My Thoughts and Reflections

“Happy are you when people insult you and harass you and speak all kinds of bad and false things about you, all because of me.  Be full of joy and be glad, because you have a great reward in heaven.  In the same way, people harassed the prophets who came before you.”  – Matthew 5:11-12 (CEB) When was the last time you were insulted or harassed because of your faith in Christ?  Was it yesterday?  Last week?  Or was it so long ago that you can’t remember when?  The prophets first, then Jesus, and then the apostles, demonstrated what living a Godly life in this world full of darkness will lead to.  It leads to insults, harassment, and persecution.  Ultimately, however, it leads to great rewards in heaven. Jesus ultimately was put to death because his message of the coming Kingdom was offensive to the Jewish leaders.  Likewise, the apostles faced beatings, jail time, torture, and death all for the “criminal offense” of preaching t...

"So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord.  Remember the great reward it brings you!  Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will.  Then you will receive all that he has promised.”  – Hebrews 10:35-36 (NLT) On what or in whom are we placing our trust?  As Christians, our trust can be confidently placed in the Lord.  Why can we have this hope?  We can have this hope because not only is scripture littered with promises about God’s faithfulness and reliability, but there are countless witnesses over the course of world history who could give testimony to this truth.  However, it isn’t always easy to trust in God and to rely on his provision for our lives physically, mentally, and spiritually.  When our confidence in God waivers, we open ourselves to placing our trust in things or people who do not have the ability to follow through for us!  What reward is the writer talking abou...