Tag Archives: persecution

Love Deeply from the Heart, April 27, 2020

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|

Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.

Like most of the world, I’ve been reading different stories about the current crisis. Various news outlets and social media present very different views of happenings. What I know is things are not the same as they were a few months ago. We don’t really know what the future holds. All we know is it won’t be the same.

Some discuss the fact that we have 30,000 – 40,000 deaths a year from the flu, and no one talks about it. And yes, we’ve only had 50,000 COVID 19 deaths…so far…in seven weeks. But we are far from over before COVID 19 decides to quit finding its victims in this first wave. This novel coronavirus is not typical flu. We will lose a lot more people around the world, no matter what we do.

The news about our economy is also real, though. The longer we keep our businesses closed, the more desperate we will become. Job loss. Government debt stacking up to recession and possibly depression levels. Fear and anxiety are growing with every passing day.

How do we handle it all? Let me share some words Peter wrote in a letter to new Christians facing the wrath of the Roman emperor looking to extinguish any religion that did not recognize him as part of its pantheon of gods.

If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.

He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God. Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. (1 Peter 1:17-23 NIV)

This new Christian faith faced the possibility of extinction. The Roman government saw mystic religions as a threat to their authority. They deemed Christianity, Judaism, and many other religions of the day as mystics and wanted them out of the way. We see a glimpse of the Roman brutality from the crucifixion, the games in the Colosseum, the blood lust that permeated the nation. And that blood lust pointed to these new Christian believers.

The early church by this time began to meet privately in homes, caves, catacombs, out of the way places to avoid the eyes of the Roman army. The church grew under heavy persecution. But as you can imagine, the growth came at a price. The church felt grief at the loss of some of its members. And the deaths occurred quickly and brutally—torturous deaths as spectacles for the pagan Roman authorities.

Families mourned the deaths, but often could not be present, and many could not bury their loved ones properly, or they would suffer the same fate. The church gathered in small groups to encourage each other, but they could not meet openly, for fear of discovery, and summary execution.

It reminds me a lot of what is happening today. We don’t have the persecution in this country that the early Christians had. But we find ourselves isolated from each other. Some of our friends, neighbors, and family members find themselves alone in hospitals fighting a disease about which we know very little.

We hide behind closed doors and separate ourselves to avoid the reach of the disease as much as the early Christians hid themselves to avoid the Roman soldiers. We don’t have answers for the reason this plague has come upon the world, but we see the suffering that so many must endure.

Death touches so many households, and when it does, the victims face it alone. Those left behind then grieve alone. The comfort we usually find in the relationships we build in our lifetime are not there to wrap arms around us. It seems we must suffer alone.

Yet we don’t. We are fortunate to live in an age in which technology joins us. We can reach out and engage others through social media that can also be such a detriment in our lives if we do not use it carefully. Churches and individuals are finding new ways to use the media plagued by bullies, disreputable characters, child molesters, pornography, the list is endless. But that same media can be used by God for good. We can turn it around and spread the message of Jesus to those who might never come through the door of a church. But they will listen to an interesting discussion or podcast. They will spend time exploring ideas that will help them through life’s journey. People will cling to rays of hope in times like these that appear hopeless on the outside.

The church will not be the same when this is over. Already, church leaders discuss what the next generation of church will look. Many will be afraid to come indoors and sit shoulder to shoulder as we have in the past. The risk of spreading an uncontained virus is too high. Limiting attendance, seating by families and spreading them out, conducting multiple services to accommodate the number of people desiring to come, escorts from the entrance to seats to the exit, monitors to ensure separation safety. We don’t know what church will look like in the next months, but it will not be what it was in January and February.

It’s an excellent time to think about what church means and the mission of the church. What did Peter tell the church in his letter? Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. I think that means more than lip service. It’s more than words. It means letting God use our hands and feet to demonstrate his love to a community desperate for hope in these trying times. Now is the best time to exercise that love. Show someone you really care about them – today.

You can find me at richardagee.com. I also invite you to join us at San Antonio First Church of the Nazarene on West Avenue in San Antonio to hear more Bible-based teaching. You can find out more about my church at SAF.church. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed it, tell a friend. If you didn’t, send me an email and let me know how better to reach out to those around you. Until next week, may God richly bless you as you venture into His story each day.

Scriptures marked NIV are taken from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV): Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™. Used by permission of Zondervan

Would you like to be Saul? May 6, 2019

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|

Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.

Last week we talked about Doubting Thomas. He wanted to see the scars in Jesus’ hands and feet before he would believe Jesus had risen from the tomb. This week we look at another of those New Testament figures that God needed to hit with a board across the head to make him believe. The man’s name is Saul, a staunch enemy of those who spread the story of Jesus’ resurrection and tried to disrupt the order of the synagogue and its teachings.

I expect most churches today would love to have Saul as one of their board members. He played by the rules. He lived up to the character people thought of when they thought of a religious person. He went to the synagogue regularly, not just on special holidays. He prayed often. He gave generously. He knew scripture. In fact, if history is correct, to be a student of Gamaliel, Saul would have recited whole books of the Old Testament just to be considered for his tutelage. Saul would have been a great churchman.

But Saul did not believe in the resurrection, and he was out to quell the rebellion in the Jewish community that did. He took with him a section of the Temple guard with papers from the chief priest and arrested as many of the members of this wayward sect as he could find. First in Jerusalem, then, when he started running short of prospective rebels there, he headed to Damascus where he heard one of the “Way’s” ringleaders had gone.

The troop moved fast and furious across the dusty hills toward the old Samaritan capital. Saul would root out this evil and kill it wherever it tried to hide. But something happened. Acts Chapter 9. Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”

Saul, the fire-breathing, perfect church board member of today figure of a man found himself face down in the dirt, blind, listening to the voice of Jesus, the one these rebels followed. The one who rose from the dead. Here he was talking to Saul, telling him to stop. Telling him he had a job for him to do.

Ouch! Talk about sudden guilt. All these months, Saul had gone around arresting followers of Jesus. They had been locked away and many killed. Saul knew their fate, but didn’t care. He was doing the right thing… he thought. He was stopping this rebel outbreak before they could cause harm against the Jewish community. Rome was looking for reasons to destroy the Jews, he had to stop this group or at least lay blame at their feet for all the ills going on in Israel so his people could be saved from the wrath of Rome.

But then he met Jesus. “Get up, go to Damascus, you will be told what to do.”

I’m not sure Saul was used to being told what to do. I think he was pretty headstrong and was used to telling other people what to do, not the other way around. But not this time. For three days, Saul saw only the darkness of his blinded eyes behind the scales God put in place. For three days he was entombed in his thoughts because he could see nothing else. For three days he prayed for God to help him see and understand what happened and why.

Then Ananias comes into the room with a little fear edging into his voice. “Saul, Jesus, the one you have been persecuting told me to come and lay hands on you so you can gain your sight again.” If I were Ananias, I’d have been a little fearful. What if Saul just gets angry at being blind for three days? What if he decides he wants to take out his blindness on me when he can finally see again? What if he really isn’t so blind after all? What if the dream wasn’t so accurate and I’m walking into a trap? No doubt Ananias had a lot of “what if’s” in his head, but his faith overcame them all and he when to the right street and the right house and asked for Saul. Then laid his hands on him and told him what was about to happen.

Great story isn’t it? Sometimes I think I could have more faith if I had an experience like Saul on the road to Damascus. But then again, I’m not sure I would. Have you ever thought about what it would be like? I’m not sure I’d want to be there. The bright light that blinds you and not knowing if you’ll ever see again. The person whose followers you’ve been killing shows up with that kind of power and knocks you to the ground. The person you think you are controlling suddenly takes absolute control over your life and turns you into one of those poor beggars you pass on the street everyday, not able to do anything without someone’s help to lead you along by the hand.

Then, in Damascus you hear a knock at the door and recognize the name at the introduction. “I’m Ananias…” and you miss the next few words because his name is at the top of the list of those you’ve come to take back to Jerusalem. He’s here. You’re blind. He knows why you came to Damascus. You are completely at his mercy. Then he lays his hands on your eyes.

No, I don’t think I would like going through what Saul went through in coming face to face with Jesus. I’m not sure my heart would stand the strain. I’m not sure I could trust the people or the circumstances the way Saul did, even then. Maybe he didn’t have much choice. Or maybe he thought death at the hands of one of these rebels would be better than being blind. Or maybe he began to see just a glimmer of truth in what Jesus told him. Who else but God could do the things he just witnessed.

Nope. I’m glad I can learn from Saul. I’m glad he changed his name to Paul and wrote so many letters to the churches of the first century. I’m glad he gave all that advice to Timothy and Titus and the members of those congregations to which he wrote. I’m glad he wrote about his suffering, his hope, his joy, his peace. But I’m glad I didn’t fill his shoes as he walked those roads across the empire.

His experience, though, causes me to pause and ask a question each of us must answer for ourselves. I have not been blinded on the road to Damascus, but do I believe in the risen Jesus? Do I know in my heart that the resurrection happened, just has Paul and John and the other gospel writers describe? Do I know that Jesus is not just some prophet who did some really good things and told some really good stories, but he is, in fact, God incarnate. God who put on human flesh, live among us, died for my sins, and rose from that borrowed tomb to prove he is who he says he is. Do I believe it, or is it just a lot of words?

I can tell you there’s a shrinking percentage of us who believe the story is true today. More and more are convinced it is just a story. What you believe makes a difference in how you approach life, death, and eternity. Here’s the problem many face. If Jesus’ words are not true, it doesn’t matter. How you live, what you believe, it doesn’t make any difference in the end, if Jesus’ words and his life is just a fairy tale. But if what he says is true. If the story is real. If when he says he is the only means of salvation, then what you believe makes all the difference in how you live and die and face eternity.

So there’s the question. What do you believe about him? Is he just a man or not? Is he God or not? Did he sacrifice himself for your forgiveness or not? Does he demand believe in him for salvation or not? What you believe matters. It did to Saul and it does to you and me. So what is it, true or false?

You can find me at richardagee.com. I also invite you to join us at San Antonio First Church of the Nazarene on West Avenue in San Antonio to hear more Bible based teaching. You can find out more about my church at SAF.church. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed it, tell a friend. If you didn’t, send me an email and let me know how better to reach out to those around you. Until next week, may God richly bless you as you venture into His story each day.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Talk about awkward (Acts 9:4-6), May 6, 2017

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Have you ever been in a conversation where people were gossipping about someone and all of a sudden that person showed up? Awkward!
Scripture
1. Acts 9:4-6
2. The Lord: Saul, Saul, why are you attacking Me?

Saul: Lord, who are You?

Then he hears these words:

The Lord: I am Jesus. I am the One you are attacking. Get up. Enter the city. You will learn there what you are to do.

Devotional
1. It happens more often that people want to admit.
  1. Sometimes it happens real time – person walks up behind and hears the conversation
  2. Sometimes the person walks into the middle of the conversation and everyone gets quiet, they still know something is up
  3. Sometimes the word just gets back and they know who said what
  4. Relationships are destroyed as much as reputations are destroyed often by untruths
2. That’s what was happening in Paul’s life
  1. Persecuting Christians
  2. Telling the Jews things about them that were not true
  3. Telling stories about Jesus that were not true
  4. Spreading lies and rumors that despoiled Jesus’ reputation
  5. Jesus stepped behind him one day to interrupt his conversation
3. Saul, why are you attacking Me?
  1. What are you saying about Me?
  2. What are you doing to My followers?
  3. What have you been doing behind My back
  4. Why don’t you say these things to My face
4. And you know when we get ourselves caught in those embarrassing situations where we know we’re gossiping and shouldn’t, there are always consequences
  1. Paul got caught and was embarrassed by his wrong actions
  2. Fortunately did something about it
  3. Repented for his wrongdoing
  4. Learned of the tasks Jesus had for him to do
  5. Carried them out enthusiastically
  6. Stopped persecuting and became the persecuted
  7. Gained life and lost his
  8. Became the most prolific writer in the new testament
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Have you ever felt abandoned in tough times? (Luke 22:28-30), January 7, 2017

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Have you ever felt like you had some dread disease when you were going through tough times? Did you feel like everyone abandoned you? Jesus had something to say about that.
Scripture
1. Luke 22:28-30
2. You have stood beside Me faithfully through My trials. I give you a kingdom, just as the Father has given Me a kingdom. You will eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will have authority over the twelve tribes of Israel.
Devotional
1. I had an interesting experience midway through my military career that taught me a good lesson about being there for people in all kinds of circumstances.
  1. 1987 Major’s promotion board – non-select
  2. Friends disappeared
  3. Didn’t know what to say or do
  4. Avoided me like it was contagious
  5. Records missing and went to relook, selected, and promoted on time
2. There were a few the called and stood by throughout the ordeal
  1. Right or wrong they were with me
  2. All knew me and my faith and knew I’d make it through the situation
  3. Others watched on the sidelines to see how I would react
3. Made me empathetic toward non-selects the next 18 years of my career
  1. Never shied away from them
  2. Knew how they felt
  3. Knew how to help them through the process if they chose to appeal
  4. Some of those have become closest friends
  5. Stayed in touch long after retirement if 10 years is a long time
4. Jesus looked around at those twelve around the table and felt the same way
  1. Many left because of His preaching
  2. Many left because of the ridicule they receive
  3. Many left because of the pressure from the religious leaders
5. Promises for those who remain through the trials
  1. Best news for me
  2. You will eat and drink at My table
  3. Eternity with Him
  4. 70 or 80 years of enduring what the world dishes out is not so much in terms of eternity, is it?
6. If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”
```
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.
```

Why are there so many martyrs? (Luke 21:18-19) January 1, 2017

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

* Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk With God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
* Have you ever thought about this question, “If Jesus promised not a single hair of your heads will be harmed. Why are there so many martyrs and so much persecution for His followers?”
* music intro
* You can follow along in a year long Bible reading program at richardagee.com where you can also subscribe to the podcast, send me comments to let me know what you think of the devotional, and listen to past devotionals. That’s richardagee.com.
* music intro
* Devotional
* In Luke 21:18–19 Jesus said: But whatever happens, not a single hair of your heads will be harmed. By enduring all of these things, you will find not loss but gain—not death but authentic life.
* Promise of no
* persecution
* beating
* imprisonment
* execution
* More – gain instead of loss; authentic life instead of death
* Never more than today
* Middle east
* Africa
* Russia
* China
* India
* Even in United States beginnings of rights removed, persecution evident, followers hated
* All the same problems as everyone else plus persecution
* What does Jesus mean? Contradiction?
* We take out of context
* Forget what comes before and after these verses
* Want to use part of a discourse to our benefit
* Like to twist promises to suit our wants
* What does Jesus mean?
* Verses in the middle of end times discourse
* Signs
* Events
* Interlude to comfort disciples
* Picture scene
* surrounded by disciples
* listening intently
* growing fear of description
* Jesus sees fear
* Calms with promise of what happens for His followers during the end times
* Put verses back into context
* We have nothing to worry about
* Still hated by the world
* Still face persecution until He comes
* Still suffer as followers
* Notice He says “if we endure all these things”, means we go through them
* After the signs have come
* earthquakes, floods, drought, famine, disease
* wars, nations fighting against each other and fighting within themselves
* Then we enjoy the promises He gives
* Jesus comes again
* Returns victoriously
* No more suffering
* No more martyrdom
* No more persecution
* No more loss
* No more death
* Today’s words from Jesus:
* Encouragement that the end brings relief from the evil of this world
* …life everlasting
* …indescribable joy
* …eternal praise and worship of the King of kings in His presence
* Disciples needed that interlude of encouragement
* We need it today, too.
* music exit
* If you want to know more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”
* music exit

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Don’t worry about trifles (Luke 12:8-12) November 14, 2016

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Deuteronomy 13-15

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 12:8-12
Jesus: That’s why I keep telling you not to be intimidated. If you identify unashamedly with Me before others, I, the Son of Man, will affirm you before God and all the heavenly messengers. But if you deny Me before others, you will be denied before God and all the heavenly messengers. People can speak a word against Me, the Son of Man, and the sin is forgivable. But they can go too far, slandering the testimony of the Holy Spirit by rejecting His message about Me, and they won’t be forgiven for that.
So you can anticipate that you will be put on trial before the synagogues and religious officials. Don’t worry how you’ll respond, and don’t worry what you should say. The Holy Spirit will give you the words to say at the moment when you need them.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

If you haven’t noticed, the freedom we had as Christians in this country has changed significantly over the last twenty years. Where we had complete freedom to express our faith openly in public twenty years ago, we can no longer do that today. We might offend our non-believing neighbors if we put a nativity in the public square or pray at a ball game or mention the name of Jesus during the holiday for which Christmas was named. It’s incredible how much we have fallen in such a short time.

But as Jesus says, we should not be intimidated. We have not yet been executed in public arenas as the early Christians were. We have not yet been blocked from buying food in the market place as the early Christians were. We have not yet had our children ripped out of our homes as the early Christians did. Our freedoms have been degraded here, but they have not fallen as far as they were in early Christendom or as they are in many other parts of the world today. So don’t be intimidated.

Besides, as we talked yesterday, even facing death, those here can only kill the body. Fear the One who can send you to an eternal hell. Fear God.

With the direction the country and the world is going, though, I think we can anticipate Jesus prophecy to His disciples, not just to the first century church, but throughout the ages until His return. Every generation has experienced ever increasing violence against the church. We brought some of it on ourselves when we did stupid things like launch the Crusades in the name of Christ, but the church has always been persecuted. Satan just doesn’t like the church to gain ground against his control over people.

Satan wants to be like old-time radio hero, the Shadow and cloud the minds of men so they cannot see him or the truth. Except he doesn’t want to be the good guy. He wants to keep us from God. He wants to keep us trapped in our selfish desires instead of going after the things of God and His will for us and this planet. He even hides behind the appearance of good things to keep us from doing the things God wants. It might sound a little crazy, but it’s true. We can be totally lost doing good things. Because it’s not good things that get us to heaven. It’s believing in His Son and doing His will. We may sacrifice the best by doing the good.

So we can expect the world, at least as long as Satan is loose in it, to do what it can to disrupt the church. To stand in its way of evangelism. To persecute it and try to persuade believers that God’s way is not the way to find peace and joy. We can expect Satan to continue his lies to extend to us in as many ways as he can to try to get us away from God and win us over to his side. He does not want the church to triumph.

But we know the church will triumph because Jesus has already won the war. His death on the cross and resurrection from the grave demonstrated once and for all His victory over Satan and evil. Satan just doesn’t realize it yet. Satan thinks he still has a chance. He doesn’t. The battle’s been won. Jesus is the victor.

Until Satan figures it out at the end, though, expect to be called into court, ridiculed, persecuted, even executed. We can expect to feel the brunt of Satan’s schemes because he just doesn’t like Jesus’ followers. With the power of God’s spirit in us, we stand against him and he can’t stand it. Despite his best efforts, he can’t win and he hates to lose. So he does his best to try and try and try again. But God will give us the words to say in court. He will give us the grace sufficient to withstand the suffering of persecution. He will help us through the valley of the shadow of death. God will be with us through the end of this life and usher us into eternity with Him when we side with Him.

The church will prevail. God promised and His promises are true. So don’t worry about the trifle things the world may throw your way. God is still in charge.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Hate crimes? (Luke 6:22-23) October 1, 2016

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Acts 3-4

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 6:22-23
Jesus: When people hate you,
when they exclude you
and insult you
and write you off as evil
on account of the Son of Man, you are blessed.
When these things happen, rejoice! Jump for joy!
Then you have a great reward in heaven
For at that moment, you are experiencing what the ancient prophets did when they were similarly treated by the ancestors of your detractors.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

There is a lot of hate in the world today. So much so that in this country we have even started labeling things as hate crimes. Kind of tragic to think we have come to that state, isn’t it? One group of people say derogatory things about another group and it’s considered a hate crime. Another group commits some violent act against a protected group and it’s a hate crime. When could any purposeful violence against another not be considered a hate crime? Why do we need special words to describe crimes against one section or another? Isn’t all crime against one another wrong?

But that’s for another day. Today I want to talk about the promise Jesus made to those who carry His name, Christians. Notice that Jesus didn’t start this admonition with “if people hate you…” He said, "When people hate you on account of Me. Do you think crimes against Christians will be considered hate crimes? Don’t count on it. God’s word tells us to expect others to hate us, exclude us, insult us, write us off as evil. It’s an expectation Jesus gave those who heard His message on the mountainside that day.

Can you imagine the rumbling that spread through the crowd as Jesus said those words? Join Me, but everyone will hate you when you do. Follow Me, but no one will invite you to their party when you do. Obey My commands, but you will be the brunt of everyone’s jokes as soon as you do. Oh, and by the way, when all these things happen to you, and you can be sure they will, consider yourself blessed because you’re doing just exactly what I’ve asked you to do.

So what would you do at that point in the sermon? How many do you think got up and walked away? How many started thinking Jesus really was insane? How many stuck around just to see how crazy His sermons would get? How many thought anyone would follow Him after a job description like that?

You can be sure most of the crowd stayed out of curiosity at best, not out of loyalty to Jesus. Remember He told them and His disciples that the road was narrow and few would find it. Most would follow the broad road the world pushed them along. Most would listen to the lies of Satan and just meander the way of the world thinking everything was okay but walk right into their own destruction. Sure the crowd would come to see the healing and hear His preaching, but as Jesus taught like this, few would give up their comforts to take on the life He promised.

But Jesus reminded them and us that God’s people have always felt severe persecution. Look at what happened to Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah, Hosea, Isaiah, name the prophet. The vast majority of the people around them didn’t like their message and criticized them for it. Most people didn’t want to change their behavior, their worship, their lives, to follow the commands God directed. Most people wanted to continue to do what they wanted to do. Most refused to give up control of their lives to God. And so they hated His messengers.

If we follow Christ, we will do what He says and His command to all of us is to share His message, to be His witnesses where we are. And as soon as we share His message, we will be hated for doing so. Why? Because we ask people to change if they expect to escape eternal punishment. We tell them the only way they can find eternal rest, eternal reward, the only way to please God is to change and not just be good, but to give themselves to God, to obey Him.

The self-centered nature we inherited through the seed of humankind rears its ugly head and says I want to be in charge of me. Until we let go of me, we will see Christians as the enemy. We will label Christians as haters of everyone else. We will exclude them because they make us uncomfortable with the truth of God’s word. We will call them evil even though deep in our heart we know they are not. We will try to crush them because we refuse to follow the narrow path God lays out for us.

But when we accept Him, when we follow Him, when we obey Him, we will experience all those things Jesus promised on that hillside, but in the end, we will join Him in eternity. The short time of suffering we experience here will seem as nothing compared to the eternity we will get to spend with Him. Is it worth it? You bet it is.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Sounds like a good deal (Mark 10:29-31) August 22, 2016

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Numbers 5-8

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 10:29-31
Jesus: That is true. And those who have left their houses, their lands, their parents, or their families for My sake, and for the sake of this good news will receive all of this 100 times greater than they have in this time—houses and farms and brothers, sisters, mothers, and children, along with persecutions—and in the world to come, they will receive eternal life. But many of those who are first in this world shall be last in the world to come, and the last, first.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We love Jesus’ words to His disciples here, don’t we? If you give up things for Him, He’ll return them 100 times over. Sounds like great news for those “name it and claim it” believers, doesn’t it? Give up your house and get a hundred back. Give up an acre of land and get a ranch in return. Sounds like a good investment plan, right? We love to quote Jesus’ investment plan for getting rich. Give up everything and get it back 100 fold.

There is a problem with that kind of thinking, of course. When we serve just for the sake of getting something in return, we serve for the wrong reason and really serve no one but self. Unfortunately, that seems to be the motivator for so many today. We seem to let that “what’s in it for me” attitude sneak in and take over. We let self get in the way and take the parts of Jesus’ promises we like and forget the parts we don’t.

Speaking of parts we don’t like, we hurriedly skip over the part where He says we’ll get 100 times the persecution when we give up houses and lands and parents and families. We don’t want to hear about that part, so we skip over that pretty fast and take the good and leave the bad. But look around the world at what’s happening to Jesus’ followers. The news doesn’t talk much about it, but there have never been more Christian martyrs than today. There has never been more persecution than today. There has never been such an outpouring of hatred against Christians than what we see today.

Jesus was right when He said if we give up everything for Him we will get 100 times as much in return. We don’t like to hear that it will be both good and bad in this world, but it will be both. The question, is the sacrifice worth it? Is giving up houses and lands and parents and families for Jesus’s sake worth the price? Yes, we will face persecution. Yes, we may become martyrs for His name. Yes, the world will hate us because we follow Him. But is it worth it? That is the question each of us must ask ourselves and weigh the answer and make our choice.

Satan tries to tell us the outcome is not worth it. He tries to tell us the world is right and God’s word is wrong. Satan tries to use the glamour and glitter of the world to convince us that wealth and prosperity should be our goal. Take as much as you can. Don’t worry about who you hurt on the way. Make the right investments and you’ll be assured of long life and riches. But if you read God’s word, you know that is not true. Satan is a liar and the father of lies.

If you listen to God’s word, you know there is something after this seventy or eighty year lifespan during which we occupy this piece of dirt. You know the things we accumulate here are temporary but there is something beyond. God’s word talks about it. He tells us about a new heaven and a new earth that’s coming. If you listen to God’s word, you know the treasures stored here will disappeared, but treasures stored in heaven last forever.

Is the sacrifice worth it? Absolutely. Besides, God is God! He deserves our worship. He is God, He demands it. He is God. Nothing and no one else comes in a close second to Him as worthy of praise and glory and honor and majesty and power. Is it worth following Him? Absolutely. We owe Him everything we have and everything we are. He created us and allows us to enjoy everything we have. He enables us to breathe and exist within the span of years we have here and then on into eternity.

Jesus made a bold promise that many only want to remember only half. They want to remember only the good parts. They want to forget the promise of persecution, of the hatred the world will level against us, of misunderstanding and disapproval by the world if we choose to follow Him. But if we will listen to Him and follow Him, the rest of His promise is also true. In the world to come, we will have eternal life. Isn’t that worth it all? Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

The extra mile (Matthew 5:38-42) January 16, 2015

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Matthew 5-6

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 5:38-42
Jesus: You know that Hebrew Scripture sets this standard of justice and punishment: take an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say this, don’t fight against the one who is working evil against you. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, you are to turn and offer him your left cheek. If someone connives to get your shirt, give him your jacket as well. If someone forces you to walk with him for a mile, walk with him for two instead. If someone asks you for something, give it to him. If someone wants to borrow something from you, do not turn away.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

This part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount doesn’t resonate well in today’s market. Take a look at the news media and you’ll see the evidence of what I’m talking about. Everyone wants justice. We even have the news reporting councilmen calling for the “stoning of cops” who are trying to keep peace in racially volitile cities and circumstances. What ever happened to our Christian nation and Jesus’ call to turn the other cheek?

Did He really mean for us to take the abuse others might deal out to us and just roll over and play dead? Did Jesus really want us to suffer at the hands of our enemies and let them punish us unjustly? Did He really call for us to bear injury and insult when we have within our means to defend ourselves against those who would harm us?

The answer to each of those questions is yes. The problem in our society today is we have become so sensitive to wanting our own way and wanting what we want, we forget that our wants are really not important. It’s what God wants that’s important. Walking through this life and fighting against evil is not our fight. It’s God’s. Remember the prayer Jesus taught us to pray? He says, “Keep us from the evil One.” That’s what God wants to do for us.

Paul talks about suffering and the abuse we can expect as Christians. But he reminds us that Christ also suffered wrongly. He suffered for doing good. Those who persecuted Jesus, Paul, the Apostles and the saints Paul writes about suffered for doing what was right. They broke no laws. They slander none of the authorities. They damaged no property. Still they were beaten, imprisoned, and often executed. Jesus was crucified as a sinless sacrifice. None of us can stand up to that standard. We have all sinned.

But in as much as we can obey the laws of our land and love and help our neighbors, we should. In as much as we can demonstrate love to our enemies, God says we must. But recognize we will still suffer abuse at their hands. And Jesus says, “Turn the other cheek.” Show them kindness. Love instead of hate. Show them that you recognize they are still one of God’s creation and He loves them through you.

Is it easy? No. But possible through God’s Spirit living in you. Paul talked about the number of Roman guards converted while he was prisoner. Why? Because he didn’t fight against them, but loved them with God’s love. He understood their abuse and persecution was because Satan blinded them to the truth of God’s love. Paul shared what he gained through that Damascus Road experience and loved them with a love they could not understand. And over time, some of those rough, battle-hardened soldiers came to know Christ because of Paul’s witness.

Like Jesus, Paul accepted the persecution, the beating, the imprisonment, because he knew his accusers acted out of ignorance. They didn’t know they acted out through selfishness against God, not necessarily against Paul. So it is with those who strike out against us. So often what seems like a personal attack isn’t. It’s the other person’s selfish motives shining through. It’s that carnal nature screaming out I want my way more than anything else. I don’t care about anyone or anything except me and my desires and I’ll do whatever I want to get my way.

So what do we do in today’s world to carry out Jesus’ words? Do we let the world run over us? I don’t think so, but neither do we take up stance we see so many groups taking today either calling for their own way. I think the answer is we extend God’s love. Will we be hurt in the process sometimes? Expect it. Jesus was. The crowds crucified Him. The harder life is to live as a living sacrifice sometimes. But He calls us to that life. Be Christ to those who would abuse us. Live with His plans in mind instead of our own.

What is His will for a situation? I expect it isn’t the protests in the street, the name calling, the slander, or the radical calls to exterminate one sect or another. I expect Christ would gently call us to give up our shirt and coat, walk an extra mile, turn the other cheek, say a kind word, give a cup of water, bandage a cut knee, pick up the trash, mend a fence, paint a wall, provide a meal, sit at a table and share a cup of coffee, be a friend.

How can you share Christ in a crisis? Sticks and stones never work, but a few loving words might make all the difference in the world. Walk the extra mile with someone today.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Choices, choices, choices! (Romans 11:25-36), May 30, 2015

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Romans 11:25-36
Set – Proverbs 14; Romans 11
Go! – Proverbs 13-15; Romans 11

Romans 11:25-36
²⁵\ My brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be in the dark about this mystery—I am going to let you in on the plan so that you will not think too highly of yourselves. A part of Israel has been hardened to the good news until the full number of those outside the Jewish family have entered in. ²⁶ This is the way that all of Israel will be saved. As it was written, so it also stands:

The Deliverer will come from Zion;
He will drive away wickedness from Jacob.
²⁷ And this is My covenant promise to them,
on the day when I take away their sins.
²⁸ It may seem strange. When it comes to the work of the gospel, the fact that they oppose it is actually for your benefit. But when you factor in God’s election, they are truly loved because they descended from faithful forefathers. ²⁹ You see, when God gives a grace gift and issues a call to a people, He does not change His mind and take it back. ³⁰ There was a time when you outsiders were disobedient to God and at odds with His purpose, but now you have experienced mercy as a result of their disobedience. ³¹ In the same way, their disobedience now will make a way for them to receive mercy as a result of the mercy shown to you. ³² For God has assigned all of us together—Jews and non-Jews, insiders and outsiders—to disobedience so He can show His mercy to all.

³³ We cannot wrap our minds around God’s wisdom and knowledge! Its depths can never be measured! We cannot understand His judgments or explain the mysterious ways that He works! For,

³⁴ Who can fathom the mind of the Lord?
Or who can claim to be His advisor?
³⁵ Or,

Who can give to God in advance
so that God must pay him back?
³⁶ For all that exists originates in Him, comes through Him, and is moving toward Him; so give Him the glory forever. Amen.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Centuries ago I gave a wanderer named Abraham a mission. I asked him to uproot his family and travel to a place he’d never been before. I asked him to follow My directions and I would make his family more numerous than the stars in the sky. I promised him all nations of the world would be blessed through him.

Abraham did what I asked, mostly. He erred along the way and some of the blessings I wanted to give to other nations were curtailed because of his failure to remain completely honest with those leaders. Still his family grew and through his children the world was blessed.

His descendants had the same mission, to bless others through following My directives, My instructions. They forgot their mission, though. They became selfish and hoarded My love instead of spreading it to others. They failed to spread My grace generously and suffered for it.

I came in the flesh to redeem My people once again. I died as a sacrifice for them and for the rest of humankind. I wanted all the nations to understand My desire to bring everyone into a relationship with Me. They didn’t understand My message or My mission and put Me on a cross.

The circumstances that played out from those faithful few that listened to My message and believed in Me spread My good news across Asia Minor, Africa, and Europe and within not long a span all around the globe. Persecution drove My children from one city to another but they couldn’t help but tell the story to others and the news spread.

As My chosen nation rejected Me, My good news spread to every other nation and thousands accepted Me as Lord and Savior. And the number of people who believe in Me continues to grow as persecution continues. There has never been more persecution than today. There have never been more Christian martyrs than today. I’m not talking about name calling or legislation not going your way.

The persecution I’m talking about takes the form of beatings, taking homes, businesses, even children from parents because of believing in Me. Look at what ISIS does to believers. That’s persecution. Look at what Christians face in Somalia. That’s persecution. It happens all over the world. People sold out to Me willingly lose everything because they know what happens next.

Abraham, My Apostles, those in the upper room on the day of Pentecost, and thousands since discovered the joy of serving Me in the face of severe persecution. They knew the short time of suffering in this life is nothing compared to the reward they receive in following Me. It’s time to choose which side you will live on – Mine or the world’s. One leads to eternal life, one leads to never ending death and destruction. I think it’s an easy choice. My followers know they made the right choice.

Which path will you follow? Time is running out to decide.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.