I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity. —2 Corinthians 11:30

A group of US military veterans has published the names of more than 300 people who falsely claim to have been prisoners of war during the Vietnam conflict. For whatever reasons—recognition, respect, or perhaps financial gain—these phony POWs speak of places they've never been and experiences they've never had. But an association of former POWs says to them, "We're on your trail and we'll unmask you at the first opportunity."

When a group of phony apostles threatened to undermine the gospel of Christ in Corinth, Paul denounced them as deceitful workers and ministers of Satan (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). And to establish the authenticity and authority of his own apostleship, he "boasted" not of his successes but of his sufferings: "in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often" (v.23). His list continued with instances of physical danger, mental anguish, and spiritual exhaustion that seem overwhelming when we consider what he endured.

If your faithfulness to Christ has caused you to suffer, you bear the marks of a true veteran in His service. In the kingdom of God, it's not ribbons and stars but redemption and scars that set you apart as the real thing.

-DCM

True followers of Jesus Christ
Who suffer in His name
Will proudly bear the marks that come
When they His Word proclaim.

-Sper

We can never sacrifice too much for the One who gave His all for us.