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Rev Enoch Thompson | FEBRUARY 8, 2023 | MATTHEW 5:43-48 KEY VERSE: ⁴³"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.' ⁴⁴But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, . . . Matt 5:43-45 (NIV) MESSAGE: The expression of human love is often based on positive feelings that we have towards the people shown our love, because they treat us right, make us feel good or generally show affection and have physical attraction. It is humanly possible and easy to love the cheerful person who makes others happy. The natural response to those who make life difficult for us and show themselves by all indications to be against our well-being, welfare and progress is to hate them. The Lord Jesus Christ once again shocks us by instructing us that His disciples, Kingdom citizens, must, rather than live by the law of retaliation or the law of natural attraction, live by the law of love. The law of love demands “. . . Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” Matt 5:44 (NIV). God, the King of the new Kingdom we are born again into, is a God of love and mercy, a gracious Father who gives us the favour we never deserve. The Lord Jesus makes it clear why we should live in this extraordinary way; "⁴⁴Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matt 5:44-45) NIV. Our new status as born-again children of God must show in our imitation of the character of our heavenly Father, gracious love. We must not live the natural life; we must begin to live the supra-natural life. If God calls us to perfect godliness, we can attain it by His Spirit working in us to enable us. He who called light out of darkness can generate love out of our dark hard hearts. What a word, what a high calling, to be like God who Himself is love (1 John 4:7-8). FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: Admit that there are people that make living out the Christian life of love difficult for you. Ask God to enable you to activate the power of love, the God-kind of love, love that defies human logic, and makes us like God in His perfect love. Determine to love the unloving, the unlovely and seemingly unlovable. PRAYER: Dear Lord, I’m at a loss to receive and to do according to the high calling and demands of the law of love. But I am counting on you by your Holy Spirit to enable me to desire and to be like you, so I may love truly and love like you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | FEBRUARY 7, 2023 | MATTHEW 5:38-42 KEY VERSE: Matthew 5:38-39 ³⁸"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' ³⁹But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. Matthew 5:38-39 (NIV) MESSAGE: Revenge is a natural response of the human mind when we feel offended or violated by other people. Kingdom citizens need to respond to offences they suffer at the hands of other people, and the Lord Jesus Christ gives the rule for this, once again showing that God’s demands of His people are always over and above the natural responses of humans. The Ancient world civilizations had what was called the laws of retaliation which the Lord refers to: "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' (Matthew 5:38). The Old Testament sustained the laws of retaliation (see Ex 21:24; Lev 24:20; Deut 19:21). One wonders why God did not immediately rule out the law of retaliation. The answer to that question lies in the same reason why God did not forbid slavery in the New Testament, to avoid possible social chaos and confusion that could result with the sudden cultural implications of such a change. The ancient Hebrews were accustomed to the laws of retaliation as it was practiced among ancient peoples; the revenge for an offence was often retaliated beyond the scope of the offence- a head was cut for a hurt of an eye. And so, God instated in Israel His provision to regulate the retaliation for offences suffered. Similarly, the population imbalance of more slaves than free citizens in the Roman world would have created a revolution in society if converts to Christianity were made to suddenly free all slaves. What the Bible did in both cases was to inject into both Jewish society in the Old Testament, and in the first-century world, the principles of respect for others leading to a measured vengeance, and the principle of brotherhood in the first century, when Christianity was spreading, which eventually moved men like William Wilberforce and his Christian friends in Parliament to rise and fight against slavery, and to bring it to an end. Kingdom standards instruct believers in Christ to avoid retaliation and be ready to suffer additional pain and offences from those who cause them pain (v. 39). If people used the legal system to deprive us of what is rightly ours, we must be ready to allow them to take away from us whatever else, they may want to defraud us of (v. 40). When people used political power to oppress us, we should be willing to suffer their abuse further and not revenge (v. 42). FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: What does all of the above mean? The Christian law of non-revengefulness does not mean an irresponsible inaction when people plan to attack our family members who are dependent on our protection and seek to do them harm. “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” 1 Tim 5:8 (NIV). We are not to take revenge, for vengeance belongs to God. PRAYER: Dear Lord, I am overwhelmed by the demands of the Kingdom upon my vengeful heart. Please forgive me for the times I have sought to take vengeance into my own hands. Lord, please heal your Church of a heart of revengefulness, and teach us to take care of our families by using the justice system to protect our dependents. Please give me the wisdom to know when and how to use the legal system to bring perpetrators of evil to book, In Jesus’ Name, Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | FEBRUARY 6, 2023 | MATTHEW 5:33-37 KEY VERSE: Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. Matthew 5:37 (NIV) MESSAGE: The third of the Ten Commandments spoke against taking the Name of the Lord in vain. By this, it was meant that when people made vows to God or commitments to their neighbour and invoke the Name of God in the process, they should be careful to fulfil their word. When such vows are not kept, the person who made them places themselves in the place where God will be angry at them, not only because they deceive their Neighbours, but especially because they abuse the Name of God, and hide behind Him to cheat out on their human companions. Listen to the Wise Teacher in Eccl 5:4-7 ⁴When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfil your vow. ⁵It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfil it. ⁶Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the [temple] messenger, "My vow was a mistake." Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? ⁷Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore, stand in awe of God. (NIV) In the requirement of the Lord Jesus on Kingdom citizens once again the bar is lifted high. We are called to live such transparent, reliable and truthful lives that we do not need to swear for our words to be taken seriously or relied upon by those we deal with. When we say “Yes” to our wives, husbands, children, bosses, and subordinates, everyone must understand that to mean “Yes.” And when we say “No” it must be “No.” If we need to swear to prove that we are speaking the truth, then a certain depreciation of our Kingdom truthfulness has occurred, and we must search our lives to find out when we lost that simplicity of reliability. We must admit that we are compelled to take oaths in certain situations, in a law court, or in taking a new office. What the Lord is saying to us then means that we should be careful to do what we have vowed to do, and not be slack on it. FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: Are our marital vows being kept or are we allowing circumstances to make us careless about them? What about the unspoken vow of being caring responsible parents to our children, or as children, to give respect and honour to our parents? The acceptance of a job is a vow to serve our employer, and as employers to treat our staff well. Do people require written documents before they could trust us, then we need to look at our lives again. PRAYER: Lord, I admit that the standards are high for me in the matter of trust. Please give me the grace to develop into a trustworthy person, who because of my Kingdom citizenship can say “Yes” or “No”, and not need oaths to control me. Lord, raise such people in your Church, In Jesus’ Name, Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | FEBRUARY 5, 2023 | MATTHEW 5:31-32 KEY VERSE: (But) I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, . . . Matthew 5:32 (NIV) MESSAGE: The statistics of divorce rates globally are alarming. This is not only true of society in general but particularly of the Church. Church leaders are worried about the trend, and wish it were not so. Certainly, the directives in the text were for disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. It must be understood that Kingdom rules are not to be used to measure the behaviour and conduct of non-Kingdom citizens. Paul says “⁹I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— ¹⁰ not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case, you would have to leave this world.” (1 Cor 5:9-11) NIV. The teaching to preserve marriage and to avoid divorce is given in the context of the prevailing practice by which Jewish men divorced their wives so freely, for as frivolous a reason as burning the food (or in Africa, having too much pepper in the soup!), and the demands of higher standards of Kingdom living. It does not mean that God is happy with non-Christian divorce. God hates divorce. His intent is that marriage will last till death. God allows divorce, however. In our text, we discover a clause by which God allows for marriage to be dissolved, marital unfaithfulness. What about abandonment (1 Cor. 7:15), or violence (Mal. 2:16)? FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: Are you married or thinking of getting married as a Christian? Marriage must be taken very seriously and must be entered into with a commitment to honour God and honour one’s spouse, with a determination that as long as it depends on you that relationship shall last until you are separated by death. Set your heart right and guard your marriage. PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for the institution of marriage. Please help me to approach marriage from a Kingdom mindset. Please grant your people the grace to handle the challenges that come with marriage, which makes many see divorce as the easy way out. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | FEBRUARY 4, 2023 | MATTHEW 5:29-30 KEY VERSE: If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. Matthew 5:29 (NIV) MESSAGE: You can imagine what is likely to happen to a person who badly needs some surgery done on a leg or an arm, but who chooses to buy the most expensive clothes to cover those parts and stay away from the doctor. In the end, the diseased part will get worse and worse and may lead to the death of the person. When the Lord Jesus Christ taught against the sin of sexual misconduct by Kingdom standards, He went further to underline how serious the matter was. Sexual misconduct is a serious disease that calls for a surgical procedure, but which the world treats with flippant cosmetics. The world calls sexual sin fun and invites the believer in Christ to come and experiment. Sexual perversion is described as an alternative lifestyle. The original divine design of our maleness and our femaleness is subjected to redefinition which is not biological but sentimental and psychological. Our mishandling of human sexuality makes us look like creatures that are moving backwards as we advance in our knowledge of science and improve our political sense of freedom. It is politically incorrect to say that some of the choices that freedom leads us to shout from the rooftops are actually violations of the intentions of God as communicated in the Bible. The life of the Kingdom requires of the citizens of the Kingdom radical and irreversible turning away from the things that make us sin against God, ourselves and our fellow humans. The things and people who drag us into sin must be removed by ourselves from ourselves in ways that will make it impossible for them to get re-attached to us, like the eye pulled out, or the hand cut off. Certainly, the Lord was talking figuratively, and we must understand Him as such. The pain of self-denial or separation from a certain company in order to stay pure for the Lord is compensated for by the bliss of experiencing the presence of God in this life and enjoying His presence forever in Heaven. FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: What are the factors that move us to sin? Let’s identify the offending elements and consciously, deliberately, and voluntarily remove them away from our lives, even if the action will give us some pain. PRAYER: Dear Lord, who suffered pain to attain my salvation. The surgery of the cross separated you from the Father so I may be healed of sin and Hell, restored to God forever. Please grant me the courage to undergo the necessary surgery. Heal your Church of the spirit of political and moral cosmetics! In Jesus’ Name, Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | FEBRUARY 3, 2023 | MATTHEW 5:27-28 KEY VERSE: (But) I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:28 (NIV) MESSAGE: The modern world has made a huge god out of human sexuality, from projecting it by making it a multi-million business to corrupting it with unnatural and unbiblical alternatives that beat the imagination of right-thinking decent people. Sexual attraction and the legitimate satisfaction of sexual desire in humans have been taken hostage by Satan, and he uses it powerfully to distract God’s people from their duty to maintain their bodies as living holy temples of the holy living God. While most Christians, because of a limited definition of adultery, will not go out of their way to indulge in premarital or extra-marital sexual misconduct, the standards of the Kingdom of God make many of us guilty of breaking the seventh command. By the Lord’s teaching the sin of sexual misconduct is primarily a mental-spiritual thing. When we harbour lustful desires and thoughts about a person and take our initial natural sexual thoughts or feelings to the level of dwelling upon what we could do if we had the opportunity, we cross the line of natural admiration and attraction to the opposite sex (for God created us as sexual beings, male and female), and enter the sphere of lustful sin, even when we do not engage in the physical act. The only missing factor is this sin at this stage is the opportunity to engage in the physical act. We may point the finger at one who has been caught in an awkward situation, with evidence that they cannot deny. But we need to look inside our own souls, and to see the fingerprints of our sinfulness and to own our guilt. FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: In a world that is sex-crazy, and which invades our simple attempt to use the internet or other tools, with pictures, videos and images that prick our minds and infest our souls and bodies with sexual desire, will you make up your mind to battle the invitation to poison your mind and spirit by choosing to refuse to dwell on sexual junk? Or is it possible that by your choices of how you carry yourself, in fashion, manners and content of conversation, you are exposing another person to sin sexually- mentally or physically? PRAYER: Lord, I am attacked on every side by sexual suggestions and sex-related information. It is difficult to keep my mind free from the suggestions in music, fashion, billboards, videos, and everything around me. Please help me to stay chaste by Kingdom standards in an infested world. May my choices of music, fashion, images, videos, and everything I do, not endanger another person to fall into adultery by Kingdom standards. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | FEBRUARY 2, 2023 | MATTHEW 5:23-26 KEY VERSE: "Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court.” Matthew 5:25a (NIV) MESSAGE: I have heard the story of a Police officer somewhere who quoted our key verse to a Pastor he had arrested on the road for a supposed traffic offence, implying to him to pay up a bribe quickly before he hauled him to court. That may be an abuse and a misapplication of the intent of the Master in giving this directive. But the message is clear; when you have obvious differences with your brethren, settle them quickly to free you up for your Kingdom acts of worship. Differences occur between couples, in the family, in the workplace and in the Church. It is the natural human response to take entrenched positions and to want to escalate the tension and the hatred and divisions such differences bring about. The Lord Jesus Christ teaches us as Kingdom citizens to learn to keep a short account with those around us. Retained anger retains us from the freedom of experiencing true worship. The person who chooses not to forgive imprisons themselves and is not able to realize their fullest potential because of unforgiveness and an unforgiving spirit. The biggest score that needs to be settled is the separation between the human soul and the holy God. As long as we live, we are on the road to the courthouse of judgment day. Every one of us has an opportunity to settle the difference between us and God by accepting His free offer of eternal life in Jesus Christ. If we do not do this and die, then we will be handed over to eternal torment in Hell. FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: Have you settled your difference with God concerning your eternal soul? Are there issues in which you still have not settled your differences with God? Do you want to settle matters with people who have hurt you, or whom you would have hurt? We are on the road to the courthouse, settle the differences now! PRAYER: Lord, I settle every difference between me and you, those known (which I mention to you now), and those I may not know. May I have the power it takes to settle issues with my fellow humans. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Rev Enoch Thompson | FEBRUARY 01, 2023 | MATTHEW 5:21-22 KEY VERSE: (But) I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Matthew 5:22 (NIV) MESSAGE: STOP THE MURDER? Not many of us can be said to be murderous, at least so it seems. But the Lord Jesus Christ is going to show us in this and the next few verses how very much Kingdom discipleship raises the bar of measuring proper moral behaviour and makes all of us guilty of murder, fornication, adultery etc, things we may never be physically likely to be doing. The spiritual essence of what we do or do not do is as important, as what we do or do not do physically, if not more important than that. The demands of the Kingdom's understanding of things take the sixth commandment to the ultimate level. In Matthew 5:21-26 the Lord defines murder in the context of the Kingdom of God, not only in terms of physically taking the life of another person, but more. When we are angry with people “without a cause” (see the footnote in some versions of the Bible), we commit murder (v. 22). Parents, we murder our children when we allow our personal frustrations to make us angry at them, for their natural childishness. Bosses, we murder our colleagues and subordinates when we are angry with them because we are under pressure, and they are ready punching bags for our anger and stress. When we use insulting words on people, behind them or to their faces, we murder. When we speak evil of the good name of others to make them look less than human or separate them from what their achievements are, most of the time to put ourselves in a better light, we kill (that is why it is called “character ASSASSINATION.”) Note that such killing of the higher form described here by the Lord attracts punishment from God, and we cannot hide nor escape how and when He chooses to give that punishment. FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: Let’s search our hearts. Let’s repent of the anger, the insults, the screaming, the gossip and all the murderous killings that we have engaged in. Let’s pray for God’s forgiveness and decide to kill no more! PRAYER: Dear Lord, your high standards make me see myself in a new light. I have sinned, for by Kingdom standards I have killed. Please forgive me and give me the power to control the tendency to kill, and to begin to give life to those around me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | JANUARY 31, 2023 | MATTHEW 5:17-20 KEY VERSE: "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:20 (NIV) MESSAGE: BE BETTER THAN THE PHARISEES! What a shock to the disciples who heard these words from the Master. The Lord Jesus has just been telling the disciples that they are the salt and light of the world, and now He tells them they must be and do better than the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, the champions of Jewish religious doctrine and practice. The scribes were the teachers of the Law, and the Pharisees were the chief practitioners of the Jewish religion. It was believed among the Jews that the Pharisees were the closest to God in view of their insistence on their understanding of what constituted righteousness, and how they kept to it, even though it deviated from what God intended. The Pharisees had something to their advantage; they stressed on ceremonial cleanliness, they fasted regularly and prayed regularly too. They were concerned about keeping the ceremonies that God gave to Moses, and their colleagues the scribes stressed on the teaching of the law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets. However, there was much that the Lord Jesus found unacceptable in them; their religion was only external without an inward power, they gave their tithes regularly and with exactness, but they did not give their hearts to God to work in it and through it the compassion, mercy and love which reflect the loving just nature of God. They loved the praise of people and did their religious practices to attract such praise, while they did not seek, nor did they have the praise of God. They had confidence in their religious works as the bases of their favour with God and therefore downplayed the grace of God by which alone anyone can stand before God. Disciples of the Lord Jesus must avoid the wrongs of the Pharisees. Disciples of Christ must be better, do better, and also do more than the hollow superficial Scribes and Pharisees. FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: How do you measure up in the scales against the scribes and Pharisees? Can we move away from the attitude of the scribes and Pharisees, and be better learners, teachers and practitioners of the Word of God? You must surpass the Pharisees in religious practice, and surpass the scribes in Bible knowledge! PRAYER: Lord, save me from blind religion that is merely external, seeks the praise of humans and fails to demonstrate the love and mercies of God. May I grow in my knowledge of the Word of God, Lord please make me more than a scribe. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | JANUARY 30, 2023 | MATTHEW 5:14-16 KEY VERSE: "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden." Matthew 5:14 (NIV) MESSAGE: The Jewish and Christian use of the concepts of light and darkness to symbolize the difference between God and Satan, good and evil, right and wrong is shared by other human societies across the globe. The difference between light and darkness and how each of the two is appreciated is seen when electrical power goes out in a community, and you hear the “Oooh” all around you. Similarly, when the power comes back on you hear the “Yeaaah” from the children as well as the adults. Light is always preferable, except for those whose evil activities require the cover of darkness. The Lord Jesus Christ continues to teach His disciples, including present-day disciples, of their place in the context of the spiritual, moral, social and physical reality of life on earth. He makes the startling declaration to those who were His disciples, “You are the light of the world.” What did the Lord mean? The believer is a presence that works contrary to the forces of darkness that seek to overpower individuals, communities and the whole of human society. The presence of the believer should make evil disappear or at least want to hide. The believer is an attraction; something happens to the person who chooses to follow the Christ, so much so that they become the interest of those who see them. They are like a city set on a hill; they cannot hide nor be hidden. Believers must cause heads to turn in a positive way! The ordinary nobodies that the men the Lord called to Him were, before their calling, became known as those who “had been with Jesus!” This also means that they are under the scrutiny of others and are hated or disliked by some because their brightness exposes the darkness in those others. The light must shine to be truly the light. A hidden lamp is an anomaly. The light is good and does good and must not be ashamed to stand out as the light. The disciples of the Lord Jesus fetch their light from Christ “the Light of the world.” As we shine out in a world of darkness people see our brightness and give praise and thanks to God, our light-source. FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: Are you daily conscious that you are the light of the world? Is your life bringing praise and glory to God the source of our light? Do not be ashamed to be different from the darkness. You are the light of the world! Arise up and shine. PRAYER: Dear Light of the world, Lord Jesus, thank you, not only for transferring me from the kingdom of darkness but for making me the light of the world. Please help me to shine, and to bring glory and honour to you. For your dear Name’s sake, Amen. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | JANUARY 29, 2023 | MATTHEW 5:13 KEY VERSE: Matthew 5:13 (NIV) "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. MESSAGE: The Lord Jesus Christ continues in His sermon to tell His disciples something more of their identity and their mission. They are the salt of the earth. The assignment to be fishers of men did not limit their ministry to Israel, the whole of the earth was in mind. The imagery of salt was to let the disciples realize that they were going to be effective in the global mission as salt works quietly by extensively wherever it is placed. Believers are to flavour society and make life appealing. Salt has a cleansing effect and it also preserves food from corruption. The world should be a better place to live in because of the presence of Christians. As salt, we are to bring transformation to the world. In Mark 9:50 the Lord spells out the need to “have salt in yourselves.” All that we believers are to do in the world must first be seen at work amongst us. In teaching us that we are the salt of the earth the Lord also cautions us about the salt losing its saltiness. We must be careful that our Christianity does not become Christianity only in name, as an individual person or as the Church. When we fail to exercise the preservation, flavouring and cleansing effects on society the consequences are dire; rejection of Christianity by society and disrespect by all around. FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: Take up the great designation as salt of the earth. We have been cleansed to cleanse, and saved from spoilage to preserve society. Determine to never lose your saltiness. PRAYER: Dear Lord, I am grateful that I am saved to save others from the corrupting influences of the world. Please help me to preserve my saltiness and be a positive saving influence wherever you send me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | JANUARY 28, 2023 | MATTHEW 5:10-12 KEY VERSE: Matthew 5:10 (NIV) Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. MESSAGE: It is interesting that the Lord Jesus Christ did not shy away from telling His disciples that persecutions were part of the Christian package. It may seem politically incorrect and strategically counter-productive to tell people whom He was trying to get to follow Him that their path would include suffering from persecution, but He did it. Christian faith and practice attract persecution from humans acting by sheer dislike of the believers, or by the inspiration of the Devil to thwart the advancement of the Kingdom of God. In whatever persecution that the believer faces, we must ensure that the cause of the affliction is that we are pursuing the righteousness of the Kingdom. The Apostle Peter says "¹⁹For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. ²⁰But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.” 1 Peter 2:19-20 (NIV). The blessedness of the persecuted-just is the possession of the Kingdom of Heaven The Kingdom is theirs in this life and will be theirs after death. The God of the Kingdom becomes their God in a special way. The resources of the Kingdom are theirs and will be dispensed by the King at His bidding. The protection and preservation and all the blessings of the Kingdom are actively theirs. FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: Make sure you do not become an agent of persecuting Kingdom citizens. If you are suffering persecution because of righteousness, be encouraged, God is with you, and His resources will speak for you. PRAYER: Dear Lord, who suffered, and left me an example, I pray that you keep me from ever becoming the tool Satan uses to persecute your people. Please give me the stamina to withstand persecution in my life. And, Lord, may I see Kingdom reality working for me as I face persecution. Lord, sustain your people around the world who face daily persecution. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!