Tag Archives: Religion

Matthew 11- Repent or Perish

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Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. Matthew 11:20-22

Woe to the Unrepentant Sinner! We live in a world where everyone preaches “Jesus Is Love” but nobody preaches about repentance and obedience. Let’s look at the words of Jesus Christ today,  “He began to denounce the cities because they did not repent” As Jesus said “Repent or Perish” (Luke 13:3) Repentance is not an option, it’s a requirement for salvation. Unless we truly repent, we will perish according to Christ

So what does it mean to repent? Repent means to turn away or turn around from your sinful ways. To truly repent means to change, not to be doing or stuck in the same sin as before you became saved. You are either a slave to Sin or a slave to Christ (Romans 6:20)

Jesus said “It will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of Judgment, than for you” It’s interesting because Tyre and Sidon were pagan nations, who even though they witnessed miracles performed by Christ, the majority of them still rejected Him. It will be worse at the day of Judgment for anyone who doesn’t repent of their sins and put their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. 

And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee. Matthew 11:23-24

Jesus makes another interesting statement “It would be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of Judgment, than for you” Everyone knows the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, God destroyed them with fire and brimstone, Jesus said a worse fate for the unrepentant sinner, of course Christ is referencing Hell

Jesus is giving us a wake up call, a warning, repent of your sins and put your faith in Christ, before it’s too late. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, repent of perish Amen!

Matthew 11- Greatest Prophet

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And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Matthew 11:7-11

What would you expect the greatest prophet to look like? Would you expect them with great beauty? Would you expect them with the clothing and authority of a King? Well, our preconceived notions are all wrong! John the Baptist was probably a man most of us wouldn’t want to be seen with in public, we lived in the desert, eating bugs, and wearing camel hair. However Jesus Christ said “John is the greatest of all prophets” (v11) 

Just as Jesus identified himself as the Christ, with scripture, Jesus is also identifying who John the Baptist is with scripture. You can’t understand the New Testament until you have a grasp of the Old Testament. If you “unhitch” from the Old Testament, the New Testament would make no sense. Christ is identifying John the Baptist as the “Messenger or Yahweh” to prepare the way for Jesus

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Matthew 11:12-15

Jesus makes an interesting statement here “For all The Prophets and Law prophesied until John”  A couple things can be taken away from this , John the Baptist was the last of the Prophets as all prophecies are foretelling about Christ. Secondly The Law is fulfilled with Christ (Matthew 5:17) Everything from the Old Testament was pointing to the coming and the fulfillment of Jesus Christ! (Luke 24: 44)

But what happened to John the Baptist? He was rejected and eventually killed by beheading. What happened to Jesus Christ? He was despised and rejected and crucified on a cross (Isaiah 53) As Jesus said “They who have ears, let them hear” Most of the world has no spiritual discernment, even though God foretold about the coming of Christ, most of the world has rejected God’s salvation

If you want to know the real Jesus, read your Bible, pray without ceasing to God, and ask for the Holy Spirit , Amen!

Luke 24- Christ Is Risen

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Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Luke 24:1-6

The resurrection of Jesus Christ, the greatest day in the history of the world. The day when God defeated sin and death forever and reconciled us back to the Father. This was all accomplished in a way that was beyond our human comprehension. Nobody ever expected God to become a man, in Jesus Christ, and die for the penalty of our sins. Then be risen on the 3rd day abolishing sin and death forever. The mystery of the gospel was fulfilled on this blessed Sunday morning!

As we see the woman came to the tomb on the first day of the week, which is Sunday. This is why the Church traditionally worshiped and gathered on Sunday morning, it had nothing to do with paganism or greek mythology, this was all about the event of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The entire Christian faith is based on this event, as Paul said “If Christ is not risen, then we are faith is useless” ( 1 Corinthians 15:14) Without the resurrection of Christ , there is no Christianity, there is no deliverance from your sin, there is no reconciliation back to our Heavenly Father. 

He is not here, He is Risen, this is what the angels declared at the tomb. Remember how he spoke to you when he was at Galilee?  Jesus foretold of this moment , however the disciples didn’t understand until the tomb was empty!

Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words, And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass. Luke 24:7-12

It says “They remembered His words” When the disciples saw the empty tomb, a lightbulb went off in their heads, The Lord prophesied about this moment and now it has been fulfilled. Now when the woman disciples originally ran back to the male disciples, they didn’t believe them. So Peter ran to the tomb to check for himself, it was just as the woman said, the tomb was empty! The Lord has Risen!

The stone has been rolled away, no longer is their a veil, a barrier between us and God. We have now been reconciled back to God, sin and death are defeated because Christ The Lord has Risen today! Hallelujah! 

Matthew 11- Are You The One?

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And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities. Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?  Matthew 11:1-3

Just to set the stage here, John the Baptist is currently in prison. It’s interesting because when we think of John in prison, we usually associate it with the incident with King Herod (Matthew 14:3), however after Jesus left the wilderness and began his ministry, John was put in prison also (Matthew 4:12) It doesn’t explicitly say why John was imprisoned the first time, but we can assume his bold preaching got him in alot of trouble.

John the Baptist asks a very interesting question, and it almost seems puzzling since he was called the greatest of all prophets by Jesus (Matthew 11:11) John asks Jesus “Are you the Messiah, or should we look for someone else”? So if you ever feel bad that you don’t know or understand something from the Bible, just remember John the Baptist had doubts or was unsure at first if Jesus is the Christ!

Now to John’s defense, since he was locked up in prison, he doesn’t really know what works Jesus has performed yet. He was present at the Baptism of Christ when God the Father said “This is my beloved Son” and saw the Holy Spirit descend upon Christ. (Matthew 3) However remember John is just a human like us, he probably doubts himself and wants to be certain he’s following the right man

Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. Matthew 11:4-6

Notice how Jesus affirms who He is, he quotes scripture. Case in point, if you want to know the real Jesus, you need to read your Bible. Since John knew the Messianic prophecies from Isaiah (Isaiah 35, 61) John knew Jesus was confirming that He is the Christ. Jesus is also confirming that he is fulfilling scripture, confirming that He is the Christ based on the works he accomplished during his ministry

Jesus then says “Blessed is anyone who is not offended in me” Meaning have faith in Christ you will be saved. Salvation is found in Jesus Christ alone (John 14:6) Those who reject Jesus as the Christ can’t be saved because there is no atonement for their sins.

If you want to know more about Jesus , read your Bible! Salvation is by faith in Christ alone, Amen!

Matthew 10- The Lords Work

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He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. Matthew 10:40-42

Being a disciple of Christ is not an easy task, there will be many people who shun you, many people who will mock you, there maybe alot of people who will persecute you. However it’s important to keep an “Eternal Perspective” on our lives. The tasks you may be doing now for The Lord, might seem pointless at present , but from an Eternal Perspective they are critical. Doing work for The Lord, is building God’s Kingdom , one soul at a time. This work has eternal consequences but also it has eternal satisfaction

You think about your job today , you are assigned tasks or projects that may seem important or relevant today. But a few months from now, a few years from now, nobody even remembers what was accomplished or by whom. With The Lords work, You have an opportunity to make a difference eternally. 

As Jesus said “ They that receive you, will receive Christ, and they receive God” Everything that you’re doing is for the glory of God and not yourself. Even the smallest tasks , like picking up the trash at Church or handing out bulletins, are part of God’s work and the overall goal of building God’s Kingdom. If you are a Christian, you are involved in some way , shape or form. You don’t have to be the Pastor or Bishop to be serving The Lord. Every Christian in the Church is vital to doing The Lord’s work and building God’s Kingdom. Everything belongs to God including our ministries and Churches, Christ is the Master and we are his servants! We must make sure we continue to keep that hierarchy and mindset to be obedient to God

When you understand the importance of your work in Christ, you must also understand the responsibility you hold also. We must remain accountable and disciplined in everything we do for God. We see many ministries and Churches, fall away due to misconduct or immorality. As a worker for God, we will be held to a higher standard. Everything you do, big or small, will be scrutinized and under the microscope from the world. We must remain a good representation of Jesus in everything we do, even if its just picking up the trash at Church. If we are immature or unable to handle this responsibility, then we should refrain from being a part of the work until we are ready. 

Now if they reject your ministry or work, they are ultimately rejecting Christ , as long as you’re in alignment with the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. If you’re doing The Lord’s work and the world rejects you, don’t take it personally, as they are rejecting God. Jesus said “They will hate you, as they hated me (John 15:18) Abide in Christ and Christ will Abide in You, do everything you do for the Glory of God, not for the glory of ourselves

Time is running out, The Lord’s return is near, we must remain alert and busy building God’s Kingdom and doing The Lord’s work, Amen!

Matthew 10- Exclusive Jesus?

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Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. Matthew 10:34-36

Again we see a continual theme with the modern day Church as we analyze scripture, the modern day Lukewarm Christianity of today is not Biblical. Today we have many Churches and many Christians promoting that Jesus is just all about love and acceptance, that Christ will just love you as you are and everybody is a Child of God. All these statements can’t be further from the truth. 

As we look at the words of Jesus “ I didn’t come to send peace on Earth, but a sword” So what is Jesus talking about here? Jesus came to deliver us from our sins, however there is a transformation that takes place when becoming Born Again. Just as Christ had died for our sins, our old self dies with our sins. Just as Christ is Risen defeating sin and death, we are Risen as a new creation in Christ. We don’t stay dead in our sins, we are now alive in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2, Romans 6, John 3)

The sword is to divide the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25), divide the wheat and the tares (Matthew 25), everybody doesn’t go to Heaven, in fact Jesus said very few will actually find the narrow path to Heaven. (Matthew 7) The transformation will cause division among people, among families, among communities, even among countries. The world hates the real Jesus and will hate his sheep (John 10) this is the sword of division, Jesus Christ

He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. Matthew 10:37-38

Jesus paid for our salvation with a major price, you were bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20) If you belong to Christ you are no longer of yourself, you belong to Christ. As Jesus said “Anyone who doesn’t take up their cross and follow me, is not worthy of me” Taking up your cross is not an easy walk, it’s a walk full of persecution, mockery, discrimination. Why? Because the world hates the real Jesus and crucified him. Don’t expect to be treated better than your Master, you were bought with a price

So as a Born Again Christian, don’t expect rainbows and butterflies, expect the sword that will divide you , that will set you apart from the evil world (Romans 12:2) This is a battle for your soul, salvation is only found in Jesus Christ alone , Amen!

Matthew 10- Are You Ashamed of Jesus?

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Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 10:32-33

In today’s world, over 2 billion people identify as a “Christian”, meaning follower of Christ. That sounds good on paper, but in reality where are these people? Why is there so much evil and injustice in the world today when almost a third of the world’s population is supposed to be filled with the Holy Spirit? There are only a few logical reasons for this, however one main problem is most are “Closet Christians”

There are alot of people who may belong to a Church and may even be active, but outside the walls of the congregation they don’t speak a word about the gospel of Jesus Christ. They live just as the world lives. The Greek word that is often translated as Church is “Ekklessia” it means called out , set apart, group of believers. If you are Born Again and part of Christ’s Church, you are not to be conformed with the world, you are supposed to be Set Apart. (Romans 12:2) However most Churches have turned into Country Clubs or a Social Group, they are not the Body of Christ looking to build God’s Kingdom by fulfilling the Great Commision (Matthew 28:19)

Jesus said “If you confess me before others , I will confess you before my Father in Heaven” Are you confessing Christ to everyone you know? Are you confessing Christ to your family or neighbors? Does anyone in your community even know you are a Christian? I know alot of “Christians” will say “I don’t want to be a Jesus freak”, “I don’t want to be known as a Holy Roller” Jesus died for the penalty of your sins, and you can’t even profess him as your Lord before others?

There has to be a relationship, often when people get married or engaged, what do they do? They tell everyone about it, they post an announcement on social media or the newspaper. However, how many people tell everyone Jesus is their Lord and Savior? Some would say, this is not the same, Jesus said “Depart from me , I never knew you “ (Matthew 7:23) The Greek word for Knew is “Ginosko” meaning a relationship. Jesus wants a relationship with You, not a religion

Jesus said “Whoever denies me before others, I will deny them before My Father in Heaven” If you’re not telling people about your Jesus, then you’re denying him. Again the analogy of marriage, if someone just got married, you would expect them to tell you about it. If they didn’t talk about their new spouse, you would probably think that’s strange. Well if somebody really believes Jesus is their Lord and never talks about Him, that would be pretty strange. Is Jesus really your Lord? Do you really believe who Jesus says he is?

Examine your relationship with Christ, profess The Lord before others. Tell others what Jesus has done for your life. If your neighbors were asked, would they identify you as a Christian? Take comfort in knowing our Lord is the Mediator between us and our Heavenly Father, Amen!

Luke 19- Palm Sunday

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And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither. And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him. And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them. And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt? Luke 19:29-33

The event we are looking at today is known as “Palm Sunday” , the day when The Lord, The Messiah, rolled through Jerusalem fulfilling prophecy, setting up the events leading to the death and resurrection of Jesus. The celebration would end very quickly, as the same people shouting “Hosanna” will be the same people a few days later yelling “Crucify Him” as Israel rejects their Messiah because he’s not what they wanted in their own minds

The first prophecy we see fulfilled is Jesus rode in Jerusalem on a donkey, fulfilling the Messianic prophecy of Zechariah 9, why is this significant? Because Christ came in Peace because He is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) Christ came to save the sinners and give them eternal life. This isn’t what Israel wanted, as they wanted a ruthless military warrior that would wipe out the Roman Empire and reestablish the glory of Israel

And they said, The Lord hath need of him.And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way. And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; Luke 19:34-37

The crowds were rejoicing at the coming of their King, they laid down Palm branches (hence the name Palm Sunday) and they laid down their robes or coats in reverence to the Messiah. Everyone was praising God, but it would only last for a short time. The religious leaders and the Romans got nervous, who is this new King that everyone was shouting about? On this day Jesus became a threat to the religious and political establishments

Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. Luke 19:38-40

Hosanna, Blessed be the King the comes in the name of The Lord, this was the battle cry and this was the fulfillment of another Messianic prophecy Psalm 118. This was confirmation, that Jesus is The Christ. But the religious leaders, who should have known who Jesus is better than anyone, rebuked Jesus and told him to shut these people up. Christ replied “Even the stones would cry out” why? Because Jesus is the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth (John 1) Not only is Jesus the Messiah, He is God in the flesh, here on Earth, to save his own creation

Palm Sunday is an event of past, present , and future ramifications. One day The Lord will return again and we will be waving our Palm Branches , shouting Hosanna (Revelation 7) Amen!

Matthew 10 -Fear God

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Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:26-28

We live in a Church age where to “Fear God” is not considered “Christian”. We only want a “loving” God, a God who will accept anyone or anything, this is not Biblical. One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is to learn the Fear of God (Isaiah 11: 2) however we must also understand the Biblical understanding of “Fear” as it’s not the same as a worldly fear.

The original Greek word for Fear in the New Testament is “phobeisthe” the meaning of this word is not only to be frightened or alarmed, but also to revere or be in awe of. It’s to have a love and respect for God and to want to please Him. Just as you would love and respect a parent or guardian, you should want to please God, as Jesus said the greatest commandment is to “Love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, and mind” (Matthew 22:37)

But modern day Christianity has no Fear or true Love of God, we want God to conform to our ways and not conform to God’s ways. Church leaders have adapted this new theology to please the masses in fear of not being popular or labeled. But Jesus said “Don’t fear those who can just kill the body” Meaning don’t fear people are going to persecute you or possibly even kill you for your faith, “Fear Him who is able to destroy both body and soul in Hell” Fear God because He is the One who holds your life in his hands, the power to destroy both Body and Soul, not just the physical body.

Of course our modern day Christianity teaches there is no soul, they say we just have a body, so what do you have to fear? Don’t be deceived, you are a living soul and after your body dies , you will live on either in Heaven or Hell. The choice is yours where you want to spend eternity, Love God or Hate God, that is your simple choice, there is no in between. 

Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Matthew 29-31

Now some of you might say, this teaching is too harsh and unloving. Notice what Jesus says “God knows every hair on your head” God loves you immensely and has created you in His image. However you have the choice to reject Him if you want, however there are consequences for your choices, there are wages for your sin!(Romans 3:23) You can’t love sin and the world and also love God, they are in complete opposition of one another, you must hate your sin and cling to Christ for salvation

Fear God is an unpopular motto in today’s world, but it’s advise that will save your soul from eternal damnation. Do you truly Love God with all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul? Or do you just love the idea of Heaven? There is no Paradise without God Almighty, if you don’t love God you won’t love Heaven. Fear God in Jesus name, Amen!

Matthew 10- Sheep Among Wolves

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Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. Matthew 10:16-20

The Christian walk is not going to be an easy walk, as Jesus said “ I will send you forth as sheep among wolves” What happens to sheep when they are around wolves? They get stalked, harassed, and devoured. Don’t expect as a Born Again Christian to walk among this dark world and not be harassed or devoured by demonic forces. Remember we are in a spiritual warfare , its important you remember your armor, your sword (the BIble) and be filled with the Holy Spirit

Jesus said “Take no thought when how or what you should say” Often when we are afraid to evangelize to people or speak up against evil, because we are afraid we won’t know what to say. Jesus said God will give you the words to speak by the Holy Spirit. God will use you as a vessel for his Kingdom, it’s just important you have faith and obedience

And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? Matthew 10:21-25

You may even be hated by your own family for being a disciple of Christ, the world hates the real Jesus, therefore the world will hate you also. Darkness hates the Light, evil hates good, therefore anyone who is a Born Again Christian will be hated by the world because Satan controls the world. But as Jesus said “Those who endure to the end, shall be saved” Put your faith in Christ , your eternal victory and hope!

The disciple is not above his master, you are not greater than Jesus Christ, therefore why do you expect to be treated better than him? How was Christ treated? He was mocked, spit upon, beaten, and eventually crucified. Why? Because the world hates God and hates truth and light. Put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6) because you are in a spiritual war for your soul. Those who endure till the end shall be saved in Jesus name Amen!