BETRAYAL / CHRISTIAN WOMAN DISCUSSION #11

During my journey of trying to be a good Christian woman to become the 73-year-old faith-driven Christian woman I am today, I have learned a great deal, and I will continue to learn new things each day until the day I get called home. One of the worst things, if not the worst, I have learned that we can possibly do to another individual is the act of betrayal.

Our parents have taught us, and so has Scripture, that this action always gets caused whenever we reject the Lord’s will and fight for our own. And it is the Lord who can relate the subject of betrayal to us. And if any of us, being Christians, strives to become one of His disciples, we can never ever betray the Lord, our spouses, or anyone we love; we must consistently submit to His will.

Whenever we get betrayed ourselves, we must find the willingness through Scripture to forgive those betrayers just as our Lord had forgiven His.

And if we should ever happen to become one, we need to realize our quilt and act accordingly; as an example, we need to read MATTHEW 27:3-5 [NKJV]:

[3]“Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

[4] saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!”

[5] Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.

We need to realize that one of the prerequisites for a betrayal is an undealt with frustration that ultimately boils over; an undealt frustration is caused by pretending that no problems exist when there are. Frustrations are never a singular event, such as best friends splitting up over one argument. Betrayals should get noted as occurring whenever there are too many improperly handled frustrations.

We get reminded of this in recalling what we find located in EPHESIANS 4:26-27 [NKJV]

[26] Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath,  

[27] nor give place to the devil.

We need to realize that The Bible contains a lot of information regarding betrayal’s relationship to sin as a response to sin stemming from denial, despair, or repentance.

If someone has not repented and yet is not completely crushed by their sin, it means they are in denial and refuse to believe how bad sin really is. When repentance has not happened, but someone can no longer deny how horrible their sinfulness is, despair occurs, and they cannot live long under this weight of condemnation [see above MATTHEW 27:3-5 [NKJV]

The only good solution is to repent and receive God’s grace.

Have a MOST BLESSED WEEK, my dear sisters-in-Christ, as you strive to be the best you can be in the eyes of the Lord !!! 😊 😊 😊

A TESTIMONY TO OUR LORD and SAVIOR

Forgetting for a moment that I am a 73-year-old faith-driven Christian woman, if there is one thing that I desire at my age, it would have to be to possess consistency in my life. This is why I am grateful for being the woman I have become during the past four years of my journey ever since I began simply trying to be a good Christian woman, for I now have the Lord as a vital, consistent segment of my life.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” HEBREWS 13:8 – NKJV

I am and will forever be grateful and thankful to our Lord and Savior, Jesus, for never changing but for His remaining the same yesterday, today, and forever, for the Lord has forever been faithful in my eyes, regardless of the changes that have occurred in my life. I have always depended on Him to love me and my family steadfastly and without any reservations, and I depend on His grace to be sufficient for our needs.

Given this, we have always cherished His love and grace. As a family, we present ourselves before the Lord, coming meekly before Him with our hearts laden with the worry and burdens we are carrying continuously. Because of this, as a family, we have finally decided to let go so He can unburden us. As we surrender everything to the Lord, we will receive His ever-present peace and freedom. Our hope in our Lord and Savior is overflowing in us as we remain wholeheartedly connected to Him and place our trust in Him completely for all that we need all the days of our lives. We are free by having Christ as a vital part of our existence.

Have a BLESSED WEEK, my dear sisters-in-Christ, in whatever you have planned on doing with your loving families, especially if it is something for our Lord and Savior from me and my dear OH of the past 30 years !!! 😊😊😊

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WORK HARD AND BE NICE // CHRISTIAN WOMEN AT WORK #9

This is a reposting from:

https://www.christianwomenatwork.com/post/work-hard-and-be-nice-4-min-read

By Christian Woman 05/02/21

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” (Psalm 32:8)

As I look back on my childhood, I am reminded of the values my parents instilled in me. Values which I have carried into my professional life. “Work hard” and “be nice” are principles they modeled as I was growing up that I try to bring with me to work. “Work hard” is not about being perfect; it is about doing my best. “Be nice” is not about being superficial. It is about caring for others in a sincere, gracious, and respectful manner. Just as I bring principles to work I have learned from my father and mother, I also strive to bring principles to work I have learned from my Heavenly  Father.

To learn how to conduct myself in a way that honors my parents and blesses others, I needed to spend time with them and learn from them. I saw in them what they hoped to develop in me. It is the same as I strive to live God’s principles at work. 

I see the values in God that He wants to help me develop. However, I need to spend time with Him to learn what they are, why they are important, and how to apply them. This only comes from time in His Presence and in His Word. There is no other way to have God’s values instilled in us than by learning more about Him,  watching His faithfulness and love in all situations, and putting these principles in place. This is how we bring our faith to work.

Today, many people believe they cannot bring their faith to work. But I would say, “How can we not bring our faith to work?” Our faith involves what we say and do, how we make decisions, how we treat others, how we spend our time, and how we handle tough situations. Our reactions and actions are always based upon something. As Christian Women in the workplace, we want these to be based on our faith and what we believe.

There is no better way to know what to do than to learn from the One who knows what is right and what is best for us and others.

“Work hard” is a biblical principle. Working hard is one way of bringing your faith to work. Consider what  the Lord says in His Word about how to work:

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” (Colossians 3:23)

“And to aspire to live quietly, and  to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed  you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on  no one.” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12)

“Show yourself in all respects to be a  model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and  sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to  shame, having nothing evil to say about us.” (Titus 2:7-8)

“Be nice” is also a biblical principle and another way of bringing your faith to work. Consider what  the Lord says in His Word on how to treat others:

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6: 31)

“The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:31)

“My dear brothers and sisters, take  note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow  to become angry.” (James 1:19)

As you see the above verses, be confident that these are only a few of the principles God shares in His  Word about how to work and how to treat others. The more we spend time in His Presence, and the more we read His Word, the more we will see His love, direction, wisdom, and encouragement on how we can live His principles at work. In this way, we bring our faith to work in a way that blesses others and honors God.

This week, as you read His Word,  consider the beauty, wisdom, and applicability at work. Take at least one of those principles to work. Perhaps it is about communication, decision-making, or dealing with a conflict. Whatever you anticipate dealing with, take your Heavenly Father and His principles to work.

Have a blessed week!

OUR BEAUTY//CHRISTIAN WOMAN DISCUSSION #10

My dear sisters-in-Christ, let us be truthful; one of the main things that many of the things that we are concerned about deals with our vanity and how beautiful we look when we present ourselves to others. But, given the Christian women that we are, shouldn’t we realize that this is of no intrinsic value when it comes to the eyes of the Lord, but possessing a sense of humility is? We can find this written about when we read 1 PETER 3:3-4 [NKJV]:

[3] “Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—”

[4] “rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.”

About humility, we need to recall that we are told of the following in PROVERBS 22:4 [NKJV]:

“By humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches and honor and life.”

And in our desire to become like a PROVERBS 31 woman, we must remember and keep in our minds the words of VERSE 30 [NKJV]:

“Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,

But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.”

Being a 73-year-old faith-driven Christian woman, one of the best descriptions I know in scripture regarding how the Lord looks at us as the women we are can be found in reading 1 SAMUEL 16:7 [NKJV]:

“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

My dear sisters-in-Christ, have a BLESSED WEDNESDAY in whatever you’re going to be doing, especially if it involves doing something in the Lord’s name, as you try to be the best you can be in His eyes !!! 😊😊😊  

Your comments and feedback would be greatly appreciated.

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL BARRIERS TO TIME MANAGEMENT // CHRISTIAN WOMEN AT WORK #8

This is a reposting from:

https://www.christianwomenatwork.com/post/internal-and-external-barriers-to-time-management-3-min-read

By Chistian Woman 04/26/21

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own  understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your  paths straight.”  Proverbs 3:5-6

People I work with are accustomed to my saying, “It is a process.”  When we start a new initiative or try to improve a procedure, there is usually a learning curve. There may be some unexpected things that occur, and we work through them as we learn what works well and what does not.  We may not fully understand the impact of some things until they are in progress. We do not automatically become better at something until we start initiating it or practicing it. It is the same with successful time management.

Even with the best time management, however, things can happen that overload us. It is reasonable to expect this may occasionally happen, but it should never become the norm for you. Continue to:

* set your priorities on what needs to be done

       * set timelines,

       *stay focused,

       *bring in extra help as needed, and

       *complete what you need to complete.

A prime example of being overloaded with new priorities has been COVID-19. This is something which has occurred to us outside of our control and has certainly affected our time management with its changes and new priorities. This major impact on our time was not in our control yet needed to be dealt with.

The good news is there are many things within our control which make a huge difference in effective time management. You can control things such as:

1.What you say “yes” or “no” to

2.How many tasks or special projects you are going to be involved in

3.What priorities you decide upon

4.When and who you delegate to

5.Staying focused on the task at hand

6.Determining when you have done your best job

One of the factors within our control is whether we say “yes” or “no” to requests. Have you ever said “yes” with a smile, but your heart and mind were saying a loud “no!”? This has certainly happened to all of us. And it is ok if it happens occasionally, but it cannot be an on-going issue. If it is, then it is time to turn to God to ask for His wisdom and insight into why you cannot say “no”. It may be fear of letting someone down or it could be not knowing how to say no without feeling guilty. I often say to people that “yes means no.” There is a cost when we say yes. Saying “yes” to another project may mean “no” to time with your family, as you need to spend extra time on the project. Saying “yes” to a volunteer opportunity may mean saying “no” to doing what you feel the Lord really wants you to use your time and gifts. Perhaps it is really an opportunity for someone else to use their gifts.

The next time you are asked to do something, do not be quick to answer. Rather:

• tell the person you will get back to them
• pray about it
• discuss it with family and friends, and
• see where your peace lies

None of us can say “yes” to everything, so we need to be making wise choices.

If you are someone who has tended to always say “yes,” then this will be a process. It is helpful to read a good book on this common area of concern or spend time talking to a trusted advisor on why it is difficult for you to say “no”. Remember, it will be a process as you develop your own understanding of your reasons for saying yes or no, and your own style of communicating your decisions. Remember, God wants you to have peace and joy as you spend time doing His Will in His Way.

This Week’s Prayer:

Lord, You are an awesome and loving God who wants the best for me, Your child. I do not believe it is Your will for me to be hurried, anxious, busy, stressed. Because then, I cannot hear Your voice, recognize people’s needs, see opportunities to serve, have time to serve and love You & others.  Help me to be in Your will, know Your plans for me, rest & be still in You, and to be disciplined.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

This week, be prayerfully conscious of when you say “yes” and when you say “no”.  May God richly bless you as you honor Him with your gift of time.

Have a wonderful week.

Bonny, Christian Women at Work

BROKENHEARTED // CHRISTIAN WOMAN DISCUSSION #9

Growing up as a child of the 1950s, I can remember loving listening to The Bee Gees singing “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” in 1971. However, being a 73-year-old faith-driven Christian woman, the song has taken on a somewhat different meaning, a meaning that is fraught with scripture.

Putting the topic of this discussion of possessing a broken heart in its simplest terms, for us as a Christian woman, it happens whenever a loved one has gone home to be with the Lord or after an occurrence has caused massive grief in an individual’s life. However, as Christians, we should have come to realize that the Bible is fraught with verses that are capable of reassuring and moving the brokenhearted.

Using PSALM 34:18 [NLT] as the starting point for this week’s discussion, we get told that:

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”

As a Christian woman, we must remember two things about the Lord in regards to a broken heart:

[1] “The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.” PSALM 145:18 [NKJV],

and more importantly:

[2] “He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.” PSALM 147:3 [NLT] 

As Christian women, we are reminded of the following by reading JEREMIAH 29:11 [NLT]:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

If this is the case, then the feeling of us possessing a broken heart might be part and parcel of the Lord’s divine plans He has for each one of us. Furthermore, we get reminded that for “everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven” ECCLESIASTES 3:1 [NKJV], which then goes into specifics in verses 2-8.

As I stated in the beginning, as a Christian woman, we should have come to realize that the Bible is fraught with verses that are capable of reassuring and moving the brokenhearted; we are further reminded of the following regarding the Lord in JOHN 14:27 [NLT]:

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”

Being a faith-driven Christian woman, my dear sisters-in-Christ, I would like to share a few additional verses connected to our Lord healing those of us who get inflicted with a broken heart.  We get reminded of the following when we read MATTHEW 11:28 [NLT]:

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

We get reminded in attempting to mend our broken hearts that we should never do the following when we read PROVERBS 3:5 [NLT]:

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.”

In PSALM 55:22 [NKJV], we get promised the following:

“Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”

Let us say AMEN as we reflect on today’s discussion of scripture.

Have a BLESSED DAY, my dear sisters-in-Christ, as you try to be the best you can be in the eyes of the Lord !!! 😊 😊 😊

Your feedback and comments will be most welcomed.

Please feel free to share this with your sisters-in-Christ.  THANKS

TEMPTATION TO GOSSIP__DEVOTION #4

“Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies!”   PSALM 34:13 [NLT]

Begs the question of how can I keep my mouth from spreading lies and keep my tongue from evil?

Growing up as a Christian teenage girl going to a secular school, I can remember how my peers would always be on the lookout for the gossip tidbit regarding another girl regardless of which group was involved, which I never really got engaged with being a part of. The reason for this was because of what my mother told me about her teenage years.

So, allow me to give you, my young sisters-in-Christ, the following grandmotherly advice. The next time you hear one of the other girls say something mean about someone else, girl or boy, don’t get involved with the ensuing conversation. I want you to think about how you would feel if someone would say horrific things about you, whether or not there was any truth. Mere words can cause a great deal of harm, for once they have been spoken, they can never be taken back. The only resolution for the harm is forgiveness.

From my teenage experience, I have seen whenever someone gossips about another individual, it can do irreparable harm to that individual’s reputation. A popular individual at school can overnight become someone who needs to be avoided at any cost.

Malicious intended words can easily harm the victim of the gossip psychologically and emotionally and, at times, even cause them to be harmed spiritually as well as physically.

You need to remember that the Lord has warned you through His words to keep your tongue away from evil and your lips from spreading lies. Being a grandmotherly Christian woman, I want you to know that this means that you must always be aware of who you’re hanging out with and alert to what you happen to hear.

In other words, when you get down to the bottom line, it means being astute with what you’re saying in front of others. If find yourself beginning to engage in gossiping about someone, instantly stop and go away from the developing situation before you hurt someone with your words. And then, turn to the Lord for His assistance in guarding your tongue and thinking before you utter another word.

So, take this grandmotherly advice from me: Whenever you sense the temptation to gossip beginning to raise its head, say something, like the words of this brief prayer:

“My Lord and Savior, I ask that you guard my tongue from all evil, and my lips from the utterance of all falsehoods. And may my soul be silent to anyone who desires to insult me.”

CHRISTIAN WOMANHOOD// CHRISTIAN WOMAN DISCUSSION #8

Before I venture into this discussion of Christian womanhood as the 73-year-old faith-driven I have become, I need to recall my being a secular individual, so I went and found a few non-scriptural quotations that deal with who we are as a Christian woman. I want to share them with you, my sisters-in-Christ who are reading this.

“Just being a woman is God’s gift. The origin of a child is a mother, a woman. She shows a man what sharing, caring, and loving is all about. That is the essence of a woman.” Sushmita Sen

“Behind every successful man, there is a woman. But behind a real woman, there is God.” Mercy Pheona

“A beautiful woman uses her lips for Truth, her voice for Kindness, her ears for Compassion, her hands for Charity, and her heart for Love. For those who do not like her, she uses Prayer.” Unknown

If you’re a woman, then you’ll probably have to admit that you’re a perfectionist in practically all that you do and in all phases of your lives. Aren’t you too often self-conscious as to who you are in reality, repeatedly checking in a mirror as to how you present yourself to others and being a Christian woman, more importantly, to our Lord and Savior in His ever-seeing eyes?

While many women are satisfied merely attaining the goals they’ve set for themselves. As a Christian woman, aren’t you usually setting these goals at higher, almost unattainable levels to test yourselves regarding your genuine individuality and the special relationship you share with the Lord.

Christian women need to possess a continuous feeling of their Lord’s presence in their lives to keep their commitment to having their minds and hearts continue without any end in their faith.

Perhaps part of what Christian women desire to have can be found in EPHESIANS 3:16-17 [NKJV]

“That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love.”

As a Christian woman, you know the vital role you play in the lives of others, especially those who are members of families who require comforting support when they need it the most. Everything that you do is part of the path the Lord has set before you, a journey that you need to follow without any deviating from the path.

Too many times in your journeys, you forsake your own needs, which creates hurdles that you need to overcome to live the life you’re entitled to have as a Christian woman.

You’re told the following in 1 PETER 3:3-4 [NKJV]:

[3] Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—

[4] rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

All of this is the key to us being a Christian woman. The lives of women are to be fraught with the gratification and fulfillment that they’re entitled to enjoy, lives that contain the uniting gift the Lord has given them of the unique womanhood, motherhood, and sisterhood that they share.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my post for this Friday, and I’d love for you to leave me your comments and feedback – THANKS

Have a BLESSED WEEKEND with your loving families doing whatever you’ve planned on doing !!! 

NONFICTION CHRISTIAN BOOK REVIEW #2024-001 – AS LONG AS YOU NEED

As a 73-year-old faith-driven Christian woman, I’ve found that when a loved one of a Christian dies, we have our own unique way of mourning, unlike the rest of the world, since we possess an everlasting hope of what is to come that they don’t possess. According to Scripture, we’re reminded in 1 THESSALONIANS 4:13 that since we’re in Christ, death isn’t the end and that grieving is only a passing situation. As Christians, we realize that while our mourning isn’t a pleasant situation, it’s still a part of our existence; for with the relationship we have with the Lord, we know what we’re told in REVELATION 7:17 [NKJV]:

“For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Mourning is not supposed to be perpetual, and we’re reminded of this in ECCLESIASTES 3:1-8 [NKJV]:

[1] To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:

[2] A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;

[3] A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up;

[4] A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;

[5] A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;

[6] A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away;

[7] A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;

[8] A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.

One of the worst things anyone can experience is the death of a loved one, and when it occurs, a state of mourning ensues since someone we value has been taken from us, creating a state of grieving deeply. While the act of mourning might be painful, I’ve learned in my journey of trying to be a good Christian woman that it’s capable of bringing our hearts into line with that of the heart of our Lord, for according to MATTHEW 5:4 [NKJV]: “Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.”

Having worked in a hospital environment for just over 33 years in the city hospitals of New York City in various nonmedical positions, I have witnessed the broad spectrum of emotions that abound. Through all of these emotional outbursts that the patient’s relatives manifest, the comforting component that is always present is that belonging to the various chaplains of the hospital. One of my tasks for several years working in a hospital environment was to find out the bill would be paid after the patient got admitted, which involved being attuned to the emotional state of the patient’s relatives, which could be quite daunting at times.

The author of this book, J.S. Park, is one such chaplain who has experienced the emotionally fraught task of his position by being a deeply empathetic listener and grief catcher who has held the joy and, unfortunately, the pain and questions of thousands of patients. From my own life experience and being a Christian blogger with a small online ministry, I can understand how the suppression of grief and the mourning process only add an overpowering additional component to the pain individuals already have to endure.

Chaplain Park has done a magnificent job of communicating to his readers by telling them it is all right to grief without any required permission, as others might have told them throughout their lives, and providing them with alternatives to assist them in surviving their loss at their own rate of comfort, which includes the encouragement of their grief that can aid in the healing of their loss. Being faith-driven, I know that maintaining one’s faith in times of grief requires additional empathy and the instilling of hope, which Chaplain Park has been sure to include in the pages of his enlightening and supportive endeavor to improve the lives of those who are in need of mourning a loved; which is why as a former voracious reviewer of nonfiction Christian books, I am happy to have given this book 5 STARS.

The book will be available for sale on April 16, 2024, and here is the link to purchase a copy from your favorite online source for books:  https://bit.ly/3SYKmpb

FORGIVING A BULLY__DEVOTION #3

Growing up as a teenage Christian girl, given my appearance, I wound up getting bullied regularly. And if this has ever occurred to you, I know precisely how you felt. You wound up asking yourself the same question I did back then. You’ve asked yourself: “How can I love my enemies and pray for those who mistreat me?”

So, if you have, I know it’s not an easy thing to get through, especially as a teenager.

If you have told your family or friends you hate the person who’s bullying you at school, then you probably said that you hate them out of anger and frustration.

If not, then perhaps you said that you hate them out of fear. Being a 73-year-old faith-driven Christian woman, old even to be your grandmother, I want you to know there is a challenging Scriptural verse to swallow in the Bible: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute, in other words, mistreat you.

Hearing this, I can imagine that you’re thinking, “That’s outrageous. Why would I ever want to do this? They’re hurting me, and I want to want to hurt them back, for I remember reading in Exodus, “An eye for an eye.”

My telling you to pray for your enemies is something I know you’re finding it difficult to understand.

Instead of hating someone because of what they’ve done to you, I would try telling them how they’ve hurt you. Follow this by telling them, “I’m praying that your day gets better.”

This should catch that person off guard, as it will completely stun them into silence when you say you’re praying for them. If need be, you can ask the Lord to help you pray for anyone who is bullying you, as it will also help heal your emotional wounds. As an example, the next time you’re bullied, try saying this prayer: “Lord, please help me to want to pray for those who persecute me.”

In turning to the words of the Lord, I know that,

[43] “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

[44] But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

MATTHEW 5:43-44 [NKJV]