Persecution; Matthew 5; Verses 11-12

Persecution. Thanks for taking a look †

You say,

"I'm a Christian, and their making fun of me, and calling me names, they reject me, though I have only their own well-being at heart and mind."

Jesus Christ says, "Don't take it personal, they did it to me as well."

(Matthew 5:11-12) "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely (lying), for my sake.

(For  the sake of Jesus Christ. Not our own sake--so nothing personal. They have no frame of reference of having the Holy Spirit, they don't know any better (that does not leave them excuse).

Many think persecution just to be physical. No, that is just the end results from all the spiritual persecutions that take place before that.

(Persecution is one of the following; harass; trouble; causing/wanting them to go; causing them to flee; failure of justice. To be treated unfairly because of Christ' name, and all for the Word of God).

(Knowing they have free will/choice to do so is huge. If they want to go to the lake of fire then God will give them their every nightmare come true. Christ paid the ultimate price for that not to happen).

12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."

(Truly nothing new under the sun here. It started with Abel murdered by Cain in Genesis 4. Before salvation we're all God-haters, God-blamers, (enmity with God--a deep rooted hatred. It is not us they hate first, it's what we stand for. Many think we hate them as well. Because of the same reasoning skills without the Holy Spirit. What is that? the ability to love people, but yet hate their actions. Which is why we love them. We don't want to see one perish. They don't count God's tough love as love. But Christ says if we love Him, we will obey His commandments (John 14:15).

(So, if it's done to Christ, it will surely be done to His people. Our reward is in Heaven, they have their reward--this life. Which is not reward at all).

(John 15:18-19) "If the world hate (detest) you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

19If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you."

Unfortunately, now those who persecute God's true people also call themselves Christians. The Disciples dealt with a lot, but never that too much. But, as it is written in the end-times. That ends when they get honest with God and themselves.

Amen †