Persecutions are blessings in disguise.

Acts  11:19 Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.  11:20 And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the LORD Jesus.  11:21 And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.

Persecution in Jerusalem compelled the church to obey what Jesus said, they should do when they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Acts  1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Matthew  28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Mark  16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.  16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned

They stayed in Jerusalem until persecution scattered them.

Acts  11:19 Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.  11:20 And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the LORD Jesus.  11:21 And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.

It was this same persecution that drove Philip to Samaria.

Acts  8:3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.  8:4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.  8:5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.  8:6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.  8:7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.  8:8 And there was great joy in that city.

Persecution of the three Hebrews made them to fellowship with Jesus in the furnace of fire and greater promotion after they were brought out.

Daniel  3:14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?  3:15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?  3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.  3:17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.  3:18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.  3:19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.  3:20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.  3:21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.  3:23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.  3:24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.  3:25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.  3:26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.  3:27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.  3:28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.  3:29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.  3:30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.

Persecution made Joseph to go from prison to the palace.

Genesis  39:9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?  39:10 And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.  39:11 And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.  39:12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.  39:13 And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth,  39:14 That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice:  39:15 And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out.  39:16 And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home.  39:17 And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me:  39:18 And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out.  39:19 And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled.  39:20 And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.

Persecution made our Lord to be crucified and then to be enthroned.

Hebrews  12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God

Jesus and the blessed Holy Spirit told us what your attitude should be when you are persecuted.

Matthew  5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.  5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

1 Thessalonians  5:15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.

1 Peter  3:9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

Romans  5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

1 Peter  1:6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:  1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

James  1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;  1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.  1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

His grace will be sufficient for you in Jesus name. Don’t allow it to separate you from the Lord and eternity with Him.

 Romans  8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.  8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let us pray.