Thoughts for Life: UNDER ATTACK

Under Attack

Jorden Zuniga- As I write this devotion, I have dealt with some rather impatient and not-so-friendly people inside and outside of the church who didn't particularly like me engaging with the church or talking about Jesus. I encountered people who passive-aggressively hinted that they didn't want me there and didn't like me talking about Jesus. I felt discouragement, animosity, and even competition when I tried to talk about theological topics.

However, as I considered how to deal with this opposition and the cost of following Jesus, I remembered that Jesus warned how the world would hate us because it hated Him long before it hated us. People will hate those who preach the truth because they prefer the comfort of a lie over the truth.

The world — in its sinful rebellion, pride, and selfish ambition — hates Christ and anyone who exposes its sin and proclaims Christ is the only way to heaven. As such, we should expect persecution, animosity, and hatred from those outside the church, carnal Christians, and wolves in sheep's clothing who only want to use the gospel for their selfish and covetous purposes.

If you are under attack because of your love for Jesus or your passion for bringing the gospel in a solid and biblical way, don't be surprised. You are facing spiritual warfare. Christ foretold these persecutions and sorrows, but be encouraged. Christ has already overcome the world."

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” John 15:18 NIV

Let's pray-

Father, some folks have dealt with impatient and not-so-friendly people who didn't particularly like their engaging with the church or talking about Jesus. They may have encountered folks with passive-aggressively hinting that they didn't want them to talk about Jesus. We also may have felt discouragement, animosity and even competition when we tried to talk about theological topics.

However, as we consider how to deal with this opposition and the cost of following Jesus, help us remember that Jesus warned us how the world would hate us because it hated Him long before it hated us. People will hate those who preach the truth because they prefer the comfort of a lie over the truth.

The world — in it's sinful rebellion, pride, and selfish ambition — hates Christ and anyone who exposes its sin and proclaims Christ is the only way to heaven. As such, we are to expect persecution, animosity, and hatred from those outside the church, carnal Christians, and wolves in sheep's clothing who only want to use the gospel for their selfish and covetous purposes.

When we're under attack because of loving You, or of our passion for bringing the gospel in a solid and bibilical way, we won't be surprised, as we are facing spiritual warfare. Remind us that Christ has already overcome the world!

We ask in Jeus' name for Your protection and direction in living our lives to honor You. Amen

#90 Testimony- Quote from Prison to Praise, Merlin Carothers, (pp, 105,106)

"There is a ladder of praise and I believe that everyone without exception can begin to praise God right now in whatever situation he may find himself.

For our praise to reach the perfection God wants for us, it needs to be free of any thoughts of reward. Praise is not another way of bargaining with the Lord. We don't say,' Now we've praised You in the middle of this mess, so get us out of it!'

Praising God with a pure heart means we must let God cleanse our hearts from impure motives and hidden designs. We have to experience dying to self so that we can live again in Christ in newness of mind and spirit.

Dying to self is a progressive journey, and I have come to believe it is traveled only through praise. God is calling us to praise Him, and the highest form of praise is the one Paul exhorts us to give in Hebrews 13:15: 'By (Christ) therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name.'

The sacrifice of praise is offered when all is darkness around us. It is offered of a heavy heart, unto God because He is God and Father and Lord. As we begin to praise Him, on whatever step of the ladder we may be, His Holy Spirit begins to fill our beings more and more.

To continually praise Him means a steady decrease of self and an increase of the presence of Christ within us until with Peter we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory."

1486-1490 One-line Scriptures for those of you who want to learn some more verses this week- or to review them from when they were first posted-

1486- Is. 33:13 "Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are

near, acknowledge my might."

1487- Is. 55:9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways

higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

1488- Jer. 1:17b "Speak unto them all that I command thee."

1489- Ps. 119:36 "Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetosness."

1490- Pro. 4:2 "For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law."

#90 Hymn- Revive Us Again

The information about this song, is taken from the book by Robert J. Morgan, THEN SINGS MY SOUL (pg. 147)

This is the testimony of Scottish doctor, W. P Mackay, author of "Revive Us Again." "My dear mother . . . had been a godly, pious woman, quite often telling me of the Savior, and many times I had been a witness to her wrestling in prayer for my soul's salvation. . ."

After He had lived a wicked life, and as a doctor he witnessed a man who asked for the "Book" that his landlady had, to be given him as he lay dying.

He took the Book and could not believe his eyes. It was the Bible his mother had given to him when he left his parents' home, and which later, when short of money, sold for a small amount. His name was still in it, written in his mother's hand . . . Be it suifficient to say that the regained possession of his Bible was the cause of his conversion!

Some encouraging words-

If we pray as Jesus commands us to pray, we obligate ourselves to first know what God's will is through our study of the Scriptures; and then to do it! Before we begin to pray or even think of doing it, the holiness and glory of God Himself must be paramount in our hearts.

Church Notes:

God, being who He is, cannot cease to be what He is, and being what He is, He cannot act out of character with Himself. All that He is must accord with all that He does. From the beginning, belief in the perfection of God brought sweet assurance to the believing man and taught him to sing. Only as we have complete assurance that He is faithful, may we live in peace and look forward with assurance to the life to come.

Above all we must believe that God sees us perfect in His Son, while He disciplines and chasens and purges us, that we may be partakers of His holiness.

Upcoming posts:

21st- THE RODEO GIRL- Theresa Pierce

28th- A NEW BEGINNING- Brandie Muncaster

7/5th- BLESSED BY THE BEST- Falicia Dawson