Persecution is a fact of life for a Christian. Jesus Christ says we are blessed if we are persecuted for righteousness' sake — here's why.

Although many have gone through sore trials, virtually no one has gone through the nightmarish persecutions suffered by the early Christians in Imperial Rome.

Persecution is already here, part and parcel in the lives of followers of Christ. If we are persecuted for following God's instructions, we will be blessed.

Under the best of times, God's people are not immune to persecution. Persecution for righteousness' sake is evidence that God's people have Christ's Spirit.

We can be assured that we are God's heirs and offspring if we are led by the spirit, remaining on the sanctified path of fellowship, growing continually.

Psalms of Imprecation consists of calling on God to judge one's enemies, not as personal vengeance, but for God to act against evil.

Many scriptures direct us to show kindness to strangers and even our enemies who persecute us. With God's Spirit, we override the fight or flight response.

In I Corinthians 11:29, we are cautioned not to partake of the Passover in an unworthy manner, a primary example of which is the shabby treatment of brethren.

Scripture speaks of helping an enemy and "heaping burning coals of fire on his head." This seems to imply revenge, yet the Hebrew idiom indicates otherwise.

It offends our sense of justice to see the wicked prospering while the righteous suffer. We may need to adjust our expectations for leading an easy life.

Persecution and martyrdom are not popular topics among Christians, but they are facts. The fifth seal shows the cry of the martyrs and God's response.

In Paul's listings of virtues, meekness always appears near the end, reflecting its difficulty. Meekness is the gentle, quiet spirit of selfless devotion.

A native practice involves leaving a young man on a remote island with only a bow and arrows until he learns to become a man, and God does something similar.

Our sins can drag us down, but there are other weights that impede our progress, limit our usefulness to God, hold us back, and hinder us in our race.

Jesus emphasized the spirit of the law, which places deterrents on the motive (anger, resentment, envy, revenge), preventing murder from ever taking place.

Gentile nations without God's revelation were held accountable for basic principles of humanity. God reserves the severest penalty for Judah and Israel.

When the laws of God conflict with the laws of man, civil disobedience is the only correct response, as was patterned by Peter, Paul, and the apostles.

Paul fought against discord by reminding the brethren that the church is united in Christ, and that He requires His followers to show love to each other.

Throughout the 'Christian' world, militant atheism may be decreasing, but religious indifference is also increasing at even a more dramatic rate.

Jesus magnifies the Law in Matthew 5, moving beyond the behavior into the motivating thought behind the deed, warning that we do not retaliate in kind.

The commission to the disciples evolves from their initial orders to go to the House of Israel to their ultimate commission of going to the Gentiles.

We need to avoid the trap of self-justification, allowing our hasty words to lure us into sin. We must be quick to listen, and slow to speak.

The best weapon against the evil of our human nature is to develop the mind of Christ within us to displace our carnal nature.