There is nothing “˜soft”™ or “˜easy”™ about following Jesus ““ He warned His disciples of persecution from religious people, these people who claimed to be worshipers of the God of the Bible.

(NIV) John 16:2 “They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.”

One example of such a death is the first Christian martyr ““ Stephen. In Acts 7:54-60 the stoning death of Stephen is recorded at the hands of the religious leaders in Jerusalem. He proclaimed Jesus to be the long-awaited Messiah before the Sanhedrin (the ruling body of the Jewish faith). They dragged him out of the city and stoned him.

Persecution and death at the hands of those who do not claim to know God would be easier to understand than suffering from anyone who claims to know the living God.

(NIV) John 16:3 “They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.”

Claiming to know God and actually knowing Him are two different things. What do you claim concerning God? Do you know Him? Have you literally asked Him to forgive you and actually said to the living God, “˜I am a sinner and I need Jesus to be my Savior”™? “˜Please Lord Jesus, come into my heart, and come into my life for I need You.”™ God”™s Plan of Salvation is available on the Resources tab at the top of this devotional ““ once that decision has been made you have salvation for all eternity. (See NIV John 5:24 “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”)

(NIV) John 16:4 “I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you.”

Jesus is realistic and knows our tomorrows ““ we can be sure that He is not surprised when we are persecuted ““ on whatever level that may be.