Blessed Are The Persecuted

By Cheri Cowell

You have experienced the final beatitude, haven’t you? My professor asked rhetorically after hearing my tale of persecution. He then went on to explain to the class that although the last beatitude says we are blessed if we are persecuted for His sake, when it is happening, we won’t feel too blessed. While I was experiencing the worst of the persecution, I found the psalms to utter what I could not express to God in my prayers—the pain and alienation was too great. Within the psalms, those who are persecuted will find an echo of their deep emotions.

Seventy-two psalms, almost half of the book, are about persecution at the hand of enemies. If you are a Christian and doing God’s bidding, you will experience persecution. The persecution is never enjoyable, but Jesus did promise us we would be blessed. How? One of the ways is through the closeness of Christ during these dark days. I do not want to experience the pain of persecution again, but I am almost willing to do so, if I could be that close to Him again.

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Spiritual Creatures on a Physical Journey

By Peter Lundell

Most people don’t think much past what they can see—especially if it’s bills to pay or the car ahead of them. But if asked, they might agree that they’re physical creatures who may or may not be on a spiritual journey.
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Stepping Out On Glass

By Peter Lundell 

On a recent trip to Minnesota, my friend took me to visit the world-famous Guthrie Theatre. Along the Mississippi River side of the building is a four-by-six foot cutout in a floor four stories above ground. The cutout is fitted with an inch-thick, heavy-duty glass. (Unlike that in the Sears Tower in Chicago, this one’s free).

I walked to the edge, stopped, and shivered. My brain was programmed to know that I should never stand so close to a precipice. But it wasn’t a precipice; it was a glass floor. Still looking down, I stepped to the middle. My body jittered from foot to head. My brain insisted I was standing in midair or that at least the glass would give way, and I would plummet to my death. I knew it was okay—it had obviously been tested and built according to a code. But it didn’t feel okay. And that was the architect’s whole point.

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Trading My Sorrows

In a world where it’s easy to get caught up with dissatisfaction, complaining, grumbling, and despair, it’s reassuring to know God has a trade-in policy.  He has his own “cash for clunkers” deal!

If you’re feeling down, troubled, distressed or perplexed, God’s Word says you don’t have to feel despair.  Feeling persecuted?  Don’t…He’s not forsaken you.  Feeling cast down?  Don’t you know the end of the story…HE wins!

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How Do We Cope?

Songs and bumper stickers often misrepresent the Christian Life, and mislead believers into thinking they will be happy all the time. Happy is merely a feeling associated with circumstances. It is difficult for any human being to experience happiness 24/7 when God also created other emotions. Even Jesus wept.

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