EXPECTATIONS
Today's reading: Exodus 30-31, Matthew 23:37-24:28, Psalm 33:13-22

"Then you will be arrested persecuted and killed. You will be hated all over the world because of your allegiance to me." Matthew 24:9 NLT

And you thought the struggle with conviction over your sin was the hardest part of this Christianity thing?

Or the walk to the altar at the end of the church service?

Or knowing someone was praying you to Jesus--and you weren't sure you wanted what He had to offer?

Or that what you thought you'd have to give up wasn't worth it?

Knowing Jesus, truly, down-deep-in-your-heart kind of knowledge, is hard in this world.

You won't be liked.

You won't be listened to.

You won't have a lot of friends, true friends.

You won't be taken seriously.

You won't be considered intelligent.

You might not even be considered for some jobs.

You might find yourself excluded from a lot of things.

Few folks will ever consider you to be 'cool'.

We are on a mission to tell this world about Jesus, His saving blood, His hope, His way, truth and life--and this world doesn't want a thing to do with it.

And that's not easy!

And if you've spent any time at all in your Bible, you know that's just what God has told us from the beginning.

But do you know what? That doesn't change our charge to spread the Gospel.

Did that just blow all your expectations out of the water?

Had you thought all along that telling others about the saving grace of Jesus would come easily, would be readily accepted or would always end in a handshake and a few verses of Amazing Grace? Or that if it wasn't brought up in a conversation, it wasn't meant for you to share? Or that people would come looking for you to talk to about sin, hell and God's wrath?

We're still called to share. All day. Every day. In every conversation. Where ever we are. With who ever it is He places us.

Just do it.