1 - Introduction - Living like a real Christian 9a - Blessed are those who are persecuted _1_ | Page 6

subjected to brutal persecution while at the same time having to show concern
for the plight of their loved ones. Pray for a supernatural strength for them and
an abundant sense of the presence of Jesus to be with them.

Wednesday
Reading:Psalm 23
Reading:
Today we continue in our “crazy” theme. Matthew 5 v 10 speaks of this place
called heaven; every persecuted Christian who loses his or her life has a very
emphatic understanding of the reality of this place. They are crazy about heaven
and about the promise of a crown. When you believe in eternity as strongly as
these persecuted Christians do, it creates within you an extreme boldness that
indestructible.
causes you to understand that you are indestructible
Armies around the world have made use of this phenomenon as it relates to
infantry soldiers. It is, I believe, a fact that the best infantry soldiers are those
between the ages of sixteen andtwenty. The fact that they are such good soldiers
is found in the fact that when you are that age you lean toward thinking that
you are indestructible. Just think back to your years as a 16 – 20 year old; some
of the things that you did that you look back on now and think “Wow! Could I
really have been that stupid?!” It is this belief in your indestructibility that
causes you to do things that ordinarily you wouldnot do. We as Christians
believe emphatically in this place called heaven. We believe that we only live in
this body for a short while anyway and that when this body dies and is put in
the grave, our spirit continues to live on. When we really believe this, and live
this life with eternity in mind, it creates within us a feeling of incredible
strength and obvious boldness that even in the face of death we can stand firm
knowing that death is only a “shadow”.

Psalm 23 clearly teaches this principle. In verse 4 David refers to the “valley of
death
th,
the shadow of death”, won’t you notice that it is not the valley of death but it is
the valley of the “shadow of death. This shadow idea creates for us a great
shadow”
shadow
picture. Shadows, althoughthey can look ominous, are always just temporary
and are determined by the position of the sun. They change continually and
none of them last very long. David’s suggestion that death is like this is quite
enlightening. When I was a child I was afraid of shadows, but now that I am old,
shadows do not worry me anymore, so toothe issue of death. For the spiritually
immature death looks like the end, but it is not, it is but a shadow and even