Hated Of All Nations

Matthew 24:9: Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name*s sake.

There is not a nation in the world today where believers are not persecuted, killed and hated. The passage was part of Jesus* answer to the questions of His disciples.

Matthew 24:3: And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

For believers this is not a doomsday prophecy. It is a prophecy that should bring comfort to them. It is a prophecy that the time is near of Jesus* coming to take them out of the world.

For those who know they are the children of God, that knowledge brings great comfort.

1 John 5:13: These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Romans 8:16: The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Believers who quench the Holy Spirit by not seeking and obeying Him, will be quenching His witness within that they have eternal life. The assurance that they have eternal life will come and go. Their thoughts about Jesus* return will bounce back and forth between faith and assurance and doubts. I know because I experienced those ups and downs for a long time. That is a rather high price to pay for not serving the Lord. While thoughts of Jesus* return will give great comfort to the faithful, it will also give them a concern for the lost around them. It should cause them to pray for the lost and seek to give them the Word of God.

Luke 10:2: Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

Often the Lord accomplishes His will through those who pray for it. Some labour in prayer and others labour in preaching, sometimes they are the same individuals.

Colossians 4:12: Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

Are you like Epaphras?

Romans 10:17: So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Romans 10:13: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

Do you have that kind of beautiful feet?

Care to discuss Hated Of All Nations with Ron?

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