This post answers the questions in the Newspaper for March 7-13th.
Questions in this week's newspaper ad are:
- Life can be difficult; how do I find strength and hope?
- How do I find my true identity in Jesus?
- What is the greatest motivation to go forward?
- What I need help, can I go straight to Jesus?
All of these questions were fully answered in our Sunday morning Bible study series "Preparing for the Second Coming of Jesus". This study series ran from January 12th to March 9th. A new study lesson will begin in April. The date is not final yet, but if you would like to learn more about it click here.
These two pictures can be illustrative of life:
Sometimes, it is hard to stay determined and enthusiastic for God (and maybe even for life) when the current is strong and persistent. Is there an unfailing source of inspiration that will compel us to stay the course for higher ground? Sometimes this life is one battle after another. War is exhausting. We can easily become war-torn and battle-weary. How do we stay motivated?
- Can you relate to these two illustrations?
- Have you experienced discouragement? Doubt? Feelings of not caring and wanting to give up? Depression?
- Were there times you actually did give up momentarily?
- Are you experiencing war fatigue and river exhaustion right now?
First of all, its completely understandable if you checked “yes” to every question above. It most likely will not be the first or last time you have these feelings/emotions. These experiences mark every human journey.
Our lives are full of choices and those choices are dictated by our beliefs, preferences, and outside pressures.
Most of us know what excites us and gratifies us. Some of these things are harmful habits that seem to imprison us. There are times we struggle with sudden reactions to situations like thoughtless words and actions we really do not intend.
"...for He [God] makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."
Some might say that being a Christian is too difficult or that it is easier to go with the flow. But that is not true. God gives His blessings to the believer and the non-believer. The expectation for the non-believer is that they would be drawn to the goodness of God.
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
At the same time, both the believer and the non-believer experience trouble in this world. Some of the trouble is the consequences of bad decisions we have made and some of it is due to the decisions others have made. Sometimes the trouble we experience is simply the result of living in a sinful, broken world. Everyone – whether a believer or not – experiences blessings as well as pain, tragedy, failure, and death.
Strength and Hope
Life is just hard no matter how you slice it. The difference is that the Christian can...
- Experience supernatural peace as well as supernatural restoration and transformation.
- They are given a strong foundation – Jesus Christ – our hope of glory (Isaiah 28:16; 1 Corinthians 3:11; Colossians 1:27).
- The assurance of eternal life and the hope of the resurrection (John 3:16; Romans 6:23; John 11:25; 1 Thessalonians 4:14).
- Christians also have the Holy Presence of God Himself dwelling inside their minds to encourage, strengthen, and empower them (Ezekiel 36:27; 1 Corinthians 3:16).
- The Christian has unlimited access to infinite power! Let’s not forget that one!
One reason we loose motivation and inspiration for continuing the fight of faith is that we forget or loose sight of the list in this paragraph. And this is not an extensive list, there is so much more that has been given to us.
We have been given precious promises (2 Peter 1:2-4). It is our express privilege to ask and receive the fulfillment of these promises at any time. God desires to impart present day – current, real life, ongoing, right now – experiences of His power in our lives! And He gives them in real, tangible, and honest ways so that we can experience victory and the joy of overcoming. How do we forget or loose sight of these wonderful things? Sometimes our affections and perspectives get a little skewed.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
1) If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2) Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3) For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4) When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
The next time we feel defeated, it is a good time to remember that we have been given everything we need to overcome and experience victory and an abundant life (John 10:10)! We can go to God in prayer and plead for a renewing of our thoughts and a re-adjusting of our perspectives, affections, treasures. Do not hesitate to do this at any time!
Identity
Speak the truth of God’s Word to ourselves. The truth of from our Creator God defines us. God gives us an eternal identity that is not based on the flimsy and fluctuating things in our lives. There are a lot of Bible verses that help to remind us who we are in Christ Jesus. Here are just a few:
You belong to God; He gave His life for you (1 Corinthians 3:23; 6:20).
You are loved and nothing can separate you from God’s love (Romans 8:31-39).
You have been adopted into the family of God (Romans 8:14-17).
You are a new creation and have been reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:17-18).
You have redemption through His blood and forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7).
You have been given every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3).
You have been chosen and personally called by God (1 Peter 2:9).
You are victorious through Jesus who loves you (Romans 8:37).
Take note of Isaiah 9:6.
For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
This is a prophecy of the Messiah Jesus. What does it mean that Jesus is described as a Counselor?
We can feel free to come to Jesus as our Counselor and tell Him all things. We can confess our sins to Him and lay our hearts out before Him. He will hear us because He is our Friend (Luke 7:34; John 15:13-15; 1 John 5:14).
As Jesus looked to His Father for strength and wisdom and power to do all things, so we are to do the same. God does not expect us to do a single thing on our own. This war is not ours alone to fight. The pull of the river’s current was never meant for us to battle alone. We cannot possibly overcome anything or endure the hardships in and of ourselves. We were never meant to! God knew that we could not. How often do we take upon ourselves the overwhelming burdens and stresses of our lives forgetting that God calls us to “cast our cares upon Him for He cares for us” (1 Peter 5:7)?
Straight to Jesus
How does the Bible say we can come to the throne of God?
14] Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15] For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16] Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
- We can come boldly to the throne!
- How is God's throne described in verse 16? The throne of grace!
- What can we obtain at His throne? Mercy!
Therefore, let us hold fast our profession! Do not give up. We can always find hope, grace, and mercy at the throne of Jesus who is our most faithful and trusted Friend and Counselor.
These verses do not say that we have to have an intercessor before we can come. Jesus is our Intercessor.
Therefore He [ Jesus ] is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
We do not need a priest to bring us to God, Jesus is our High Priest!
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
We do not need to be perfect or clean. Our lives do not need to be in order and good. We can just as we are, the way we are, and in whatever situation we are in... we are invited to come, run Boldly to the throne of grace where we may obtain mercy!
All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved...
For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
Greatest Motivation and Inspiration
We do not want to be empty Christians who profess faith and may even appear to be godly, but are spiritually impaired and apathetic. This is a real condition that many Christians experience and must guard against.
In Revelation 2:1-5, the church of Ephesus had lost it's first love. Their love for God and His love for them.
- Without love for God we have nothing but empty promises and depleted energy (1 Corinthians 3:1-3).
- Without love for God our faith can quickly run ashore in an empty ocean.
- Without love for God we run out of motivation.
What does all this mean? We want to discover the inexhaustible motivation for being faithful to God.
We love Him [God] because He first loved us.
When we discover God’s love for us, it impacts us. When we understand the depths He went to in order to save us, it ignites in us a love for Him. This is heart knowledge. Jesus longs for us to see and experience His love continually.
Our love for Jesus grows as we personally experience Him in our daily lives. Every time we choose to trust God, we give Him the opportunity to reveal how much He cares for us. This solidifies our belief that God is for us and deeply loves us. Every time we experience the transforming power of God in our lives we gain a deeper heart knowledge. Now, we do not just know about God, we have experienced Him for ourselves. And He is real to us.
This daily experiential realization of the love of God strengthens our faith and becomes the most beautiful and the most powerful source of motivation in the Christian life.
By being willing to let Jesus work in our lives and trust Him with our hearts, we learn that He is ever tender and kind, forgiving and merciful. The more we are willing to experience God working in our lives, the more we fall in love with Him and the more we become rooted and built up in Him. The more we experience God, the more we want to do things His way. The more we trust Him, the more we desire to submit and surrender to Him. It is a natural cause and effect. The real and impactful history of God’s work in our lives becomes our testimony to others.
This post included portions of the Bible study series Preparing for the Second Coming of Jesus.
© 2024 Preparing for the Second Coming of Jesus by Wendy Armfield
All rights reserved.This Bible study or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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