Greetings š
Jesus never promised his followers a bed of roses. If you expect to be loved by the world, you have wandered into the wrong religion. To the contrary, Jesus warned:
āNow brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My nameās sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. Matthew 10: 21-23 (NKJV).
āFor you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God. This is because they have never known the Father or me. Yes, Iām telling you these things now, so that when they happen, you will remember my warning. I didnāt tell you earlier because I was going to be with you for a while longer.ā
John 16: 2-4 (NLT)
In other words, itās complicated!
Greetings š
āThe Lord gave me this message:
āI knew you before I formed you in your motherās womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.
āO Sovereign Lord,ā I said, āI canāt speak for you! Iām too young!ā
The Lord replied, āDonāt say, āIām too young,ā for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. 8Ā And donāt be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!ā Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said,
āLook, I have put my words in your mouth!
Today I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms. Some you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow. Others you must build up and plant.ā Jeremiah 1: 5-10 (NLT).
Greetings š
Can you relate to these verses?
āI said to myself, āI will watch what I do
Ā Ā and not sin in what I say. I will hold my tongue when the ungodly are around me.ā
But as I stood there in silenceānot even speaking of good thingsāthe turmoil within me grew worse.
The more I thought about it, the hotter I got, igniting a fire of words:
āLord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numberedāhow fleeting my life is.
You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.ā
Psalm 39: 1-5 (NLT).
Greetings š
Donāt despair! Heās ALWAYS there offering us hope and reassurances.
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
āNever will I leave you; never will I forsake you.ā
So we say with confidence,
āThe Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?ā
Hebrews 13: 5-6 (NKJV).