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For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.Eph 2:9 |
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| Archived Manna: | |
Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for collecting daily manna), make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Today's Passage : Subject :The Beatitudes [8] Bible Verse :Matthew 5:10-12 (ESV) "“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” " Message:
Most scholars count eight beatitudes, even though there are nine statements beginning with “Blessed are . . .” If they are looking for eight pithy one-sentence teachings, they omit verses 11-12; or, as we have done, the count these three sentences as one teaching.
Few people reading this page are in danger of severe persecution. We will not be covered in pitch and used as human torches in Nero's garden, simply because we are Christians. But Western society is currently turning noticeably anti-Christian, and we can expect to be reviled, and listen to people “utter all kinds of evil” against us falsely on Christ's account.
Our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents did not have to suffer this, for Western society in the 19th and 20th centuries had a Christian norm. Many people would pretend to be Christians even though they had not given themselves to Christ; they would even participate in worship half-heartedly, for it was expected. It raised one's status. It was good for business.
But now, we see a winnowing away of the chaff. Society has grabbed onto a new norm, and outspoken hostility to the worshippers of Christ is a growth industry. We are increasingly reviled. If you have not been exposed to the current evil falsehood, that is rapidly becoming the accepted wisdom of the Western atheist, “Christians” are now held by many to be responsible for more wars and murders than any other force in history.
Both Paul and Peter teach us great lessons about how we must react. We should take it patiently, and show how much the Christian, under the consciousness of innocence, can bear. “Always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect . . . .” (1 Peter 3:13-17)
Paul provides detailed guidance in 2 Timothy 2:14-26. “The Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.” (2 Timothy 2:24)
But the final word, and the greatest comfort, come from Christ himself. We will read Christ's great teachings on forgiveness in the next few weeks. But the first lesson is that we should find joy in whatever we might suffer.
“Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven.”
I draw a fair amount of direct hostility, being a Christian writer — and especially on the internet, which allows for direct response so easily. All Christians see both actions and words that must cause us direct pain. By God's design, however, we have Christ going before us: villified, whipped, and crucified for nothing more than bringing a message of peace, love, and the need for godliness in the human heart. And so we must find joy in our comparatively slight pain, if and when it occurs, remembering that when all is said and done, God himself will reward us.
Meditation : Prayer : God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, and Spirit of God amidst us, direct our way unto you. Make us to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you; to the end we may stablish our hearts unblameable in holiness before you, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. Amen |
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