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To get the full meaning of what Jesus was saying there, you have to realize what the word blessed means. It’s not just a weak, religious sentiment. To be God-blessed means you’re empowered by Almighty God Himself to prosper and succeed. It means you’re empowered by the Holy Spirit to be exceedingly happy with life and joy in spite of any outside circumstances.

Think about that for a moment. When people mistreat you, they’re actually giving you the opportunity to receive greater measures of power and success from the Spirit of God. They are opening the door for you to step up to a higher plane of heavenly reward!

Religion has taught us that we couldn’t enjoy such heavenly rewards until after we die. But nothing could be further from the truth. God intends for us to make use of our heavenly rewards here on this earth where we need them!

You see, as believers, we each have a heavenly account that functions much like a natural bank account. The Apostle Paul refers to that account in his letter to his Philippian partners. He commended his partners for giving to him, not because he wanted gifts from them, but because he desired fruit that would abound to their account.

Paul’s partners had made deposits in that heavenly account through their giving, so he was able to boldly say, “My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19)
Jesus also spoke of that heavenly account when He said:
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rustdoth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
(Matt. 6:19-21)
If you’ve studied the Word under this ministry any length of time, I’m sure you already know how to lay up treasure in your heavenly account by giving financially into the work of God. You know about the spiritual law of seed, plant and harvest. You know that when you give to God of your material resources, He multiplies it and gives it back to you a hundredfold (Mark 10:30).

But let me ask you this: Did you know you can do the same thing with persecution? Did you know that you can plant it as a seed by obeying God, by leaping and rejoicing in it instead of taking offense?

Sure you can! And when you do, it will bring forth a harvest of blessing!

What’s more, because persecution attacks your soul and the very anointing of God on your life – which is far more precious than anything money could buy – the value of the harvest it brings is absolutely priceless. The seed of persecution when planted according to the Word will be worth far more to you than any financial seed you could ever plant!

Now, I’ll be honest. It’s a tough seed to sow. You have to sow it out of commitment. It doesn’t feel good to do it. But the harvest is worth the pain.

I know that not only from my own experience, but from watching the experience of others. One friend of mine, for instance, has refused to take offense at the bigotry directed against him because of the color of his skin. He has so succeeded in blessing and loving the white people who have persecuted him that now some black people are mad at him. “He doesn’t even know he’s black anymore!” they’ll say.

But my friend doesn’t take offense at them either. He just prays for them and goes right on gathering up his harvest. It’s quite a harvest, too! That man has favor everywhere he goes. He’s invited to places few people get to go. He’s blessed financially beyond most people’s wildest dreams.

The man is getting rich off racism!

It’s Worth More as a Seed
Someone might say, “Well, that sounds good! I wonder if it would work like that for me?”

It will if you’ll put it to work. Look back at that passage in Luke 6:27 where Jesus explains this principle and says, “I say unto you which hear….” In other words, this will work for anyone who will listen. All you have to do is hear it and do it.
…Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again…. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
(verses 27-30, 35-38)
For the most part, we’ve misunderstood what Jesus was saying there about turning the other cheek and giving to the guy who tries to steal from us. We thought He was saying we should just lie down and let people run over us.

But that wasn’t His point at all!

He was trying to teach us about this seed, plant, harvest principle. He was trying to show us how to get blessed. He was saying, “Don’t sue the person who stole your shirt and try to get your shirt back. Give it to him. Then give him your coat too. Those things will be worth more to you as seeds than they would be if you kept them. If you’ll sow them instead of fighting to keep them, the power of God will go to work on your behalf. He’ll multiply that seed and bless you with a hundred times as much!” If you fight, you do it on your own. If you give, all of heaven will get in the situation with you.

Excerpt permission granted by Eagle Mountain International Church, Inc.
aka: Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Author Biography

Kenneth Copeland
Web site: Kenneth Copeland Ministries
 
For the last 50 years Kenneth and Gloria Copeland have been passionately teaching Christians all over the world how to apply the principles of faith found in God’s WORD to their lives.
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