Tag: warned

The Crown of Life

The Crown of Life

Believers in Jesus Christ receive the crown of life. Let’s remember that before Jesus came, God had made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants. Jesus came so that the Gentiles might also be saved, and that atonement might be made for the sins of all of mankind.  Jesus is the Lamb of God, and he was the perfect sacrifice for all of mankind.  (see John 1:29, 36)

Believers are not promised an easy life in the Bible.  We are warned in 2 Timothy 3:12 that those who desire to live godly in Jesus will suffer persecution.  We must stop and realize that the enemy would not be attacking Christians so desperately if we did not possess something of great value.

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.  (Jas 1:12 NIV, emphasis added)

Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer for ten days. But be faithful, even if you have to die, and I will give you the crown of life.  (Rev 2:10 NCV, emphasis added)

Trials of various types test a Christian’s faith, develop endurance in their lives, and help develop spiritual maturity in them.  We can all read in 1 Peter how Jesus responded to persecution:

Although he was abused, he never tried to get even.  And when he suffered, he made no threats.  Instead, he had faith in God, who judges fairly.  (1 Pet 2:23 CEV)

The Lord will give every believer the sustaining grace that they need to go through such trials victoriously.  We just need to hold onto our faith in God and in His ability to uphold and sustain us spiritually, mentally, and emotionally through persecution.

Let’s consider how we can stand firm in our resolve to continue speaking the Word of Life boldly, even under the threat of persecution.  

Before persecution begins, we must prepare for it by cultivating the Word of God in our hearts. This means that we memorize various passages from the Bible and review them regularly to make sure we retain them.

Scripture teaches that we carry the Word of God in two places: in our mouths, and in our hearts (see Romans 10:8, and Deuteronomy 30:14).  Remember this vital truth:  Whenever persecution attempts to silence the Word that is in our mouths, it is the Word that is in our hearts which will sustain us. 

We carry the incorruptible Seed of the Word of God in our mouths and in our hearts, and we cannot begin to fathom the fruit that will come from that Seed.  Hold fast to the Seed that has been sown in your hearts, brothers and sisters!  It will uphold and sustain you, along with the very real presence of the Prince of Peace who never leaves us.  Glory to God!

We’ve Been Warned by the Word

We’ve Been Warned by the Word

We’ve been warned by God’s Word that there are evil times coming upon the earth.  These Scripture verses are all related to what is commonly referred to as “the end times.”  But what should we, the followers of Jesus Christ, be doing in this season?

First, let’s read some of these end times verses:

Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.  5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?  (2 Thes 2:3-5 NKJV) 
There will come a time when Christian churches and the people in them may fall away from their faith in Christ.  The person known as the Antichrist will be revealed.  This will usher in the Day of the Lord which will begin a 7-year tribulation period, when God’s righteous wrath shall fall upon the world.  At the same time, the function of the Holy Spirit as the One who holds back evil shall come to an end. 

He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.  (Dan 7:25 NIV) 
In a world where almost every semblance of righteousness has been removed, the man of sin will be revealed—that man of lawlessness who is the son of destruction, also known as the Antichrist.  This evil being will blaspheme the Lord and will also continuously persecute and vex any human beings who identify themselves as followers of Jesus.

The important point for us to remember is that the wrath of God is not intended for Christians who love the Lord and obey His Word.  Presently, the world’s evil is being restrained by the prayers of the righteous and the indwelling Holy Spirit. 

We have the serious task of engaging in the work of the Lord until the Lord Jesus comes to take us to be with Him.  We need to spend time in studying the Word in order to deepen our faith.  Let’s continue to grow in our knowledge and understanding of the Word of God.  We are called to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with those who are lost in their sins so that we may rescue them from an eternity of torment and pain.  And more importantly, as we lead others to Christ, we will be opening for them the path to eternal fellowship with Jesus Christ wherein is unity, harmony, and everlasting love.  Hallelujah!