Page 78 - Prophetic Word Newsletter Archive 2011

“…FOR SO THEY PERSECUTED THE PROPHETS WHO WERE BEFORE YOU.” Matt. 5:12

Persecution such as Jesus describes is the result of pursuing what is taught under the banner of the
Beatitudes of the Kingdom of God and therefore rejecting the carnal (but cherished) attitudes that the
kingdoms of this world seek. The attitudes are the opposites of the Beatitudes. Follow the Beatitudes,
and you will encounter people with opposing attitudes. It spells “conflict” and it leads to “persecution.”

As we saw in our last lesson, most of this conflict comes from those within the camp-members of our
own family (both physical and spiritual family members).

"DO NOT THINK THAT I CAME TO “DO YOU SUPPOSE
BRING PEACE ON EARTH. THAT I CAME TO GIVE
I DID NOT COME PEACE ON EARTH? I TELL YOU,
NOT AT ALL, BUT RATHER DIVISION.
TO BRING PEACE BUT A SWORD. FOR FROM NOW ON
FOR I HAVE COME TO 'SET A MAN FIVE IN ONE HOUSE WILL BE DIVIDED:
THREE AGAINST TWO, AND TWO
AGAINST HIS FATHER, AGAINST THREE. FATHER WILL BE
A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER DIVIDED AGAINST SON AND SON
MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST FATHER, MOTHER AGAINST
AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW'; DAUGHTER AND DAUGHTER AGAINST
MOTHER, MOTHER-IN-LAW AGAINST
AND HER DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AND
'A MAN'S ENEMIES DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER
WILL BE THOSE OF HIS OWN
MOTHER-IN-LAW.“
HOUSEHOLD.’ ” Luke 12:51-53
Matt 10:34-37

In our last newsletter, I showed you the chart below which now must be viewed as “the big picture” that
leads up to the culminating Beatitude of persecution. The Christian life does not normally begin with
acts of persecution unless you live in the dreaded “dark places of the earth.” There they will kill you for
just naming the name of Christ.

Note well that the list of the Beatitudes does not begin with persecution, but rather ends up there due to
methodically progressing down the list as we live our life as a follower of Christ:

THE BEATITUDES THE ATTITUDES
OF OF

THE KINGDOM THE KINGDOMS
OF GOD OF THIS WORLD

POOR IN SPIRIT FULL OF PRIDE

MOURNING FULL OF MIRTH

MEEKNESS FULL OF SELF

RIGHTEOUSNESS UNRIGHTEOUSNESS

MERCIFUL JUDGMENTAL

PURE IN HEART DECEITFUL

PEACEMAKER TROUBLEMAKER

PERSECUTED PERSECUTORS