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Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12
It seems like it is getting harder and harder to really take a stand for Jesus. There are so many voices in society that tell us that the Bible isn’t relevant or that there are lots of ways to get to heaven. Truth, along with right and wrong, have become subject to one’s own interpretation. What’s right for you may not be right for me.
The voices of tolerance tell us that we need to be sensitive to those who have different beliefs because ‘we are all God’s children and he reaches out to us in many ways. To preach one way is right and one way is wrong is simply spreading hate.
We shouldn’t be surprised at the attacks leveled at our faith in Jesus. These attacks have been going on since Jesus walked on earth and they will continue until He comes again to take those of us who are His follower’s home.
When Paul wrote to Timothy is was as a loving father or teacher would write to a much loved son or student. He knew his time was short. He also knew that as Timothy grew older and more experienced in ministry he would encounter more and more resistance to the message of love and forgiveness through Jesus.
He tells Timothy that he must ‘Fight the good fight of faith’. The actual wording for this admonition in the original languages is to “Agonize the good agony.” In other words, the Christian life will be full of agony! For some of us this agony is an internal struggle. We may look squeaky clean and spiritual on the outside. We do all the right things, go to church, sing the songs and say the right words. But inside we struggle with addictions, fear, worry or thoughts we know are not pleasing to God. We can hide our struggles from others by ‘doing all the right things’ even though we still lose the inner battles of our hearts.
For others of us, following Christ can be an external struggle. Maybe you smoke and want to quit but can’t. Maybe it’s an addiction to chemicals. Maybe it’s anger and rage. It could be overeating. There is a whole list of things that we struggle with that are evident because try as we might, we can’t hide them.
Paul says to fight! Don’t give up. Know that God understands your weakness. He knows your heart and that you are trying to follow Him. He is more than willing to come along side you and help you have the strength to endure the battle. He doesn’t want you to give up on yourself. He can’t help you if you give up on Him.
Don’t give up on yourself. Don’t give up on God. Jesus is THE way to truth and to life. He alone can help you with whatever fight is ahead of you.
PRAYER: Holy God, you know the battle the rages in my life right now. I struggle with some things that I’m able to hide (so far) from others. I struggle with other things that are very evident to everyone I meet. Some days I don’t like me and I doubt you. I feel the battle is too much for me. Please help me to remember that you are by my side and understand my weakness. Help me to fight the good fight with you by my side. Empower me with your Holy Spirit to live free from the things that try to hinder me. Amen.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100:4-5
One of the unfortunate things about ‘church’ today is that we tend to categorize our spirituality into activities and not life style. We go to church on Sunday. The rest of the week is ours to spend time as we wish. We focus on church as a building and worship as a set of songs and/or hymns that we sing at some point in a service to direct our attention and praise to God.
Old habits die hard. Our tendency to place our spiritual activities in categories isn’t a new one. The Israelites had the same tendency. Just as today worship was often built on an object or an activity and not a person. That’s what got them in trouble when Moses was up getting the 10 commandments. They were without an object to worship so they made a calf.
Worship isn’t about activity and praise isn’t related to circumstances surrounding you. Worship is a lifestyle and praise is dependent on WHO God is and what HE has done. Praise and thanksgiving are not based on the mistakes we’ve made in the past, the guilt or shame we bear or the amount of money in our bank accounts. PRAISE AND WORSHIP ISN’T ABOUT US.
One of the great ‘Psalms of praise’ is Psalm 100. In this short song of praise that was written by King David we are instructed to praise the Lord for the many things that He has done for us. But hidden within the song we are directed when and where to praise Him.
David tells us to offer thanksgiving and praise in ‘His courts’ and ‘His gates’. These terms were references to places outside the temple! In other words, David is telling us that our praise and worship of Jesus is to be a part of our everyday lives. It isn’t to be hidden within the walls of some building someplace or placed strategically at some place and point of time.
Take time to focus on what God has done for you. Don’t let your current circumstances influence the way you feel. Don’t be general in your thanks or go back to some point in history of what ‘He did back then.’ Take time each day to focus on just one aspect of Jesus’ love that won’t change regardless of your circumstances. Maybe it’s Jesus’ unconditional love or His unending mercy, patience, grace, forgiveness, understanding. Make your own list. Be specific. Take these praises with you everywhere you go.
Let the world see Christ’s love in you at the grocery store, in rush hour, in the long lines at your favorite discount store or at the coffee shop. Wherever you go, focus on what Jesus has done for you. You don’t need to put on a show! His light will shine through you to others. Words and songs of praise aren’t nearly as effective as a lifestyle of praise and worship.
PRAYER: Holy God. I confess to you that too many times my spirituality is categorized. I show a ‘different me’ in every situation. My praise of you is limited to time and based on my changing circumstances. Thank you that you never change. Help me today, to focus my attitudes, actions, words and activities on who you are and not who I am. Amen.
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:5
Everyone likes to have ‘new things’. We dream of winning the lottery or inheriting a fortune and most of us begin to think of all the ‘new things’ we would buy and ‘new things’ we would do with our new found fortune and power. Money is power!
In reality though, there really is nothing around us that is ‘new’ in the way God talks about ‘newness’. Our idea of new is, in reality, modifications to something that has already existed. There’s nothing really ‘new’ under the sun, as the cliché goes.
God’s view of ‘new-ness’ is vastly different than ours however. When God says He’s going to make something new He isn’t referring to modifications of something that already is. When He created the world there wasn’t something to model it after. It was His own creativity that formed the life we see around us. What a marvelous thought!
That makes the statement John writes down in Revelation even more exciting. From a prophecy standpoint John is telling us that what lies in the future is NEW! It’s nothing we’ve ever seen or experienced before. When you consider the vast love God has for us and when you think of His promise to make all things NEW it should excite you. When someone makes new stuff for those they love they don’t make junk! His promise of ‘new-ness’ makes what we look forward to so much better than we can imagine here on earth, and there is nothing we can compare it to.
But God’s idea of newness didn’t skip from creation to eternity. His newness is available to each of us as well. Paul tells us that through Jesus we are ‘NEW CREATIONS’. When you accepted Jesus as your personal savior He didn’t simply revamp the old you. He made a new one! A nice shiny new you. No past. No failures. No flaws. NEW.
Don’t let past failures or poor decisions keep you from realizing the potential you have to be new in Jesus. Your new-ness isn’t the result of anything you have done or said. It’s all because of God’s great love for you.
PRAYER: Father God. As I think about what it means to be a ‘new creation’ I’m in awe of your love and power. I’m so undeserving of your great love! I fail you and others constantly. I make poor choices and demand my own way. Still, in the face of all this you love me! Thank you for your great love and compassion. Help me from this day forward to live in the newness you have planned for me. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 