Matthew 5:11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.”

Are there people in your life that treat you this way?

Jesus was about to go to the Cross and die. Then His resurrection and ascension would lead to the Day of Pentecost and the gospel was then going to be spread throughout the known world.

The result of that growth of believers would lead to widespread persecution and many deaths in some very public ways. Christians were said to be the main attraction in the Roman Colosseum as they were slaughtered for entertainment.

Do we see that happening in our lives today? Are we being persecuted or just ignored as if our faith is irrelevant! No one wants to hear that the real problem is sin. How dare we ever say that sin is the problem?

The answer to sin is the love of God but how will they know God’s love if they have never been loved? A heart unloved is a vacuum that is easily filled with sinful acts masquerading as love because they have never known God’s love.

Showing God’s love is a one on one experience and it is not entertainment.

I have been pondering the Shepherd and the 99 sheep. The Good Shepherd went out, found the one and brought him home. That one sheep that had gone astray had always been part of the flock. Preaching the gospel and seeking to save the lost is pointless if it is only shared with the flock.

Are we afraid of being persecuted by the world?

Here is one more thought on this. We are missing that blessing if we let fear keep us from reaching the lost.

One last thought, we are all sent.

Luke 8:44-46 English Standard Version

44 She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. 45 And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.”

She denied touching Him. Was that the right response to His question?

What if everyone that was pressed in so close to Jesus had replied “I did!” Would that have been the right response? No, because Jesus wanted to know how His power could escape Him without His knowledge.

My answer is my answer and no one has to agree with me. The will of God the Father responds to acts of faith.

Maybe that is too simplistic for some but let me ask this. When we seek God’s will and find God’s will and do God’s will, is it right to take credit for what God does?

It is the nature of mankind to take credit for things. “Look what I have done!”

I believe in giving credit where credit is due but do we really believe God is glorified because a Christian scores a touchdown? It is an opportunity to say I believe when the cameras are on us, but no one sees God score the touchdown. Glorifying God is allowing God to be seen and that we cannot do without the will of God being performed, just like the woman being healed.

Tom Hanks in Cast Away starts a fire and prances around like he invented fire. He did not invent fire, he just started one.

I often see things in scripture that makes no sense. I don’t write about them because my lack of knowledge in some areas does not glorify God. He is all knowing and I am not. What He shares with me might glorify Him but not if I seek to take credit.

1 Corinthians 6:20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Christ in you. Let Him be seen.