Monday Morning Encouragement -- Courageous Faith

 

"But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty." 2 Timothy 3:1

Are we in the last days? Many Bible scholars and teachers think so. Certainly we're closer now than we were a decade ago. Reading Paul's description of the last days in 2 Timothy 3:2-4 does seem to describe the world we're now living in: "For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,". Such are the signs of the end times, as are the Lord's warning In Luke 21:11: " And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven." 

God wants us to be aware of these things, but He doesn't want us to live in fear. He has given us the tools we need to live triumphantly in Christ and have victory over fear, no matter what is going on around us. We have Jesus' abiding presence. He has promised never to leave us or forsake us. If we have trusted in Him as our Savior, than we have no reason to fear. In Revelation 1:17-18 Jesus told John: "Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades." Jesus has all authority, and He holds the keys! Not Satan, nor anyone or anything on earth. One day every knee will bow to Jesus (Philippians 2:10). We need to remember this and remain obedient to His word. When we give Him first place in our lives His presence becomes more apparent, and our faith is strengthened. 

Every day we need to welcome the Holy Spirit into our day, and allow Him to control our thoughts and actions. We need to become more sensitive to Him and to His promptings. He will never lead us into darkness, but will always shed light on our path. We need to be daily readers of the word so that we will grow more and more into the image of Christ. The Holy Spirit illuminates scripture and teaches us. So important!

Finally, we need to be in community with other believers. Be in a Bible believing and teaching church where Christ is preeminent. Where worship is Christ centered.

God has chosen us to live in these times. He has a purpose for us, and we can choose to serve Him daily with our whole hearts. Trusting Him to give us the courageous faith we need at all times.

Today's music video Hearts Courageous by Marantha Singers is a beautiful anthem of faith. and dedication to the Lord. Enjoy and be encouraged!

I love you, I'm thinking of you, and I'm praying for you.

Monday Morning Encouragement -- Perfect Wisdom

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." Proverbs 9:10

In this modern age we have a plethora of ways to obtain knowledge. If you own a computer or a smart phone, knowledge is only a few finger presses away. How often do we hear "Google It"? So, it's fairly easy to obtain knowledge. And although we may have a lot of knowledge, unless it is applied properly it does not equate with wisdom.  For example, we may know that a red light means stop, but neglecting to apply the brakes when we see a red light indicates a lack of wisdom.

Monday Morning Encouragement -- The Way

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" John 14:6

This week I watched a clip from an interview with Keith Green, a Christian recording artist from the 1970's, in which he gave his testimony on how he came to know and accept Jesus Christ as his Savior. He recounted his search for God and how he investigated many religions in his quest. Green says, "In all the eastern religions, and all the cults, and all the world religions, they always gave some credit to Jesus Christ."

Monday Morning Encouragement -- Transformative Journey

 

"As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." Ephesians 4:1

When we receive Christ as our Savior, placing our faith in Him for salvation, we are justified by God. No longer are we under the penalty of death for our sins. We are accepted by God, not because of anything we have done, but rather because of what Christ has done for us. As 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." 

Monday Morning Encouragement -- Hope For The Overlooked

"Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the children?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.” (1 Samuel 16:10-11)

When reading the biblical account of God sending Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint a king to replace Saul, I'm fascinated by the fact that Samuel is ready to anoint the first of Jesse's sons based on his appearance. After all, Saul was tall and handsome and look how that turned out.

Monday Morning Encouragement -- By Faith Walls Come Down

 

"By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days." Hebrews 11:30

Last week I read again the Book of Joshua, and once more was struck by Joshua's devotion to God and his total commitment of obedience to God's instructions. Nowhere is it more evident than in the fall of Jericho.

Monday Morning Encouragement -- Ours is the Kingdom of Heaven

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:10

Bill Maher is not someone I typically watch or listen to, especially when it comes to matters of Christianity. However, I have to commend him for bringing attention to the systematic genocide of Nigerian Christians. In a recent interview he cited that since 2009 Boko Haram Islamists have killed over 100,000 Christians and burned 18,000 churches. Maher said,"They are literally attempting to wipe out the Christian population of an entire country."

Monday Morning Encouagement -- A Time for Peace

 

"a time for war and a time for peace.." Ecclesiastes 3:8b

This morning I watched with interest the gathering of the Israeli Knesset for President Trump's address. In his speech to the assembly, Speaker Amir Ohana said, "We are a nation that remembers." This is one of the things that has always impressed me about the Jewish people, especially those who are religious. They are a people who remember. They remember their roots. They remember their history from Genesis to the present day.

Prime Minister Netanyahu quoted from Ecclesiastes 3 where Solomon spoke "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. . .a time for war and a time for peace." The living hostages are finally now home, a cease fire is in place, and God willing there will be lasting peace in the region. We must continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

I was glad when President Trump began his address with the words, "Deepest thanks to Almighty God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." Yes, this is where the thanks truly belongs. We must always begin with praise to God. Only He is worthy of our praise. He is the true Peacemaker.

As Israel moves from war to peace, my prayer for my Israeli friends is Psalm 4:8:

"In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."

Today's music video is Hymn of Heaven. Original song and English lyrics by: ‪@philwickham‬. English Vocals: Joshua Aaron. Hebrew Vocals: Rebekah Davis. Arabic Vocals: Nizar Francis.

I love you, I'm thinking of you, and I'm praying for you.

Monday Morning Encouragement -- Our Heavenly Guide

"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." Proverbs 16:9

In his exposition on Proverbs 16:9 Charles Bridges writes:

"So truly do we find our happiness and security in yielding up our will to our Heavenly Guide! He knows the whole way--every step of the way--'the end from the beginning.' And never shall we miss either the way or the end, if only we resign ourselves with unreserved confidence to his keeping and direction of our steps."

Monday Morning Encouragement -- Start With Me, Lord

 

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51:10

Rodney "Gypsy" Smith was a revival preacher at the turn of the 20th century. Tens of thousands of people were led to the Lord through his ministry. When asked how to start a revival, he gave this advice:

Monday Morning Encoueagement -- Set Your Seal

 

"He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true." John 3:33

Those who have believed the testimony of Jesus Christ have sealed this upon their hearts: that God is truthful. He doesn't lie. When storms roll into our lives, we remember that everything He has told us in His word is trustworthy. Here are a few of His truths: