January 21.
Turn Your Traps Into A Trapeze

Matthew 5:11-12

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.

Don’t get upset when you’ve been criticized. Instead; go and throw a party and be exceedingly glad because great is your reward. There was a time that folk used to rejoice because they thought they were worthy to be persecuted for calling on Jesus’ name. Persecution has fringe benefits. You will benefit from calling on and lifting and carrying his name. If you’ve got the gospel; Jesus has a way of keeping you from being lonely at night. The gospel has a way of drying tears from your eyes and healing sick bodies. The gospel has a way of keeping you from focusing on your enemies and focus on the one that can bring you through these situations. Whatever you are going through, remember somebody else is going through the same stuff. Let the gospel take your trap and turn it into a trapeze.

I call it the God-spell, because whenever you digest the gospel it will put a spell on you. You will be loving your enemies and treating your neighbors right, going when you don’t feel like going, singing when ain’t nothing to sing about, laughing when ain’t nothing funny. Crying when ain’t nobody bothering, running when ain’t nobody behind you. There is joy. No wonder Paul said he was not ashamed of the gospel. Every one of us ought to be a witness for the Lord; there is something He has done for each of us.

The gospel has different effects on different folk. The gospel might make Annie pout, but Mattie shout. The gospel will make Sally mad, but Mattie glad. So don’t think it will work on you exactly the same as it works on me, but if you take a good dose of gospel, it changes your life.