by AMN
Luke 6:20-31
One of the misconceptions of walking in faith and being imitators of Christ is that all of our problems just vanish when we accept Jesus to be our Lord and Savior. In the passage, and so many other passages in the four gospels, Jesus says the contrary to that topic. We as saints of the church of Christ, have to be ready to expect hatred, rejection, mockery, slander as we continue to be ambassadors of his blesses kingdom.
He also says to rejoice during these turmoils and be glad for it because there’s a reward for enduring them. All prisoners, guilty or innocent, just and unjust, experience such anguishes by their captors a majority of their incarceration. Dehumanization is the unwritten mission statement of all prisons in America. The dispensers of this evil toward the incarcerated always seem to be professors of the faith. But Christ has a word for those who live comfortably. He says, “Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! For so did their fathers to the false prophets.”
We had a saying while I was living the street life. It was, “you’re either wit’ us or against us.” We as believers have to make a choice and understand the pros and cons of each one. Sure there’s rejection, mockery, scorn, and hatred now; But I’d rather suffer by man’s hand than answer to the only one who can give and/or take life. The one true God has the power to destroy and I’d rather live to praise his Thrice Holy Name.
Heavenly Father, I want to thank you for all that you’ve done for your blessed saints. Give each and every one of us the strength to rejoice during all our trails and persecution. thank you, Heavenly Father, though we be poor here on Earth, we will inherit it all when Christ makes his appointed return. Amen.
Prison Lectionary 