John 15:18 (NIV)
If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first.

Do you know that I've led kids to the Lord that were prostitutes and drug addicts living in bad places and I've had their families turn up and abuse the church, "You're a cult, your this and that". But they didn't care while their kids lived in the streets. They didn't care while they were putting needles in their arms. They didn't care while all that was going on. Yet on making a decision to come to church it meant there was a death, a separation and I find that when your about to cross over, many try to pull you back and give you every reason why you shouldn't go.

The Israelites 'crossed over' by the rod, the Red Sea, they crossed over by the Glory but we cross over by death, a natural death or a spiritual birth, we have to die to this world and come alive to His. Jesus went on to say that if this world hates you, it hated Him first.
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