TO STAND OR FLEE
Matthew 10:23
" 'When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.' "
We have a worldwide refugee problem, but it is not new. People fleeing from one place to another is as old as man. It began with Cain, who "went out from the presence of the LORD" as a "fugitive and vagabond" (Genesis 4:12-16). The story stretches through the nation of Israel which was often dispersed. After Stephen was martyred because he stood his ground to witness about Jesus (Acts 6-7), there was great persecution, and the early Church was scattered (Acts 8:1), but God used that dispersion to spread the GospeJ. Jesus said that we sometimes need to flee from persecution. There is a time to stand and there is a time to flee. The Apostle Paul recognized this because sometimes he took beatings for his testimony, and other times he fled. As I face resistance to the Gospel of Jesus, I need to understand that there are times I need to turn and run away from the situation. It is not always wrong to flee. He has purposes for both staying to face the persecution and running away. To know the difference is to be led by the Holy Spirit.
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: In God's purposes, He sometimes calls us to stand and endure persecution and sometimes He calls us to flee.
[end]
Have a Spirit-led day. Love you.
Matthew 10:23
" 'When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.' "
We have a worldwide refugee problem, but it is not new. People fleeing from one place to another is as old as man. It began with Cain, who "went out from the presence of the LORD" as a "fugitive and vagabond" (Genesis 4:12-16). The story stretches through the nation of Israel which was often dispersed. After Stephen was martyred because he stood his ground to witness about Jesus (Acts 6-7), there was great persecution, and the early Church was scattered (Acts 8:1), but God used that dispersion to spread the GospeJ. Jesus said that we sometimes need to flee from persecution. There is a time to stand and there is a time to flee. The Apostle Paul recognized this because sometimes he took beatings for his testimony, and other times he fled. As I face resistance to the Gospel of Jesus, I need to understand that there are times I need to turn and run away from the situation. It is not always wrong to flee. He has purposes for both staying to face the persecution and running away. To know the difference is to be led by the Holy Spirit.
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: In God's purposes, He sometimes calls us to stand and endure persecution and sometimes He calls us to flee.
[end]
Have a Spirit-led day. Love you.
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