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