Persecution is Promised.

Well I have 5 days before spring break and I have about 37398793872437 things I need to get done before then, but I am dying to blog about my weekend and the amazing things that the Lord has taught me and continues to teach me. So, here I am :) 

This weekend was absolutely fabulous. I spent Friday night with my BFF Kayla. We went out for an "early birthday dinner" to CPK. (Really it was just an excuse to get cute and go out to dinner!) Following dinner we went and saw "Valentine's Day" We had a great evening full of Tostada Pizza (YUM!) and laughing at the obnoxious laughs of the people surrounding us in the theatre.

Saturday morning we woke up and met Kayla's mama and we hiked. It was such a beautiful day. wow.  We did a Traget and Bed Bath and Beyond run. Ate a healthy lunch and on our way home almost got into an accident because we realized the NEW ROSS opened!  No.Freaking.Way. We HAD to stop. After almost getting shot for road rage (ha!) we got a parking spot and went inside. We found a few cheap items that were to die for, went to find the line and found that it rapped around the entire store. great. Over an hour later, we were finally headed back to school to work on homework.  :)

We did homework for a few hours and Ashley decides to tell us that Hollywood Tans had a day of FREE TANNING. Well hello? We HAD to take advantage of that. Long story short, we are all mystically bronzed :D ha. it was an adventure.

Saturday night was Jay and Aaron's Masquerade Ball downtown. SO FUN. Its always fun to have an excuse to dress up  :)  Its also fun to have such a diverse group from cbu in one place. There were all different groups represented. fun :)

Then Sunday morning came. Church was off the wall amazing. I felt like it was Pastor Chuck and I in a room and he was just telling me everything I have been hungry and needing to hear.  (I will elaborate in a sec)  We then had a concert in Escondido. it was incredible. The spirit of the church and of our choir was so intimate. They were welcoming and we all had this positive vibe that was radiant through every song.  Kayla and I went home with her mom and grandma- got lost in scary pitch black mountains- and what was supposed to be 1.5 hour trip turned into 3 hours. But it was an adventure to say the least!  :)

We are still on the Written In Red series at church and this Sunday the focus was on Blessed are the persecuted, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

With all of the events that occurred in my life over the past week, this sermon could not have hit home harder, and was such an encouragement.

Jesus tells us that persecution is promised. When we are living correctly; climbing to the top of the latter, people want to knock you off.

There is One way, One truth, and One life; people do not always applaud this.

John 3:16-21

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. ¹⁹This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. ²¹But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

Jesus lived for the gospel and died for it- so should we.

2 Timothy 3:12

"In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, ¹³while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived."

1 Peter 4:12-14

¹²Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. ¹⁴If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

Blessed when Persecuted.

Luke 6:22-23

 ^22"Blessed are you when men hate you, 

      when they exclude you and insult you 

      and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.

 ²³"Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets."

Galatians 1:10

 ^10"Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."

We are not alone. Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and David were all persecuted for His name's sake.

Paul told that he had the brandmarks of Christ upon his body.

Rejoice and Be Glad.

Acts 5:41

rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.

Luke 6:23

 ²³"Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.

What an amazing amazing reminder this is. If we are not going through persecutions for the name of Christ, then what are we doing wrong? We will always have opposers to what we live for, and when we do, we should consider it joy and consider ourselves worthy that the Lord would entrust us to keep His name. My persecutions seem to small compared to what other followers and prophets have been through. But I cannot let them overcome, yet I am called to leap for joy and proclaim the name of Jesus even louder than before. 

This week I am praying that the Lord would give me more opportunities. To challenge those around me and to be challenged. Jesus died for this, so I need to take on the same attitude of self sacrifice and true deep love for my savior. 

This was my favorite scripture from yesterday. Be blessed.

1 Peter 4:19

 "So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good."