Text: “It is enough for
the disciple that he be as his Master (Jesus Christ), 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 10:25.
“Therefore I endure
all things for the elect’s sakes, that they
may also obtain the Salvation which is in Christ Jesus with Eternal glory. It is a faithful saying; For if we be dead
with Him, we shall also live with Him; if we suffer, we shall also reign with
Him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us.
If we believe not (fail and falter), yet He abideth faithful; He cannot
deny Himself.”
2 Timothy 2:10-13.
Good morning, Heaven-bound
Christian! You and I are Heaven-bound
because Christ Jesus has suffered for us on Calvary ’s Cross; made a full Atonement for our sins to our
Holy Father God; and redeemed our never-dying souls for all Eternity. Now, this is something that should excite us
at the beginning of any new day. Let’s hear it? ‘Hallelujah!
Thanks be to God for such great Salvation!’
“Blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath
begotten us again (born again) unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that
fadeth not away, reserved in Heaven for YOU.” (1 Peter 1:3-4)
Oh yes, beloved
Christian. You and I are, by God’s great grace, Heaven-bound - but there is much that
we must first suffer for such an infinite privilege while we are yet here
below. As Jesus suffered, so must we
suffer - if we are true believers who seek to diligently serve our risen Lord
God.
“Yea, and all that
will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (2 Timothy
3:12)
Today’s three verse portion of John’s Gospel, chapter twelve, reveals to us another vital
concept: the world’s practice of
persecution by association.
Persecution By
Association: Many of the Jewish
people knew Jesus was among them due to the smell of the precious ointment that
had been poured over Messiah Jesus by Mary, the sister of the resurrected
Lazarus, . Christ’s Presence can never be hidden, He is ‘…altogether lovely…’ Praise His Name.
Christ is ‘…the chiefest among ten thousand…’: His head, eyes, cheeks, lips, hands, belly, legs,
countenance, mouth - are all described - in TYPE - in the Song of
Solomon 5:9-16. Read this account and
worship Him, dear friend.
“His cheeks are as a
bed of spices, as sweet flowers; His lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling
myrrh.” (Solomon’s Song 5:13)
When we, as true Christians,
seek to be like Christ (I.e. Christian), then we too shall manifest, to varying
degrees, a similar presence among men.
We will prove to all and sundry the truth of the Gospel - that there is
new Spiritual life in Christ Jesus; that we have been quickened from the dead.
“And you hath He
quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” (Ephesians 2:1)
We Christians cannot, or
certainly should not, be able to hide Christ’s light under any ‘…bushel…’ of worldly
compromise. We must shine for Him. (A ‘bushel’ is a container holding a dry measure of 8 imperial
gallons - I.e. for measuring grain, wheat, beans, etc.)
“Neither do men
light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth
light unto all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works,
and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.” (Matthew 5:15-16)
Christ’s Presence could not be concealed from the multitude,
nor could the presence of the now, Supernaturally, risen Lazarus be denied -
the living man was ‘…sat at the table
with Him.’ (John 12:2)
However, the worldly response to
Lazarus from the ‘chief priests’ vividly reveals our concept of ‘persecution by association’ . They wanted
to put Lazarus to death because - ‘…by reason of him
(Lazarus) many of the Jews went away and believed on Jesus.’ (V.11) Seeing
was believing!
Lazarus was closely associated
with Jesus, the Christ, Who had literally raised him from the dead. Therefore, he too must be persecuted due to
this close association with Jesus.
Nothing has changed today, Christian friend.
Thought: Jesus suffered infinitely
to redeem us. Are we closely enough
associated with Jesus to suffer persecution for Him? I hope so. The Lord bless your day.
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