“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you...

...If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father as well...." ~Jesus
(John 15:18, 19, 22, 23)

"To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?" ~St Paul (2 Cor. 2:16)

It should not surprise you when a word of truth is spoken from your lips and people despise you for it. It also should not surprise you when people hate you for no other reason than they recognise your unwavering dedication to truth, and the narrow path you choose to follow because of your love of the Saviour, Jesus Christ.

You must know that if you are a believer, and you have never felt hate or intolerance from the world for your beliefs than there may be something wrong. Jesus tells us on his way to the cross that the world will hate us because of Him. He goes on to tell us we do not belong to this world, but to a kingdom beyond this world, the eternal family of God.

"I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me... ~Jesus

Are you being the aroma of life or death everywhere you go? Do you recognise Christ in others when you are in public? Do you recognise evil around or in others? Jesus was either hated or loved, there wasn't any in between. In a world that offers tolerance, we are called to speak the untolerated. The Jesus of today is still either loved or hated. The message of eternal life, healing, relationship with the creator isn't a tolerance kind of message. You either choose it or you reject it. You cannot be inactive. And you will be hated by some when you speak it, in love, out of Jesus compassion for a fallen world through you. But to others you will be a lifeline to the eternal.

I don't know about you, but I am willing to be hated by the world to risk more Children in heaven. More rejoicing in Heaven, more of Gods pleasure on us, in us, for us. Grab all the ones you can as you continue to run the race. I want to explode through those gates clothed in my Jesus splendour, and wait in anticipation to see even the ones who originally hated walk through in full understanding of the the one to saves.

Jesus give us your boldness with the understanding that we are on a mission for you. Separate, refine, heal and release us to do what we have been created to do... love and be loved.