Day 28

Day 28
Matthew 5:11-12 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Have you ever been harassed for being a Christian, belittled, or made fun of for your convictions? If so, you have insight and understanding that those who have never been persecuted are unable to comprehend. As wonderful and glorious as it may sound to be persecuted for Christ, the truth is, it is not a fun place to be in. It is painful and often causes us to withdraw; our flesh does not like it. However, as we all know, persecution for the sake of Christ is a reality, an honor, and I believe a necessity. If you are not being challenged for your beliefs, I would ask you this, “Do people know that you are a Christian?” I would say, “Of course people I am around on an ongoing basis know I am a Christian: after all, I'm a pastor, a leader in the Church.” What about the people who know nothing about us? Are we living our lives in a way that others cannot help but take notice? I'm not just talking about the people in the checkout line; how about the gangbanger on the street or the office gossip? How about your boss or the kids in school? Yes, we are responsible for living a life that says I am a follower of Christ, not just a Christian. Many cult members call themselves Christians, yet we are the embodiment of Christ on earth–more than a label–this is a life.
Another phrase we should look at is in verse 11, where Jesus says this, "and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake;" the key word here being falsely. We all make mistakes, yet the blessing does not come when we are guilty of the accusations. When we make public mistakes, we need to make public confessions: the only remedy for failure is truth without repentance. Far too many Christians have the tendency when they fail to find somewhere to place the blame, be it their parents, spouses, children, bosses, or the traffic. How about blowing people away by speaking the pure truth? "I'm sorry, it's my fault." Five very powerful words. I can say from experience that being falsely accused is no fun. My family and I went through a very tough time a few years ago because of false accusations. Yet, in the end, it was those very accusations that caused me to completely sell out to being in full-time ministry, and yes, for me that was, and is, a true blessing. Let them come at you with all of the accusations for His name sake that they can muster. Like iron sharpening iron, you, too, will be drawn closer to your creator and become stronger as He blesses your obedience.
Daily Prayer: Father, help us to be people known for our beliefs, known as followers of Christ, and show me where I fail. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
"Followers of Christ will have others following them."
Gene Burroughs, Servant