Christ is calling

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I have fought the good fight… --2 Timothy 4:7 You and I don’t have to look far these days to see that we are in the midst of a spiritual battle. And like the other generations of Christ-followers before us, you and I are called to fight as good soldiers of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul understood this battle well. In fact, when he was facing his martyrdom, Paul looked back on his life and said, “I have fought the good fight.” Now, few people could speak with such confidence, but Paul could. He had the battle scars to prove his faithfulness. In the course of battle, Paul was pummeled with stones. He was shipwrecked and left to die in the deep. He was beaten with rods, and imprisoned multiple times. And yet, through it all, Paul fought on and never turned back. But today there are shocking numbers of people claiming to be Christ-followers who are AWOL in this battle. These people seem to take the battle for granted. They act as though it’s someone else’s job to fight. So let me ask you something, “Are you in the fight?” We aren’t tourists in this world, but soldiers fighting against the forces of darkness! And Christ is calling you to get in the battle! Take your place and endure like the good soldier you’re called to be. Live in such a way that you can say, “I fought the good fight!”   CHRIST IS CALLING YOU TO GET IN THE BATTLE!

It’s Not About Us

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:”
1 Corinthians 2:1–4

In 1973, after decades of preaching the gospel, Dr. Lee Roberson woke up one morning unable to speak above a whisper. He had to cancel all of his meetings, and for an entire year he was unable to preach in his church. He traveled all over the country to see various specialists, but none of them could help. Finally a local surgeon operated, and after a few week’s recovery, Dr. Roberson was preaching again, which he continued until he was almost ninety-seven years old.
Looking back later, he remarked how greatly God had blessed the church during the year when he could only sit silently on the platform while someone else filled the pulpit. He said it was one of the most blessed years of ministry he had ever known. Attendance, offerings, and conversions increased. Dr. Roberson said, “That just showed this preacher something. It didn’t depend so much on what I was doing. It depended on the working of the power of God through our lives.”
Too many times we rely on our talent and efforts rather than depending on God. The results of our labor for the Lord are not on our shoulders. If we want God’s power and blessing, we must abandon self-reliance. “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6).
 

Today’s Growth Principle: 

We must rely on God’s strength rather than ours if we hope to accomplish anything lasting for Him.