Life is Short ~ Eternity Isn't
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” —Ephesians 5:8
If you’re a true Christian, then you’re truly countercultural.
Today the cultural norm is upside down. The things that we once saw as virtues are now vices. The things we once celebrated are now mocked. And the things that we once said were bad are now declared good.
Everything is upside down.
It takes courage and commitment to be a follower of Jesus. Wimps need not apply. So, if you want to march in lockstep with the culture, parrot what everyone tells you to say, and think what everyone tells you to think, then go for it.
Any dead fish can float downstream. But it takes a live one to swim upstream, you see. When you believe in Jesus, believe in the Bible, and stand up for that, you’re a rebel today.
Jesus Christ is worth living for. And if necessary, He’s worth dying for. On the other hand, if you believe something isn’t worth dying for, then is it really worth living for?
Think of people throughout history who gave their lives for different causes. They gave their lives for false leaders and religious gurus. They followed crazy ideas that destroyed their lives.
I want to be someone who really lives for Christ. And that’s worth dying for, if necessary. I don’t know if that will ever happen. But I know this much. The apostle Paul said, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21 NKJV).
For Christians, death is not the end; we just move from one place to another. In fact, we move to a much better place. But we also have a life worth living on this earth—a life worth living to its fullest.
So, it’s the best of both worlds. It’s the best of this world, and then it’s the afterlife in the presence of God.
Know the Bible!
A knowledge of the Bible is essential to a rich and meaningful life. For the words of this Book have a way of filling in the missing pieces, of bridging the gaps, of turning the tarnished colors of our life to jewel-like brilliance. Learn to take your every problem to the Bible. Within its pages you will find the correct answer. But most of all, the Bible is a revelation of the nature of God. The philosophers of the centuries have struggled with the problem of a Supreme Being. Who is He? What is He? Where is He? If there is such a Person, is He interested in me? If so, how can I know Him? These and a thousand other questions about God are answered in this Holy Book, we call the Bible.
“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”
—Ephesians 6:12
Have you ever been walking with the Lord and doing all the things you think a Christian ought to do, when suddenly you were barraged with spiritual attacks?
You struggled with doubt. You battled temptations. You experienced all kinds of other problems and wondered what horrible sin you committed to bring that upon yourself. What did you do to deserve such a fate? Why did God let that happen to you?
Here’s something to consider: those things may not happen to you because you’re doing something wrong but because you’re doing something right.
Remember Job? The problem was that he had never read the Book of Job. If so, he would have been able to cruise right through the whole thing.
But Job didn’t know how the story ended. All he knew is that one day he had his beautiful family, all kinds of land, servants, and success all around him. And the next day he lost everything in rapid succession.
He lost his children. He lost his possessions. And he lost his health. Maybe he even wished that he’d lost his wife, because in the aftermath she told him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9 NKJV).
Everything fell apart. Did this happen because Job was a wicked man? No, it was the very opposite. Job was a godly man, but the Lord allowed the Devil to bring a series of attacks against him.
In time, the story turned out beautifully, and God doubled everything that Job had.
You might be going through a spiritual attack or getting hit with temptation again and again because you’re a threat to the Devil.
Like it or not, the moment we became Christians, we entered into a spiritual battle. So, we have to learn how to fight using the weaponry that God gave us.
MORE INSPIRATIONS ~ A couple of my favorites
Richard Ellis Talks ~ Richard Ellis CLICK HERE
Living on the Edge ~ Chip Ingram CLICK HERE
Harvest Ministries ~ Greg Laurie CLICK HERE
"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength." Corrie ten Boom
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