A brother in the Lord sent us this message by email:

Loving greetings to you in His name. Just to let you know that we are forced to leave our country. Attempts to burn us alive and to kidnap were made. We have lost all our belongings. Please pray for us. Sanjay.

I answered:

I just wanted to let you know that I know what you are going through at the moment. I've been there myself. I have not faced people attempting to burn me alive or kidnap me but I have known persecution many times over my years as a believer. Years ago I even fled countries and districts because of it.

I was nurtured as a young Christian with Paul's declaration about persecution on my discipleship scripture memory list. From this I knew I could always expect persecution if I was living out my Christianity vigorously.

On my discipleship course, along with John 3:16 and John 1:12, we memorised,

"Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."

2 Timothy 3:12 - NKJV

No one ever, though, pointed out to me during this time the declaration Paul made immediately before this verse. Even though I read the chapter somehow I missed that he first said,

"What persecutions I endured, And out of them all the Lord delivered me."

2 Timothy 3:11 - NKJV

As a result of not seeing this marvellous prospect, I lived with persecution counting it a blessing but suffering greatly because of it. I had a realisation that persecution would come but I had no vision of the deliverance out of persecution that Paul knew. I had no knowledge of any kingdom key that we might call "deliverance out of persecution".

After years of this, at a convention in England I heard Kenneth Copeland teach of his victorious position in the face of persecution. As I listened I realised for the first time that God had provided for His children an inheritance that included deliverance out of persecution!

What he shared spoke to my heart and I recognised that Jesus by His Spirit was offering what for me was a new key of the kingdom of heaven, a key that would open up a realm in which, though persecution would still come, deliverance out of it would come even more strongly. Jesus wanted me living in a realm where persecution was not a fearful, life threatening event but rather an opportunity for God to show His care and protection for me as His child.

I got excited as I saw the wonderful liberty this would provide me with to serve God fervently and victoriously even in the face of the opposition I had so often faced in the past.

I got stirred with a desire to hold the key to my deliverance out of persecution. I found the central element of that key in the book of Isaiah chapter 54. God's prophet Isaiah wrote,

Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me. Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake...No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgement you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me, says the Lord."

Isaiah 54:15 and 17 - NKJV

As I meditated on this I started to see God's power and plan in this promise. The Holy Spirit also began to establish my hold on the key it offered by showing me other scriptures that supported and enhanced it. I took to heart Deuteronomy 28:7 with Galatians 3:13-14 and also Deuteronomy 33:27.

I also heard the voice of the Spirit of God declare to me from the Word of God,

"Behold, all those who were incensed against you shall be ashamed and disgraced; they shall be as nothing, and those who strive with you shall perish. You shall seek them and not find them - those who contended with you. Those who war against you shall be as nothing, as a nonexistent thing."

Isaiah 41:11-12 - NKJV

I knew I was ready to turn that key as soon as I held it in my heart. I turned it the very next time a sign of persecution arose.

How did I do this? In prayer, I presented the promises of the key I quote above to the Lord for fulfilment. I boldly declared out loud God's Word on my deliverance out of persecution in the earth. I spoke to cast down as barren tongues risen against me in judgement. By doing this, in the confidence born of knowing that I was a servant of God and I had His righteousness, I was turning the key marked "deliverance out of persecution"!

Since that time on I have watched as every weapon formed against me has come to nothing, every tongue risen against me has been put to silence and every enemy assault against me has turned away in retreat. The key Jesus gave me has given me entrance into the realm of heaven we can call "deliverance out of persecution"!

I hope you will get ahold of this key as I have. I hope you will also see in this testimony how you can receive other keys of the kingdom of heaven for all realms of our inheritance in Christ. May you come to know the Christian lifestyle that enables you to turn the keys and open the doors to all of His protection and provision.