dead

Blog for Podcast #122 (Faith without Works is Dead)

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Intro

This is Dreamwalker1960. As a reminder you can read the transcripts of all my podcasts at dreamwalker1960.com. You can use most podcast platforms if you wish to listen. All you need do is do a search for Dreamwalker1960.

Discussion

I was recently drawn back to one of my blog post I made in 2017. Within it I discuss the breakdown and meaning of the words within verse James 2:20. Today I will read this post into today’s podcast and then expound upon it further.

That is what I have been led to address. It is said twice in James the same wording is used both times in the Greek. So here it goes:

James 2:20 NKJV – But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

Faith – pistis – faith, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, faithfulness.

In the pure Greek meaning of the word “pistis” it has the actual and passive sense of “trusting” and “worthy of trust.”

Paul placed “pistis” or “faith” at the core of theology. We must remember that Paul was originally a Pharisee and had persecuted early Christians before his encounter with the risen Jesus. To quote from the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (TDNT) –

“Primarily, it is acceptance of the kerygma, i.e. subjection to the way of salvation ordained by God and opened up in Christ.”

Trust me “kerygma” threw me for a loop also, so we need to understand that as well:

Kerygma (from the Greek word κήρυγμα kérugma) which is a Greek word used in the New Testament for “preaching” (see Luke 4:18-19, Romans 10:14, Matthew 3:1). It is related to the Greek verb κηρύσσω kērússō meaning, literally, “to cry or proclaim as a herald” and used in the sense of “to proclaim, announce, preach”.

So, to Paul this was the key element of his teachings. Pure faith and belief in God and that His Son is Jesus Christ.

Works – labor, action, deed

a) Labor – Noun – work, especially hard physical work. Verb – work hard; make great effort

b) Action – the fact or process of doing something, typically to achieve an aim; a thing done; an act

c) Deed – an action that is performed intentionally or consciously

I wish to look more deeply in the word “action” especially the “process of doing something” and “an act.”

When you hear the wording “process of doing something” you think of an endeavor. Something that takes a great deal of time to accomplish.

Now “an act” that is where I really which to delve:

One of the meanings of act is defined as “behave in the way specified.”

But where is a type of behavior specified for Christians? The answer is the Bible. So, our labor, our actions, and our deeds must work within the specified nature of the Bible.

Therefore, faith in God through His Son Jesus leads us to follow the teachings of Christ and His disciples, which is the Bible. Meaning we must follow and adhere to what is written within these letters and that we are to repent of our sins and strife to become a true reflection of Jesus Christ.

If we do not follow the Bible than it is “dead.”

Dead – nekros – (a) adj: dead, lifeless, subject to death, mortal, (b) noun: a dead body, a corpse. Per the TDNT in this particular case it could infer “lifeless” or “lifelessness.”

Lifelessness – 1. Having no life; inanimate; 2. Having lost life; dead; 3. Not inhabited by living beings or capable of sustaining life.

So, even though you are walking about and have faith, but do not follow the teaching of the Bible and call that which is a sin a sin and refrain from it you are incapable of eternal life and so are dead in the eyes of God.

That is where the original blog post ended. From here on I will expand upon what was originally inspired by the Holy Spirit five year ago.

Many that profess to being “Christian” go about their daily lives doing the things that most within this temporal exist do. They go to work. Make a paycheck and spend it upon a home, car and clothes. As well as the necessities. They seek after what all seek after. Keeping a majority of their income unto their own wants and desires just like all others do. Then once a week by chance they go to a building called a “church.” Sing a few hymns say a few prayers and then with all their heart believe and think they are fine and dandy with the Lord Almighty.

They do this week in and week out. Totally unaware that their actions, their works are dead and carry no value unto the Lord that their faith tells them they are loyal to. That they are dead in the sight of God for they have not sought after Him but the world.

1 John 2:15-17 NKJV – Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

These verses make it extremely clear. That those that live their lives as was previously described they are truly dead in the sight of God. No matter what they wish to profess with their faith and belief in God through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.

As I have shown and taught in multiple past podcasts. The actions required known as “works” in James chapter two. Is to live a simple lifestyle. To keep a majority of our earthly wealth at the ready to help those in need. The poor, the hungry, those caught in natural disasters. Living our lives solely for the glory of God through the teachings found within the Bible. This equates to life in the sight of the Lord.

Not rituals like those performed by the Catholic church for example. Rituals and works are two completely different things.

Works done through faith in the belief of Jesus Christ means to seek to emulate our Savior and to live as we are taught to live within the Bible.

Matthew 6:19-24 NLT – “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.

If you desire to serve God. Sell the big useless space house for a small house or condo. And not an expensive condo in an exclusive community either. Like the Villages in Florida for example. Sell off and just get rid of those useless items cluttering up your house for they are nothing but idols to your own vanity. Get rid of the Golf clubs and box seats at football or basketball. For sports are the modern gladiators and are those things that appeal to gentiles not servants of God. So, if the church you attend celebrates the super bowl it is not a place of God but of heathen worship. Get rid of the BMW or the Raptor and get a used car or truck by Nissan or Ford. Don’t be saying I can’t retire until I get a million dollars in your 401k, and don’t be seeking to make a 401k that large in the first place. For the majority of what we have is not for our use but God’s.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 NKJV – Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

The most evident witness to a lukewarm I personally witnessed was a person driving a Lexus with “I Love Jesus” stickers plastered upon the back of it. And what has Christ promised to do to the lukewarm?

Revelation 3:15-16 NKJV – “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

John 15:6 NKJV – If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

When Christ speaks of fire and burning, He is making reference to one thing:

Isaiah 66:24 NKJV – “And they shall go forth and look Upon the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, And their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.

Do not presume that you are exempt that you cannot loss your salvation. These are the words given to those that professed to being “Christian” in Rome:

Romans 2:6-11 NLT – He will judge everyone according to what they have done. He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.

As I have established in passed podcast any who believe they cannot lose their salvation believe they are favored by God. But as was just shown within the Bible God has no favorites.

Just because someone professes to being “Christian” does not make them favored or special. In fact they are the lukewarm if they live their lives like the rest of the world does and so are seen as worse than those that are cold and out right deny God. This is how Christ saw the Pharisees as is witnessed in these verses:

Luke 16:14-17 NKJV – Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it. And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.

As shown in podcast #114 those that are called an “abomination” equate to being on the same level as the antichrist and those that follow that person.

Is this how you wish to be known for all eternity within the Pit of Fire? Or do you wish to be a true disciple of Christ Jesus?

Time is running. Action is required on your part. For you have a say in your salvation. Where you wish to abide is in your hands, but you must act quickly for Christ is soon to return.

God Bless

Blog for Podcast #75 (Sardis)

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Intro

This is Dreamwalker1960. As a reminder you can read the transcripts of all my podcasts at dreamwalker1960.com. You can use most podcast platforms if you wish to listen. All you need do is do a search for Dreamwalker1960.

Discussion

I have looked at the seven letters in the book of Revelation before in past podcasts and blog posts, but God wishes me to do a more detailed look at the letter to Sardis. Now as I have shown in these podcasts and blog studies. The letters are not just concurrent. Which means we can find every example of these seven churches in the behavior and actions of those that profess to being “Christian,” at this very moment. But that they are also chronological. Which means that the majority of those that call themselves “Christian” behave in the manner shown in order from the first letter to the seventh. The last letter is that of the lukewarm, which is the time we now live within.

Then why bother looking at the fifth letter if we are living in the times of the last letter of the lukewarm Christian? As stated afore there are examples of all the churches going on at this very moment. I must also add this though. When looking at the behavior of the lukewarm Christian, does it not reflect that of the dead Christian of the letter to Sardis.

And yes, you heard me right. I said the “Dead Christian.”

For these letters to the seven “CHURCHES” reflect Christianity not those that deny Christ. Therefore, we are seeing the behavior of those that profess to call themselves “Christian.” How do they do this? They go to church. They say they believe in Jesus Christ and that He is their Savior. They even tithe 10% of their income. And do many things for the “church.”

Now let’s look at the entire letter to Sardis:

Revelation 3:1-6 – “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Sardis. This is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars: “I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. 3 Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief. 4 “Yet there are some in the church in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes with evil. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine. 6 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.

What is the very first thing that the Glorified Jesus Christ says to these “Christians?”

““I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead.”

So let us now deal with this rejection that these people that believed they were right with God encountered from the KJV of this verse:

Revelation 3:1 – And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

In today’s world those that fully profess to being the name “Christian.” They believe that this name says it all. That their name is written in the Book of Like. That they are one with Christ and are His tools and in His service. That by just saying the name of our Savior is enough to protect and carry them on into heaven.

However, Jesus Christ makes it clear that this is not the truth. In fact, they are dead. Not physically dead, but spiritual dead.

Most do not wish to hear this. Most reject that this is even possible. Yet, this letter was dictated by Jesus Christ Himself. There are those that deny any part of the Bible that is not the Gospels. They reject the Word of God.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

We have an entire Bible made of both the Old and the New Testament. It is not just the New and it is not just the Old. When these two books became one book they became “Scripture.” Also note that the New Testament is not just the Gospels and the book of Acts. It also includes letters by Paul, James, Peter and John. Consequently, to deny any part of the Bible is to deny God Himself. Now you can see that with this one example of what is and what is not “Scripture.” Shows that there are those that can be considered “dead” to the Glorified Jesus Christ.

What are other examples of those that can be seen as “dead” to Christ?

1 John 2:15-16 – Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.

Now when you read the first part of this second chapter from the first letter of John. You see that he is addressing those that are old and new to the belief that they are “Christians.” Therefore, these two verses are directly aimed at those that profess to being “Christian.”

Yet, they seek after wealth, luxuries. They seek after activities that give them physical pleasure. Like sporting activities and even sex. They seek after and take pride in the worldly achievements. As well as seek after fancy cars, big houses and all the decorations that fill and adorn these objects. And in each one of these actions, they take a step into the world. They move further and further away from God and His Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Until they finally get to a point where they are cut from the branch of the Holy Vine who is Jesus Christ. Causing them to be dead unto Him.

John 15:1-2 – “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.

You cannot be a part of the vine unless you are born again. Unless you are what can truly be called a “Christian.”

Let us move on to the KJV of verse 2:

Revelation 3:2 – Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.

Be watchful and to awaken have the same meaning. It is the guard watching the city at night. Not to fall asleep. To be vigilant.

Vigilant is defined as: always being careful to notice things, especially possible danger per Cambridge Dictionary.

Christ is telling people there is a chance to redeem themselves in His eyes which will correct their path towards death and be able to be seen as worthy to stand before God. As is made clear in verse three:

Revelation 3:3 – Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

“Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent.”

Repent – G3340 – metanoeó – I repent, change my mind, change the inner man (particularly with reference to acceptance of the will of God.  per Bible Hub.

Stating that these people have turned their backs upon God and are going away from Him not toward Him. So, they are called upon to repent of their behavior and return to the true path of being a true “Christian.”

This is done by rejecting the world. Not to seek after wealth, fancy homes, and comforts here on earth, but to seek after their treasures in heaven.

 Matthew 6:19-24 – “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. 22 “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! 24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.

In 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 we are instructed to give most of our wealth away. So those that give a whole 10% as tithe have it backwards. They should keep 10% to meet their needs and give 90% away.

Throughout the years as I have grown in my faith and belief in Jesus Christ as my Savior, I have had God taking my worldly possessions away from me more than once. The biggest and greatest of these lessons occurred in what I call my year of Job. In 2013 I had reached the point where I could either be dead to Christ or alive to Him. I lost most of my possessions amongst other events that year that made me face God one again and be His disciple. I now live a life of needs only. I do not seek after things of this world that go beyond a need requirement. For I seek to have my treasures in heaven not here on earth.

Now let us look at verses 4 and 5:

Revelation 3:4-5 – Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. 5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

It is made very clear here. That there are those that do not seek after the world; that are seen as worthy to stand before God. The implication is made clear. Those that repent and stop seeking after the world will be called overcomers and they too will once again be allowed to wear white robes.

But it is also made very clear. That those that continue to pursue the world will have their names removed from the Book of Life to be called dead and worth only of going where those that refuse to be one with Christ go:

John 15:6 – If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

To wither is to be dead and those that die spiritually will be cast into the fires of damnation.

Ponder upon this study and think hard about your own lives.

God Bless.

Faith without works is dead, but what does that mean?

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re-post
That is what I have been led to address. It is said twice in James the same wording is used both times in the Greek. So here it goes:
James 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Faith – pistis – faith, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, faithfulness.
In the pure Greek meaning of the word “pistis” it has the actual and passive sense of “trusting” and “worthy of trust.”
Paul placed “pistis” or “faith” at the core of theology. We must remember that Paul was originally a Pharisee and had persecuted early Christians before his encounter with the risen Jesus. To quote from the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (NTD) –
“Primarily, it is acceptance of the kerygma, i.e. subjection to the way of salvation ordained by God and opened up in Christ.”
Trust me “kerygma” threw me for a loop also, so we need to understand that as well:
Kerygma (from the Greek word κήρυγμα kérugma) is a Greek word used in the New Testament for “preaching” (see Luke 4:18-19, Romans 10:14, Matthew 3:1). It is related to the Greek verb κηρύσσω kērússō meaning, literally, “to cry or proclaim as a herald” and used in the sense of “to proclaim, announce, preach”.
So to Paul this was the key element of his teachings. Pure faith and belief in God and that His Son is Jesus Christ.
Works – labor, action, deed
a) Labor – Noun – work, especially hard physical work. Verb – work hard; make great effort
b) Action – the fact or process of doing something, typically to achieve an aim; a thing done; an act
c) Deed – an action that is performed intentionally or consciously
I wish to look more deeply in the word “action” especially the “process of doing something” and “an act.”
When you hear the wording “process of doing something” you think of an endeavor. Something that takes a great deal of time to accomplish.
Now “an act” that is where I really which to delve:
One of the meanings of act is defined as “behave in the way specified.”
But where is a type of behavior specified for Christians? The answer is the Bible. So our labor, our actions, and our deeds must work within the specified nature of the Bible.
So faith in God through His Son Jesus leads us to follow the teachings of Christ and His disciples, which is the Bible. Meaning we must follow and adhere to what is written within these letters and that we are to repent of our sins and strife to become a true reflection of Jesus Christ.
If we do not follow the Bible than it is “dead.”
Dead – nekros – (a) adj: dead, lifeless, subject to death, mortal, (b) noun: a dead body, a corpse. Per the NTD in this particular case it could infer “lifeless” or “lifelessness.”
Lifelessness – 1. Having no life; inanimate; 2. Having lost life; dead; 3. Not inhabited by living beings or capable of sustaining life.
So even though you are walking about and have faith, but do not follow the teaching of the Bible and call that which is a sin a sin and refrain from it you are incapable of eternal life and so are dead in the eyes of God.

The death of a dream

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Now before I go forward with this article I must lay a foundation.
Acts 2:17 says your old shall be dreamers of dreams. I am one of these, so when I say that Martin Luther King received a vision from God in the form of a dream. I can attest that there is truth to his vision.
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.”
In Mr. King’s now famous “I had a dream” speech. He saw a united nation of all races living in harmony as one. It was his desire to see this reality take place not after the return of Jesus Christ, but before. Could his dream have actually been a vision of what is to be during the Millennial Reign to come? That is a possibility.
Here is the thing though. Since his death till 2008 we had nearly accomplished his dream as he desired it to be. That was witnessed by the mere fact that a “black man” was elected president of the United States.
Then people started listening to the hate merchants once again. All due to the fact that it was encouraged to some degree by that very person placed into the white house.
As the common folk listened to these people that did not promote the Bible, but their own agendas that would divide this country not only on racial lines but financial as well. The once precious dream of, as I see it, a true follower of our Savior, began to be broken and trampled upon by these haters of humanity and as I see it, of God Himself.
The Bible warns us of these people in Romans.
Romans 16:17 – And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. 18 Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people.
Yet people listen to them when the Bible makes it clear that they must be shunned. But why do they listen?
Because God has been removed from where He should be for God is to be at the center of all things, everywhere and every day. He is not because people with power wish to be gods themselves as is witnessed by the behavior of the man in the white house.
Now we have two more seeking that office that reflect this same desire and image of humanity ruling humanity.
The dream of Martin Luther King is dying from this temporal plain. If it does die it will not be fulfilled till after Christ’s return to this reality. And those like Obama, Sharpton and Jackson are the murderers of Mr. King’s costly dream.

“I think the church is a sleeping giant that needs to wakeup.” My view of this statement

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This quote is from Greg Laurie. Personally never hear of the man, nor do I know when he made this statement. All I can say is that if the church is still asleep today, it is dead.
Why do I say this?
No true Christian would support a group that denies God. This has been documented to be where the Democratic Party stands, yet there are those that call themselves “Christian” and still vote and support Democrats.
Matthew 10:33 – “But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”
No true Christian would support Abortion, especially after the videos that came out last year stating that Planned Parenthood was cutting up babies and selling their body parts. This IS human sacrifice and any that would call themselves “Christian” and support this are an insult to God every time they say they are “Christian.”
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 – “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
No true Christian would tell sinners it is ok to live in sin because God loves them. It is true that God does love them, but per Proverbs 13:24 – “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.” So yes love them, but in that love tell them that if they do not stop living in sin, no matter how painful it is for them to stop, then they will not make it into heaven.
1 Corinthians 6:9 – “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived….”
If we are awake we will do what is right in the Lord and put away from us those that deny God.
2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 – “And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.”
2 Timothy 4:1-5 – “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”
Matthew 5:10-12 – “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”