Jesus continues to prepare His disciples for what is to come. It applies to us as well. Just as the Pharisees hated Jesus, so too do many other religions or cultures around the world. His message of love and forgiveness doesn’t go well with dictators and ungodly rulers who seek their own power and fame. We know it is coming… and we have God who will defend and protect us. That is why we focus on His Word. That is why we encourage one another. That is why we fellowship and pray… even for our enemies… that they would come to meet Jesus and that He may have mercy upon them. Keep on blessing. Keep on sharing His love. Keep on helping those in need. We win in the end… and that will not change!!
Please send this verse along to those who need encouragement in their walk with Jesus. Ask if they have been victims of hate in their work, school, or community. Ask how they felt and what they did in response to that hate. Focus on their responses. Remind them of ALL the promises of God. Let them know that we pray for our enemies and do good to those who hate us. We put Jesus love into action. Encourage them. Always Take Time For God’s Word© often each day or as you hear the word ‘hate’ and at 13:13 (1:13 pm). This verse number has a pattern… 13-13 (13:13). Some view ‘13’ as unlucky… I always associated it with the ‘baker’s dozen’ (13 donuts) so I like the number (in that case). Whatever draws attention to the numbers is a way to help to make the verse more memorable. While we don’t like to think of hate… we do recall that when we stand firm in Him, we are saved. That is well worth the pain or harassment now. This may be a verse card to print out and to put up on the refrigerator door. You will see it often (if you are like me) and it does have an encouraging word for us. That is what we share with others… we will be saved through Christ… in the end… amen!
We extend our prayers for all the early responder organizations like the Red Cross (Washington, DC) which provide direct support and assistance wherever they are needed. We especially think of all the people impacted by the massive wildfires spreading all around in Australia. There are opportunities to help through the Red Cross – Australia organization. Or help and support in any other ways that you can. Pray for the firefighters from the USA who are there lending their skills to stop the spread of these fires. We do that. We help others in times of need. That is part of our calling. Be a blessing to all those who are responding. Pass it on to the enemies of the Gospel asking that God will soften their hearts to come to know Jesus as savior and as friend!
