John 15:18-25Christ says if we belong to the world it will love us, but if we belong to Him, it will hate us. Are you hated by the world? Do you live a life that shines G-d's light so brightly, that the world is blinded by it? Or are you living a dully lit life, so that the world can't see how you follow G-d and therefore does not persecute you.
18 "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason.'
Paul says in 2 Tim 3:12
"In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted"
An old-time evangelist once said, if I preach in a town and dont get chased out, I wonder whether I preached the right gospel or not. If we are preaching, and not facing persecution and hatred, it may be wise to seek G-d on whether we are preaching His true Word or not.
Matt 5:11-12And remember brothers and sisters, when you are persecuted, "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse" - Rom 12:14
11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
4 comments:
I wonder what type of persecution could be had in 2009 Oklahoma City for following Christ. I could see someone being persecuted for wearing a headdress or looking like BinLaden. I could see a Christian being persecuted in China or a country where it isn't accepted. Maybe i could see someone truly 100 percent dedicated to following Christ giving away every possession or something like that being ostracized or snubbed or snickered at. Does that fall into persecution?
Thats just it.
If modern american "christianity" is so accepted, hadn't we question whether it's truly following Christ?
or just going through religious motions and looking for self comfort in satisfaction, and even self righteousness.
The message of G-d is hated by men who don't know Him... if we truly share it... we are bound to be hated.
do you think that if you and i went to the red dog last night or for that matter a hannah montanna movie to let every person there know that if they were looking lustfully at a woman than they have already committed adultery and that the wages of sin is death, would they hate us? . or would they just say whatever get out of my face. or for that matter if we went to the steps of life church(not to pick on them particularly, but they are the easiest target) and started delivering a true in your face message, would they hate us or would they just ignore us or ask us to leave. would we have to go to every church bookstore and physically turn the tables??
"if we truly share it.. we are bound to be hated"
what would that look like?
what would it physically take?
I think that, if what the Bible says is true, the more we try to be like Christ the more satan will attack us.
This may come in physical form, through people that he manipulates. But it is more often through other things, I can say from experience, when you start doing whats right, your temptations grow, and your life gets really hard.
I've seen it in my life and in others, when you do things for G-d, satan attacks. It's happening right now. He wants you to give up, and stop serving G-d.
I think your right to think most people would ignore you or just ask you to leave. But there is real persecution even in america, even today. A friend of mine runs a ministry for people who want out of the homosexual lifestyle, and he has been put up on websites as one of the top 10 enemies of the gay community, and they encourage people to harass him and his family, they also (being a journalistic website) are constantly publishing lies about his family and slandering them.
Physical persecution is at a low in america, but its changing everyday, I can see it.
Did you know that bills were sent to each state government that if a person believes in end time prophecy he is to be considered a possible terrorist?
That's public knowledge, it was all over the radio a month ago.
less known, not supposed to be public knowledge, is that the FBI teaches new agents that if a person believes in the second coming of Christ they are to be treated as a terrorist.
oh and try being a scientist who believes in creation. Many top scientists and professors have been discredited because they claimed there wasn't enough evidence to support evolution and creation was more likely. Watch the documentary Expelled, its all about that.
America has it pretty easy now, and I believe that is why we have so many fence sitters who refuse to get real with G-d. But one day... maybe soon we won't be accepted.
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