Hated, Loved, and Merciful!
If you truly walk with Christ, you will "be hated of all men for my name's sake." (Matthew 10:22) You Will be slandered and falsely accused but that only proves that you are of the LORD and He will bless you with comfort and to "endure." - "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." (2 Timothy 2:3)
“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say ALL MANNER of evil against you FALSELY, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” Matthew 5:10-12
Perhaps somewhere along the line, each of us will endure a traitor, a person who knows us and that we were friends with and then they turn on you. Can anyone relate? David can relate – his own son Absalom turned on him and created a whole insurrection against him. What about our Savior who was betrayed by his “own familiar friend.” (Psalms 41:9-10) This is what David faced and also prophetic of what Jesus would endure.
“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15
Jesus surely can “be touched with the feelings of our infirmities” in suffering these betrayals (Hebrews 4:15). Our LORD Jesus experienced great betrayal even though He was the sinless Lamb of God who came to die for those very people He was being persecuted by. His response was “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) Christ had had created all that is and came to this world for His own people who knew Him not and rejected Him (John 1:10). Jesus was shunned. Jesus was betrayed. Jesus went through more rejection, slander, malice, false accusations, and pain than you and I could ever imagine or endure. He is said to be “a man of sorrows.”
“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” (Isaiah 53:3)
Christ Betrayed
“Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish? 6 And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it. 7 All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt. 8 An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more. 9 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. 10 But thou, O LORD, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them. 11 By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me. 12 And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever. 13 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.” Psalms 41:5-13
There are also the Peter, James, and John’s in our lives who are a blessing beyond words! Peter, James, and John were the bright spots of Christ’s temporary earthly life as far as relationships with men go. Praise God for those blessed good friends we are given in this life! May God bless us today to thank Him for those people and to let them know how much we appreciate and love them. Amen Jesus!
May “the God of all comfort” comfort your heart (2 Corinthians 1:2-5). He knows the very “feelings” of what you suffer due to walking through and experiencing this same betrayal and every single thing we could ever experience (Hebrews 4:15). The LORD bless each of us to be comforted where the enemy has sought to malign and slander us and accuse us of falsehoods and sins the LORD has already forgiven. His grace truly is sufficient! May He also bless us with true, God-fearing friends like Peter, James, and John were to Jesus! Amen LORD! Oh, and may He anoint us to BE that good friend to another today!
When we truly follow Jesus, we lay down our lives to bless and edify those others God so gracious gifts us with (John 15:13; Philippians 2:3-9). When we humble ourselves in these trials and commit ourselves to Him who judges righteously, He will lift us up in our hearts. Perhaps God uses our trials as a test. Let’s glance at what our LORD did when suffering a myriad of inhumane and unjust attacks and persecutions:
“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.” 1 Peter 2:21-23
While being attacked, Jesus “committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.” Christ committed Himself to the Father during the tribulations He suffered and this is what He is calling us to do.
Showing mercy towards others in our thoughts and actions is very important. Isn’t this what the Good Samaritan did? Isn’t this what Christ did when He came to this sin-cursed earth to save you and I “while we were YET sinners”? (Romans 5:6, 8) Remember beloved, we ourselves need divine mercy and therefore should be even more forward to extend mercy as God does to us. If we want mercy from God, we must show it to others. If we don’t then we will receive judgment instead of mercy. Jesus said “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matthew 5:7) Paul the apostle wrote “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:30-32)
The Curse is Coming on All Who Wrongly Attack Another
A curse will not depart from us or our household if we turn and rend someone maliciously. – “Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.” (Proverbs 17:13) If we have done such, God is calling us to repent and ask His forgiveness. Then, the curse will be removed. Also, consider what our Judge says in James 2:13 – “For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.” (James 2:13)
God is love precious saints!
Read Psalm 41.
There are "many false" prophets Jesus foretold us of and their desire and mission is to devour the sheep, causing them to be torn from the true under shepherds the LORD has put in place to feed them (Matthew 7:15).
"And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding." Jeremiah 3:15
Those servants who are true to Christ manifest the fruit of the Spirit which begins with love - loving God and loving our neighbor as we wish to be loved (Matthew 7:12; 22:37-40). There are in it for Jesus and not themselves.
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." John 15:13-14
The clear evidence that they are following and being used by Christ is that they lay down their lives for the saints of Jesus. That is what following Jesus is all about. Watch this:
"Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Phil 2:3-11 (KJV)
There are scam artists who beat up the sheep of Christ's pasture, abusing out of their own depraved hearts and for their own benefit.
"Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. 18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) 20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ." Philippians 3:17-20
Robert Avila writes:
"This is a spirit of division moving through the Body... Those who choose the Word are on one side. Those who choose doctrines of man are on the other. Jesus came with a Sword (the Word) to separate. It is decision time."
In this division we see the wheat and the tares/chaff beginning to manifest before our eyes. Those who walk in love are the wheat of Christ.
"And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." Matthew 24:10-13
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todd tomasella
SafeGuardYourSoul.com
e: info@safeguardyoursoul.com
AUDIO MESSAGES
todd tomasella
SafeGuardYourSoul.com
9201 Warren Pkwy. Ste. 200
Frisco, Texas 75035
Frisco, Texas 75035
