Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
--Hebrews 12:1-3
As Christians, one of the best ways to defeat Satan…the enemy of our souls…is to know how he operates.
Far too many believers today are unaware of or don’t fully appreciate how deadly this enemy is…and to what lengths he will go, to thwart and destroy God’s people and God’s plan! So it’s important each of us know our enemy so we can better prepare ourselves for his attack.
Of all the schemes and tactics Satan uses against the people of God, his greatest tool is probably the tool of discouragement. Satan knows that if he can pry open your heart with discouragement, he can make you quit.
Galatians 6:9 reminds us, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
If you’re a believer and you’re discouraged today, it’s because Satan is on your trail. Are you thinking about throwing in the towel on your marriage…or giving up on your kids…or giving in to that recurring temptation? Don’t do it! Don’t give in!
Stay with it, regardless of the discouragement that may come your way. Remember, as a follower of Christ, God has called you to do something for Him. And it may require blood, sweat, and tears!
You may get tired at times…you may want to quit…and you may even want someone else do the work! But that’s when you need to push on through the pain and push on to finish the work God has called you to do. Don’t grow weary in doing good!
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”
1 John 4:1–3
A few years ago a Pew Forum survey revealed that a majority of Americans believe that most or all religions are equally effective in getting people to Heaven. The most shocking finding was that more than half of those who identified themselves as evangelical Christians agreed—despite the clear teaching of the Bible, and of many of their churches, that Jesus is the only way to Heaven. The disdain for the concept of absolute truth that has permeated our society has infected much of the church as well. However, the truth is not altered or affected by whether it is believed. It remains unchanging.
The first temptation began with Satan questioning God’s Word. “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1). And ever since that moment, the truth of what God has declared has been under attack. These attacks take many forms, and in our day the widespread acceptance of false doctrines and beliefs as equivalent to the truth has made many Christians reluctant to stand and declare, “Thus saith the Lord.” The truth has never relied on being popular for its foundation—it is based on the nature of God, and like Him it never changes.
Today’s Growth Principle:
God’s absolute truth is not negotiable, nor is it subject to the whims of popular opinion.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment