (2 Timothy 4:7). Notice, God gives the reward, not the suffering.

Peter fought similarly. We read where Paul admonished him for being embarrassed to be seen eating with the Gentiles. Now, did Peter receive this correction? Yes, many times yes. We know he did because history tells us of his death, that he was hung on a cross upside down by his own insistence. He would not die the same death as his Messiah. He was a most strong man. So was James, the Savior’s half-brother, who has been much maligned for his death by persecution.

Those who have decided to accept all persecution are living far below what God intended. He wanted us to know of it, to understand it, so that we would pray for those who cause it. Paul himself was a persecutor who became the greatest voice for the Savior. Jesus was and is His best friend. And Jesus is mine. I have seen things in the spirit because of what I’ve endured, and I can tell you assuredly that much of what the church has touted as God, isn’t God at all. But religion. Minister Bill Johnson of Bethel Church in Redding, California said this, and I jumped out of my chair because I’d never heard anyone else speak such truth. God, the Father, he said, is not as religious as we are. I can tell you He isn’t religious at all but the most gentle, soft-spoken Father.

More than any other thing He’s created (and He sets the example), He’s self-controlled and wise. He is, in fact, the source of wisdom. He would never hurt anyone. That isn’t His nature at all. Instead, the evil we come up against is because we live in a world where it is accepted, in and out of the church. We accept the death of the mind as aging or disease and treat it as if there is no cure. We accept chronic virus and disease conditions such as diabetes and gluten intolerance as if God won’t heal them and it’s “just too hard” to get Him to.

Start living like you are free of it. This is my advice from experience. When a diabetic drug (and I won’t say which one), almost caused my death, I asked God, “What do I do now?” There was no physical or medical way to not be diabetic. God’s response surprised me.

“Just eat,” He said. “Just eat and pray over your food and be well.”

So I did, and I have, and I am well. I don’t read labels or check sugar counts. Now, I do eat low sugar because I prefer it, and I know what put me in that shape. But I do not fear its recurrence nor any side effects of the drug, which are entirely gone. I do not fear any of the many other physical hardships I have endured from it. God healed me of diabetes, and of a genetic condition I didn’t even know I had.

“Hold on to loyal love and don’t let go, and be faithful to all that you’ve been taught. Let your life be shaped by integrity, with truth written upon your heart. That’s how you will find favor and understanding with both God and men—you will gain the reputation of living life well.” (Proverbs 3:3-4)

I don’t fear the future or catching some disease. No one in my family and no one who affects my family will get sick. And yes, I mean that. I don’t accept the “sickness” of my house and property either. Whatever we believe for, we can have, and I can tell you it is God’s will for us to walk well. Ephesians 1 in the Message Bible is my favorite passage. It paints such a delightful image of the Father and His delight in us. I’ll post a portion below, but I encourage you to visit the link and read it, mediate on it. Because our God, our loving wonderful God, is such a dream.

I mean that just as you read it. He is so good, so kind, so much more joy to us than we can ever expect or think. These are the words of Ephesians 3:20, which is often quoted, but not fully believed. God is “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” through His power that He’s placed in us because of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:3-10 MSG
“How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.”

(7-10) “Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.”

To read the full chapter: CLICK HERE.

Hummingbird Image by jadis96 from Pixabay
Cactus illustration Image by b0red from Pixabay


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com