"The Price to Pay"

"But call to remember the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;" (Hebrews 10:32 KJV)

  "Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. Don't be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it." (Philippians 1:27-30 NLT)

 We should all know by now, this world is not going to be friendly towards us, after we have decided to follow Jesus. Satan is the cause of that, as he rules the dark forces of this world, which is what makes us an enemy of the world in which we must temporary live in. Jesus made this abundantly clear: 'The world hated Me, it will hate you also!' 

 There is more to this life of believing and serving the Lord, than the fellowship and learning what we should do and how we must live; there are persecutions and things that come against us, most of which sometimes hit us off guard, which can sometimes make us feel conflicted. It is those times that matter the most, as we can be testimonies of the grace we have been given! 

 I know there are certain days that will make us feel as though we have not got the strength to bare the heavy load; but that is best part of this wonderful journey: He never gives us more than we can handle; which makes it clear to us that everything will work out for the best, one way or another...

"Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and one purpose. Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form. he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross." (Philippians 2:1-8 NLT)