Have you ever watched a friend be persecuted? Wow, it can really be hard! To see that evil nature of man or circumstance that wants to join in the devil's kill is heart-rending when you love and respect someone.

Some are not satisfied with correction, they want to be right! And they will go to great lengths, including joining in on a crucifixion, to prove their point that the evil they see is justified and dealt with. What others see and consider is of no matter, unless they see and think it like they do.

Many fear and join in with the "ruling" party. Because just as in Jesus' day, they know they could be thrown out of the synagogue, and don't have the strength of worship without that. This is often what makes the prophet types different from others - they will speak out and stand up for a matter.

That does not make the persecutions any easier, they just can sleep with a clear conscience in their spirit. Jesus healed a man and it wasn't done "legally" according to the Pharisees. The goodness of God could only be done "a certain way," according to their rules of life and living.

The Apostle Paul was in prison, and Festus told Paul that he was out of his mind for his faith. Now the reason was not because he thought Paul was off for having his certain beliefs as much as it was because of where his beliefs landed him - in prison!

Now some will get a cause and think you should join in with them - but each matter of faith should come from the heart of the individual. As some have wisely said, "Choose your battles carefully." If you follow men, you will get the man's reward, good or evil. But if you follow Christ, you will get Him! And for me, I want the revelation of Jesus Christ!

The Lord has placed in this earth avenues for believing. Nature speaks of Him, but even more should man, who was created in His image. The Lord also chose the "foolishness of preaching." If that preaching was mere words, then just words could respond to it, but it is "the anointing that breaks the yoke" in people's lives.

I have seen God allow many bizarre things happen. Some of those things happen to show men where their hearts are really at. We can believe that we have it all together and that our theology for living is really in tune, only to find through a circumstance that challenges us where we are coming up short!

But will we admit that, or will we retreat again into our "religion"? Are we asking to see Christ in every circumstance? If we see Christ - or the Anointed One and His Anointing - then we are not judgment oriented as much as we are overcoming oriented. We will use ALL of our heart, will, mind, soul and strength to see His redemptive ways come to pass.

Now it is obvious that (1) we aren't God and (2) we have not arrived to perfection yet, but isn't the way we know Him, and those like Him, by our Love? Sometimes we have to suppress our judgments for the sake of His Love. It's really a growing and maturing process.

You can see it in little kids. A ten year old may keep a four year old out of danger but they don't have necessary skills yet to make good judgments of discipline. How often do parents see their judgment styles being manifested in an older sibling toward the younger? We will even see that same principle in churches in their leadership.

This is so often where younger prophets get snared. If they have a religious mindset, then whatever the leadership says goes. What they call the fear of God is really the fear of man when they acquiese to wrong leadership implementations. Another snare that immature prophets find themselves in is in non-loving confrontations. They see the right and wrong and injustice of a situation, and seek to address that in the parental styles they know, but it doesn't get the job done and often ends them up "out of the synagogue."

Then they have to make the decision to submit under the current leadership again or go on. This is why Jesus said it was important to count the cost. Most prophets feel holiness in a big way. But then they have to live it, and then they have to express it in ways that benefits and supports the Body they are called to serve. This is where God expects the prophets to use their minds, not just follow Old Testament examples.

How many prophets do you see throwing the furnishings around as Jesus did in the Temple? They don't because they fear the police of man! You have to really be in the anointing to do certain things and it come across as God would intend it to. Jesus cleansed the Temple that way because of the Sacrifice He was about to make of Himself.

Jesus was not into a violent lifestyle but He was willing to endure it for the Kingdom's sake. There is an invisible place where the anointing meets the natural. It also works in the demonic realm as well, but either way submits itself to a stronger force. There is no question that evil is in the world. We have just been given a free will that must choose our own expression in choice. We say people are "good people" because we see them make "good choices."

Most can say that they know that good overcomes evil, but not many live in the full power of it. When things go bad, they just say, "Oh that is just life, what will be, will be!" The Bible calls that mentality "fortune." It denies the supernatural power of God. Or some will use negative means to express the powers of God that they discern.

But the real power of God can change lives. Some know the current riverbeds so well that they just believe God will always be that way and they learn to adjust to it. A prophet will get a vision of something different and meet with all kinds of opposition. It can be a real challenge to introduce something new and better to the current mindset.

Jesus came to say that we don't always have to kill the opposition. He introduced the Spirit of God to man for restoration and sent out a new company of prophets. In Old Testament times, He most often used the prophets to establish an order of lifestyle that either gave or upheld His basic laws. And while we still need that order and to be reminded of it, there is a new work going on and that is the restoration of men's souls, not just an outward ordering.

Getting saved is more than just a one time prayer. It is the entrance into a supernatural lifestyle in relationship with a living God! It is this life that landed the Apostle Paul in prison. To the world he looked foolish, even wrong. Common consensus was that he must be an evil man. But for those who had eyes to see, he was changing the world.