Quick Thoughts

As summer comes on and we head off to the beach we take some comfort knowing there are dedicated men and woman, boys and girls who are patrolling our beaches and watching out for our safety. In like fashion, when Jesus Christ told His followers to go and preach the gospel to every person, He was telling them to become spiritual life savers. The message we bring of Jesus Christ is the message that will save a person’s spiritual life. Speak this message every chance you get.

Hebrews 11 provides a list of people who in their varying circumstances demonstrated an unwavering faith in God. The decisions they made to trust in and follow God leaves a lasting positive impact on us whereby we are inspired and encouraged to also keep an unwavering faith in God.

“We have found the Messiah”

The words of Andrew to his brother Simon Peter. (John1:41) And what wonderful words they must have been to Simon Peter to hear. Andrew was initially a disciple of John the Baptist. The first thing Andrew did after he met Jesus Christ was to go and tell his brother. He then went on and brought his brother to Jesus. In our personal experience of receiving the Holy Spirit, in type, we have ‘found the Messiah’. The next thing for us to do is, through our testimony in word and deed, bring as many other people to Jesus so they can also personally ‘find the Messiah’.

On one hand Jesus directs us to not get ahead of ourselves in living life. (Matt6:34) On the other we are encouraged to lift up our heads for our redemption draws near. (Luke21:28) Even Paul the Apostle wrote how he presses towards the mark of the high calling in Christ. (Phil3:13-15) So which is it? Do we just live moment to moment, or do we keep our focus on the beyond today in anticipation of the return of Jesus Christ? The answer of course is that God’s people are directed to live each moment of life as though Jesus is about to return.

Jesus spoke to Nicodemus that for a person to enter the kingdom of God they must be born again. (John3:1-8) This experience occurs when a person is baptised by full immersion in water and baptised in the Holy Spirit. The evidence of a person being born again of the Holy Spirit is the sound or voice of the Spirt. On the Day of Pentecost, the faithful believers had this experience which was individually evidenced in them by speaking in tongues. (Acts2:1-4)

God has always given His people cause to hope in a better future. For the bible nation of Israel it was to deliver them out of slavery in Egypt to live in a geographical location where He would provide for all their needs. Now, for any person, it is the hope of resurrection to eternal life living in God’s presence which has been made possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Upon receiving the Holy Spirt a person can have God’s living hope within them and have this hope as an anchor to their soul.

God has always forewarned His people about what will be the next main event in His plan (e.g. Noah and the flood, Jesus speaking about the coming Holy Spirit and his return). God does not tell us precisely when the next event will occur but more importantly though, God does tell us what we must do to be ready for whatever is next. (2Peter3:10-15) Let’s make sure we are all in that present continuous state of readiness.

God does not ask His people to enter into conflicts that involve the kingdom of man. Jesus Christ said His kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight (John18:36). Paul and Peter directed the church to pray for those in authority, not to take to the streets in protest of the rulers of the day. Man’s kingdom will fail. God’s kingdom will last forever.

Once we receive the Holy Spirit we enter into a warfare. Jesus Christ won the ultimate victory at Calvary for us and with the Holy Spirit we are now fully equipped to fight the good fight of faith. The battle is not against flesh and blood but against the false doctrines of the ‘Christian’ world. Adam and Eve lost their battle when they went against God’s Word. Their carnal nature got the better of them. Spirit-filled people must use the Holy Spirit to overcome their carnal nature and live by the nature of God. Be strengthened and encouraged by, greater is he that is in you than he that is the world.

Our battle: to win souls

As Spirit-filled people we are in a battle to win souls for the Lord. The main weapon we have is the gospel message of Jesus Christ and the word of our testimony. (1Cor9:19-23, Rev12:11). Whilst there are currently and have always been worldly events that are topical and foster comment and conversation, the battle is not fought or won by speaking and promoting anything else other than God’s gospel.