Embrace the Within no. 121

“Blessed [morally courageous and spiritually alive with life-joy in God’s goodness] are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil things against you because of [your association with] Me. Be glad and exceedingly joyful, for your reward in heaven is great [absolutely inexhaustible]; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:11-12 AMP

The idea of persecution for following the Way of the Lord is the emphasis again in this section of the Sermon on the Mount. If I am falsely accused of any evil because of my following Jesus, then I should be filled with joy in the Spirit. I shouldn’t look to defend myself from slander or fire back with accusations or taunts. I shouldn’t fight dirty. I should go high when others go low because my belief and my strength is from God and not from words. “How blessed you are when people insult [The Aramaic is “criticize you” (1 Peter 3:14; Acts 5:41). The Hebrew Matthew is “for the Righteous One”] and persecute you and speak all kinds of cruel lies about you because of your love for me [See Ps. 119:85–87. We are to live in such a way that people have to lie when they speak evil of a believer in Christ]! So leap for joy—since your heavenly reward is great. For you are being rejected the same way the prophets were before you.”

Matthew 5:11-12 TPT

Folks are going to reject the Word because of me at times. Rather than judging the Word on its merit, folks will choose to judge the Word of God based upon my merit. Folks will create reasons to not believe the message based upon the messenger. It is much easier for them to negate me because I have done a lot that is wrong. It is much easier for me to be the problem in the delivery than to find fault with God.

“The arrogant (godless) have dug pits for me, Men who do not conform to Your law. All Your commandments are faithful and trustworthy. They have persecuted me with a lie; help me [Lord ]! They had almost destroyed me on earth, But as for me, I did not turn away from Your precepts.”

Psalms 119:85-87

When I am attacked by the godless, I need to remember that God is for me. I need to remain faithful to his commandments and trust that He is still in control. And that sounds really simple until you are under attack from the godless heathens I encounter daily. I need Your strength to carry me through at times. I need to not turn from You. I need to dig even deeper into your grace, mercy, and understanding.

“Blessed shall ye be when men reuile you, and persecute you, and say all maner of euill against you for my sake, falsely. Reioyce and be glad, for great is your reward in heauen: for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you.”

Matthew 5:11-12 GNV

I am by no means a prophet BUT I will also face the same type of treatment from the world. When I bring the Truth to liars, what else can I expect. The prophets brought the truth to Israel and found contempt. How much more contempt will I face when bringing the Truth to someone with no history of God. Someone with no lineage that ties him or her to God is going to be even less inclined to hear the Truth. In this day when we can have personal truth and “your truth is not my truth” is spoken even by members of churches, how much more difficult is the Truth going to be hated? “Blessed (Favored by God; happy; prosperous) are you when they persecute and revile you and say all kinds of evil against you for my sake, but speak falsely”. “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is very great in heaven; for thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you”.

Matthew 5:11-12 NMV

God is happy when I am obedient to His commands. When I am doing what He wants in accordance with His Word, then I find His favor. And that is reward enough for me. Yet, I am also promised a reward in the life on the other side of death. I can rejoice in and be glad that my God is the God that is faithful and constant.

'“How blessed you are when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of vicious lies about you because you follow me! 'Rejoice, be glad, because your reward in heaven is great — they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.”

Mattityahu (Mat) 5:11-12 CJB

I pray today that no matter what others say that I stay the course in the Way of the Lord. No matter what men and women may say. No matter what lies and evil come from godless lips, I will continue to follow the Lord. And I will follow joyfully as an Ambassador of the Kingdom of Heaven.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH

Embrace the Within no. 120

“Blessed [comforted by inner peace and God’s love] are those who are persecuted for [the sake of righteousness] doing that which is morally right, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].”

Matthew 5:10 AMP

When I do what is morally right and that makes me the object of hatred and scorn and anger and all sorts of evil, I can still know that the Lord is there to comfort me with His peace and His love. Persecution for following the Way of the Lord is going to occur when walking in a broken world surrounded by hurt people looking to hurt people. “How enriched you are when persecuted [The Aramaic is “being rejected”] for doing what is right [See Ps. 38:20; Isa. 66:5; Acts 5:41; 1 Peter 3:14. The Hebrew Matthew is “for the Righteous One”]! For then you experience the realm of heaven’s kingdom.”

Matthew 5:10 TPT

The world is going to reject doing what is right. Righteousness is not a virtue in this world of humanity. Righteousness is a virtue that comes from obeying God.

“I show goodness to them and get paid evil in return. And they hate me even more when I stand for what is right.”

Psalms 38:20 TPT

Showing goodness is a discipleship and obedience to the Way of the Lord. Goodness does not come from ourselves or our hearts. Goodness can only come from the source of all good. The Creator that set everything in order and saw the goodness at the end of each day. And God’s goodness delivered to those not in His Kingdom will return His good with evil and hatred.

“Heare the worde of the Lord, all ye that tremble at his worde, Your brethren that hated you, and cast you out for my Names sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appeare to your ioy, and they shall be ashamed.”

Isaiah 66:5 GNV

Sometimes my brothers may even hate me for speaking the Word of the Lord. Despite the persecution of even those that walk in the Lord, I still must speak the Word of the Lord. God will be faithful when His Word is spoken and shame will fall on those that fail to listen.

“The apostles left there rejoicing, thrilled that God had considered them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.”

Acts 5:41 TPT

The apostles faced disgrace for sharing the Way of the Lord and still found joy. The apostles were beaten and told to never share the Way of the Lord again or speak the name of Jesus and they left the encounter rejoicing.

“But even if you happen to suffer for doing what is right, you will have the joyful experience of the blessing of God [There are three things to remember when you suffer mistreatment or persecution for the cause of Christ: (1) The eyes of God rest upon you, v. 12; (2) God’s heart responds to your prayers, v. 12; (3) You will experience the blessing of God in spite of your enemies, with nothing to fear, v. 14]. And

Don’t be intimidated or terrified

by those who would terrify you [As translated from the Aramaic. See Isa. 8:12–13].”

1 Peter 3:14 TPT

God will bless me even through the evil that men do. I don’t need to be afraid or intimidated by people. When folks want to scare me or shame me, I don’t need to be concerned. I don’t need to fear or doubt or worry because God is always watching, God is always listening, and God is always in control.

“You are not to say, ‘It is a conspiracy!’

In regard to all that this people call a conspiracy,

And you are not to fear what they fear nor be in dread of it.

It is the Lord of hosts whom you are to regard as holy and awesome.

He shall be your [source of] fear,

He shall be your [source of] dread [not man].”

Isaiah 8:12-13 AMP

God is the only power I should fear. God is awesome. God is holy. God is right. God is good. I am none of those things. I only get to be an example of His awesomeness, His holiness, His righteousness, and His goodness. I don’t get to do that on my own. “Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnes sake: for theirs is the kingdome of heauen.”

Matthew 5:10 GNV

As an Ambassador of the Kingdom of Heaven, I am going to have to learn to lean on God when persecution occurs. Some of the persecution may be well-meaning misunderstandings. Some of the persecution might be sinful. Some of the persecution may be my own failing as a human. Regardless of the reason for persecution, I need to rely on God to lead where He wants to lead and follow. I am not a citizen of any other nation or kingdom. I am His Ambassador to the world in which I live. “Blessed (Favored by God; happy; prosperous) are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven”.

Matthew 5:10 NMV

I should walk in happiness. I should walk in prosperity. I should walk in God’s favor in spite of the persecution. Just like the apostles were beaten physically and verbally and walked away rejoicing Jesus, I should still leave every situation focused on Jesus and not on me. Any persecution I face is nothing when compared to what God faces. When I am persecuted for the sake of God, it is not my persecution that should be important. It should be the persecution of the Lord that is first on my mind. '“How blessed are those who are persecuted because they pursue righteousness! for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.'

Mattityahu (Mat) 5:10 CJB

I pray that every day I walk in righteousness. Every day I should be chasing after the prize of righteousness despite what obstacles may come my way. I pray that my chase after living God’s righteousness daily brings me joy even when confronted with evil in return.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH