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Hostility from the World - John 15:18-20

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"If the world hates you, remember that the world hated me first. If you belonged to the world, then the world would love you like it loves its own people. But I have chosen you out of the world. So you don't belong to the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the lesson I told you: A servant is not greater than his master. If people did wrong to me, then they will do wrong to you too. And if people obeyed my teaching, then they will obey yours too. (ERV)   Full Text

Key Thought

Hate! We don't like that word, do we? Especially when we are the target of hate. Yet those who are disciples of Jesus must realize that their hero was unjustly murdered by those who rejected him because of jealousy, hate, misunderstanding, and rivalry. Some of us will follow in his steps. Some, even to martyrdom itself. Our hardships and difficulties do not invalidate Jesus' call. Neither does it invalidate our ministry. These problems are a reminder that there is a spiritual battle for every human heart. Satan will do all he can to silence the voices of those who bring God's salvation.

Today's Prayer

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Father, please make me more aware of your servants who are facing persecution and hardship today. Give me courage to stand for your truth and live your ethics even if those values cost me ridicule or rejection. Please let your glory be praised in my life, whether I find myself in hardship and persecution or in good times and acceptance. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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Today's Verses in Context

"If the world hates you, remember that the world hated me first. If you belonged to the world, then the world would love you like it loves its own people. But I have chosen you out of the world. So you don't belong to the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the lesson I told you: A servant is not greater than his master. If people did wrong to me, then they will do wrong to you too. And if people obeyed my teaching, then they will obey yours too. People will do all this to you because of me. They don't know the One who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to the people of the world, then they would not be guilty of sin. But now I have spoken to them. So they have no excuse for their sin. Any person that hates me also hates my Father. I did things among those people that no other person has ever done. If I had not done those things, they would not be guilty of sin. But they have seen those things I did. And still they hate me and my Father. But this happened so that what is written in their law would be true: 'They hated me for no reason.' "I will send you the Helper from the Father. The Helper is the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father. When he comes, he will tell about me. And you will tell people about me too, because you have been with me from the beginning.

— John 15:18-27 (ERV)

 

Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center. All rights reserved.
 
What Jesus Did
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It was time for the Jewish Festival of Shelters. So Jesus' brothers said to him, "You should leave here and go to {the festival in} Judea. Then your followers there can see the miracles you do. If a person wants the people to know him, then that person must not hide the things he does. Show yourself to the world. Let them see these things (miracles) you do." (Even Jesus' brothers did not believe in him.) Jesus said to his brothers, "The right time for me has not yet come. But any time is right for you {to go}. The world cannot hate you. But the world hates me. Why? Because I tell the people in the world that they do evil things.
John 7:2-7 (ERV)

Don't love this evil world or the things in it. If a person loves the world, the love of the Father (God) is not in that person. These are the {evil} things in the world: Wanting things to please our sinful selves, Wanting the sinful things we see, Being too proud of the things we have. But none of those things come from the Father (God). All of those things come from the world. The world is passing away. And all the things that people want in the world are passing away. But the person who does what God wants lives forever.
1 John 2:15-17 (ERV)

This is the teaching you have heard from the beginning: We must love each other. Don't be like Cain. Cain belonged to the Evil One (the devil). Cain killed his brother {Abel }. But why did Cain kill his brother? Because the things Cain did were evil, and the things his brother {Abel} did were good. Brothers and sisters, don't be surprised when the people of this world hate you.
1 John 3:11-13 (ERV)


 
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