My dad an older sister went to the beach but I liked to sleep in. When I was looking for their towels I saw carl lentz.

I am not perfect.

I couldn’t resist.

I started to act frustrated, kicking sand, tossing my towel, scanning the area with angry eyes. I was pulling on my long hair muttering where is it, it’s not fair, it’s not there.

You look stressed,

Duh i can’t find my phone

Did you check your pocket?

My swim suit doesn’t have pockets

Do you know jesus?

is he gonna help me find my phone ?

Maybe, but I’m sure he can give you peace until you do. I get stressed too, just like you when I can’t have what i want when I want it, but the Bible says jesus wants me to have peace all the time, which would include frustrating moments like you are in. You can have peace all the time. Jesus promised would you want that?

What do i have to do.

Just believe like I do.

Believe what

That you have your own personal jesus in your pocket, and you can take him out whenever you have to wait for something, you want. Check it, say you have to wait inline at the grocery store, it’s a such a drag right. You can stand in line and be mad, or now you can sit on the floor and pull out your jesus from your pocket and go where’s my peace you promised.

Wow that’s really cool. I pulled out my phone, from my backpack, and said can you say that again I want to record it.

Carl said the whole thing again and added in some color. When he was done,

I put my phone back in the backpack.

Wait, did you know the whole time, where your phone was.

Yes

So you kinda lied than?

I guess, I didn’t have the whole thing planned, I just wanted to ask you more about your sermon peace in my pocket.

You could have just asked, no need for dishonest theatrics.

I’m sorry,

Forgiven. What did you want to ask?

The Bible promises persecution. Forgetting where you put a personal item, having to wait in line at an apple store, or a plane delay, are all examples of inconveniences even a heathen would go through. Why use those examples and not Jesus or the apostles being chased by an angry mob?

I try to meet people where they are at, most people can relate to having misplaced something, which alludes to us misplacing where we put Jesus.

Jesus promised peace I can show you all the verses, his yoke was light.

So when he died on a cross was that light, or when he said if they hated me they will hate you, if you don’t pick up your cross, you’re not on his team?

But I have all these verses about peace, and I have the personal testimony that Jesus gives me peace when I’m waiting in line.

Do you deny that Persecution is promised?

That is not the hook that Jesus lead with. It makes no sense to spread the good news by telling people all the bad fine print. We lead off with all the good news about trusting in Jesus like peace, not persecution. I know all about people like you who get mad at me because I don’t focus on enough on telling people that the party is over when you accept Jesus, that peace and prosperity are signs of perversion. I should be more doom and gloom, but that’s not how Jesus was. Check it he was accused of being a glutton, his first miracle was turning water into wine, and the very persecution you want me to warn people about ironically Jesus was persecuted by kill joys, just like you. People like you wanted to kill the prince of peace that came into the world. I was just minding my own business, and it was you who began to test me, to judge me, persecute me for my beliefs.

I apologize. I’m not trying to persecute you, but give you peace, and understanding.

Understand what?

Are you familiar with 1 peter chapter 4?

I have read the whole Bible

I think that chapter would give you understanding about how to reconcile peace and persecution.

i don’t need to reconcile it, i have peace that surpasses understanding.

Oh, i thought maybe you focused on peace, because you were afraid or persecution?

No, I’m not afraid,

a minute ago, you said i was persecuting you,

That what it felt like, i am under constant judgement and scrutiny if my life my words don’t perfectly match what someone else’s exact interpretation of the scriptures. that’s why i need to remember that Jesus is in my pocket to grant me peace whenever i feel imperfect.

i think that’s ok that Jesus comforts you when you get stressed out but I think you are missing something

Oh great here comes the legalistic persecution again

I’m not perfect either look at how i started this off with a ruse. I apologize if I come off as persecuting you.

It does come off that way. Too add insult to injury you a little girl who is trying to show me that you are wiser than me a grown man.

What if we look at as, I see peace in your pocket as a snack, there’s nothing necessarily wrong with it but I want to invite you over to dinner to eat full home cooked meal.

I’m a health nut, snacks are bad.

A hard boiled egg is a snack

Ok. You want me to come over and eat the chicken, and the steamed vegetables sides ok, bring it out.

If the Bible is true, than the persecution promise is true.

Why? Our flesh would really like to know maybe even find an escape clause. Even Jesus prayed tears of blood in the garden, if there was another way.

But he didn’t deny his cross when it came. Persecution to the flesh looks terrible. But when we accept God’s gracious gift to become born again of the spirit, the new spirit recognizes that persecution is sign we’re on the narrow road.

The flesh doesn’t perceive the inverted view of the spirit. It doesn’t believe in the great reversals of fortunes. Those comfortable now during the reign of the evil, will be uncomfortable when Jesus comes to stomp on the serpent’s head.

If you follow Jesus there will be external persecution but the spirit of God offers an internal peace because persecution means you share in Christ sufferings and you will be rewarded for it. Jesus brought a divisive sword to the devils kingdom. There is no peace between the devil and Jesus. You love the one and hate the other. To put your faith in Jesus, to say that’s my king you simultaneously declare war with devil. The evil one will not grant you peace. he will use whatever weapon he can to get close to you. If he can enter Judas to betray Jesus he can enter the people close to you, your own family. The devil started the war but he looses when Jesus finishes him. Then there will be peace through and through when the devil gets his due.

Matthew 5

11“God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. 12Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.

2 timothy 3:12

In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

1 peter 4

12Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.

“The world cannot hate you, but it does hate Me because I testify about it — that its deeds are evil.”

John 7:7 HCSB

https://www.bible.com/72/jhn.7.7.hcsb

Jesus told his disciples if they hated me, they will hate you. ““If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will also keep yours. But they will do all these things to you on account of My name, because they don’t know the One who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin. Now they have no excuse for their sin. The one who hates Me also hates My Father. If I had not done the works among them that no one else has done, they would not have sin. Now they have seen and hated both Me and My Father. But this happened so that the statement written in their scripture might be fulfilled: They hated Me for no reason.”

John 15:18-25 HCSB

https://www.bible.com/72/jhn.15.18-25.hcsb

1 Peter 4

“Therefore, since Christ suffered in the flesh, equip yourselves also with the same resolve — because the one who suffered in the flesh has finished with sin — in order to live the remaining time in the flesh, no longer for human desires, but for God’s will. For there has already been enough time spent in doing what the pagans choose to do: carrying on in unrestrained behavior, evil desires, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and lawless idolatry. So they are surprised that you don’t plunge with them into the same flood of wild living — and they slander you. They will give an account to the One who stands ready to judge the living and the dead. For this reason the gospel was also preached to those who are now dead, so that, although they might be judged by men in the fleshly realm, they might live by God in the spiritual realm. Now the end of all things is near; therefore, be serious and disciplined for prayer. Above all, maintain an intense love for each other, since love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Based on the gift each one has received, use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God. If anyone speaks, it should be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, it should be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To Him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you as if something unusual were happening to you. Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of the Messiah, so that you may also rejoice with great joy at the revelation of His glory. If you are ridiculed for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. None of you, however, should suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a meddler. But if anyone suffers as a “Christian,” he should not be ashamed but should glorify God in having that name. For the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God? And if a righteous person is saved with difficulty, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner? So those who suffer according to God’s will should, while doing what is good, entrust themselves to a faithful Creator.”

1 Peter 4:1-19 HCSB

https://www.bible.com/72/1pe.4.1-19.hcsb