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Matthew 26:69-75; Acts 4:1-22; 5:12-42; 6:1-15; 7:1 [Acts 7:2-50]; Acts 51:60; 9:29, 30; 13:44-51; 14:1-21; II Corinthians 11:18-33; [II Corinthians 12:10]; Ephesians 6:12; Daniel 3:1-130; 6:1-28; Psalm 119:157; Matthew 10:17; Luke 21:11-17; John 15:20, 21; II Timothy 3:12; Revelation 2:10

Have you ever had someone tell you something and then say, "Don’t take it personally"? Have you ever been accused of something and knew that it was not you who had done something wrong? Have you every been accused of being a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.?

The scriptures speak of men who were persecuted for their faith. In Acts we read of Peter and John at the temple gate, Beautiful. They were threatened to not speak in the name of Jesus and their response was not to say, "Okay. We do not want to put our lives or reputation in danger." Their response was, "We ought to obey God rather than men." When Stephen’s life was on the line, he witnessed God’s Word. His response as the people were stoning him was to ask the Lord to not lay this sin to their charge. Could we do this if we were losing our lives for our faith? Paul was in many situations that caused him peril. He did not respond by saying, "I quit. I am not going through all this to preach the Word?" He shook the dust off his feet and went on.

The Old Testament speaks of the accounts of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. When they were thrown into the fiery furnace, they stood their ground. The book of Daniel speaks of what happened when the leaders were jealous of Daniel. They sought a way to get rid of him and knew they could only find fault in the way he worshipped his God.

When the decree came that Daniel could not worship God, these men knew Daniel would not obey. Daniel did as always — prayed to his God three times a day. When he was thrown in the den of lions, he did not cry that "no one liked him." Even the king was praying that God would deliver Daniel. When God did, the king declared that Daniel’s God would be the God over all.

Persecution comes from without and from within the church. The scriptures declare that the followers of Jesus will suffer persecution. There will be times when our faith in God and the Lord Jesus Christ will be maligned, tested and made fun of. Just don’t take it personally because our citizenship is in heaven. Just because we are born again Christians does not mean everyone will like us or treat us fairly. There are people in this world whose lives are at stake for declaring they are Christians. Yet to take it personally would mean they would have to give up by no longer worshipping God and seeking the truth.

We have the privilege of knowing God, His Son and His Word. If we are ridiculed or persecuted because of that, we need not take it personally. Consider the following quote, "If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you


#264 Don’t Take It Personally -- Mar. 17, 2002 ©2002 / Faithful Word Ministries 76:54 minutes
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"Don’t Take It Personally" -- Rev. Sixto Aponte Matthew 26:69-75; Acts 4:1-22; 5:12-42; 6:1-15; 7:1 [Acts 7:2-50]; Acts 51:60; 9:29, 30; 13:44-51; 14:1-21; II Corinthians 11:18-33; [II Corinthians 12:10]; Ephesians 6:12; Daniel 3:1-130; 6:1-28; Psalm 119:157; Matthew 10:17; Luke 21:11-17; John 15:20, 21; II Timothy 3:12; Revelation 2:10 Have you ever had someone tell you something and then say, "Don’t take it personally"? Have you ever been accused of something and knew that it was not you who had done something wrong? Have you every been accused of being a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.? The scriptures speak of men who were persecuted for their faith. In Acts we read of Peter and John at the temple gate, Beautiful. They were threatened to not speak in the name of Jesus and their response was not to say, "Okay. We do not want to put our lives or reputation in danger." Their response was, "We ought to obey God rather than men." When Stephen’s life was on the line, he witnessed God’s Word. His response as the people were stoning him was to ask the Lord to not lay this sin to their charge. Could we do this if we were losing our lives for our faith? Paul was in many situations that caused him peril. He did not respond by saying, "I quit. I am not going through all this to preach the Word?" He shook the dust off his feet and went on. The Old Testament speaks of the accounts of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. When they were thrown into the fiery furnace, they stood their ground. The book of Daniel speaks of what happened when the leaders were jealous of Daniel. They sought a way to get rid of him and knew they could only find fault in the way he worshipped his God. When the decree came that Daniel could not worship God, these men knew Daniel would not obey. Daniel did as always — prayed to his God three times a day. When he was thrown in the den of lions, he did not cry that "no one liked him." Even the king was praying that God would deliver Daniel. When God did, the king declared that Daniel’s God would be the God over all. Persecution comes from without and from within the church. The scriptures declare that the followers of Jesus will suffer persecution. There will be times when our faith in God and the Lord Jesus Christ will be maligned, tested and made fun of. Just don’t take it personally because our citizenship is in heaven. Just because we are born again Christians does not mean everyone will like us or treat us fairly. There are people in this world whose lives are at stake for declaring they are Christians. Yet to take it personally would mean they would have to give up by no longer worshipping God and seeking the truth. We have the privilege of knowing God, His Son and His Word. If we are ridiculed or persecuted because of that, we need not take it personally. Consider the following quote, "If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you