Minds Poisoned Against Us

Acts 14:1-3 NKJV

1Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed. 2But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren. 3Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

Faced with Opposition and Persecution

When we are walking in the ways of the Lord, in his truth and righteousness, in the power of God, as led by the Spirit of God, and so we are speaking to the people the truth of the gospel of Christ, undiluted, without compromise, we are bound to face opposition, rejection, slander, and persecution, even from many of our own people, many of whom profess faith in Jesus Christ. For so many people who profess faith in Jesus Christ are being taught lies, and they are believing the lies, and thus they are rejecting the truth that Jesus Christ and his New Testament apostles taught in biblical context.

And collectively they taught that to come to Christ we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. Therefore we are no longer to permit sin to reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it results in death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, it results in sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God. (see Luke 9:23-26 and Romans 6:1-23 and the New Testament)

And if we are being mistreated and rejected because we are teaching the truth of the gospel that many do not want to hear, we can choose to leave and to go someplace else, or we can choose to remain and to keep speaking the truth to the people, knowing full well that we will be faced with opposition from many of those who are believing the lies which are being fed to them. The apostles did both, depending upon the severity of the persecution, I believe. For, at first they stayed for a long time even after being opposed, but they left when they were aware a stoning would be next.

And next they went to Lystra and Derbe. But in Lystra they were being worshipped as gods by the people because they had healed a man. But the apostles tore their clothes in grief, and they tried fervently to stop them from doing so. But then the Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there and persuaded the multitudes, and then they stoned Paul and left him for dead. But when the disciples of Christ gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day Paul departed with Barnabas to Derbe. 

Acts 14:21-22 NKJV

21And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”

Going Back to Where You Were

Do you see what this is saying here? The place where they had stoned Paul and left him for dead was in Lystra. And so what did he and Barnabas do? They returned to Lystra. Why? In order to strengthen the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” 

So, have you ever been persecuted in a particular place, among a specific group of people, and so you left, but at a later time you went back, perhaps as led by the Holy Spirit, fully knowing that you might face the same kinds of persecution as you had before? I have done that at least twice that I am aware of. In both cases I did face some amount of persecution again, but not to the extent of the first round, and God has been able to use me in both places where I had previously been persecuted, so far. All glory to God!

But I have been persecuted and rejected by many people in multiple locations over my lifetime where God never sent me back, and for good reasons, too. So, sometimes the Lord says, “leave this place and don’t go back.” And other times he might encourage us to return to a place where we were previously persecuted, perhaps because something has changed, like maybe someone else is in charge, or they have changed their stance on some issues. And we must be willing to go back and trust the Lord to work it all out for his purposes and for his glory.

For we are not promised a life of ease and comfort. We are not promised that everyone will be kind to us and that we will never face being persecuted. In fact, we are promised the opposite of that, that we must go through many tribulations to enter the kingdom of God. For we are called to suffer for the sake of the name of Jesus and for the sake of his gospel message. But we are promised that our Lord will be with us to strengthen us and to help us through it all, if we will trust him and obey him always.

[Matthew 5:10-12; Matthew 10:16-25,34-39; Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 12:49-53; Luke 21:12-17; John 15:18-21; John 16:33; Acts 14:22; Romans 5:3-5; Ephesians 6:10-20; Philippians 3:7-11; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 1 Peter 4:12-17; 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5; James 1:2-4; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; Hebrews 12:3-12; Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 11:1-3; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-13]

Safe in the Arms of Jesus

By Frances J. Crosby and William H. Doane 1868

Safe in the arms of Jesus,

Safe on His gentle breast;

There by His love o’ershaded,

Sweetly my soul shall rest.

Hark! ’tis the voice of angels

Borne in a song to me,

Over the fields of glory,

Over the jasper sea.

Safe in the arms of Jesus,

Safe from corroding care,

Safe from the world’s temptations;

Sin cannot harm me there.

Free from the blight of sorrow,

Free from my doubts and fears;

Only a few more trials,

Only a few more tears!

Jesus, my heart’s dear Refuge,

Jesus has died for me;

Firm on the Rock of Ages

Ever my trust shall be.

Here let me wait with patience,

Wait till the night is o’er;

Wait till I see the morning

Break on the golden shore.

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Minds Poisoned Against Us

An Original Work / May 29, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love