Monday Morning Memo: Be Hated...Be Happy? Part 2

Last week we began looking at the final beatitude which says, “God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.  God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.  Be happy about it!  Be very glad!  For a great reward awaits you in heaven.  And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way” (Matt. 5:10-12).  Now…seven days later…I still find these words to be rather overwhelming and I haven’t been able to get past thinking about what our lives should look like if we are truly following our Jesus.  So, I felt like we should dwell on this topic again today before we move on.

As Christians, we should be living differently than those who are not Christians and, as a result, we may experience some kind of persecution.  Our values, priorities, goals and desires should produce a different lifestyle.  We should look different, act and react differently and it should be obvious to those around us Whom we serve.

Living out the beatitudes in our daily life means we can’t sit on the fence between Christian faith and the values of this world.  All the beatitudes that we have studied are our building blocks to be like Jesus.  When we live our life consistent with the attitudes, characteristics, qualities and values of Jesus our life will be different.  It can’t help but be.

Do you ever wonder why we as Christians in America don’t face the same kind of persecution as believers in other parts of the world?  Scenes have been shown in our media of horrendous persecutions of believers in other countries, yet we seem to get by without such atrocities (but I fear those days are coming).  While I am so thankful we haven’t seen this level of violence yet, it does make me wonder if we, as Christians, have lost our uniqueness.  Have we become so saturated with the things of this world to the point where no one can tell who are followers of Jesus and who aren’t?  Obviously, if we are no longer living a Christ-follower life, very little persecution will take place. 

I think too often we focus on God’s blessings and forget the price we must be willing to pay to be completely sold out to Him.  God wants us to consider the cost and the dividends, and He wants us to come to Him with our eyes wide open.

If you remember, Jesus didn’t hide anything from us.  He told us like it is, “If you are going to be my disciple, then expect persecution.”  He told us in this life we can expect:

·      Persecution instead of praise

·      Cruel insults instead of cordial invitations

·      Harassment instead of honor

·      Abuse instead of applause

·      Slander instead of support

·      Death instead of dignity 

Jesus wants us to be prepared for the difficulties that will come as a result of following Him.  “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me.  Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.  But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

I continue to ask myself, Am I really willing to live my life in such a way that I might be persecuted for following my Jesus?  Will I let nothing stop me from following Him?  Will you?

Until next week…  

Monday Morning Memo: Be Hated...Be Happy?

We have arrived at our last beatitude and this may just be the hardest one to understand.  The truth of it is so foreign in our world today, because in the NIV version it says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”  Matthew 5:10-12.

 

In the version The Message, it is worded: “You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution.  The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.  Not only that – count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me.  What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable.  You can be glad when that happens – give a cheer, even! – for though they don’t like it, I do!  And all heaven applauds.  And know that you are in good company.  My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.” 

 

Wow.  I have to admit that when I first read this I thought, You have to be kidding!  I’m to be glad, even happy, when I’m treated badly?  That’s insane!

 

So, I began searching the Bible to see if there were other verses that would backup what it says in this last beatitude.  I figured if there weren’t any others, maybe this particular one was a misprint 

 

This is what I found:  Luke 6:22-23 – “What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man.  When that happens, be happy!  Yes, leap for joy!  For a great reward awaits you in heaven.  And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.”

 

James 1:2 – “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.”

 

I Peter 4:12-16 – “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.  Instead, be very glad – for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.

 

So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you.  If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs.  But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian.  Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name!” 

 

If you want to read any more verses on this uplifting subject…check out James 1:12, Revelation 2:10, 2 Cor 4:8-12, 17, Acts 5:41 and Romans 5:3.  Believe it or not…there are even more.  It didn’t take long to realize that this last beatitude wasn’t a misprint; it was the truth, and we are supposed to live it out on a daily basis.

 

Christians who experienced the persecution that came upon the first-century church thought it anything but a blessing.  Yet Jesus did not lie when He called the persecuted a blessed people.

 

He wasn’t speaking about someone who is looked down on because he or she wears a cross necklace around his or her neck.  Nor was He speaking of someone who is picked on because they happen to listen to Christian music.  Jesus was hitting on the core of what it means to be a devoted, follower of Christ; those who are sold out completely to living a life for Him no matter the cost. 

 

Unfortunately, believers who allow the filth of the world to filter into their lives eventually become a weak testimony of Jesus Christ.  If our values and behavior run too closely alongside those who are selfish and immoral, we probably won’t be persecuted because there won’t be a reason to be.  We aren’t making a strong enough stand against the values, or lack of values of the world to merit being silenced.  Satan has no need to harass those who have strayed from the Word of God; they have already been considered by him to be ineffective followers of Christ and so they aren’t a spiritual threat.

 

Those who choose to take a stand against the world and its evils are guaranteed to experience opposition, hatred, abandonment and rejection.  But Jesus promised that while His followers may appear to lose everything in this life, they gain an incredible reward in the next one.

 

Devoted followers of Christ today, who are not afraid to speak the truth of God’s Word, may not be martyred for their faith, but they certainly will not be considered a guest of honor at a secular social gathering either.  To be rejected by the world means to be accepted by Christ and honored by the Father just as Christ was honored for His obedience.

 

Before we continue looking at this last beatitude, I think it would be a good idea if we spent some time evaluating what our personal walk with Christ looks like.  Do we look any different than the world?  Do we experience any of Satan’s attacks because he fears our testimony will make a positive influence on eternity?  Or do we resemble the world so much with our choices and values that he knows he doesn’t have to worry about our effectiveness?  The bottom line is…if Satan never harasses us…maybe we need to figure out why he doesn’t see the need.

 

I often think about the saying, “Be the kind of woman who, when your feet hit the floor in the morning, the devil says, ‘OH NO, SHE’S UP’”.  I have a long way to go to be this kind of woman, but I think all of us, men and women, need to have this as our goal and make it our prayer in the coming days.

 

Until next week… 

Monday Morning Memo: Being at Peace Part 3

Two weeks ago, we began our look into the beatitude in Matthew 5:9 which tells us, “Blessed arethe peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”  We realized that first, peacemakers are at peace with God.  Last week, we investigated the fact that peacemakers are at peace with others.  Finally, we need to realize that:

3.  Peacemakers are at peace with themselves.  For some, this may be the hardest aspect of peace to comprehend.  Psalm 122:8 says, “For the sake of my family and friends, I will say,
“May you have peace.”  Proverbs 3:1-2 reads, “My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you peace and prosperity.”  We read in Colossians 3:15, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

If you have peace with God and peace with others (so far as it depends on you), then you should have peace with yourself.  But we won’t have peace with ourselves if we either have unconfessed sin OR are still nursing a grudge against someone who has wronged us.  If we aren’t feeling peace in us, we may need to look at these two areas of our life.

But I also think a reason we may not have peace is because we haven’t forgiven ourselves for our past.  I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have things in their past that they regret.  Times where they have made the wrong choice…followed the wrong path…done things they know aren’t pleasing to God.  We all are guilty of this.  And while we may have made peace with God and others as a result of those transgressions…we haven’t forgiven ourselves and don’t have peace.

We are so fortunate that God is a God of forgiveness.  Once we have asked Him to forgive us of any sin…He immediately wipes it away.  Hebrews 8:12 tells us, “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”  Never.  Such a powerful word in this verse.  He will never again remember your sin…or mine.  But Satan loves to throw it back in our face to keep us from having peace.  He knows that the less peace we have…the less productive and effective followers of Jesus we will be.  We dare not let him win. 

A few basics things we need to remember about peace:

 

1. The source of peace is God…that’s why it’s a matter of faith.  We must trust and obey Him in order to receive and give peace.  Peace demands that we turn to God and to His ways.

2. The enemy of peace is Satan and sin.  Wherever there is discord or conflict, you can know that Satan is having his way.  It is always easier to create conflict than to strive for peace.

3. Christians should reflect peace in their lives both as a quality they have within themselves and as a blessing they share with others.

Blessed are the peacemakers…will you and I display God’s peace this week in everything we do?  I sure hope so, because that is what He expects from His children.

Monday Morning Memo: Being at Peace Part 2

I will begin with an apology because this post is longer than usual.  I’ve cut and cut…but I just couldn’t get peace about cutting anymore.  So, since we are studying peace…I thought I should just go with it 😊

Last week we began our look into the beatitude in Matthew 5:9 which tells us, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”  We realized that first…peacemakers are at peace with God.  Today we will investigate the fact that:

2.  Peacemakers are at peace with others.  2 Corinthians 13:11 says, “Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.”  Romans 12:18 tells us to “Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.”

But then Matthew 5:43-45, which many of us are familiar with, makes it a little harder.  It says, “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy.  But I say, love your enemies!  Pray for those who persecute you!  In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.  For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.”

I think it is sometimes difficult to pray for our enemies without falling into the trap of just spending our time asking God to change them instead of us.  I don’t think that is what He desires for us to do.  Instead, I think we could follow Christ’s directions when He tells us to “Pray like this” (see Matthew 6:9-10).  We can pray that we and our enemy will revere God’s name.  We can pray that God’s kingdom and His return will be foremost in our mind and in theirs.  We should pray that we and our enemy would do His will the way the angels do in heaven.   If we remember that the basis of peace is purity, we should pray for our enemies and for ourselves that our hearts and lives will be pure…so there will be peace.

Then in Matthew 5:47 Jesus gives us a warning: "If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else?  Even pagans do that.”  In other words, if there is a rupture in one of our relationships, or if there is someone who opposes us, don't nurse that grudge. Don't feed the animosity by ignoring and avoiding that person. The natural thing to do is to just cross the street so we don't have to greet them. But that is not what the actions should be of a peacemaking, devoted follower of God.  Peacemaking tries to build bridges to people. It doesn’t want animosity to remain. It wants reconciliation. It wants harmony. 

OK.  Let’s put this into a scenario and bring it closer to home.  Let’s say someone has hurt you.   They have said things about you behind your back which aren’t true.  Why, they have even said things that aren’t true right to your face!   They have been malicious, hurtful, and downright nasty to you.  You may have even gone to them and tried to work it out, but they aren’t playing the game.  They want nothing to do with reconciliation.  And what really fries your fannie is they profess to be a Christian!  They go to church every Sunday morning…just like you do…but yet they act this way.

Now, let’s imagine you are shopping in a store, and you come around a corner, look down the aisle and you guessed it, there’s the person who has done these things to you.  Would you duck back into another aisle to make sure you don’t run into this person?  Our humanness would say yes, but we need to remember what we just read in Matthew.  We are no better than pagans if we are only kind to our friends and not our enemies. 

Now, don’t get me wrong.  I really don’t think this is telling us that when we see a person such as this in a store, we should run up to them and give them hugs and kisses.  Why? Because if nothing else, I think it would make the person very uncomfortable to say the least.  But it is telling us that the least we can do is look them in the eye, greet them and do it not with a phony display of caring, but with a longing for peace and reconciliation. 

There is something I think we need to realize.  We should not equate peacemaking with peace-achieving.  If we are truly living as a peacemaker, we are to long for peace, work for peace (which may include a simple greeting in a store) and at times even make sacrifices for peace….but the attainment of peace may never come.  

It is also important to make sure we aren’t the one who is spreading lies and being malicious and nasty to someone else.  Peace will never be found if we spend our time making someone else’s life miserable because of our actions.

It comes down to the fact that our goal should be to make peace: “If possible, so far as it depends on you….”  In other words, don’t let the rupture in the relationship be your fault.  We are to do whatever we can to reconcile the relationship, but we cannot make the other person have peace with us.  Again, it may never happen. 

Just as last week, it might be a good idea for us to do some self-inventory this week.  Are there those whom we are shunning or spreading malicious lies about?  Is there someone with whom we aren’t at peace…but we have been waiting for them to take the first step in reconciliation?  Let’s pray God would reveal to us if there is anything we need to do this week to make sure, as far as we are concerned, that we are at peace with those with whom we come in contact.

Until next time… 

Monday Morning Memo: Being at Peace Part 1

This week we find our beatitude in Matthew 5:9 which tells us, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”  The Message says, “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight.  That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.”

As I began studying this beatitude, it didn’t take long to realize that maybe what I was finding wasn’t going to be as easy to swallow as I thought it would be. If I’m honest, I think this has probably been one of the beatitudes that I sort of skimmed over.  Why?  Because I thought I had this one down.  I know I need some growth with the previous beatitudes, but not this one.  I’ve always thought of myself as a peaceful person.  I don’t like fights or upheaval.  So, I figured I could pass over this one.

But of course, I had to dig a little deeper to be able to write about it today, because maybe YOU needed to learn about being a peacemaker.  I should know by now that whenever I think that way…it won’t be long until my own toes are feeling rather bruised.  So, we will spend at least two weeks, and possibly three, on this convicting beatitude.

So, what is a peacemaker?  Peacemakers are those whose life demonstrates peace.  This is just common sense, but I think we need to look at whom we are supposed to be at peace with.  First, I think we need to realize that:

1. Peacemakers are at peace with God.  We read in Romans 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord had done for us.”  Then, James 4:1-4 tells us, “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you?  Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you?  You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it.  You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them.  Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.  And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong – you want only what will give you pleasure.

You adulterers!  Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?  I say it again:  If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.”

Well now…James didn’t mince any words here, did he?  I’m guessing he didn’t receive the most popular award from those listening; but he knew he had to preach the truth, even if it made him unpopular.  It saddens me that some Christians today, even some in our pulpits, want to sugarcoat the gospel so everyone feels good and doesn’t get their feelings hurt.  As followers of Christ, we are called to speak His Word in truth, even if it doesn’t make us well-liked.

It is obvious from James’ words that if we have anything in our life that isn’t pleasing to God, that sin makes us His enemy.  As a result, for us to have peace with our God, we need to make sure we don’t have unconfessed sin in our life.  Thank goodness, since Jesus died on the cross for our transgressions, we can have our sins forgiven and as a result we can have peace with our God.  A peacemaker is someone who has ended all conflict with God and has accepted His Word as absolute truth.  You can’t make peace unless you are at peace with God.

I think before we continue with this beatitude, it might be a good idea for us to do some self-inventory this week.  Is there anything in your life and in mine that isn’t pleasing to God?  Are we more concerned about what everyone else thinks of us, instead of making sure we are at peace with Him?  Are we willing to stand up for God’s Word, speaking the truth, even when some may turn against us?

I know this hasn’t been a “feel-good” post, but I know there may be those, including myself, who need some toe-stepping.  I’m willing to take the chance…will you join me?

Until next week…