What Jesus Did! 'Using Misfortune for Telling the Good News' — Mark 13:9

Another part of the believer's future is harsh — in addition to the natural disasters and wars mentioned in previous verses. ^[1] Not everyone will like Christians. Just as Jesus was hated, so also will his followers be hated. Some will be persecuted and even martyred for the sake of the faith. Not only are these consequences of faith to be expected, but they are also events that are promised before the return of Jesus. How many years the persecution will continue, we don't know. But, they are an expected evil that we will endure before the end. However, in the process of facing these hardships, we will have the opportunity to share our faith in places we might otherwise be denied a voice — like the apostle Paul ^[2] and others who had the opportunity to speak about Jesus to high governmental officials. So we should tell folks about Jesus whether our audience is favorable or hostile. Doing so is a part of the plan and is our opportunity to demonstrate our faith and share our hope with a fallen world.