Hey friends of Thrive Community Church (www.ThrivePortOrange.com). The reading from the 1 Year Bible that really hit me was from 1 Thessalonians 1:
6 So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you.
Have you ever heard the phrase "It's tough out there"? Usually it goes like this, "Hey dude, how's it goin"? He responds, "Aww, It's tough out there"! I am thinking, maybe it is tough out there- but am I actually "...suffering..."? That's the word that hit me in today's reading. I don't think we in this country understand what it means to suffer for our faith, as the Apostle Paul was talking about. I don't mean to be a downer, but I want to give some perspective to help us get our eyes off of our problems.
Below I have included some information from a website that follows the persecution and suffering of Christians across the globe. You will read a story about a pastor & his daughter being beaten, simply because they were having a church meeting in their home. For these faithful Christians, it really is tough out there!
http://www.persecution.org/2012/10/07/pastor-and-12-year-old-daughter-beaten-by-radicals-in-india/
My Prayer for Today: "Lord ,Today I pray for the Christians around the globe that are currently facing persecution, beatings and jailing. I pray for their families. I pray for the children who are going to bed tonight, wondering if their imprisoned parents are ever going to come home. Encourage these brave people around the world by your Spirit. May we never loose perspective about how tough it really is out there for some people of faith"
Amen
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