The Good Fight
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).
The world is demanding action to bring the downfall, death or departure for the Khadafi regime. The world can see the damage of the immoral mind of this leader and can attest to the destruction of the physical bodies that his arms of wrath can reach. His uncompassionate heart leaves a wake of death behind him and his ruthless aggression continues to wreak havoc on this earth.
But, on the spiritual side of life, there is another evil force wreaking even more havoc on our fellow man. And just as the world leaders see this battle to end Khadafi’s regime as a good fight worthy of intervention, Christians see the battle against this evil ruler worthy of their participation. Christians understand that they have been enlisted in the army of God that has been commissioned to fight against the forces that try to infiltrate hearts and minds with deceitful doctrines set out to separate them from the source of life. This army is in a continuous battle to set man free from the result of serving the source of death, who is none other than Satan himself.
When Paul wrote to a young struggling preacher to encourage him in his efforts, notice how he addressed him: “Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 4:3). When Jesus was called into service to fight against the evil forces, He was called into a strategy of success, a strategy not without cost. Jesus was called to serve a system of self-denial, suffering and sacrifice, a strategy that seemed to play right into the hands of the enemy until Jesus was resurrected and ascended into heaven to sit at the Father’s right hand. See, death was thought to be victory for the other side, but God’s love conquered that evil power and now has revealed the victory that is in faith: “But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, ‘Death is swallowed up’ in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54). Dear friends, the victory in faith comes when we die to the powers of Satan that once held us captive to his deceitful scheme of destruction.
We must fight the flesh to keep our souls in the hands of the Creator. Satan’s attack on the souls of God’s creation is just as despicable as Khadafi’s attack is on his own people. But we have an undefeatable defense system called faith: “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith” (1 John 4:4). God has given us a strategy that has already proved to be victorious. If we are smart people then we can easily see the choice to surrender to His plan is the way to be victorious: “[B]ut thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). Many false teachers will come into your camp with another strategy and, to the soldier of Christ, he is an enemy, a soldier fighting against our faith: “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!” (Galatians 1:8).
The enemy’s weapons of mass destruction are lies used deceive the flesh to cause divisions within the Lord’s troops (1 Corinthians 1:10). But hope that “does not disappoint” (Romans 5:5) will keep the Lord’s army intact and among the fighting elite because of their uncompromising faith in their Commander. They have set their minds on things above (Colossians 3:2) and will not be persuaded to fall from the ranks of the victorious army of God. Don’t lose heart and keep fighting the good fight of faith. Avoid the snares set by Satan’s deceitful ways to receive victory.
In His Love,
Cub
Monday, April 4, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
True Evangelism
“Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth” (1 John 3:18).
God has given us something to talk about. It is the truth about how great His love is and how love can change the lives it reaches. Evangelism is more than words though, it is believing in the words we speak and letting the world see the difference God’s love is making in our lives. We have been given the opportunity, not only to speak about salvation, but living the life of those who are saved. We know that living the life that Satan offers in the flesh steals the eternal life God offers in Christ (John 10:10). The good news of salvation is not only spoken, it is lived.
We are living in a world of force. It is the “survival of the fittest” attitude that governs the actions of those who are bound by the philosophy of flesh. We can be thankful for the grace of our Lord that has reached out and saved us from the doom of this fleshly lifestyle. But, if we truly believe in the power of this life then our lives must reveal the changes it provides. When we say we have made Jesus Lord of our lives then we must be willing to show that proclamation. To convince the world of this life, we must die to the flesh and allow God to direct us in His Spirit.
One attitude that greatly offended our Lord as He walked this earth was the hypocritical attitude. Jesus reprimanded the Jewish leaders for pretending that they could keep the entirety of God’s Law. Oh, they knew how to talk the talk, but they could not walk the walk. And it is easy to see that their evangelistic efforts were minimal at best. We have been given the opportunity to reveal the “newness of the Spirit” by letting the word of God change us from the inside out. We cannot expect others to welcome the change if we are not willing to let our lives shine the light of God working in us (Matthew 5:16). God is love and when we accept His love as our way, the change it creates in us must be made evident. His love calls us to surrender the attitude of the world for the attitude of Christ (Phil 2:5). Allowing His love to work in us provides us a new way to live.
Evangelism is not just showing people how much you know. Sharing the good news of the truth about God’s love is revealing the “new creature” that His love has created in us (2 Corinthians 5:17). When we say Jesus is Lord then our lives are indicative of what it means to be a disciple. We are here to show the world how different our lives are because of our willingness to die to self, sacrifice our worldly minds and live in submission to His Father’s will. We will not save souls by words only. Our lives must reveal the change love produces in the willing heart.
Jesus asked some who followed Him, "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). He went on to say how important it is to build their lives on the foundation of His teachings and used the illustration of building a house (47-49). If we want our lives to withstand the destructive nature of this temporary world, our lives must be built on the unshakable foundation of the eternity of His love. We must avoid being like those who are able to tell you what the Bible says, yet whose lifestyle is preaching a different message. We cannot bring the good news of our Lord through hypocrisy. God has established His church to “proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). If we are going to be successful in the mission then God’s mission must be successful in us.
In His Love,
Cub
God has given us something to talk about. It is the truth about how great His love is and how love can change the lives it reaches. Evangelism is more than words though, it is believing in the words we speak and letting the world see the difference God’s love is making in our lives. We have been given the opportunity, not only to speak about salvation, but living the life of those who are saved. We know that living the life that Satan offers in the flesh steals the eternal life God offers in Christ (John 10:10). The good news of salvation is not only spoken, it is lived.
We are living in a world of force. It is the “survival of the fittest” attitude that governs the actions of those who are bound by the philosophy of flesh. We can be thankful for the grace of our Lord that has reached out and saved us from the doom of this fleshly lifestyle. But, if we truly believe in the power of this life then our lives must reveal the changes it provides. When we say we have made Jesus Lord of our lives then we must be willing to show that proclamation. To convince the world of this life, we must die to the flesh and allow God to direct us in His Spirit.
One attitude that greatly offended our Lord as He walked this earth was the hypocritical attitude. Jesus reprimanded the Jewish leaders for pretending that they could keep the entirety of God’s Law. Oh, they knew how to talk the talk, but they could not walk the walk. And it is easy to see that their evangelistic efforts were minimal at best. We have been given the opportunity to reveal the “newness of the Spirit” by letting the word of God change us from the inside out. We cannot expect others to welcome the change if we are not willing to let our lives shine the light of God working in us (Matthew 5:16). God is love and when we accept His love as our way, the change it creates in us must be made evident. His love calls us to surrender the attitude of the world for the attitude of Christ (Phil 2:5). Allowing His love to work in us provides us a new way to live.
Evangelism is not just showing people how much you know. Sharing the good news of the truth about God’s love is revealing the “new creature” that His love has created in us (2 Corinthians 5:17). When we say Jesus is Lord then our lives are indicative of what it means to be a disciple. We are here to show the world how different our lives are because of our willingness to die to self, sacrifice our worldly minds and live in submission to His Father’s will. We will not save souls by words only. Our lives must reveal the change love produces in the willing heart.
Jesus asked some who followed Him, "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). He went on to say how important it is to build their lives on the foundation of His teachings and used the illustration of building a house (47-49). If we want our lives to withstand the destructive nature of this temporary world, our lives must be built on the unshakable foundation of the eternity of His love. We must avoid being like those who are able to tell you what the Bible says, yet whose lifestyle is preaching a different message. We cannot bring the good news of our Lord through hypocrisy. God has established His church to “proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). If we are going to be successful in the mission then God’s mission must be successful in us.
In His Love,
Cub
Monday, March 14, 2011
Ignoring God
"The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life” (Job 33:4).
The tragedy that has struck in the land of Japan has been spoken about by probably every newscast on television. They have given great details of the physical aspect of the damage that has been done. They have told us in great detail of what the fleshly eyes can see. But, what can be extracted from the spiritual aspect of this tragedy? What does God want us to learn?
When Job faced tragedy, Elihu reminded him Who is in control of the situation. And although He is in control, He is just and His love can only aid the humble: “When God arose to judgment, To save all the humble of the earth” (Psalm 76:9). As powerful as man thinks he is he has no power when God trembles the earth. He is the One who has the power to raise the waves of the sea and to allow the earth to open. We need to remember His power and our frailty.
God is love and He has been crying out to His creation to bring them under His wings of protection for many years: "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling” (Matthew 23:37). But the people were not humble enough to listen and their ears remain closed to His voice today. And because the hearts of mankind are so hardened by fleshly pride, He must remind the stubborn Who has the power to bring the proud to their knees. Christians can use this tragedy to teach His love and grace.
God does not want the calamity of sin to fall upon mankind, but mankind continues to accept evil as the norm and ignore His words of grace. And then when sin causes the ugliness of its wages, they cannot understand why God does not protect them from its destruction. Christians have an opportunity to live under the protection of His love, mercy and grace. This is an opportunity to reveal to a world filled with pride how much more beneficial it is to live in humility. As those who do not know His Word try to get a grip on the situation, the people of faith can speak about the powerful love that protects them from the doom of sin. This is a powerful lesson to teach.
As Christians, we must be cut to the heart. Not only about the loss of the physical lives from this earth, but even more tragically, the loss of souls that do not accept the invitation into God’s kingdom. Many will be removed from this earth because of the great catastrophe that has fallen upon Japan. But what makes this even more tragic is that many of the dead will leave this realm outside the grace of God. This should remind us how tragic it is to leave our fate in the hands of the created instead of the Creator. God sent life to earth in the form of His Son. His voice still cries out to the prideful hearts of the world to come into the protection of His love. His cries are made known through the church, but like the prophets of old, their voice will continue to be ignored. And even though His voice is ignored, He still is the only One with the power to save.
In His Love,
The tragedy that has struck in the land of Japan has been spoken about by probably every newscast on television. They have given great details of the physical aspect of the damage that has been done. They have told us in great detail of what the fleshly eyes can see. But, what can be extracted from the spiritual aspect of this tragedy? What does God want us to learn?
When Job faced tragedy, Elihu reminded him Who is in control of the situation. And although He is in control, He is just and His love can only aid the humble: “When God arose to judgment, To save all the humble of the earth” (Psalm 76:9). As powerful as man thinks he is he has no power when God trembles the earth. He is the One who has the power to raise the waves of the sea and to allow the earth to open. We need to remember His power and our frailty.
God is love and He has been crying out to His creation to bring them under His wings of protection for many years: "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling” (Matthew 23:37). But the people were not humble enough to listen and their ears remain closed to His voice today. And because the hearts of mankind are so hardened by fleshly pride, He must remind the stubborn Who has the power to bring the proud to their knees. Christians can use this tragedy to teach His love and grace.
God does not want the calamity of sin to fall upon mankind, but mankind continues to accept evil as the norm and ignore His words of grace. And then when sin causes the ugliness of its wages, they cannot understand why God does not protect them from its destruction. Christians have an opportunity to live under the protection of His love, mercy and grace. This is an opportunity to reveal to a world filled with pride how much more beneficial it is to live in humility. As those who do not know His Word try to get a grip on the situation, the people of faith can speak about the powerful love that protects them from the doom of sin. This is a powerful lesson to teach.
As Christians, we must be cut to the heart. Not only about the loss of the physical lives from this earth, but even more tragically, the loss of souls that do not accept the invitation into God’s kingdom. Many will be removed from this earth because of the great catastrophe that has fallen upon Japan. But what makes this even more tragic is that many of the dead will leave this realm outside the grace of God. This should remind us how tragic it is to leave our fate in the hands of the created instead of the Creator. God sent life to earth in the form of His Son. His voice still cries out to the prideful hearts of the world to come into the protection of His love. His cries are made known through the church, but like the prophets of old, their voice will continue to be ignored. And even though His voice is ignored, He still is the only One with the power to save.
In His Love,
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