Philippians 1:27-30

Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.

Personal Challenge…

Am I really a Christian? Am I really living my life in such a way that it speaks contrary to the ways of the world? Am I being persecuted by the world as Christ and the Apostles were because the life that I live screams against the atrocities and abominations in the world? It has nothing to do with my political views, because I must completely separate these from God’s kingdom and His rule. It has nothing to do with my social views, because if I am following Christ’s commandments then I am loving my neighbor, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and taking care of the widows and the orphans. It has nothing to do with my personal desires, agenda, or preferences, because I am commanded to live in the community, the family of Christ and to sacrifice myself for His body. So once again I must ask myself the question that cuts deep into my soul, “Am I really a Christian?”

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Psalm 117 (116 LXX)

Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;Praise Him, all you peoples,
For His mercy rules over us;
And the truth of the Lord endures forever.

Encouraging Words…

Forever…a concept that is hard for a finite being such as me to comprehend. Regardless my God, our God, has always been, and always will be. And what comes with His eternal presence is eternal mercy and truth. Why wouldn’t I praise my Lord? Why wouldn’t I cherish the opportunity to live under His mercy and truth?

John 6:35…

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”

Command with a Promise…

Eternal life does not come without a price, a sacrifice. How wonderful it is to live a life without hungering and thirsting for those things that the temporal world can only provide temporarily. Peace, joy, fulfillment, love, satisfaction. These are some of the many fruits that are provided through the Holy Spirit. But there is a cost to receive these…we must come to Jesus and believe in who He is and what He has done The benefits definitely outweigh the costs.

Isaiah 60:1-2

“Shine, shine, O Jerusalem, for your light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. Behold, darkness and gloom shall cover the earth upon the nations, but the Lord will shine on you; and His glory shall be seen upon you.”

Encouraging Words…

No matter how dark and gloomy things in this world become, as a child of the living God, and through the work of our risen Jesus Christ, God will shine His light and glory upon me. He is my source of life and I can push through because of Him and His love for me.

Acts 6:8

And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.

Encouraging Words…

God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He is never changing. So why is it that Stephen and the Apostles could do so much more than we do today? They had faith, unfettered and unswerving faith in the Lord and what He could do through them. I want to have this amount of faith as well and I know that he wants to pour that out upon me. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.

Philippians 2:14-16

Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

Personal Challenge…

Am I living my life in this way…not complaining or fighting? Is my light, Christ’s light, shining into the world, or is it all about me? Am I investing in others’ lives as Paul did so that some day I can look back and rejoice in the day of Christ rejoicing that my life, my race, was not in vain? Lord have mercy!

1 Timothy 4:7-8

But reject profane and old wives fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.

Personal Challenge…

It is so easy for me to get caught up in those things that are temporal and of this world. In and of themselves many are not bad, but if I were to put as much time into seeking and pursuing godliness then I would be finding that which is profitable for both this world and God’s kingdom. I believe God wants me to be balanced in my journey through life with Him.

Psalm 141:3 (140:3 LXX)

Personal Challenge…

John 5:24

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”

Encouraging Words…

Jesus Christ, fully man and fully God, gave up His position in heaven to become man so that He could put an end to death. Through Adam death entered God’s creation. Through Christ the grip of death upon creation was broken and destroyed. We are now called to believe in God through Jesus Christ so that we can become a part of this gift of life.

Acts 4:13

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.

Encouraging Words…

It is not critical that I be highly educated or trained in doctrines or religious studies to be used by God. Although it is still good to always be learning more about my faith and the Church. Here we see Peter and John being recognized for their boldness to stand up to the religious elite. This religious elite even marveled at their abilities and boldness. To top this off they were able to realize that these men had been with Jesus. I too, through the power of the Holy Spirit, can be bold in my walk with Christ. He takes me as I am and uses me to build His kingdom. It is up to me to trust Him and say what He tells me to say, to go where He wants me to go, to do what He asks me to do…regardless of what others might think or say.