Luke 18:7 ‘Shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?’

DAILY READING; Mark 11:1-14; 1 Kings 1; Hosea 4:11b-5:4

Castrenze Cascio is an Italian pastor and author of the book titled, ‘Camminare e Spigolare [Walking and gleaning]’.
In the book, he documents a remarkable incident that took place after World War 2, in Campofiorito, a little town in Palermo, in the Italian region, Sicily.
In this small town was a Pastor named Francesco Coppola. He pastored an evangelical church that was severely persecuted by the government authorities. He and the church members were often arrested by the Carabinieri, a militia maintained by the government for police duties. Their leader, known as the Marshal of the Carabinieri, especially mocked these evangelicals.

Even after the authorities in Rome gave the Evangelicals permission to operate, the Marshal refused to allow them freedom of worship in the town. However, Pastor Francesco Coppola took his case to God.
One day while they were in a prayer meeting, the Carabinieri militia burst in and arrested them and took them to the Marshal.
The Marshal of the Carabinieri with arrogance began to question them about their activities and made mockery of their worship of God.
Though Pastor Francesco Coppola warned him to desist, the Marshal continued to speak blasphemously and detained them till evening before finally releasing them.
However, after the Marshall went home that evening, something strange happened. Before morning came, he found himself with a swollen throat. All treatment at the hospital proved ineffective. The doctors could not help him. The voice he had been using to mock God was gone. He was no longer able to talk or to breathe well. Three days later he died.
With his death, his persecutions and mockery of Pastor Coppola and the Church members came to an end and they were finally able to operate freely.

Luke 18:7-8 says ‘Shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?’

Vengeance is a vital aspect of the mystery of faith.
It is true God is love and is merciful, He is also the God of vengeance.
We sincerely need an understanding of this other side of God to triumph in life.
We serve the two-sided God, whose Word is a double-edged sword. He is the lion and the lamb, He is the Saviour and He is also the consuming fire.

God does not leave His children to be crushed by oppressions, afflictions, sickness, poverty etc.
It is not God’s will for your life to be continually harassed and persecuted and buffeted.
When it seems you have been pressed beyond measure, God arises to address the oppressors. God deals decisively with Pharaoh so that you can gain your freedom and march to your Canaan.

Unfortunately, people sometimes perish in silence due to lack of knowledge.
When the Israelites seemed overwhelmed by Pharaoh’s oppression, they didn’t keep quiet, they cried out to God.
For 430 years they suffered in slavery but as they began to cry out, God came down to avenge them speedily.

Jesus asked in Luke 18:7-8 ‘Shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?’
Indeed God is ready to avenge His elect speedily, but our faith must be intact for Him to deal with our mockers.

In Mark 11, when Jesus cursed the fig tree that was mocking Him, and it withered, the disciples were amazed at how He did it. Jesus told them, ‘Have faith in God’.
Faith is the force that deals with every mockery and resistance to your destiny. And we receive faith through hearing God’s Word and release it through speaking bold words.

Therefore , today, do not keep quiet. A closed mouth is a closed destiny. By faith, begin to boldly invoke the Blood of Jesus against those things that have stubbornly resisted your advancement. It is certainly your season to see miracles and wonders. Also call forth divine judgment against those enemies that fight from within; evil habits, addictions, lusts, slothfulness, sickness etc. Surely, they are all consumed by the Blood of Jesus.

This year, God’s glory must be seen upon our lives. Therefore today, let us receive the grace for diligent study of Scriptures, prayers and praise, so as to build up strong faith to see our manifestation of wonders.

PRAYER: Father I thank You for delivering me from every oppression of wickedness through the Blood of Jesus. Today, I receive the grace to build up my faith to see Your mighty manifestations in my life in Jesus Name.
Quote :
When God places His hand upon a man in life nothing can come against him, this is because the gifts and calling of God are without repentance– WORDBITE 222.