{"id":2030,"date":"2020-01-27T11:22:16","date_gmt":"2020-01-27T19:22:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=2030"},"modified":"2020-01-27T11:22:31","modified_gmt":"2020-01-27T19:22:31","slug":"2030","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=2030","title":{"rendered":"Devotion Matthew 5.11 Because We Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

Matthew 5:11\u00a0<\/b>– Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.\u00a012<\/a>\u00a0Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.<\/i><\/p>\n

Romans 5:1-2<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0Therefore, since we have been justified\u00a0through faith,\u00a0we\u00a0have peace\u00a0with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,\u00a02\u00a0through whom we have gained access\u00a0by faith into this grace in which we now stand.\u00a0And we[b<\/a>]\u00a0boast in the hope\u00a0of the glory of God.<\/i><\/p>\n

Ephesian 6:10<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0Finally, be strong in the Lord\u00a0and in his mighty power.<\/i><\/div>\n

I still remember the astonished look on his face and the subsequent look of disappointment and, maybe even pity, as listened to my response on whether or not I believed in evolution.\u00a0 He was more of a friend than an opponent and I believe his disappointment and pity came from a regard for me. He had asked me if I believed in Evolution and I had responded that I did not.\u00a0 He sincerely believed I was wrong.\u00a0 He could not believe that I didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Yet he is not the first or the last time I would see that look on people\u2019s faces and, or, one who felt bad for me, believing what I believe.\u00a0 Some people make a god of science, or philosophy, or their own cognitive or reasoning ability.\u00a0 If anyone believes the Bible that God gave to us more than what they believe then they believe that person is either a fool or acting foolish.\u00a0 At the very least, they believe that the person who takes God\u2019s Word first and always is sadly wrong and, or, deceived.<\/p>\n

What they often don\u2019t realize is that many who believe in Christ don\u2019t believe on \u201cdumb faith.\u201d\u00a0 Faith, yes.\u00a0 Even when we don\u2019t understand all the thousands (millions) nuances or arguments against the faith it is not \u201cblind faith\u201d or \u201cdumb faith.\u201d\u00a0 We believe \u201c\u2026because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard\u00a0what I have entrusted to him until that day<\/i>.\u00a0 (2 Timothy 1:12b<\/b>)\u00a0 We know that we know God personally.\u00a0 We have walked with Him, we have talked with Him, we have heard Him and we definitely, daily, have received from Him.\u00a0 God, whom they cannot see or hear, we do (Hebrews 11:1<\/b>).\u00a0 So our faith is yes, based on the Word of God, but it is also based on the very real relationship with God.\u00a0 Those who don\u2019t have that relationship don\u2019t understand.\u00a0 They think we are deceived or delusional.\u00a0 They just don\u2019t understand and they cannot because they are separated from God (at the moment).\u00a0 (1 Corinthians 1:14<\/b>,\u00a01 Corinthians 1:18<\/b>)\u00a0 But, in and through the Spirit, the very real Spirit of God,\u00a01 John 1:1<\/b>\u00a0the reality of our God is palpable and tactile.\u00a0 Though the Apostle John wrote as one who physically experienced Jesus, we who now live have no less an experience of hearing, seeing and touching and being touched by God than He.\u00a0 (John 20:29<\/b>)\u00a0 This is all nonsense to the non-believer and the neophyte, but those who walk with God via His Spirit, know and understand the truth and reality of our experience with Him.<\/p>\n

Stubbornness.\u00a0 Usually considered a bad trait.\u00a0 But properly applied, it is a great trait.\u00a0 To stubbornly hold on to truth regardless of a multitude opposing it, is a praiseworthy trait that God will bless and reward.\u00a0 Therefore, let us stubbornly hold onto the truth because of the reality of God in our life.\u00a0 And what is the truth?\u00a0 Jesus famously said \u201cJesus answered,\u00a0\u201cI am\u00a0the way\u00a0and the truth\u00a0and the life.\u00a0No one comes to the Father except through me.\u00a07\u00a0If you really know me, you will know\u00a0my Father as well.\u00a0From now on, you do know him and have seen him<\/i>.\u201d\u00a0 (John 14:6<\/b>)\u00a0 Family, we do know God, we know Him personally and intimately and that through Jesus.\u00a0 Praise God!\u00a0 Yes!\u00a0 Praise God!\u00a0 He indeed has done great things!<\/span><\/p>\n

Psalm 150:6<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.\u00a0 Praise the Lord!<\/i><\/p>\n

Micah 7:7<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0But as for me, I watch\u00a0in hope\u00a0for the\u00a0Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear\u00a0me.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

Micah 6:8<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0He has shown You, O man, what\u00a0is\u00a0good; And what does the\u00a0Lord\u00a0require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Numbers 6:24-26<\/b>\u00a0\u201cThe\u00a0Lord\u00a0bless you and keep you; 25\u00a0the\u00a0Lord\u00a0make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26\u00a0the\u00a0Lord\u00a0turn His face\u00a0toward you and give you peace.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Matthew 5:11\u00a0– Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.\u00a012\u00a0Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Romans 5:1-2\u00a0–\u00a0Therefore, since we have been justified\u00a0through faith,\u00a0we\u00a0have peace\u00a0with…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1192],"tags":[129,1841,104,100,101,94,1874,17,10,2036],"class_list":["post-2030","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotion","tag-corinthians","tag-ephesians","tag-hebrews","tag-john","tag-matthew","tag-micah","tag-numbers","tag-psalm","tag-romans","tag-timothy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2030","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2030"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2030\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2032,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2030\/revisions\/2032"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2030"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}