Author: admin

In every age there have been people who faithfully served God. And, in every generation there have also been people who mocked and opposed those who were serving God! If you are presently facing pressure or persecution because of your faith, don’t be surprised. It has always been so.

The first century disciples knew Jesus personally. They were the earliest recipients of the Holy Spirit’s filling. Christ personally commissioned them to proclaim the Gospel. Perhaps no people in history did so more enthusiastically or compellingly. Yet there still were those who mocked them. People scoffed at their enthusiasm for Christ. They laughed at their beliefs. They ridiculed their actions.

There have always been people who refused to believe the Gospel message. No amount of proof or testimony could change their stance. Don’t let them discourage you. The fact is that there have also been those who did gladly embrace the Gospel message. History records numerous people who were grateful for those who boldly shared truth with them. If you are presently facing opposition for your Christian faith, take heart. You join the ranks of faithful servants of God who, by their witness, have seen millions of people ushered into the kingdom of God.

Christ’s return and our ultimate heavenly destiny will be unbelievably magnificent. It is easy to focus on the cessation of our earthly suffering and hardship. It is fascinating to imagine what it will be like to be gathered with all the saints of history before the awesome throne of God as we worship Him for eternity. Knowing that Christ will one day judge the living and the dead ought to give us hope. Yet we ought not to get ahead of ourselves!

God did not create us for time but for eternity. We will only spend a miniscule fraction of our life, residing on earth. For most of our eternal existence we’ll abide in the spirit world, in heaven. That’s why for the brief time we have on earth, we must do that which we can only do there: witness for Christ and expand God’s kingdom. In heaven, there will be no unbelievers. In paradise, God’s kingdom will be absolute. Our primary calling then will be to worship with the other saints.

But in this life, there are unique opportunities. So don’t waste your time gazing into heaven. Serve the Lord faithfully on earth while you can. What you do in this life will have dramatic repercussions throughout eternity.

Throughout history, God’s power has been utilized to accomplish numerous divine purposes. God’s power brought the universe into existence. It has made the sick well and the dead enlivened. It has provided food for the hungry and protection for the oppressed. It has produced solutions for humanity’s most pressing problems and has brought comfort to the afflicted.

Yet perhaps one of the most important manifestations of God’s power is when He enables His people to proclaim the Gospel message. Jesus knew His disciples would require power to withstand persecution, torture, and death. Yet Christ’s focus was on enabling them to testify.

At times we can pray that God would give us a good day, or that He would “be with” us. But God’s desire is that we would be witnesses to Him. Our witness begins at home. It expands to our workplace, to our city and region in which we live. God wants to empower us to be a witness throughout our nation and ultimately across the world. You might think the magnitude of such an assignment is impossible. You are right! That is why you need His power. Do you have it?

As Christians we can at times become intrigued by various questions concerning biblical and theological issues. Numerous books have been written to satisfy our curiosity. If we’re not careful, we can become so preoccupied with such questions that we find ourselves staring into heaven while being no earthly good!

One of the realities of serving God is that we are the servants; He is the Master. We don’t have to understand everything God is doing before we obey. We don’t have to know the exact times and places or details before we move forward. Our responsibility is to serve.

Our pride may urge us to master the undiscoverable. It certainly makes us look brilliant when we ascertain things God claimed were not for us to know. There are compelling “signs” that the end is drawing nearer. There is evidence that Christ’s return is looming. Nevertheless, when Christ does return, hopefully He will find us diligently serving Him and not preoccupied with speculating and debating about the details of His return.

Christians are entirely dependent upon the Holy Spirit’s power. Without Him working actively in our lives, we can accomplish nothing. Imagine the disciples’ excitement at seeing Jesus after He had risen from the grave. Consider their enthusiasm after watching Christ ascending into heaven and promising to return. Imagine how anxious those disciples would have been to go and tell everyone they met the good news of the Gospel.

Yet Jesus instructed them to wait. He knew it was useless to attempt to serve Him or witness about Him until they had been endued with power from on high. For the Church to succeed, it would have to be established with power. Serving without the Holy Spirit’s filling would only lead to discouragement and failure.

Have you been serving Christ without the manifest evidence of the Holy Spirit’s filling in your life? Have you been so eager to get to the task at hand that you did not wait for the prerequisite power of God in your life? Have you been daily entering the workplace without the Holy Spirit’s decisive presence? Have you been quick to serve Christ without first ensuring you had His power?

There are at least two facts every Christian ought to be cognizant of. The first is that they belong to Christ. The second is that the world in which they live is under the evil influence of Satan. As a result, we live our lives in constant tension.

At one moment we can celebrate a victory we have experienced with Christ, and the next hour we are in the midst of a spiritual assault. As a consequence, we can never relax our guard. In fact, it is generally immediately after a spiritual victory that we can expect a satanic attack. It was after Jesus had successfully prayed and fasted for 40 days that Satan tempted him. It was immediately after Jesus fed the 5,000 that His disciples sailed straight into a fearful storm. It was immediately after confessing Jesus was the Christ, that Peter was rebuked for being a mouthpiece for Satan. Life can be uncertain when we live for Christ in a world dominated by Satan.

The truth is that, in this life, we must deal with both realities. We are children of God with the desire to think on things above. Nonetheless, we still function on the earth below, where Satan continues to fight a relentless, though futile, war against our King. Have you been experiencing both realities in your life, lately?

Christianity is not based on “blind faith.” Our belief is based on evidence. And there is plenty. There is the compelling truth found in Scripture. Though thousands of years old, it continues to clearly explain humanity, its need, and God’s solution. Church history provides powerful testimony to the reality that those who have followed Scripture’s teachings have experienced life. Then there is your own personal experience. Every day the Holy Spirit, by His presence in your life, seeks to demonstrate the truth of who He is. Our faith in God is not blind. It is based on reams of evidence gathered from numerous sources.

The aged apostle John did not need proof of the reality of Christ. He had walked with Jesus for several years. He had witnessed Him dying on a cross and had spoken with Him after He was resurrected. John was there when His Lord ascended to heaven. He was present during Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended upon those present like a mighty rushing wind. John needed no convincing that Jesus was who Scripture claimed Him to be.

But John understood that we would not have the amazing opportunities he had enjoyed. So he wrote the book of First John. In it he gave clear evidence of how we could know we had been born again. He did not want anyone to languish with doubt and uncertainty. Carefully read what John wrote. He wants you to live your Christian life with assurance as well.

We cannot forget for a moment that the world in which we live is adamantly and irrevocably hostile to our Christian faith. The world around us is filled with temptations, pressures, opposing views, and opposition that are determined to derail God’s purposes for our lives. Nevertheless, God has granted us the ability to overcome any adversity through one thing–our faith.

Faith recognizes that we, in our own power, are helpless. Yet faith also clings to the One Person who is victorious every time. It is not our faith that has any efficacy. Rather, the power lies solely in the One in whom we place our trust. The world may mock our beliefs. It may question our viewpoint. It might challenge our assumptions. But it cannot stop us from believing. Faith is our prerogative. It might not make sense to those around us, but it remains our lifeline. Regardless of what you are facing today, your faith can bring you victory.

Being loved by almighty God has a profound effect on people. God created the universe. He knows the future. He will bring the universe to its close and bring judgment on every single living person who ever walked on the planet. Even the most powerful kings and presidents rule solely at His good pleasure. God cared so much for us that He sacrificed His only Son that we might experience forgiveness and life. That is the God who loves us.

How can you be fearful when you know the One who created and sustains the universe loves you? Why would you worry when God knows the future and He is working out His divine purposes for your life? Why would you feel intimidated by people when you know that, the God who loves you, is your defender and shield? Knowing that God loves you ought to provide you with enormous confidence.

Some people do not live their lives as if they have any sense of God’s love for them. They are filled with worry. They are anxious about their future. They feel intimidated by their opponents. They act like unloved people.

Does the way you are living your life reflect someone who clearly understands and embraces the reality that almighty God loves them?

God does not just love. He is the Source of love. His manner of loving is not to merely say kind things. God’s love takes action! God so loved the world that he gave . . . God’s love prevents Him from sitting idly by while people are hurting or in need. He must act. His love compels Him to become involved in the lives of those who need Him.

It is impossible to have the epicenter of love residing within you and yet you remain unmotivated to love those around you. When you see someone in need, Christ will be yearning to help. When you encounter people in spiritual darkness, Christ within you will long to shine light upon them. When people are discouraged, the Holy Spirit within you will seek to offer hope. It is God’s nature to act lovingly toward others.

You will have to resist the promptings of the Holy Spirit to not act lovingly toward those around you! Because it is the nature of God to love, He will seek to make it your nature as well. The longer you abide in Christ, the more of His loving nature will dominate your life.

Would your friends and associates describe you as a loving person? Could your colleagues testify to how God expressed His love for them, through your life? How might the Holy Spirit be seeking to make you more loving in the coming days?