It really feels as though people all around the world are living in dark and dangerous times. Do you sometimes feel that way? As followers of Jesus and as a people of the Bible, we needn’t be surprised nor afraid. We know that there will be terrible times in the last days (2 Timothy 3:1-5), but let’s remember that God is our sun in the darkness and our shield from the danger (Psalms 84:11). Keep trusting the Lord and standing firm in the faith! You will find below some of the Biblical Truths that are holding me up, pushing me forward with conviction and confidence, and guiding my daily attitude, priorities, and decisions during these days.
With much love,
Vijay
Biblical Truths that are holding me up
Follow Jesus exclusively
It is critically important that we follow Jesus and no one else. Fix your eyes on Him. He not only wrote the book on how we should live, but he modelled it perfectly. Read about Him, talk about Him, sing about Him, love Him, live for Him. For us Christ followers, it’s all about Jesus. Put all your eggs in one basket; put your faith completely in Jesus.[Hebrews 12:1-2]
Keep growing in the faith
Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we cannot see. Keep growing in the faith, being rooted in Jesus Christ and living a life sold out for Him, uncompromising in your belief in Jesus and your desire to live a life that is pleasing to Him. Stay connected to Jesus or we will become dried up and useless like a branch that gets cut from its vine. Just like that branch dries up being void of the nutrients from the vine, we become spiritually dried up if we aren’t being fed essential nutrients, or Truths, by Jesus. Let’s read the Bible, pray consistently, worship with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and fellowship together for the purpose of encouraging and strengthening each other in the faith. Don’t isolate; connect![Hebrews 11, Colossians 2:6-7, John 15:1-17]
Live a life of worship
Jesus taught us about worship and warned us about know-it-all hypocrite-types. He said that their worship was in vain because they hypocritically said all the right things, but their hearts were far from Him. Let us live a life of worship with pure hearts, humbly lifting up the name of Jesus with thanksgiving in all we do, and for His glory alone.[Matthew 15:7-9, Romans 12:1-2, Colossians 3:12-17]
Live with an understanding of the eternal
This time on earth is a mere fraction of the time we will spend in the presence of the Lord. In fact, if we consider the length of our earthly existence in comparison to eternity, it actually approaches zero as a fraction: 1 lifetime divided by, or compared to, an infinite number of lifetimes is basically 0: 1 divided by infinity approaches zero. Let’s live out our earthly life with that perspective, namely, that this brief existence on earth, while being critically important in setting up our eternal existence, is almost nothing in comparison with the eternal. Therefore, let’s invest our resources into the things that have an eternal return and not a temporary one; invest in the substantive things.[John 3:16, 2 Corinthians 4:18, Matthew 6:19-21]
Protect yourself and your family
Watch out! There is a thief trying to steal our joy, kill our peace, and destroy our lives, but Jesus provides us with life to the full. He provides us with hope and purpose. He is the Good Shepherd and with the Lord as our Shepherd, we truly lack nothing. Be on your guard, friends, because the thief is trying to destroy us from the inside; he has found his way into our homes through entertainment, which has become our new god. The world today bows at the altar of entertainment through all the various digital screens in our lives. Protect yourself and your family from this attack. Be smart. Analyze what is being fed to you and your family. Focus on the true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy things. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom in how to lead your family well in this area, and as He nudges you, respond and make changes with courage![John 10:10, Psalm 23, Philippians 4:8-9]
Intentionally train your children
For those of us raising children, we must grab hold of every opportunity to guide them onto the best path for their lives; we must be intentional. When they are young teach them what is true, good, and right in eyes of God. Set them on the right path and intentionally guide them throughout their lives towards the Truth of the Gospel. Welcome questions and debates as they grow into their teen years and don’t be afraid to say that you just don’t know something if you don’t. Most importantly, model what being a follower of Jesus looks like, and do it with consistency.[Proverbs 22:6]
Watch out for false teachers
Let’s stay far away from those who are masquerading as followers of Jesus. These hypocritical liars have abandoned the faith and follow deceiving spirits. How will we recognize them? Look at the fruit being produced from their lives because every good tree produces good fruit, and every bad tree produces bad fruit; this makes sense in orchards and it makes sense with people. If you want to know what is at the core of a person or in their heart, listen for what comes out their mouth and watch their actions closely. There are many who will preach the things that everyone wants to hear instead of what God wants to say; they are eager to please the itching ears of those in their audience. Many are pursuing fame and wealth in the name of ministry and service. Don’t follow people who aren’t aligning with what the Bible says; let us never compromise on the Truth as found within the Word of God.[Matthew 24:24, 1 Timothy 4:1-2, 2 Timothy 4:3-4, Acts 20:28-30, Matthew 7:15-23]
We do not belong to this world
Jesus warned us about how we will be viewed by others here. He said that they will hate us. But don’t take it personally; they hate us because they hated Jesus. I wonder what it means if they don’t hate us? Could it mean that we are too friendly with the things of the world and thus, enemies of God? Let us be counted among those who are not of this world, but rather, chosen out of this world by God for His purposes and for His glory. Let’s remember that this is not our home, in fact we are more like visitors here. Jesus has prepared a home for us. You know, the place with many rooms in the Father’s House. Contrary to what the world would teach us, Jesus declared that there is only One way to that wonderful home; every path does not lead there. That One way to the Father is found in Jesus alone. So let’s live like visitors or guests and not like owners that are hungry for more influence and power in this world.[Matthew 10:22, John 15:18-19, James 4:4, John 17:14-15, Philippians 3:20, John 14:6]
We are on a mission
Jesus left us with a mission much like the woman that He met at the well. That mission is to, with urgency, tell others about Jesus and to never hide what we have found in Christ. If we truly are the light of the world and we will do even greater things in Jesus’ name, why would anyone ever hide that? Do people go into a dark room, light a candle, and hide it underneath something? Of course not. Instead, one would produce the light and shine it so everyone can see. Let’s tell others of the Hope that we have found. Let us be bold in what seems like a very dark time filled with many dangers. Let us be courageous because God is our Sun and our Shield; He provides the Light to dispel the darkness and protects from the dangers around us. The message is simple: “Repent and believe in Jesus; your sins can be forgiven. You were made in the image of your Father in heaven. Your previous without-hope and sinful self can be put to death and a new, hope-filled, purpose-driven, joy-filled version will be birthed. God knew you when you were being formed in your mother’s womb and He had a plan and purpose for you! Put your life into His hands and watch what He will do, dear friend!” If we don’t go and tell them, how will the hear? If they don’t hear, how will they believe? If they don’t believe, how will they call on Jesus and be saved?[Matthew 5:14-16, Matthew 28:18-20, John 14:12, Matthew 28:16-20, Psalms 139:13, Jeremiah 1:5, Romans 10:13-15]
Comments
Post a Comment