I Patiently Wait!

1 Peter 5:8 (B)Be of sober spirit, (C)be on the alert Your adversary, (D)the devil, prowls around like a roaring (E)lion, seeking someone to devour.

Today as every other day, you, and I are going about our business, the business of daily life, most do not give much thought to what is really going on around us. Yes, we see the hustle and bustle, we are aware of the things of this world going on, but how often do we give thought to the “Spiritual World” around us, and all that is going on in this place?

The goal here is to help make us more aware, that what is going on in this “Spiritual Realm” does have a direct and profound effect on us.

We find that the Apostle Peter, while in Rome around 63-64 AD was writing this letter to the “Aliens” scattered around the world. These were the Christians of the day, and his letter was to acknowledge, comfort, and encourage them during their time of suffering and trial. One of the themes of this letter is to call Christians to rejoice in the face of private and public persecution, to live above such intimidations.

As we look at this verse in context we will pursue a better and life saving understanding of how we should handle these times of trial and persecution.
1 Peter 5:7-9, 7casting all your (A)anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 8(B)Be of sober spirit, (C)be on the alert Your adversary, (D)the devil, prowls around like a roaring (E)lion, seeking someone to devour. 9(F)But resist him, (G)firm in your faith, knowing that (H)the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.
In verse 7 we are told that we are to cast all our anxieties, in the Greek the word is “Merimna” which means care, anxiety. We are told to cast these on Him, being Jesus, who cares for us. Again, we are given instruction to be of sober spirit, here sober is the word “Nepho” to be calm collected in spirit, to be temperate, dispassionate, circumspect, so literally we face this world with our eyes open and not live by the knee jerk reaction of our emotions.
Be on the Alert, “Gregoreuo” to give strict attention, to be cautious and active, to take heed lest through remission and indolence some destructive calamity suddenly overtake one.
We are being warned here to be ever diligent, to be ever seeking, and watching, lest we let our guard fall and we are over taken by sudden destruction. Have you ever just had a good day or week or even a month where you just knew that you were in your spiritual zone, you were living the life, you were in a place of oneness with God, that you could do no wrong? It is when we are in these zones, that we most often let our guard down and it is in, this very place that we receive this ominous warning. We should take and pay close attention, never to rest or turn our back to the reality that, we do have an enemy and his desire is to destroy our witness to the world and our relationship with God.
When a lion prowls, it is crouching down, so it is close to the ground as not to alert the prey of its presence and so it is with Satan. When we are going about our life in such a carefree manner, with little or no concern, unaware of the presence of our assailant, this is when the attack usually begins. Dear friends, it is to our own demise that we walk about our daily lives, blatantly ignoring the many warnings provided in pages of scripture.
Resist, Firm in our faith, knowing that we are not alone in this peril, there are brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world who are suffering the same and many even worse fates than we can imagine. I recently heard of some believers in a country where Christianity is illegal, imagine, against the law to serve and worship Christ. These brothers and sisters were living in an underground tunnel, and when there government began a road project and found their tunnel and arrested them. Given the chance to deny Christ, to say that they would no longer believe, they each refused. When faced with their death the answer was still, no. They watched the hanging of their children but still each and everyone held diligent to their faith in Christ. Each of these people were laid on the ground in front of a steamroller, with their feet closest to the roller with the next persons feet at the formers head, so this steam roller would crush each of them from feet to head. These brothers and sister were each and everyone rolled over by this steamroller, none of them rejected Christ, but each of them resisted the enemy and they held firm to their faith, and they did not ignore this warning from scripture. They gave their lives in faith to Christ and the lost their lives for that faith, but they never once failed to resist the devil, and they are to be an example for us today.
Through out it all these believers lived and died these three verses. Now it is for each and every one of us to remember and to cling to this truth, and it comes from Christ Himself.
He said in Mark 8:34-36, 34 And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and (A)take up his cross and follow Me. 35"For (B)whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. 36"For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?
So clearly, lets keep our focus on the eternal, lets not loose site that we have an enemy, and he is prowling at our heals, even at this very moment. Lastly, hold fast to the truth that we must be quickly willing to give up our very lives for Christ and His Holy Word, and for our brothers and sisters in Christ, for Heaven and Hell are in the balance. Do not forfeit your soul for the passing things of this world but cling tightly to your treasure, which is in Heaven!



©Copyright 2006 Forgiving Grace Ministries

Believers and Followers

Everyday we need to ask ourselves this question. If Jesus would do all that He did for you and me, then why is it that we have such a hard time doing what He did for use?
Now, understand I am not saying that you or I need to go and be crucified, but I am saying that we do need to DIE and do it everyday. We should die more and more each and every day to this world and become more alive in the spirit to the Kingdom of GOD.

That will require more than belief, it will require us to follow. I know for most of us we have heard the old saying that “Even Satan is a Believer” In scripture we see in Mark 1:23-26 and in Mark 5:1-13 that even the unclean spirits, the demons and in Luke 4:1-13 and also in Matthew 4:1-11 we are told that even the devil had his time confronting Jesus. The main difference here is that the demons and unclean spirits just as Satan they all believe, in fact we see that they know that Jesus is the Son of God. However Satan just as he did with Eve in the Garden, brings or attempts to bring doubt, even to Jesus by saying “If you ARE the Son of God” not once or even twice but three times we are told that Satan poses this question to Christ and each time Jesus responds “it is written”.

So we must be very careful for we are not the only believers, as Jesus called each of His disciples He used a very intentional phrase, “come, follow me” this is our clue to how we should respond. We all know that Jesus said that we must believe, confess our sins, repent of our sins, and be baptized. In our act of obedience, to His call for us to “follow”, we must remember Jesus said to pick up your cross and follow Him.

So what then, will you stand with Satan and his legions and just believe or will you “Follow” Jesus? See it is not about what you have, who you hang out with, what style you had, life eternal is in the balance. We must wake up every day and enter into the presence of the Lord and seek His will, we must spend time in His Word, which is the way we learn what He expects from us, in attitude, action, word, and thought. We also get a clear picture of His overwhelming love for His children.

This is not a life for the weak, for those who just want an easy life or a life of blessing. You will suffer, you will struggle, you will lose friends, and people who today say they love you will…well let’s just say that their love might not be a selfless or unconditional love. You will have to have a selfless love, be willing to give all you have and do so if needed. It may, someday soon even be required of you, your very life. Can you live a life for a cause greater than yourself? Are you your greatest cause?



If you are already a believer and or a follower, let me ask you… Will you recant; will you save your life in that day, when you are asked to deny Christ or DIE?
Well Christian, will you take the bullet or let the guillotine drop, will you praise God to the very end? Will you sing the praise of The Lord Jesus with your final dying breath? These are some seriously heavy questions to ask yourself.

Life is easy when you are blind to the truth of God. However, there is no joy when you are blind to His eternal truths. This world can sell you happiness and you can buy it everyday, but your life will still be required someday, oh how bleak a life without Christ, for each moment is fleeting, just as smoke rising from a fire. The fire is this world and it consumes your very soul and the smoke your life lived and wasted in vain.

Defeat is without end, Satan its ruler, no way of escape, except one. Victory, Christ is there and He is its leader, He will subdue defeat in His return. You must choose now my dear friend, do not delay, In Christ, death has no victory, but alas, without Jesus death has a mighty sting, one that will last an eternity.

Jesus will be called upon to separate the sheep from the goats, the believers from the followers, Jesus said, “In that day many will say to me LORD LORD did we not prophesy in your name, did we not heal and cast out demons in you name, and I will say to them away from Me, I never knew you”.

I ask you, are you just a believer?