I John 3:13-15

This reading reminded me of our Bible study from Sunday. Pastor talked about how unbelievers actually validate God's Word as being divine. Their anger (whether toward believers or God's Word coming up in its various forms), is a testament that the Bible is active and true. The fact that it gets under their skin (unlike other "religious" texts, such as the Koran), attests to its truth. I hope that it means their conscience is not dead, but rather bothered, because of their anti-sentiments. We can praise God that others hate us or our beliefs, because it reminds us that God is present in our hearts (we are blessed when we're persecuted), but we can also then love, rather than hate, and pray for these people, because they obviously don't have the peace and promise of salvation in their hearts, and God wants to change them and invigorate their lives as he is doing to ours. If you have to make a stand in the near future, remember that what you are standing on is powerful. God's Word is "living and active, sharper than a double-edged sword." He is with you, and will give you the strength to stand.