“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid” (Matthew 5:10-14).

Jesus taught us to turn the other cheek when our enemy strikes. Peter was so upset when the crowd came to arrest his Master. In a knee jerk reaction, he cut off the ear of a high priest’s slave.  Jesus told Peter that those who live by the sword, shall die by the sword. Then Jesus healed the slave’s ear.

I’ve heard people say that Jesus was a pacifist. I strongly disagree. Perhaps the unbelieving world views that glorious night on which our Savior was born, as the story of a weak man – a man born in a stable of all places. A man who grew up and preached a message of love, repentance and belief.  A man who would turn His cheek if he was struck. And finally, a man who gave his life willingly and walked the Via Dolorosa for you and for me, in obedience to His Father.

A Pharisee asked of Jesus:

“Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 5:10-14).  (emphasis added)

Jesus came to earth as the Lamb of God; But He will come again as King of Kings and Lord of Lords

“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”  (John 1:29).

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”(Philippians 2:5-11)

“And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:16).

The world rejects Jesus because they love their sin

Satan is the god of this world. He has millions of followers. Some follow him without even knowing it. Others boast of their love of the devil. Because the Word tells us that we wrestle not with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers of darkness; we should not be surprised when the unbelieving world attacks our Savior in unspeakably horrific ways. It grieves us. It even angers us. Let’s not forget that our God is omniscient, therefore He foreknew all things. Nothing is a surprise to Him.

From cnsnews.com

Women’s Day Protestors perform “Abortion” on the Virgin Mary

As part of International Women’s Day (March 8), feminist protestors simulated a bloody abortion on a woman dressed as the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, outside the cathedral in Tucuman, Argentina.

The protestors, according to Life Site News, which reported the incident in the English language press, cheered the fake abortion as symbolically killing “patriarchy” and “forced heterosexuality.”

source

From Huffington Post:

Corpus Christi, Controversial Religious Play, To Premiere As Documentary

What if Jesus was gay?

This is the premise of Terrence McNally’s controversial play, “Corpus Christi,” that originally appeared at the Manhattan Theatre Club in 1998. The play’s premiere was met with massive protests and outrage from the religious right, sparking an intense journey for all of those involved in its production. Now, the experiences surrounding this play are being made into a documentary.

According to a statement sent to The Huffington Post, “This feature documentary follows the troupe, playwright, and audiences around the world on a five-year journey of Terrence McNally’s passion play, where voices of protest and support collide on one of the central issues facing the LGBT community — religion based bias.” – source

How are we as Christians to respond?  My flesh wants to SCREAM at these people and to defend the One I love more than all others – my Savior.  But the Words of Jesus from the Bible tells us why these people are doing these abhorrent things in His name; and He also tells us how we are to react.

“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.  If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also” (John 15:18-23).

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:3-5).

Father we love you. We consider it an honor to share in your sufferings. Although we cannot imagine your pain on that Cross for us; but we are amazed at Your love for us.  Help us to pray for the lost ones. As You said “They know not what they do.”

MARANATHA