CHALLENGING PASSAGES

Sometimes, it’s the most challenging passages of Scripture that are most pertinent for our spiritual growth.

Sometimes, we need to read the hard stuff to understand why Psalm 119:130 says that the Word gives understanding even to the child. Some translations read that it gives understanding to the “inexperienced.” If we don’t open the Bible, then the most challenging passages are the ones we never read, and those are only difficult because we never sought God’s intended purposes for writing them for us.

PERSECUTION WITHIN FAMILIES

Matthew 10:21-23 it is a challenging passage:

“Brothers will turn against their own brothers and hand them over to be killed. Fathers will hand over their own children to be killed. Children will fight against their own parents and will have them killed. Everyone will hate you because you follow me. But the one who remains faithful to the end will be saved. When you are treated badly in one city, go to another city. I promise you that you will not finish going to all the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes again.”

This may be considered challenging for some because of its explicit, hard-hitting implications. The very name of Jesus, the power of it, will cause families to turn against one another because of its offensiveness. Faith in Christ will cause division. It is meant to cause unity within the Church body, but it’s going to cause division between us and some of who we considered to be our closest friends or family; those who reject Jesus as Lord.

Jesus didn’t come to make everyone get along, He came to save us from ourselves. He didn’t come to cause people to favor Him, He came so the repentant would have a choice not to be unsaved in eternity. 

REJECTING GOD CUTS OFF OUR ABILITY TO TRULY LOVE

Have any of you already been rejected by your family for your faith? Can you tell your faith life getting real because you’re already experiencing the ramifications Jesus warned about?

Are there people reading this who have experienced family or close friends say they love us but they don’t want to hear about Jesus, faith, religion, etc.? They’ve rejected the most important thing about who we are (our faith), but they say they love us and want to be a part of our lives. They believe they love us and that they understand love, but they don’t believe in the God who is the source of all love (1 John 4:7-9). They believe they are good people but lack the humility to see their sinfulness rejects God because they don’t actually have Him.

If people reject God, they reject those who came from God and who are of God (Luke 10:16). Those same types of people rejected Jesus even though He was God made flesh. For those who follow Jesus, they’ll reject us too. The good news is, Jesus has already chosen us, so whomever on this round earth reject us will answer to Jesus, and He already chose us for eternity!

SUCH A THING AS SIN

They don’t read the Bible, but they don’t want to—they don’t want to be told how to live because they don’t accept that there is a such thing as sin. What happened in Germany decades ago was terrible, but according to them, murder/genocide isn’t the same thing as saying we’re “sinners” or “in need of Jesus” like Christianity teaches.

Does this sound familiar? Let me know in the comments below if any of you relate to this, or if any of this has happened to you.

STAY HOT AS FIRE FOR GOD

If this is you, then Jesus says, “Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.” (Luke 6:22)

Don’t lose hope when people look at you funny, or treat you like you’ve “gone religious,” when really you’ve only grown in your faith in Jesus as Lord! Don’t stop reading the Bible when people tell you you talk too much about Scripture. Don’t allow people to take away your fire for God! It’s those who are hot as fire for God in faith that enter the kingdom of God, not the lukewarm or the cold (Revelation 3:16).

THE RAPTURE IS COMING

As these End Times draw nearer and nearer to the Great Tribulation and the end of Revelation, we must keep closest to our faith now more than ever. The next prophetic event to take place is the Rapture, where Jesus will come like a thief in the night and take the believers who are actively waiting on Him and spiritually alert to what’s going on in the world, prepared for Jesus’s coming to gather His elect (Matthew 24:31).

KEEP FIGHTING UNTIL YOUR LAST BREATH

If you’re being hated, persecuted, spiritually attacked, taken out because of your faith—don’t lose hope! Don’t stop following Jesus. Don’t stop burning for His presence in your life. Don’t stop opening Scripture and growing closer to the Truth of God. Don’t stop praying with passion, boldness, and confidence in God’s promises for your life. Don’t stop, don’t stop—DON’T STOP! Keep putting on the armor of God and practicing the commandments God gave us; keep loving God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength and loving your neighbor as yourself (Ephesians 6:10-18, Mark 12:30-31).

LIFE IS BUT A VAPOR

The time is drawing nearer and nearer. We don’t know the day or hour, but we know the signs (Matthew 24:6-13). They’re happening all the time. Keep watch! Keep prayerful, keep faithful. Keep shrewd as a snake and innocent as a dove (Matthew 10:16). Until your last breath here, don’t stop using it to glorify Him there. This life is but a vapor (James 4:14); soon we’ll be gone and this world will pass away, but His Word never will (Matthew 24:25), and nor will our souls. Live like there’s nothing left to lose. We may not see another day, but we will see His face for all eternity! Be ready. In Jesus’ name!

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