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Writer's pictureBrian Doyle

We Shouldn't Be Surprised By Any of This

I see many Christians lamenting that their neighbors are calling upon anything from taxing churches to outright shutting them down to vandalism to destruction of their places of worship. This is a political bullying tactic that is used to silence anyone who fights for what they stand up for. It’s been used for millennia to silence dissenters, and there is nothing new under the sun. We shouldn’t be surprised by it. In the same vein, believer, we shouldn’t be surprised that, when we stand upon Jesus and His Word, people will hate us, even send death threats or wish to kill us. What we’re seeing in this time is exactly what Jesus said would happen, and for no other reason than our light so shines before men. That light exposes darkness, and people, not wanting to deal with their own pain and shame would rather snuff out our light than get rid of their own darkness.


Jesus said “If the world hates you, know that it hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18). We were told to expect this, so why are we surprised? And they hate us for no good reason, other than “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed” (John 3:19-20). Loved ones, stand firm in Jesus Christ. He endured the cross for this very reason. Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you. Do not let anyone bully you from the truth of Jesus Christ. I stand upon Jesus Christ, the solid rock. I stand in His word and His truth. I will pray you do the same.


John 3:16-21


“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”


John 15:18-27


“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’


“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.




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