persecuted

The GT Weekend! ~ Word Week 3

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase, “Do as I say, but not as I do” implying that the speaker’s life choices don’t necessarily align with their words. They likely see the wisdom of following a certain guideline, but find that in real life, it’s easier or more comfortable to choose a different action, even one that’s counter to what they advocate for with their words. In what situations have you witnessed this inconsistency? Identify some areas you are more prone to do this. In contrast, how does it make you feel knowing that someone’s life matches with full integrity to the words and teachings they verbalize? Would you be willing to trust a God who said one thing and did another? What does it say to other people who are watching your life when they see inconsistencies between what you “practice” and “preach”? Intentionally ask the Lord this weekend to open your eyes to where you tend to live inconsistent with what you assert to be true, then begin recognizing these patterns as they pop up in your everyday life.

2) Chosen. What feelings and thoughts do you conjure up with this word? What scenes from you life do you associate with chosen? What does it mean for you that God has chosen you? Are you living surrendered to His choice over you? What’s holding you back?  Appointed. We all hunger for purpose in our life’s story. What you involved in that fills your “cup of purpose”? What engagement makes you “come alive”. Do you feel boxed in or freed in knowing that the God of the universe has appointed you for work in His kingdom? Loved. Having a purpose is one thing, but knowing you are also dearly loved is altogether more significant. Do you view God has being Love? In what ways do you feel or know you are loved by Him? In what ways do you feel abandoned? Bring Him your honesty! Persecuted. We enjoy the feelings of being loved and adored, chosen, and appointed for a purpose, but the idea of persecution catches us off guard. What are your emotional, mental, and physical responses to the idea of persecution? In what ways do you feel these four descriptors are connected or in opposition to each other? Consider how you view Jesus, as God the Son, having demonstrated each of these. Look up Luke 6:40 as you process this.

3) I once worked for a librarian who left me with a pile of books that needed covered. She provided all the necessary materials, books, and a clear end goal. I snipped and trimmed and pasted and folded, spending significant time meticulously covering the books, but when the librarian returned she realized she’d forgotten to leave me with actual instructions. A task that should have taken minutes had turned into hours when I was left without an example to follow. What is something you learned just by watching someone else model a behavior or pattern for you? Did this process of learning effectively carry over into your own rhythms of life that you can identify today? In the same way, who has been influential in living out how to follow Jesus for you? Who has negatively impacted your perception of living a God-focused life? Can you identify some markers in your life where you are influencing others in their spiritual growth? We all follow someone’s spiritual example whether we realize it or not, therefore, we would be wise to make sure the people we are taking our spiritual faith cues from are those whose lives consistently align with the ultimate model of Jesus’s life.

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from John 21:15 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said to Him, “You know that I love You.”
“Feed My lambs,” He told him.

Prayer Journal
“More than these…” “Do you love Me more than these…” The words echo around my heart, Lord. Do I? Do I love you more than these? Show me my own personal “these”, the people and things and purposes I give myself for and the comforts that I love. As I consider next steps for our family, and some stretching possibilities that make me hedge in fear and discomfort, ask me again, Spirit, “Do you love Me more than these?”. It’s one thing to verbally confess that I trust You and I love You, but you don’t care about my lip-service. Will my life decisions, the big, scary ones and the seemingly insignificant ones, point brilliantly to a heart decision of trusting You or myself? Lord, align my heart with Yours. Teach my feet to follow in Your pathways. Guide my hands and heart to build Your kingdom, not mine. Hold me faithfully fast, even when I choose myself over You. Bring me back to following You.

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Blessed Day 13 Blessed Are The Reviled And Persecuted

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 5:10-12 (ESV)
James 5:10-11
1 Peter 3:13-17 
1 Peter 5:8-10

Blessed, Day 13

What do you think about when you hear the word persecution? Reviled?

My first thought is of Christians throughout the world who do not live with as much freedom as I enjoy. I think of those in China who meet together and spread God’s word in spite of the ever-looming possibility of arrest. I remember our brothers and sisters in countries where other religions dominate the culture, and who face uphill battles every day of being ridiculed or cast out from society. I think of believers in North Korea, who secretly meet underground to worship and share the Good News, even though it’s an offense punishable by death.

I recently heard a story about a young Muslim man who met some Christians in the desert. They told him if he wanted to meet Jesus, he could. He then had a beautiful encounter with the light and peace of our Lord, and Jesus continued to meet him in every space, in the darkest of times.

Because of his faith, he endured great persecution. He was confined to a jail cell and physically tortured for talking about Jesus. He was shot, stabbed, shamed, ridiculed, and thrown off a cliff for telling his family about this amazing Jesus he now knew so intimately.

That is what comes to mind when I think of persecution and revilement.

Maybe you’ve experienced some more severe forms of persecution, similar to what I mentioned above, because of your faith in Jesus. In which case, I am in awe of the strength and power of God in you! Keep fighting tenaciously for the hope set before us!

However, I would dare to boldly say every Jesus follower has experienced persecution and revilement.

The original Greek words in the Scripture are dioko for persecuted and oneidizo for reviled. The translation for dioko holds the imagery of someone being chased or hunted down aggressively in an effort to stop them. Oneidizo reveals a more verbal mode of persecution in the form of insults, mocking, and evil language.

In the midst of trying to be the hands and feet of Jesus, have you ever felt pretty much every possible roadblock came up against you? Perhaps you brushed it off as coincidence, or maybe even as a “sign” you’re meant to do something else.

Let me tell you this: our enemy, Satan, is out there seeking to steal, kill, and destroy every plan to further the kingdom of God. So, maybe you haven’t been persecuted by another human or man-made institution, but friend, Satan is persecuting us daily in an attempt to draw us away from our true identity in Christ and our unique calling in God’s Kingdom. 

Those lies you hear in your head about your work, skills, dreams, passion, or appearance?
They’re revilement by the enemy.

That flat tire you got on your way to volunteer at the homeless shelter to which God
called you?
That’s persecution by the enemy.

We’ve all been there, whether we recognize it or not.
Persecution doesn’t happen because there’s something wrong with us,
or because of our reaction to God’s Word,
or when we fall into sin.
Persecution happens when we seek God and follow Him.
Jesus promised us this.

In Matthew 5, Jesus tells us those who are persecuted and reviled because of Him are blessed.

Excuse me, Jesus? Did You say blessed?! There must be some mistake because this is not any sort of blessing I would like to have.
The crippling lies I hear?
The dream job from which I was fired?
The relationship that ended?
That precious baby I lost?
NOTHING about those situations made me feel blessed.

So, how exactly are we blessed by being reviled and persecuted? Through each and every step we take in the valley of persecution to continue pursuing our true God-given identity, we are drawing closer to God and furthering His Kingdom. We can be certain, when darkness overshadows us along the path God has laid before us, we are doing Kingdom work. We have a daily, eternal perspective that even though we are chased down and mocked and insulted, we will one day inherit the riches of God’s glory in our Heavenly home! How blessed are we?!

“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” – Jesus (John 16:33)

Go forth, fellow Sister in Jesus, advance God’s Kingdom through His power in you.
Be reviled and persecuted, and be blessed!

Want to be challenged in your faith in some radical ways?!
Check out these incredible, true life stories of faith in the face of persecution!
Heavenly Man
The Insanity Of God
The Hiding Place

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Blessed Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Blessed!

Sketched V Day 10 Paul, The Torch Carrier

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 9:1-19
Galatians 2:11-21
Philippians 3

Sketched V, Day 10

Overwhelming light.

 An unfamiliar voice.

 I dropped to my knees. 

Before I knew what happened, all went dark. My eyes were open, but I saw nothing.
All was night around me, but somehow, everything inside was lit up.
That was the day Jesus of Nazareth stopped me in my tracks.
It was the day He became my Lord, my Light, my salvation. (Psalm 27:1)

My traveling companions led this blind man into the city because that’s where Jesus told me to go.  For three days I saw nothing, ate nothing, and drank nothing until a stranger, Ananias, was sent by God to restore my sight.
Light held a new meaning for me now.

Having spent time, a long time, studying Scripture and experiencing community, I began boldly preaching in the synagogues that Jesus indeed was the Son of God. Barnabas, a true brother, trusted what God had done in me, and helped the apostles to believe this too.
The Light begged to be shared!

Everywhere I preached, some believed, and many hated, spurning me, forcing me to flee for my life just as I had once made others do. The more I shared, the more persecuted I was, but the more pressing the mission of sharing Light began. I was coming to truly understand that I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20) That life is the same light that continues transforming me and others as I preach Christ crucified!

Barnabas and I, like fellow torch bearers, eagerly carried this news to many areas including Antioch, Cyprus, and cities throughout Asia. We so desperately wanted our Jewish brothers to understand a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ, and that even we ourselves have believed in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 2:16) Faith made possible by Light entering the world. Faith for which I carry this torch, no matter the cost. (John 1:4-5)

It quickly became apparent that the degree of rejoicing and freedom many brothers and sisters were experiencing would also be equally matched with severe opposition against our bodies, our plans, our message – ultimately, we knew, against Jesus Christ.
Yet, the Spirit of God strengthened us for each mission,
each task, each opportunity to preach this good news.
In fact, we couldn’t contain it!
The gospel of Jesus Christ was a fire set ablaze by the Spirit of God
to build His church – His people!
Joy in our hearts fueled our eagerness to lay down our lives to be a part of this incorruptible flame.

So, I pressed on that the message given to me when I opened my mouth would make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel (Ephesians 6:19). And oh how I loved the church Christ was growing!  They became to me like children, so that whether I was present with them or apart, it was my joy to teach, instruct, correct, discipline, and pray that their joy in Christ might be full!

The Sovereign Spirit led me all the way to Rome, and to eventual imprisonment, yet by the grace of God this did not limit my ability to preach the gospel – it only made it flourish!
For this Light shines in the darkness, and darkness cannot overpower it! (John 1:5)
The churches throughout Asia were growing while experiencing intense persecution. Some speculate that this suffering will squelch us, but I know better.
The more we carry the Torch, the stronger the flame will grow.  

I fervently wrote while on house arrest, urging them to hold firm to the word of life, so that I could boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing. But even if I was poured out as a drink offering on the sacrificial service of their faith, I was glad and rejoiced with all of them. In the same way I so desired that they would also be glad and rejoice with me! (Philippians 2:16-18).

I desired that my imprisonment would be a source of encouragement to the saints in their own suffering. I boldly reminded them to rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4), and that this would be possible for us as we acknowledged that to live is Christ, and to die would be gain (Philippians 1:21).

Carrying the light of Christ is worth it, infinitely more so than the “meaning” my former life brought me. It’s worth it because Christ is my life. (Colossians 3:4)

Five times I received the forty lashes minus one from the Jews. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the open sea. On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, and dangers among false brothers; toil and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and without clothing. Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my concern for all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11:24-28).

I have certainly lost much
But this I fully know and believe that everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. (Philippians 3:7)
But, the treasure of the Light, the honor of carrying it, is worth everything, even my life.  

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A Note About Sketched
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally. We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters view(ed) God, themselves, and the world around them. Our hope is that by stepping into their everyday, we will see our own lives a little differently!
Enjoy!
And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sketched V Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Sketched V