Scripture Memorization Thoughts, February 2014

February has come and gone.  It seems like time Marches by.  (That was a pun.  You can laugh.)

February was predominately  Matthew 5.  A very well known chapter, as it is the first part of the Sermon on the Mount -- and starts off with the Beatitudes.

But briefly, I'll tell you what stood out most to me.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.  Blessed are you when people insult you, and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

This last part of the beatitudes is a sober reminder to us that persecution is the norm for a disciple of Jesus.  This passage doesn't teach that it's the norm per se, but I think this is alluded to elsewhere.  Somewhere John recorded in his gospel that Jesus told his disciples, "You will have trouble in this world.  But take heart, for I have overcome the world."  Here in Matthew 5, we are reminded of it.

What does Jesus say to us?  Rejoice and be glad!   And notice why: because of heaven.  Our reward will be great there.  It is to heaven that we must look, to give us the strength to stand on a treacherous earth.  And this earth is becoming increasingly difficult.  Here in America, we have been used to having liberty.  That liberty is going away.  Sometime (if I find the time) I will post more thoughts on it.  But for now, know that if you are committed to following Jesus, times will only get harder for you in this country as the world looks at Christian conviction with increasing hatred.  I think the hardest thing will be when the authorities confiscate our own children from us because we are teaching them to be "narrow-minded."  Perhaps, for some of us, our own children will actually betray us and turn against us.  I cannot imagine anything more heart-wrenching.

Prepare yourself now for these things.  Keep your eyes on Jesus, and your sights on heaven, and remember His words, "Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great."

There are many other thoughts I have had from other parts of Matthew 5, but I do not have time to post them.  All I will say for now is that I am finding this Scripture memorization to be well worth the time and effort.