#984 The Christian Life – Spiritual Strength

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

One of the great things in living the Christian life is that the Lord always provides everything needed to properly live the life.  Many Christians are weak Christians as they fail to exercise Spiritual disciplines, tell others about Christ, and walk in a manner pleasing to God.  His faithfulness is sufficient as He provides spiritual strength for them.  Paul uses three words, including strength, to describe God’s faithfulness:  “strength,” meaning being strengthened; “power” which is spiritual vitality; and “might” which is power that overcomes resistance.  This God-given strength produces great endurance, which was exemplified by Job, implying the strength to not easily succumb under suffering, and patience which is self-restraint from hastily retaliating, a lack of which leads to wrath or revenge.  The Lord never fails when we allow Him to work in our lives.

Are you allowing God’s strength in your life?

“Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.”   (Colossians 1:11)

May God Richly Bless You Today

#927 Being a Christian – Contending for the Faith

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Jude challenged the recipients of his epistle to “earnestly contend for the faith.”  The faith he was referring to was the Word of Truth inspired by the Holy Spirit and proclaimed by the apostles, Truth that was given once and for all, contained in Holy Scripture.  It is this same Truth that the “apostates” have perverted and ignored.  We should contend not through harsh contentiousness, but with an agonizing desire to teach with patience and meekness, always sharing the Truth in love.  While there is a necessity for our being “relevant” in the modern world, this “relevancy” should never involve compromise of the biblical principles and values that are the faith we stand upon, but contending openly, meeting people where they are, regardless of social status, ethnic background or any other distinguishing features.  Being a Christian is contending for the faith!

Stand up today for the Truth of God’s Word, not compromising the principles and values contained therein!

“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”  (Jude 3)

May God Richly Bless You Today

#574 Patience – Faithfulness and the Crown of Life

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Patience requires steadfastness, and steadfastness requires a faith that endures any and all trials that are cast our way.  When Christ was telling the Church in Philadelphia to “hold that fast which thou hast,”[1] He was not only telling them to be faithful and obedient to the Gospel, He was also telling them to patiently endure and be obedient whatever situation they may find themselves facing whether it is everyday trials and suffering or persecution.  That goes equally for us today, and it is the love for God that is revealed by our steadfastness that enables us to patiently remain faithful and endure these trials while waiting on the Lord’s return.  Those of us who remain faithful and love God will be the recipient of the crown of life upon His return.  Bible scholars disagree as to the exact interpretation of “crown of life” with some believing it is one of a number of crowns that will be the Christian’s reward for faithful living here on earth for the Lord while others believe it is referring to the ultimate reward, that of eternal life.  Regardless of the exact meaning, we do know that it is God’s desire for us as Christians to remain faithful in our love for and faith in Him, keeping our eyes fixed upon Him.

As you patiently await the Lord’s return, allow your steadfastness to reveal your love for your God!

“…be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”  (Revelation 2:10c)

May God Richly Bless You Todaypa@msn.com or bwoolleyjr@gmail.com

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[1] Revelation 3:11

#573 Patience – Steadfastness Until the Lord’s Return

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Our diligence in being obedient in following the commands and instructions from God’s Word until and for the Lord’s return can only be accomplished if we stand fast in our faith.  Christ, in His letter to the Church in Philadelphia as found in the Book of Revelation, cautions them to hold fast on to what they already have until His return.  They had already been commended for their effort to obey His Word in spite of their lack of strength;[1] but it was necessary for them to be encouraged to hold tightly to whatever strength they had, persevering in their faith and utilizing their personal and corporate resources in the Lord’s work.  That goes for us today!  Although we are all different and have different abilities, spiritual maturity and strength levels, we as Christians are to never allow our faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ to waiver, exercising perseverance as well as patience until His return.  Tomorrow we examine our reward for faithfulness.

 

Do you have as part of your patience perseverance and steadfastness in your faith?

 

“Behold, I come quickly; hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”  (Revelation 3:11)

 

May God Richly Bless You Today                                                                       

 

 

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version, unless otherwise noted. (Capitalization of pronouns for God added.)

Archives of At the Father’s Feet can be found at atthefathersfeet.wordpress.com

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[1] Revelation 3:8

#572 Patience – Comfort In the Lord’s Return

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The previous couple of devotionals have shown that we are to live patiently until and for the coming of the Lord, and in doing so we are being diligent in following the commands and instructions as given to us in God’s Word.  But there is an additional aspect of our obedience, that we will find comfort in the coming of the Lord, in the knowledge that His promise of returning for His saints is absolute and certain.  In His Word, God is giving the saints of all ages a consolation in their sorrows over lost loved ones who were of the faith.  Barnes Notes on the New Testament explains that there are three areas of consolation for the saints, “first, that those who had died in the faith would not always lie in the grave; second, that when they rose they would not occupy an inferior condition because they were cut off before the coming of the Lord; and third, that all Christians, living and dead, would be received to heaven and dwell forever with the Lord.”[1]  This is our blessed hope (certainty) and comfort that someday Christ is coming again, and we will be spending eternity in the presence of our Lord in heaven.  Praise the Lord!!

Are you rejoicing in the comfort that you have in knowing that you will be joining your Christian loved ones who have previously passed away when Christ returns and spending eternity with them before God in heaven?

“Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”  (I Thessalonians 4:18)

May God Richly Bless You Today

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[1]Albert Barnes, Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament, Electronic Edition, STEP Files,Cedar Rapids,Iowa:  Parsons Technology, Inc. (1999).

#571 Patience – Living For the Lord’s Return

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We have seen previously that we are to live patiently until the coming of the Lord, an event for which there is no timetable.  We as Christians need to be anxious for the coming again of the Lord, but we also will have a tendency of making the assumption that He is not coming in our lifetime.  By making this assumption we sometimes start “slacking off” in our diligence in following God’s commands and instructions, thus failing to patiently live for the Lord’s return.  Although we know not when Christ will come again, we should live as though He is returning today, and when that takes place we as Christians will have no further opportunity to tells others about the salvation that is available to all that believe in Him by faith.  In living for His return we are to continue maturing spiritually by staying in His Word, praying and remaining in a spirit of prayer, worshipping Him with all our being, and witnessing to others as we come in contact with them.

Are you just living until the Lord’s return or are you genuinely living for the Lord’s return?

“For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:  and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:  and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”  (I Thessalonians 4:16-17)

May God Richly Bless You Today

#570 Patience – Until the Lord’s Return

 Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We cannot leave the subject of “patience” without considering the patience we are to exhibit until the coming of the Lord.[1]  In Bible times, Christians were taught to expectantly wait on the coming of the Lord which they connected with deliverance from their troubles.  God’s Word gives no timetable for His appearing so it was not then nor is it now improper to consider the event as being near at hand, a consideration that should make each of us Christians to live as though it was going to take place today.  When Christ does not appear day by day, we, as with so many other situations in life, tend to become impatient and begin living as though He were to never return.  By waiting expectantly we are to exercise a patience that is long-suffering, enduring, and without exhaustion until the Lord comes again when there will be a deliverance from our pain and suffering.

Are you living each day as though the Lord is going to appear at any time?    

“For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.”  (I Thessalonians 4:15)

May God Richly Bless You Today

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[1] James 5:7a

#569 Patience – Lessons from God’s Patience

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

For the past few days we have looked at different situations and circumstances that certainly make it easier said than done to have patience, sometimes even bringing our faith into question.  While each of the situations covered is different and has its own difficulties, each also has a common solution that is a constant in our world today, our Lord.  As He teaches us to be patient, we recognize that He Himself is a God of patience, He being both patient and persistent in dealing with us.  When we realize that He not only wants us to be a part of His family of believers but also wants the absolute best for us, we begin to understand that the promises He has made in His Word are promises we can count upon to be fulfilled and the qualities described in His Word for Christians are those we need to allow Him to develop in our lives.  When we claim His promises and incorporate His qualities into our lives, we will learn to be patient in all circumstances and live our lives without worry and anguish, seeking His comfort and strength while waiting patiently for His perfect timing.

If you have not previously claimed His promises and incorporated His qualities into your life, do so today and enjoy the difference God’s patience can make in your life!

“I waited patiently for the LORD, and He turned to me and heard my cry for help.”  (Psalm 40:1)

May God Richly Bless You Today

#568 Patience – Patience and Faith

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Patience?  How could God expect us to be patient in the midst of the trials and tribulations we experience here on earth?  Extended times of illness, financial troubles, family problems, natural disasters that directly affect us, and other such situations can not only test our patience but also test our faith.  Additionally, we can become so discouraged at our situation that we even go so far as to wonder if God really cares, much less is with us during these times.  But when we look at God’s Word, the Truth, we realize that God does care and He is with us at all times.  When we keep our eyes upon Him, placing our trust and faith in His presence, He is a source of comfort and strength, as well as providing us with enough patience and perseverance to keep us for the duration of our troubles.  Our God is an ever present help during our time here on earth, so we can only imagine the glorious time we are going to have in His presence when we, as Christians, get to heaven.

Is your faith and trust in God strong enough to recognize His presence during the tough times?

“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”  (James 1:3)

May God Richly Bless You Today

#567 Patience – Results Come in God’s Time

 Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As Christians, we are commanded in Scripture to tell others about Christ Jesus and His saving power.  We do this by individually witnessing for Him to those around us and on the mission field, or joining with others in evangelism and mission efforts.  It should be and is a joy to tell others our story of salvation and what it means to be a Christian.  This joy is multiplied as we see positive results of our ministry where people accept Christ as Savior and Christians are noticeably strengthened in their Christian walk.  But what happens when we fail to see the positive results?  Is our patience tried?  Do we get discouraged?  There have been stories of missionaries who have served years without anyone accepting Christ and then later the area they were serving experiencing a great revival due to the foundation the original missionaries laid.  It is difficult to have patience when we so desire to see results for the Lord, and sometimes we do need to possibly change our direction of ministry; however, God desires obedience and faithfulness from us in His ministry, leaving the results to Him.

If those to whom you are ministering are not accepting the message, be patient, remain faithful in your ministry, and allow the Lord to work in their lives!

“But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.”  (Luke 8:15 – NKJV)

May God Richly Bless You Today