Persecution is sure to come
Christian, may the grace of God always keep you in a heavenly mindset so that you never forget there is a time set when the God of Israel will judge all who have rejected His Son, Jesus Christ. He will condemn them to eternal hell, for the Lord is a God of justice, and He cannot pass over the slightest of all sins, even those that are hidden in the thoughts. Not only that, my friends, but when you take a true stand against sin, speaking out against the wickedness of the age, you will also be hated. Jesus told his disciples, “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this, the world hates you.” Paul, writing to the church in Colossae while in prison said, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.” Beloved, gird yourself for holy violence and do not bow to the temptation of giving up. Remember, those who fight on the front line of the battlefield, opposing the schemes of Satan, will be attacked with his full vengeance. But take heart soldier, for he is a defeated foe, as it is written, “Greater is He that is in you, than He that is in the world.”
Hosea stood as a herald of truth in his day as well, and he was hated for it. He told the Northern Kingdom of Israel to turn away from worshiping false idols and turn to the living God, who could save them. But they had become so blinded by sin, they said, “The prophet is a fool, The inspired man is demented.” Because Israel refused to listen to the words of Hosea, who was sent to them by God, the nation went into exile and suffered under the afflictions of a foreign nation. So Christian, rejoice when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Christ, for your reward in heaven is great. Understand that God has given you, through His Son, the ministry of reconciliation. That is, reconciling the world back to God by proclaiming to them the Gospel of Jesus Christ, commanding them to believe and repent from their sins. Even if it seems foolish in their eyes, and they think you are demented, God can grant to them salvation and that is worth more than your reputation. Just think of it, God may use you to pluck someone from the fires of hell, bringing them from darkness to the everlasting light of His love. Therefore, when you become discouraged in the ministry which the Lord has given you, fasten yourself on the rock of God’s eternal words, “My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” May the Lord give you strength to stand in the gap and declare the words of God to everyone you can.
“The days of punishment have come, The days of retribution have come; Let Israel know this! The prophet is a fool, The inspired man is demented,”
Hosea 9:7 NASBS