Battle III

"He who hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and my Father. But this happened that the word might be fufilled which is written in their law, 'They have hated Me without a cause.' But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor me." -John 15:23-16:3

At times, a Christian may encounter friendliness and acceptence from the world. Sometimes this is because the Christian is not behaving or speaking in a manner consistent with his own professed faith. Sometimes this is because the Lord is going before the Christian and is moving people to respond kindly to them. As Jesus warns his disciples here, however, the world will often hate the Christian. They will seek to kill the Christian. They will throw the Christian out of town and ostracize him. Christians will be excommunicated. This proved true for all of the disciples. This proved true for so many of the disciples' disciples. This has been the case throuought history. The blood of the Martyrs of the Christian Church cries out not in a tiny whisper- but in a deafening roar. Jesus told His disciples in order to prepare them so that when they met resistance of all kinds they would not stumble. Do not be surprised when health, wealth, and prosperity does not come to you with your Christian faith. The whole Church has been warned- and that for a reason.