Mathew 5:10-12 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Down through the ages, Christians have been persecuted for their beliefs and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. I read something just this morning that said this:" People will question your Christian beliefs but believe every negative thing they hear about you." And how true that is.
Christian persecution has and is happening all over the world.And isn't it sad that in this century, in this country it happens every day? From our own families that do not accept that we have become Christians and ridiculing us to someone going into a church and killing whoever they can until they are stopped. It goes on and on.
Many Christians have paid the ultimate price, with their lives. But persecution is the price we must all pay to enter God's Kingdom. We have only 2 choices in life. They are found in John 3:20-21.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
Why then does Jesus require us to suffer the injustice that is brought upon us for loving him and doing what he asks of us?
I believe it is to help keep our hearts and minds on heaven.(Colossians 3:2 ) It says to keep our minds centered on things in heaven, not things on the earth. Our life here is just a wisp. A vapor to what our next life will be. Whether we spend it in heaven. Or we spend it in hell. Nothing we go through now will compare to what we experience in either place.
With just those thoughts in mind, that is why I can honestly say, "Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice." Philippians 4:4 and Rejoice and celebrate, for great is your reward in heaven for in the same way they persecuted the prohets before you. Mathew 5:12.
Jesus went to the cross. Reviled, rejected, beaten, whipped, spit on and then they hung him on the cross. Sometimes we look at the things just said about our Christian way of life. Our love of God. And we think we are so prosecuted and we get offended. What makes us think we have so much to complain about when he did that for us?
The thing is if we truly love God, and people know it, they are going to try to intimidate us and put us down. They are going to try to make us look like fools.
Instead, we should rejoice for our reward is in heaven. Not necessarily on earth for it, but in heaven. So the next time someone tries to put you down for your beliefs, remember what Jesus did for you and rejoice in what is to come.
Thanks for coming by today. I know your time is important so it blesses me that you viist. As always, I will be here again tomorrow to share and hope that you will be back. Take care and be blessed.
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