Looking ahead for the joys....or struggling with trials

Good morning! What a great day to be alive and praise God!! Thank you Jesus for all you did for me!! God is good all the time, all the time God is good.

We have been talking in 1 Peter about being foreigners in a land, being chosen by God, being born again, an inheritance that will not decay, and living in heaven eternally. Well, let's go on.

1 Peter 1:6 "So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while."

So, are you saying being happy and joyful because there will be problems ahead? Well, what was happening here the Christians, who were Jews and gentiles, were the target of persecution during Peter's time. Why?

The Christians refused to worship the emperor as a god and thus were viewed as atheists and traitors. They refused to worship at pagan temples, so business for these money making enterprises dropped wherever Christianity took hold. They didn't support the Roman ideals of self, power, and conquest, and the Romans scorned the Christian ideal of self-sacrificing service. They exposed and rejected the horrible immorality of pagan culture.

Okay, put this in reality of your life today! How would you stand as a witness if your were scorned, quit going to pagan temples (walking in the world), and no longer agreed with the ideals of the country you were living in? Then, you exposed their immoral and improper, if not illegal ways. Very uncomfortable for all around. But, the question is, would YOUR WITNESS STAND UP?

Could you honestly say Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior in a loud and unwavering voice? It was not easy for the Christians of ancient day, and it is becoming harder for the Christian of modern day. Examine your witness! Would you be convicted? Thank you for reading. Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny