"Blessed are those...."

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." - Matthew 5:10-12

When Jesus went up on the mountain to teach, he opened by saying how blessed we are if we are peacemakers, meek, merciful, pure in heart. But, Jesus ends it by saying that we are blessed if we are persecuted for righteousness sake. Rejoice and be glad?? How can I do that when the world wants Christianity to be silent while other groups are pushing their agenda on us on a daily basis. 

As, you know by now, a well-known Christian, due to his TV show, was suspended indefinitely from filming due to remarks on his beliefs about homosexuality. His remarks have been turned into "hatred" toward a particular community; however, this was not Phil Robertson's intent, at all. If you read his comments, he does paraphrase scripture from I Corinthians 6:9-10, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." 

If you have ever watched Duck Dynasty, you know the Robertson family are Christians and God believers. So, why are we surprised Phil believes homosexuality is a sin, along with other things listed there? The ones who are speaking out against him, more than likely, do not watch the show because of his Christian beliefs; yet, they are the same ones shutting him down. 

Phil, as a Christian, understands he will persecuted for Christ's sake. He also understands that we are blessed when people speak evil things against the Christian faith, because our "reward is great in Heaven." Do you think he is upset about being suspended? If I had to guess, I would say no because he is not going to compromise his beliefs in God to be on a television show. 

Here was Phil's response to the comments he made: 

“My mission today is to go forth and tell people about why I follow Christ and also what the bible teaches, and part of that teaching is that women and men are meant to be together. However, I would never treat anyone with disrespect just because they are different from me. We are all created by the Almighty and like Him, I love all of humanity. We would all be better off if we loved God and loved each other.” 

I support Phil Robertson. I am a Christian and believe in God. I believe in His word and the power it has to save mankind. Each one of us should have that mission mindset to Go Forth and tell people about the love of Christ. Not in hatred but in love. 

Romans 3:23 tells us that we all fall short of the glory of God due to our sin. The beauty of Christianity is that we are all sinners, but we strive daily to not live in sin.

Have a blessed day!  

"What will people think?"

It’s scary to admit how much we do to impress others—what John Ortberg calls “Impression Management.”

We shake our heads at the pressure teenagers are under to act a certain way to be accepted—or at least not rejected or made fun of—by their peers. But I’m not sure we ever get past that; it just changes forms. Why do we wear what we wear? It’s not mere comfort and warmth . . . we choose them to make an impression.

What people think of us influences what we drive, where we live (and how it’s decorated), how we talk and walk, everything. We keep it to ourselves, but we want to shape what people think of us: we’re smart, savvy, pretty, stylish, athletic, successful, well-read, funny, kind, or whatever. Impression management.

It even affects what we do religiously. There’s pressure at church—pressure to talk and dress and act a certain way so that we fit in, so other religious people know we’re part of the Christian “in” crowd. It shouldn't be there, but it is, and always has been. Jesus warns us about it here:

Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven (6:1).

Everybody at the front of the church building feels the pressure, of course. The preacher wants people to like his sermon, and the song and prayer leaders want to impress with their leading. But it’s happening in the pew as well. Ever found yourself wondering—just for a second—if anyone noticed how beautifully you were harmonizing in that last song? Ever hoped that people might find out how much you give to the church? (They might be impressed)

Have you ever gone to a church event because you were afraid of what people would think if you didn't?

Ever picked out a dress for church and hoped that people noticed it?

Ever cooked a meal for someone and hoped word got out?

We probably need to hear these words from Jesus again. What we do religiously needs to be motivated by gratitude for what God has done for us, not to make people think we’re good or holy or righteous.

It’s amazing how quickly spiritual things can become self-centered, isn’t it? In fact, religion becomes negative when it stops being about God and starts being about us.

This would be a good prayer theme for today.

Lord, help me to obey you because of you. Help me to follow Jesus because of Jesus. Help me not to be merely religious, but to be you-centered. Create in me a heart that is concerned about what you think but doesn't obsess over what others think.

- Written by Chuck Webster, Minister for Hoover Church of Christ, Birmingham, AL