Jefferson Memorial seen across the Tidal Basin at dusk in Washington, D.C., USA. by Joe Ravi CC-BY-SA 3.0
Good morning, beloved,
“Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His heritage.” Psalm 33:12 AMP
God bless the USA. God bless these beautiful lands that He created, He made, He gave His Son for our freedom. We now have a visible reminder of His Son’s sacrifice with each man and woman in our military proudly walking into harm’s way to protect our freedom. Each man and woman in the military leaves behind a family that loves them for the cause of freedom, to keep us free.
The cost is high, my friends. We would do well to never forget the cost for our soldiers, their families. So pull out your flags and proudly display ’em!
A child holds the American flag during an Independence Day celebration by E.D́.W.W.
I’m finding it hard to make the transition to persecution. Ahem.
SOoooo, I’m jumping back into Matthew 5:
10 Blessed and happy and enviably fortunate and spiritually prosperous (in the state in which the born-again child of God enjoys and finds satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of his outward conditions) are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake (for being and doing right), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!
11 Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous—with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of your outward conditions) are you when people revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things against you falsely on My account.
12 Be glad and supremely joyful, for your reward in heaven is great (strong and intense), for in this same way people persecuted the prophets who were before you.
The question posed…why would men persecute other men for being righteous (Sermon on the Mount, pg.56 Precept Ministries Int’l)?
So to find our answer: John 3:16-21 and what’s always curious to me about these verses, so often we settle on the well-known verse 16 and miss the blessing and insight and wisdom of the rest of this section. So, carefully read this section with me and let’s figure it out!
16 For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
17 For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.
18 He who believes in Him [who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him] is not judged [he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgment; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation—he incurs no damnation]; but he who does not believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in Him) is judged already [he has already been convicted and has already received his sentence] because he has not believed in and trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ’s name.]
19 The [basis of the] judgment (indictment, the test by which men are judged, the ground for the sentence) lies in this: the Light has come into the world, and people have loved the darkness rather than and more than the Light, for their works (deeds) were evil.
20 For every wrongdoer hates (loathes, detests) the Light, and will not come out into the Light but shrinks from it, lest his works (his deeds, his activities, his conduct) be exposedand reproved.
21 But he who practices truth [who does what is right] comes out into the Light; so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are—wrought with God [divinely prompted, done with God’s help, in dependence upon Him].
Sit in these verses friends! Love so amazing, He so greatly prized our world that He gave up His Son. I want to tell you something. I just really don’t think I could do that. I’m not God, thank God for that, we’d be in a lot of trouble there. My boys are the cream in my coffee, the apple of my eye, the dot in my ‘i’! The crushing weight of His love for us sent His Son to be crushed for us.
We’ve got to believe (who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him)! I think of my Danny who will wrap his skinny little body around me to cuddle. He is clinging. When I stand up, he trusts that I will not let him fall. He relies on my arms to hold him tight. (Killer on the back, BTW.) Yet, he is a good picture of how we are to be with our Father in Heaven. Cling to Him. Trust Him no matter how scary our circumstances seem. Rely on His arms to hold us tight and never let us go. His back can handle it. 😉
What is the judgement? Well, beloved, it is so sad. People love the darkness rather than and more than the Light. The wrongdoer hate the Light, will not come out into the Light but shrink from it. They don’t want their deeds exposed.
So if wrongdoers hate the Light, then it comes naturally to think they are going to hate anyone who loves the Light. They can’t have anyone around them that reminds them of what they will never, ever be.
Now, let’s look at this passage from 1 Peter 4
12 Beloved, do not be amazed and bewildered at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test your quality, as though something strange (unusual and alien to you and your position) were befalling you.
13 But insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, rejoice, so that when His glory [full of radiance and splendor] is revealed, you may also rejoice with triumph [exultantly].
14 If you are censured and suffer abuse [because you bear] the name of Christ, blessed [are you—happy, fortunate, to be envied, with life-joy, and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of your outward condition], because the Spirit of glory, the Spirit of God, is resting upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or any sort of criminal, or as a mischief-maker (a meddler) in the affairs of others [infringing on their rights].
16 But if [one is ill-treated and suffers] as a Christian [which he is contemptuously called], let him not be ashamed, but give glory to God that he is [deemed worthy to suffer] in this name.
Evident that Peter was with Jesus, isn’t it? The passages parallel one another so well. Peter also knew, from Christ’s example, how to handle persecution.
1 Peter 2:19-25
19 For one is regarded favorably (is approved, acceptable, and thankworthy) if, as in the sight of God, he endures the pain of unjust suffering.
20 [After all] what kind of glory [is there in it] if, when you do wrong and are punished for it, you take it patiently? But if you bear patiently with suffering [which results] when you do right and that is undeserved, it is acceptable and pleasing to God.
21 For even to this were you called [it is inseparable from your vocation]. For Christ also suffered for you, leaving you [His personal] example, so that you should follow in His footsteps.
22 He was guilty of no sin, neither was deceit (guile) ever found on His lips.
23 When He was reviled and insulted, He did not revile or offer insult in return; [when] He was abused and suffered, He made no threats [of vengeance]; but he trusted [Himself and everything] to Him Who judges fairly.
24 He personally bore our sins in His [own] body on the tree [as on an altar and offered Himself on it], that we might die (cease to exist) to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.
25 For you were going astray like [so many] sheep, but now you have come back to the Shepherd and Guardian (the Bishop) of your souls.
Well, friends, I need to get moving on my day. We will pick up from here. My “clan” is surrounding me and we need to eat some breakfast. Pray on, beloved. Pray on!
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