Rom 8:18 (NIV) I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with THE GLORY that will be revealed in us. The people that Jesus calls “the world” will resist the fact that you openly confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. But, the way a business person, an athlete, or a student faces the pain and suffering they go through is, they consider that their present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in them. They have a goal, a dream, a plan, and a future. They aren’t willing to allow any person, group, circumstance, challenge, or requirement stand in their way; pray for this attitude as a Christian.

Mat 5:10 (NIV) Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. If a person is persecuting you because of righteousness, then they are a person who lies, steals, cheats, misleads, assonates people’s character, and tries to get to the top by walking over people. Why should we care what their opinion is? Should we start lying, stealing, cheating, misleading, assonating people’s character, and trying to get to the top by walking over people? And, even if we don’t do any of those things, should we be silent and let people think we are that kind of person? Are we willing to do this “just so we can be accepted by THE WORLD?”

Mat 5:11 (NIV) Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. The top students, the top athletes, the top business people, and the top sales people ALWAYS have their critics. There are always people trying to pull you down to their level. Jesus is raising you to the top of true success; He is teaching and empowering you to win without cheating or hurting anyone. That “should be” praised, appreciated, and supported by everyone on the planet; but, “the world” hates honest, fair, loving, kind, and righteous people. Why? Because it proves that it doesn’t take lying, stealing, cheating, misleading, assonating people’s character, and trying to get to the top by walking over people.

Mat 5:12 (NIV) Rejoice and be glad, BECAUSE great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. We all have people we admire, respect, and try to pattern our life after. When you came to Jesus, you had your heroes that you allowed to set the patterns for your life. But, if you really want to succeed, win, and be the best, you will trade them for Jesus, the heroes in the Bible, and the Christians around you who are following Jesus.

Actors and actresses suffer for temporary fame; business people suffer for temporary wealth; leaders suffer for temporary power and influence; and, addicts suffer for temporary pleasure. But, YOU have temporary and eternal possessions, positions, power, prestige, popularity, pleasure, and accomplishments. You will have to do some suffering; but, it will pay off now and in eternity. Some suffer with temporary results; others suffer with no benefits whatsoever; you suffer like everyone else; but, for great success now and in eternity. Don’t let other people’s opinions and resistances cheat you out of them, rejoice and be glad.

Mat 5:13-14 (NIV) YOU are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. YOU are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. YOU are the one who is heading in the right direction; YOU are the one who is listening to Jesus and His Bible; YOU are the one who should be influencing the people around you. Don’t let “the world” drag you back into those things that are killing them.

Rom 8:26 (NIV) In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. For you to keep moving forward in power and success, you will need to invite God into everything you are going to need His help with. But, you don’t know what you are going to face and what you need to pray for. So, the Holy Spirit will be bringing ideas and feelings into your mind and heart. He will also be pointing out things in the Bible that need your prayers. He will be empowering you pray with intense feelings about things you didn’t have feelings for prior to His help.

Rom 8:27 (NIV) And He Who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. As we saw in James 1:17, all good comes from God; if you get anything from any other source rather than through God, it may “look” good; but, it won’t END UP being good. When the Holy Spirit prays in your behalf in accordance with God’s will, that means every prayer will be for those things that bring the very best good into your life. God’s supernatural WILL brings supernatural GOOD into our relationships, finances, emotions, physical issues, spiritual needs, and circumstantial areas.

Rom 8:28 (NIV) And we know that in all things God works for the GOOD of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. THIS IS what is going on in your life RIGHT NOW! From the moment you prayed Matthew 6:9-13 and obeyed Romans 10:8-10, this started working for your good in life and in eternity. It isn’t that your luck, karma, or fate changed; it is because your relationship changed with your heavenly Father. It is because Jesus made it possible for you to be born again into God’s family and into His Kingdom.

Rom 5:8 (NIV) But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were STILL sinners, Christ died for us. In your past, before you were born again, a path had to be cleared for you and everyone else. Too many obstructions could have got in your way KEEPING you from BEING ABLE to come to Jesus for your new birth. So, God used a system called “predestination” to make sure you and everyone else didn’t get blocked off from being able to accept Jesus as their Lord, Savior, and King.

Rom 8:29 (NIV) For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. God puts everyone in the very best possible situation so that they can be saved, justified, sanctified, and glorified, if they want to. If He didn’t, then it wouldn’t be everyone’s fault if they didn’t get born again; but, it is. Where you were born, when you were born, what kind of a body you got, what your gender was, what your opportunities were, and what you were exposed to were ALL controlled by God. This was so EVERYONE would have the very best OPPORTUNITY to make the right decision.

Rom 8:30 (NIV) And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified. God knows who is going to spend eternity with Him and who isn’t. But, He still made sure EVERYONE got their very best opportunity to spend eternity with Him. When we stand before Jesus as our Judge, no one will be able to accuse Him of any wrong doing, neglect, or lack of provisions. We will ALL see that He did a perfect job of making sure we had a clear path into the very best of God and His provisions. SO, from now on it will all depend on whether or not we ask Jesus to help us with our DESIRE, our STUDY, our PRAYER, our BELIEVING, our LOVE, and our FAITH-ACTION.