"Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
"Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
"Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
"In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
"In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
"Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
"Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?" (2Corinthians 11: 23-29)
Was Paul disillusioned by the losses that he suffered, by the persecutions that he endured? Not at all!
"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
"Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
"And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
"If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead." (Philippians 3: 7-11)
What is persecution from man when you possess the same resurrection power that raised Christ from the dead?
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:"
The glory, the goodness, the wonder instilled in every believer, what more could anyone ask for! We are saved from death to life, we are filled with His, we are granted the favor of Christ Himself:
"To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
"In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;" (Ephesians 1: 6-7)
Persecution on this earth is nothing compared to the eternal life invested within our spirit man, which we are called to work out with fear and trembling!:
"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8: 18)
Once again, I submit that this glory is to be revealed now, on this earth, not just when we fall asleep and go to heaven:
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)
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