| "Blessed are those who are persecuted for | | | | will, Kate. In fact, the Apostle Luke says |
| righteousness' sake, for theirs is the | | | | you should "leap for joy" when people hate |
| kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:10)."When I had | | | | and exclude you because of your relationship |
| the flu, I gave my sister my Popsicle," says | | | | with the Lord Jesus. Leap for joy? Yes, |
| Halle, age 9. "I got a spanking." Ouch! | | | | because "your reward is great in heaven" |
| Halle, I'm sorry your sharing got you into | | | | (Luke 6:23).Only those who are believers can |
| trouble. Let's hear from Adrianna, 8: "It | | | | rejoice in the midst of persecution. They can |
| means when people ignore somebody when | | | | do this because believers filled with God's |
| they're doing the right thing and don't play | | | | life can love and forgive those who hate |
| with them, God blesses those people because | | | | them. Since Jesus rose from the dead and went |
| they're doing the right thing.""Once I was | | | | back to heaven, the Holy Spirit has been |
| opening the door for people, and some | | | | given to live inside every believer. The |
| teenagers were saying that I didn't need to | | | | power of God's love transforms believers' |
| do that," recalls Carson, 9. Three cheers for | | | | hearts.Compassion replaces brutality. Greed |
| you, Carson. If you want to join the | | | | gives way to generosity. Understanding |
| bandwagon, conform to peer pressure and make | | | | prevails over prejudice. Hope drives out |
| decisions based on popularity polls. But if | | | | despair.Hunter, 10, tells the story of Jim |
| you want to do what's right, expect | | | | Elliot, a missionary martyr who died in the |
| resistance because you'll have to go against | | | | jungles of Ecuador. "When his wife heard |
| the crowd.Salmon is my favorite food for | | | | about it, she cried for a long time. A few |
| three reasons: One, it tastes great; two, | | | | years later, she made a Bible in the language |
| it's full of brain food called marine lipids; | | | | that the natives spoke in that country."God's |
| and three, I like the idea of eating a fish | | | | love came to this remote tribe through |
| that swims against the current.Being mocked, | | | | Elisabeth Elliot, the wife of the man whom |
| ridiculed or socially ostracized for doing | | | | they murdered. Only God's power working in a |
| what's right is swimming upstream. This isn't | | | | person could make that person love those who |
| nonconformity just to be different. It's | | | | murdered her husband.Point to ponder: God |
| desiring, thinking and acting differently | | | | rewards those who suffer for doing the right |
| because you're living in a relationship with | | | | thing.Scripture to remember: "Blessed are |
| a righteous God.Tertullian, a Christian | | | | those who are persecuted for righteousness' |
| leader who lived about 150 years after Jesus, | | | | sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" |
| wrote: "We (Christians) have a reputation of | | | | (Matthew 5:10).Question to consider: When you |
| living aloof from crowds."Social life is not | | | | suffer for doing what's right, can you |
| all Christians lost in the early days of the | | | | rejoice that God knows and will bless |
| church, says Langdon, 11: "A man named Paul | | | | you?Carey Kinsolving is a syndicated |
| used to capture people who talked about the | | | | columnist, producer, author, speaker and |
| great Jesus Christ. One man named Stephen got | | | | website developer. To see Carey's Kid TV |
| stoned and died. One day, Paul changed. He | | | | Interviews and more, visit The Kids Talk |
| didn't capture people anymore. He believed in | | | | About God website contains free, online |
| the great Jesus Christ. He went to different | | | | content for children and families. Print free |
| countries and cities to tell people about | | | | lessons from the "Kids Color Me Bible" and |
| Jesus Christ. Many times, he and his friends | | | | make your own book. Watch for free the |
| got put into jail, but they escaped a | | | | adventures of an 11-year-old girl traveling |
| lot."God likes paradoxes. He took the | | | | around the world, visiting missionaries in |
| greatest persecutor of the early church and | | | | the Mission Explorers Streaming Video. Print |
| transformed him into its most acclaimed | | | | Bible pictures drawn by kids that illustrate |
| evangelist, the Apostle Paul."People are | | | | Scripture verses. Receive a complimentary, |
| blessed for telling about God even when you | | | | weekly e-mail subscription to our Devotional |
| might get hurt or killed," says Kate, 10. | | | | Bible Lessons. Bible quotations in this |
| "For this, you will be honored." Indeed you | | | | column are from the New King James Version. |