In Matthew 5:11 Jesus says that “God will bless you when people insult you, mistreat you, and tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me.”

As we close out 2023, this prophecy has never been truer for me.

Sometimes I don’t know if I’m joking or being serious when I ask my family to put on my headstone all the things I’ve been called since my conversion, not only by my enemies but by many in our likeminded Christian community.

From being:

• Divisive;
• To a Reviler;
• morally corrupt;
• Unloving;
• Fornicator;
• quenching the spirit of other Christians;
• to being a Liar;
• a False teacher/preacher;
• An abuser, causing harm to other Christians;
• And well, just an unrepentant Sinner.

Anyway, I might need a bigger headstone! 🤓

But then I’m reminded how Blessed I should feel about all this!

Isaiah 51:7 “Listen to me, you people who know righteousness, you people who have my teachings in your hearts. Don’t be afraid of being insulted by people. Don’t be discouraged by their ridicule.” [NOTE “Don’t be afraid” the most frequent commandment of God to us.]

Acts 5:41 “The apostles left the [Sanhedrin] council and were happy, because God had considered them worthy to suffer for the sake of Jesus.“

And Hebrews 11 reminds us of so many faithful people of old who were “tortured, mocked, flogged, imprisoned, stoned, cut in two, put to death by the sword, living in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, oppressed, mistreated, nomads who hid in caves and holes in the ground.”

“People of whom this world was not worthy to have!“

For anybody who’s on the receiving end of similar treatments or worse.

For anybody relying purely on the courage of their convictions, just know you are one of those chosen few, greatly Blessed.

I’ll continue to say a little prayer for you and hope you do the same for me, my family but most of all our ministry.

May God continue to bless and strengthen you in the New Year.

And, until we meet again….”what’s past is prologue“!