John 15:18-27 – Where Hate Comes From

Read John 15:18-27

The word “hate” gets thrown around so loosely these days. But using this “buzzword” is nothing new. In fact, Jesus reminds us that people hated him, and he warns us that as his followers, we can expect to be hated as well. Does this reading give you a new and different perspective on what it means to hate or be hated?

For me, I see people saying bad things about Christians all the time on social media. The “h” word is usually part of the conversation, but the claims are usually that Christians are the ones who hate. That breaks my heart. Jesus has been telling us repeatedly in our last couple of readings that we are to set ourselves apart by loving one another. According to Jesus, hate comes at us for our allegiance to him. Continue reading “John 15:18-27 – Where Hate Comes From”

Ezekiel 28:25-26 – Happily Ever After

Read Ezekiel 28:25-26

Amidst all of God’s plans to discipline Israel’s neighbors, Ezekiel inserts these two verses of promise. While the verses don’t seem to fit in with the other messages, the hope they bring is like a breath of fresh air. Ezekiel had to be feeling especially heavy with all these judgment messages he’d been hearing from God.

Hallelujah! There was a light at the end of the tunnel. The judgment of Judah has already come. The reality Ezekiel and his people were living in was captivity in exile. Others had run for the hills ahead of Jerusalem’s fall. What a wonderful message to know God is going to make all things right in the world. Continue reading “Ezekiel 28:25-26 – Happily Ever After”

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