"If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Rom 8:31 NIV).

The question is not simply, "Who can be against us?" You could answer that one. Who is against you? Disease, inflation, corruption, exhaustion. Calamities confront, and fears imprison. Were Paul's question, "Who can be against us?" we could list our foes much easier than we could fight them. But that is not the question. The question is, if God is for us, who can be against us?

Indulge me for a moment. Four words in this verse deserve your attention. Read slowly the phrase, "God is for us." Please pause for a minute before you continue. Read it again, aloud. (My apologies to the person next to you.) God is for us. Repeat the phrase four times, this time emphasizing each word. (Come on, you're not in that big of a hurry.)

GOD is for us.

God IS for us.

God is FOR us.

God is for US.

GOD is for you. Your parents may have forgotten you, your teachers may have neglected you, your siblings may be ashamed of you; but within reach of your prayers is the maker of the oceans. God!

God IS for you. Not "may be," not "has been," not "was," not "would be," but "God is!" He IS for you. Today. At this hour. At this minute. No need to wait in line or come back tomorrow. He is with you. He could not be closer than he is at this second. His loyalty won't increase if you are better nor lessen if you are worse. He IS for you.

God is FOR you. Turn to the sidelines; that's God cheering your run. Look past the finish line; that's God applauding your steps. Listen for him in the bleachers, shouting your name. Too tired to continue? He'll carry you. Too discouraged to fight? He's picking you up. God is FOR you.

God is for YOU. If he had he a calendar, your birthday would be circled. If he drove a car, your name would be on his bumper. If there's a tree in heaven, he's carved your name in the bark. We know he has a tattoo, and we know what it says. "I have written your name on my hand," he declares (Isa. 49:16).

God is with you. Knowing that, who is against you? Can death harm you now? Can disease rob your life? Can your purpose be taken or your value diminished? No. Though hell itself may set itself against you, no one can defeat you. You are protected. God is with you.

Psalms  34: 1 - 18

Psalm 34 is another powerful poem. Beginning at verse 4, David writes, "I sought the Lord and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. this poor ma cried and the Lord heard Him. and saved Him our of his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them. O taste and see that the Lord is good, how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him." The issue this Psalm raises is where we will take refuge? Where will we run to find security? Only the Lord can give true peace and joy. Only the Lord can provide contentment. But that contentment must come by faith. Beginning in verse 18, the Psalmist writes, "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivers Him out of them all." So long as we chose the way that seems right to a man and elevate our wisdom above God’s wisdom, healing of the spirit cannot take place. If we do not recognize that our spirit needs to be healed, then we will never seek the only place it can be healed. If we do not ask, we do not receive. James says we have not because we ask not, and even when we do ask we ask for selfish reasons. A broken spirit is not a selfish spirit. Step one must be to ask God for a right spirit. We must be willing to let go of all our dreams and goals in life and ask God to replace them with His dreams and goals for our life. In verses 10-14 the Psalm says, "But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want for any good thing. Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man who desires life, and loves length of days that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue." We cannot expect God to energize us if we are just moping around. We need to aggressively pursue His peace. WE need to make plans as to how we can best serve Him. We need to be looking for ways to glorify His name. Do that and the life that God gives will surge once again. Don’t live defeated. Get involved with the Lord’s work in a meaningful way somewhere. Don’t wait until God has to bring out the heavy artillery. "Seek God’s peace, pursue it aggressively." Don’t ask, "What can God do for me? ask " What can I do today for someone else?" Don’t ask for a blessing; ask to be a blessing." The only way we can get is by giving.

Part 1:

Matthew  5: 10 - 12

When was the last time you were persecuted? Was that persecution just or unjust? Were you persecuted for "righteousness sake" or because of "Jesus’ name? or was it for some wrong you committed? In our study today, we’re going to see that there is a price that we will pay for following Jesus Christ and the attitude that we adopt will allow us to experience the blessedness that Jesus refers to in Matthew 5:10-12. Many of us have been persecuted because of our faith in Jesus Christ. Some of us have been mistreated because we live differently than others. But when it happens how do you react? Do you return "evil for evil or good for evil?" Jesus said in John 16:33 that we would experience persecution. He said, "In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." He also said we would experience it because He did. In John 15:20 He said, "Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.’" Since the world did not receive Jesus’ message, neither will they receive yours. If we can keep that in mind, that will help us when we are persecuted. That are many verses that talk about persecution but this week we will focus on three that are found in Matthew 5:10-12. This section commonly known as the Beattitudes is a message that Jesus gave to His disciples and the crowd that gathered to hear Him. Verses 10-12 is the climax of the Beattitudes that specifically addresses how the world will react to your faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus says, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." These three verses give 2 responses to persecution: Yours and God’s. Jesus says, when you are persecuted you are doubly "blessed" therefore, "rejoice." Rejoicing through any difficulty in our life is only possible when we trust Him. Trust in ourselves or our resources will never deliver or sustain us. Jesus said when you are persecuted for righteousness’ sake and when they say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake, rejoice and be exceedingly glad. To rejoice means you have totally abandoned every resource available to you. It means you have humbled yourself under the trial and have welcomed God’s purpose in your life. The next time you are tempted to retaliate because of persecution, remember Jesus’ words, and turn all your trust to Him. If he said to rejoice, that means He will enable you to do that no matter what you face.

Part 2:

Matthew  5: 10 - 12

In the book, The Triumphant Church, Richard Wurmbrand recounts the last Sunday School class he taught before leaving Romania. He writes: "I remember my last Sunday School class...I took a group of ten to fifteen boys and girls on a Sunday morning, not to a church, but to the zoo. Before the cage of lions I told them, ‘Your forefathers in faith were thrown before such wild beasts for their faith. Know that you also will have to suffer. You will not be thrown before lions, but you will have to suffer at the hands of men who would be much worse than lions. Decide here and now whether you wish to pledge allegiance to Christ’" (p.15). If that were you what would you have done? Would you have brushed it off and treated it lightly or would you have considered the cost? Leading up to the blessing that is reserved for those who are persecuted are the words: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God" (The New King James Version. 1996, c1982 (Mt 5:3-9). Nashville: Thomas Nelson). Jesus says that the path to true blessedness is through the path of poverty of spirit, mourning, meekness, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, mercy, purity, and peace. All of these characteristics move in an upward spiral to what follows in verses 10-12. This blessing that Jesus is referring to "has to do with an inward contendedness that is not affected by circumstances." In other words, it is "free from daily cares and worries." It is as Paul stated in Philippians 4:11-13 a state of contendedness. So the blessing that is given to the persecuted is a double portion, as we saw last time. It is for righteousness’ sake. Notice in Matthew 5:10 Jesus says, "...for righteousness sake" and in verse 11, "...for My sake." The parallel passage in Luke 6:22 says, "Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake" (emphasis added). The apostle Peter also says this in 1 Peter 3:14, when he says, "But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed" (emphasis added). When you suffer, are you suffering for "righteousness sake" or for some evil that you have committed? Remember the path to blessing, and I might add, double blessing is through humility. Humble yourself today and rest in the assurance that yours "is the kingdom of heaven" (v.10). Part 3: Matthew  5: 10 - 12 Matthew 5:10-12 says, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness? sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (The New King James Version. 1996, c1982 (Mt 5:10-12). Nashville: Thomas Nelson). Persecution is inevitable as verses 10-11 indicate. Verse 10 says in the middle of the verse: "...those who are persecuted." And verse 11, "...when they revile and persecute you." James 1:2 says, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials." Persecution and trials are inevitable for the believer. They are as common as the temptations we face. Therefore, we should expect them and not be surprised by them. Verse 12 of Matthew 5 says that since they persecuted the "prophets who were before you," they will persecute you. Jesus takes it a step further in John 15:18-21 by stating that since He was persecuted so will all those who follow Him. He says, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me" (The New King James Version. 1996, c1982 (Jn 15:18-22). Nashville: Thomas Nelson). Persecution in the believer’s life is inevitable and it is promised. They persecuted the prophets and they persecuted Jesus. Jesus even warned His disciples in John 16:2-3 when He said, "They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God’s service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me" (The New King James Version. 1996, c1982 (Jn 16:2-3). Nashville: Thomas Nelson). Expecting that persecution will come as a result of following Jesus is one way we can be prepared for suffering. Another way that we can be prepared is to know what the Scriptures teach about persecution and suffering. Paul said to Timothy, "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Tim.3:12). To the Philippians, he wrote, "For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me" (Phil. 1:29-30). The reality that the persecuted need is the knowledge of knowing that persecution is inevitable for the believer and it is promised. As you reflect on God’s Word today, ask the Holy Spirit to engraft into your heart the truths you heard today and to see persecution as a part of your faith.