Rejection

Yesterday I talked about persecution and how we can expect it and be ready for it as we get ready for the Lord’s return.  In this process we need to be prepared for more rejection as time goes on.  I want to concentrate on Matthew 10:32-42 today which says this, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

Jesus said this in verse 34, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.”

What we need to understand here is that Jesus knew that not everyone would receive Him, but many would reject Him.  And many of these that would reject Him would be members of one’s family.  For those that receive Him as their Lord and Savior there is perfect peace and continuous joy.  That doesn’t mean we won’t go through trials and tribulations, we will, but we can still have that peace and joy through all of them.  We should be committed to love our family but not put them before the Lord. Nothing in our lives can become more important than the Lord because anything you think more highly of than the Lord is an idol, we should not let that take place in our lives.

As far as denying the Lord, how many couples that truly love each other deny the fact that they are married to each other, if they are asked?  Well think of this, if you are a born-again believer you are the bride of Christ, should you deny that fact?  No!  Would the Lord deny you?  Of course not, but like your spouse, if you are ashamed of them and reject them you will end up being rejected also.  In the same way, if you reject and are ashamed of the Lord before men, He will deny you before His Father and I don’t think any of His people would want that to happen.  

Anyone that has been taught that following the Lord is going to be easy has been taught the wrong thing.  Taking up your cross and denying yourself and following the Lord can be very difficult, but very rewarding also.  Many have not only been asked to deny themselves but to also be martyred for the kingdom.  Following Jesus involves tension, persecution and even death in many cases.  But regardless of what we are asked to do, we know that the Lord will be with us and provide whatever we need at the time, so that we will be victorious in and through it.

The Word says this in Hebrews 13:5, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.”’ With this promise we need not fear.  The Word also says this in Romans 8:31, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

If we are in Jesus, we are in good hands, praise the Lord!  Something to think about!  Have a super day and may the Lord bless you and yours.

Being Prepared For Persecution

I know that no one likes the thought of persecution, but we all need to be prepared for it so when it comes we will all be ready.  There are believers all around the world that are suffering for their faith in Jesus Christ; many have given their lives gladly for their Lord.  I pray for my brothers and sisters quite often and I believe that every believer should be praying for all their brethren that live in countries where persecution often takes place.  Even in the United States persecution is taking place more every day as our rights are being taken away more and more as times goes on.

Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:12, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”

Many of us are not used to being persecuted but we need to be prepared for what is coming.  Jesus warned us ahead of time what would take place in the latter days of the end times and I can’t believe that any true believer cannot discern the signs and the times we are in.  I am not an end time scholar but I have trusted the Lord to teach me about it and to give me the discernment I need, to know that it is close at hand.  I have read what it says about it in all the books of the Bible that speak about it and I have heard teachers teach on it and preachers preach on it over the years, I don’t know if they were all correct, but I do believe that some were; either way I think being ready is the important thing.

In Matthew 10 Jesus sent His disciples out to preach the gospel to the lost Jewish people saying the Kingdom of heaven is at hand, He also gave them power to heal the sick, cleanse the Lepers, raise the dead and cast out devils.  Jesus told them what to do, what to expect and how to respond.  He also warned them about persecution in verses 16-31 all the way down to verse 42.  For this Tidbit I will be looking at verses 16-31 that say this, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

“Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

“Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

These men would be under attack from their own countrymen, the scribes, Pharisees and teachers of the law, and these people would be to them like wolves among sheep.  The disciples would have to put their total trust in their Savior and Lord.  These disciples also faced persecution from family members and friends as well as the government and the court as time went on check out Acts 5:40, and Acts 12:1-3.

Following the Lord not only results in persecution at times but provides a good opportunity to share your testimony and to share the good news of the gospel.  Just like these disciples, we can be sure that the Lord will be with us and give us the boldness to speak and the words to say.  This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be preparing ourselves.  The Holy Spirit will prepare us at times with certain words, but we need to be doing our part; praying, studying the Word and trusting the Lord to give us the boldness to speak and not shrink back being ashamed of the Lord and His Word.  Enduring to the end shows that you have a genuine faith and the reward will be unexplainable, but totally amazing, praise the Lord!  Those that are prepared and ready for the Lord’s return, realizing how much the Lord loves them, will even be able to rejoice like Jesus said in Matthew 5:10-12, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

I hope this Tidbit will help you, and even encourage you, to get your house in order, knowing the Lord will be coming back, maybe sooner than you think, and a wave of persecution may be right around the corner, so to speak.  Something to think about and have a great day and may the good Lord bless you and yours!!     

Sin

I did a lesson on this subject years ago and I want to touch on it again today.  Sin is something most people don’t want to talk about but it is our biggest problem and every person that ever lived was, and is, affected by it; the only exemption was Jesus who never sinned.  Every one of us was born with a sin nature which separated us from God.  We didn‘t ask for it but we inherited it from our ancestors, Adam and Eve.  Because of it we all have sinned many times and we all have fallen short of the glory of God.

Many times we hear of terrible things taking place and the sin nature is the underlying factor in most of these cases.  Sin has become the dividing factor between good and evil.  It seems like we are faced daily with temptation and sin.  At one time all of us were slaves to sin, condemned to a life of slavery with no other hope but death, condemnation, judgment and everlasting suffering!  In our own power and strength we could do nothing to change that verdict, we were totally helpless.  This is what we have as Adam’s sons; ruin, sin, death and separation from God, disobedience, judgment and law.  We all start out this way and many die this same way, what a sad end.

The Word says this in Romans 5:12-14, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.”  Many think it isn’t right, or fair, to be condemned and judged for Adam’s sin, but what about our own sins, they deserve judgment.  Being sinners we need mercy, not fairness.  In unregenerate man sin dictates many of our emotional responses, resulting in our bad attitudes and our sinful actions.  

The Word says these things and other things as well, about our condition as sinners:

Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Romans 3:10, “as it is written, ‘There is none righteous, not even one.’”

Isaiah 64:6, “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our

righteousnesses  are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal

life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Up to this point this is a pretty dim picture, but if you are reading this and are looking for good news and a way out of this dilemma, keep reading there is hope and very good news.

God is an all-knowing God and He knew we could never be reconciled to Him by anything that we could do; so He took it upon Himself to work out the details and bring fallen man back into fellowship with Himself.  The Bible says this in John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

And in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”  Praise the Lord!

It says this in Romans 5:15-21, “But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

In the Lord we receive these things; a new life, a new nature and a new freedom by breaking sins hold on our lives, and many more things.  Thank the Lord!  I put the first part of a verse earlier in this Tidbit, now I want to put the whole verse in; it is this, in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Christ willingly allowed Himself to be crucified, die and be buried for all who would believe on Him.  Then He rose up on the third day because the grave could not hold Him, and through His shed blood we find a cleansing for our sins when we receive Him by faith.  The Word says this in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

This is the Good News, there is none better.  If you have a desire to have a relationship with Jesus, He has made a way, the Word says in Isaiah 55:6, “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.”

While speaking to one of the churches in Revelations, Jesus said this in chapter 3 verse 20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

I believe this invitation is for all who will come to Him by faith, so if you feel He is knocking on the door of your heart, ask Him to come in and be your Lord and Savior.  I don’t think it ever hurts to ask Him to forgive you of your sins and to cleanse you with His precious blood from all unrighteousness.  Then thank and praise Him for what He has done. Something to think about!  God bless and have a super day!

Children of Light

Paul talked to the Ephesians about how they should live as children of light.  Paul said in Ephesians 5:1-2, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”  Paul wanted these people to imitate God and to love like God loved.  I think we need to take these words to heart and live the same way if we claim to be believers but we seem to have a real problem in this area.  Why do we have such a hard time loving each other if we are God’s children? 

We have no trouble judging people, looking for the bad instead of the good in people’s lives.  Is it because it is far easier to measure ourselves with people, rather than to measure ourselves with God?  There are some sins that we would avoid like the plague, but judging people seems to be tolerated far more than some of the other sins that we have committed.  

Take the different denominations for example; one group of people won’t fellowship with another group because they don’t agree with their doctrine.  Didn’t Jesus say the greatest commandment is this, found in Mark 12:30-31, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

This wasn’t the first time this was said, it was also said in Leviticus 19:18, the Lord speaking to Moses said this, “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”  Even in the Old Testament it was a commandment for the Lord’s people to love one another.

Then, at one point, Jesus said that we should even love our enemies.  The way I see it is that we have a struggle trying to love the people that love us, let alone trying to love our enemies.  I have experienced on more than one occasion, being told by different friends at the time that they loved me, but as time went on and I said something, or did something, that they didn‘t agree with, the relationship was over; maybe they call that love, I don’t.  When you love people, there will be times that you will have to agree to disagree instead of giving up on each other.  None of us have an excuse for this kind of behavior, so we are accountable for it.  I think that loving some people is a real struggle, even some that are in the church, but remember this; Jesus didn’t say it would always be easy, but He did command His people to do it.  

This is what Jesus said to His disciples when He spent the last supper with them, it is found in John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”  It also says this about love in 1 Peter 7:9, “But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins.’ Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.”  

Love is something that most people need and want.  I have heard it said that you will catch more flies with honey than you will with vinegar.  You will also win more people over with love and acceptance than hatred and rejection.  It says this in Proverbs 10:12, “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.”

I think you got the message, enough said.  Can you truly say you love people, including your neighbor and your enemy, if you are a believer?  If not, you need to take it to the Lord, who already knows, and ask Him to help you love as He does.  That is His will for your life, so if you are sincere, I think He will help you.  Something to think about!  God bless and have a super day!!

Righteous and Sinners

Did Jesus come for those that were well or did He come for those who were sick?  When I heard someone say this yesterday a thought came to my mind, it went something like this, there weren’t many in Jesus’ day when He walked the Earth that were well, spiritually speaking.  This is what the Word says in Mark 2:17 about this subject, “When Jesus heard it, He said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.’”

Why did Jesus make this statement?  It says this in the previous verses 14-16, “As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ So he arose and followed Him.

Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, ‘How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?’”

This is what comes to my mind when I think about most of the scribes and Pharisees in Jesus’ day; they thought they were righteous, but what they really were, was self-righteous sinners themselves, so the words that Jesus said was for their benefit also.  But, they let His words go in one ear and out the other, giving them very little thought, being mindful only that Jesus sat with terrible sinners.  From what I’ve read about the days of Jesus’ appearance on earth, there doesn’t seem to be too many righteous people around until after he started His ministry along with His cousin, John the Baptist. The Spirit hadn’t been poured out yet and the church hadn’t officially started yet.

The scribes and Pharisees were the big shots at the time and the people looked up to them, but Jesus saw through their hypocrisy into their sinful hearts, but they were so proud and arrogant they couldn’t see these things in themselves.  There were not many righteous there at the time.  And, He was fulfilling the purpose that He came for, which He spoke of in Luke 4:18-19 when He said this, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”  When Jesus spoke these words He was quoting from Isaiah 61:1-2.  Jesus also said this in verse 21, “And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’”

He also came to give His life a ransom for all who would believe in Him, praise His holy name.  Jesus had many things to say to these self-righteous Pharisees and scribes, as well as about them.  The Lord loves the sinner but hates sin, so He came to do something about it and, praise His name, He did just that.  The good news is that the Lord came to seek and to save all who were lost, which included the self-righteous also.  

There are many today that have the form of religion but lack the power therein.  They go through the motions, acting like a believer in certain situations, but in all reality their lives have not changed.  The Bible says this of a true believer in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”                      

You may have learned to talk the talk and even look like a believer, but if your confession of faith hasn’t affected your way of living to the point that people can’t see any difference from your former life and the life you live now then you may want to do what Paul said, “examine yourself to see if you are in the faith.”  When a person has been born again, there will be a noticeable difference in that person’s life, which will play out in their actions.  Think about this, just because you find a mouse in a cookie jar, it doesn’t make him a cookie, any more than you being in a church makes you a child of God.

If this is you, ask the Lord to forgive you of your sins and to be your Lord and Savior, He loves you, and if you are serious I believe He will do just that and you will truly experience a changed life.  Then pray and ask the Lord where you should attend a church, get a Bible and start reading and growing in the Lord.  Something to think about!  Have a super day and may the good Lord bless you and yours.