Hope and Joy Now and for Eternity

At times, people hear the truth of Christ's gospel, but do not respond to it. It was not mixed with faith and they could not receive it (Hebrews 4:2). We can pray that God will strengthen them in their inner man to accept His Truth as their own (Ephesians 3:16-17).

People often lie to us, in order to keep our good opinion of them, or to keep us from rejecting or not loving them anymore. They are so emotionally depleted or lacking in self-esteem that they cannot risk our reaction if they tell us the truth.

Therefore, they also believe that God's love is conditional; and they reject Him because they think He will abandon them if they are not perfect. This is Satan's lie, which they believe as truth, and they are perpetually discouraged and defeated in their life.

Satan robs us of our freedom in Christ, which God intends for us to relish. Satan's whole mission is to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). Yet, Christ offers us His hope and joy in this life and for all of eternity (1 Corinthians 15:19).

We place our faith in the sacrificial atonement of Jesus for our sins, receive His forgiveness, and walk in new life. Everything changes for our good, even if our circumstances are a heavy burden.

Yoked to Jesus, we have help to carry our problems, and He eventually works them all out for our good (Romans 8:28). God uses trials to move us into the center of His will, to strengthen us for life's inevitable tribulation in our future, and to prove to us His unending love and provision for our life.

It is hard for the unbeliever to imagine that God's plan for them is better than the sensual pleasures and tangible possessions of this world. They do not realize that, in the larger scheme of things, life is as vanishing as a warm breath on a cold morning (James 4:14).

They do not take into consideration that eternity lasts forever (2 Corinthians 4:18), and we only have one chance to believe in Christ or to condemn our self to hell for eternity (John 3:16-18).

Prayer:

Father God, You free us from the condemnation of our past, the fear of the future and the uncertainty of life on this earth. Keep our mind off our current circumstances and focused on the joy You set before us each moment of the day - a stranger's smile, a bird's song, the giggles of little children, a sunny day, a gentle rain, a beautiful landscape of plant-life, a sunset, lake or stream.

Help us not to miss the true joy, success and peace which comes through having Christ residing within us by Your Holy Spirit. Remind us that any heavy cross we experience in life on this sin-cursed globe is easier and lighter when we are yoked with Christ, because He aids us in carrying the burden. 

Thought for the Day:

If we view life from the context of eternity, we gain a greater hope and fulfillment though living it for Christ; He abides within us and helps us to carry our burdens here on earth with more serenity and contentment, and to enjoy eternity with Him in abundance  and peace. - 1 Corinthians 15:19

Resisting the Truth

Can you imagine someone who would actually resist knowing or believing the truth? It happens all the time. In fact, people say that truth in its first form is always negative. We often react negatively the first time we hear a truth.

This occurs especially if the truth is contrary to what we were taught, or have heard all of our life or falsely believed in our past. We may resist or reject the person speaking the truth, as well as the truth itself.

Timothy knew people like this. He described them as men of corrupt understanding and reprobate in the area of faith (2 Timothy 3:8). People in the 21st Century have this same problem.

We want to escape judgment or punishment, so we tell a lie. We cause other people to believe lies; and in the process, we often prevent them from knowing the truth. We tell a lie so many times that we start to believe that it is actually true.

We resist the truth of God's Word because Satan already polluted our mind with his lies. Even books, novels written for entertainment, are used by the devil to prevent people from believing God's Truth.

In today's world, comedians make a living poking fun at truth and touting lies as the more logical belief. They convince the weak in heart and mind to believe these lies as if they were truth (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).

Some people regard godliness as a means of gaining material wealth. They go into the ministry as a job rather than a calling. They pretend to have an intimate relationship with God, but their actions deny any authentic union between them and our Savior.

They are devoid of God's truth and do not devote the hours of service required by the position of pastor or teacher, but do the bare minimum of work and spend the rest of their time in leisure (1 Timothy 6:5). They are actually detestable, unfit for the ministry and disobedient to God's Spirit (Titus 1:16).

Even if we have to apologize or admit that we are or were wrong, it is worth walking in the light of God's Truth. God has a place for liars in the pit of hell (Revelation 21:8). Resisting His Truth determines our eternal destination (John 3:18).

Prayer:

Father God, it is easy for humans to lie to maintain our false image or to justify our actions. Your truth tends to convict us, and many people run from conviction. They avoid admitting their faults and resist walking in Your Truth. They manufacture reasons to excuse their sin and to convince themselves that they are righteous.

You call us to walk in Your Truth in order to gain Your blessings (1 Kings 2:4). Help us to walk in Your Truth, so that as we fear You more than people, we will walk in Your ways (Psalm 86:11). Remind us to walk in Your Spirit at all times, and we will never resist Your Truth (Galatians 5:15-25).

Thought for the Day:

We delight in knowing that our children are telling us the truth and know that we can always trust them when they do; God feels the same way. - 3 John 1:4

Manifestation of God

Most of humanity does not know Jesus as the Christ, nor do they care at all about Godly principles. Hypocrisy in the lives of so called Christians exacerbates this problem.

If unbelievers see no distinction in their daily walk with that of a professing Believer, this disillusions them. They want nothing to do with Christ or with us.

We have a problem with our connection to the Vine (John 15:5). We may even have a false hope of Heaven, because we never truly repented or made Jesus the Lord of our life.

If, however, we are grafted into the Vine, their reason for rejecting His truth may be that we are hiding His light within us and they cannot see it (Matthew 5:15-16).

Once we surrender our identity over to the Ruler of the universe, God makes a huge difference in our habits, language, personality and interests.

When we fully submit to God for Him to use as He pleases (Isaiah 29:16), our life takes on the character of Christ. This is when people see us as authentic Christians. We are a manifestation of God on the earth.

We have God’s peace in trouble, His perseverance in trials, His love for our persecutors and His joy during periods of grief.

They see us exhibiting patience in trying times, using self-control when others give in to debauchery, displaying meekness rather than having a haughty attitude, relating to others with kindness and basing our life and decisions on faith in our faithful God.

We lay down our preferences and care about the needs of others over our own agenda, without compromising who we are in Christ.

Others see truth and reality in our lives. We are capable of this behavior, not because we are exemplary human beings, but because of God's Holy Spirit within us (Galatians 5:16:25).

This is when other people want for themselves what we have within us.

Prayer:

Father God, Jesus prayed that no one would snatch us out of Your hand. You are greater than all, and we are perfectly safe in Your everlasting arms (John 10:28-29). Fill us completely full of Your Spirit and keep us as the apple of Your eye (Ephesians 3:16-19; Psalm 17:8).

Draw us close to You and never let us go. Your unfailing love is our priceless treasure and we run to the refuge of the shadow of Your wings (Psalm 36:7). When we draw near to You, and resist Satan's efforts to sidetrack us, he has to flee from Your presence within us.

Thought for the Day:

The Holy Spirit is our source of power; and we can ask Him to manifest Himself in and through us all the days of our life; so that others see Christ in us.