WCTLC

The Holy Spirit is your deliverance from martyrdom, so you can continue to yield to the life and ministry of Jesus in your life and ministry.

Luke 13:31-33 (NIV) At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to Him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill You.” He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day--for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!

There are times when God won’t deliver us from persecution and there are times when He wants us to avoid it. There are times when we are to stand and take it so as to show God’s love by turning our other cheek; and there are times when God wants us to walk away from it.

John 8:58-59 (NIV) “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone Him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

Jesus didn’t go around having His cheek slapped and His clothes taken from Him. It wasn’t His lifestyle to just go around turning the other cheek and letting them have His tunic also. Jesus went around doing what His Father told Him to do. This caused a lot of conflict with the religious leaders of His day. But, He yielded to the power of His Father and escaped physical abuse as much as was possible.

John 10:30-33 (NIV) I and the Father are one.” Again the Jews picked up stones to stone Him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” “We are not stoning You for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because You, a mere man, claim to be God.”

John 10:34-36 (NIV) Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are gods’? If He called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came--and the Scripture cannot be broken--what about the One Whom the Father set apart as His very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse Me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?

John 10:37-39 (NIV) Do not believe Me unless I do what My Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe Me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” Again they tried to seize Him, but He escaped their grasp.

Sometimes it is a matter of talking to them and using the wisdom of God to keep them from persecuting you. God can help you talk them out of being abusive by helping them see the truth in what you are saying. He can anoint you to say things that take the anger out of their hearts and cause them to walk away.

It just depends on the will of God for your life. But, as you can see here, if you can’t talk them out of it, you may need to try to escape their abuse.

Luke 4:28-30 (NIV) All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove Him out of the town, and took Him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. But He walked right through the crowd and went on His way.

If it comes to the time for you to take up your cross and follow Jesus into death, then you will want to yield to the persecution and allow the abuse. But, until then, it is your responsibility to stay away from all abuse that is not God’s will for your life. Jesus didn’t allow them to slap Him, steal from Him, or say things about Him that were evil. He addressed all their verbal abuse with powerful words that silenced them and caused them to walk away in defeat.

He even prayed to be delivered from the cross, if it were at all possible. Then He added that He didn’t want His will done; He wanted the will of His Father fulfilled. Instead, He gave Himself to all the abuse, persecution, and death at the appointed time of our heavenly Father.

Jesus Yielded To Slapping

Mat 26:67-68 (NIV) Then they spit in His face and struck Him with their fists. Others slapped Him and said, “Prophesy to us, Christ. Who hit You?”

Jesus Let Them Have His Clothes

Mark 15:24 (NIV) And they crucified Him. Dividing up His clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.

Jesus Yielded To Their Insults

Mark 15:29-30 (NIV) Those who passed by hurled insults at Him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save Yourself!”

Jesus Took On Our Sins

Mark 15:34 (NIV) And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”--which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Jesus Gave Up His Life

Mark 15:37 (NIV) With a loud cry, Jesus breathed His last.

If it is your time to be abused, persecuted, and even martyred, then and only then are you to stay there and take the abuse. All the other times it is up to you to take advantage of the wisdom and power of God to escape their efforts and continue to live and minister with Jesus.