The Christian faith isn’t a casual undertaking. It’s not something we do on a once-a-week basis or in our spare time. It demands our every effort. Jesus tells his listeners that they will try to enter eternal life but will be turned away.

“Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with You, and You taught in our streets.’ But He will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from Me, all you evildoers!’” (Luke 13:26-27)

As Jews – God’s chosen people – they assumed that their heritage assured them a place in God’s kingdom. Jesus’ words must have startled them. What about us?

Jesus’ instructions to us include:

·    Believe in the One He sent (John 6:29)
·    Store up treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:20 & Luke 12:33)
·    Seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33)
·    Love each other to show the world you follow Me (John 13:35)
·    Feed the hungry, welcome strangers, clothe those in need, care for the sick and visit those in prison (Matthew 25:35-40)

God calls us to the work of believing and seeking and loving and serving. He urges us to make every effort.

Holy and merciful God, thank you for giving me the incredible gift of salvation. I want to make every effort to live for You because of what You have done for me. Amen.

Questions: Have you ever had a time when you found yourself drifting in your faith? What did you do to get back to your first love?

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”           (1 Corinthians 13:13)

The apostle Paul conveys the importance of love in his letter to the Christians living in Corinth. He wrote:

 “…if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing…Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth…Love never fails…And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13: 2-13).

Often, human nature bases love on emotions and feelings. How we ‘feel’ determines how we treat others. This kind of love is not real. It is here today and gone tomorrow, like the passing of the seasons. However, God’s love flowing through us is steadfast love fueled with compassionate acts towards others, regardless of circumstance.

Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34) Clearly, love must be a prime focus in our daily living along with faith and hope in Jesus. Jesus promised, “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.” (John 14:15-16)

Jesus knew that on our own it would be impossible for us to love as God commands in His word. Fortunately, upon salvation we receive the Holy Spirit to help us mature and grow in agape love. Love is so important in God’s kingdom here on earth and in heaven it’s no wonder it is listed as the first fruit of the Holy Spirit, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,…” (Galatians 5:22).

It is imperative that we work diligently with God’s indwelling Spirit to develop and grow in this vital fruit so we can love others, as He commands us to.

The apostle John wrote, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 7-9)

The only way we develop and fully begin to comprehend and know God’s love is by studying and obeying His word and by accepting His unconditional love. Once God’s love begins to manifest itself within our hearts then it becomes a commodity streaming out of us and into the lives of others.

Father, Teach me the depths of your love for me that I might reflect that same love to others.  Amen.

Question: Do you realize how much God loves you? How has your “love walk” been lately?

Recently I was driving through a rural area with farmlands on both sides of the road.  Both were planted with corn ready to be harvested, but I noticed a distinct difference.  On one side was a field of lush green tall corn, while on the other side the corn was half as tall and partially browned from the lack of rain.

Why the difference? The answer was simple. One side had an irrigation system and the other did not.  The difference was obvious.  Crops need water to grow and more water to prosper.

There is a spiritual parallel here. As the roots of agricultural crops need to be irrigated with water, so too do the roots of our being need to be irrigated with the Word of God.

Joy is what we experience when our longing for eternity is satisfied by an encounter with the Lord. When we meet with God through His Word and draw close to Him through righteous living, we enter into fellowship with Him and get a taste of eternity.  Psalm 1 reveals that those who take pleasure in and preoccupy themselves with God’s law will prosper and experience true joy.  In other words, meditation on God’s Word irrigates our souls and makes us grow.

An encounter with God irrigates our soul. The Bible equates spiritual growth with natural growth.  Just like a person is born a baby, so we are born again a spiritual baby.  For you have been born again (1 Pet 1:23).  Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation (1 Pet 2:2).

No one is born a full grown adult. The same is true spiritually: no one is born again as a mature Christian.  It takes time to grow.  The way you grow is through the spiritual milk (irrigation) of God’s Word.  The more you feed on it the more you will grow.

Two very important ways of cultivating our walk with God are through daily time spent with Him and developing meaningful relationships with other Christians.  We should carve out time with God through study in His Word and spend adequate time in prayer, and we should spend time with other people who do likewise.  Corporate worship is essential to spiritual maturity and development, but so is involvement in small groups and one on one discipleship. So often we learn best as we teach and disciple others.

Question: Do you want to flourish and prosper spiritually? Then take time each day to irrigate your soul.

I don’t know what possessed me to do it.

As the time for the trip drew near, I grew more excited. I looked forward to the trip because I dreaded the thought of staying home all summer. I had spent the last few summers taking care of my mom, who had been sick with cancer and had recently passed away. I don’t think I could have stayed home with those memories.

In the months after her death, my soul grew weary—I was literally walking in the valley of the shadow of death. But God says that when we’re in that valley, He’s with us and we need not fear. I trudged forth and climbed out somehow, but I thirsted for rest. Rest from the pain. Rest from responsibilities. Rest from school. I needed something different, something healing.

The thought of seeing somewhere green instead the dirty brown of Phoenix thrilled my senses. I also looked forward to my two classes about the history and literature of the British world but I expected in this great adventure to also include quite a bit of loneliness. Being a Christian, I knew I’d probably be different than the 40 other college students tagging along on my adventure. But God knew I wouldn’t be lonely. He had something else in mind.

Making friends and memories

I made friends instantly. Three other girls and I roomed together for almost the entire trip.  We did everything as a group – completing homework, and visiting parks in London.  We even found our way to the Irish Sea.

But these girls were quite different from me. One of them was a Taoist, the other two were agnostics. You might think we never broached the subject of religion, but it seems that every day there was a new conversation involving our beliefs.  The girls actually told me that they were amazed by me because they’d never met a Christian who would talk to them about beliefs without condemning them cruelly to hell.

Never alone

In spite of these differences in beliefs, I never felt lonely, but not because the girls were with me everywhere I went. God was there, too. Constantly. He permeated every conversation I had. I felt a calm reassurance whenever I had to negate the others’ claims or argue my own point.

Not only was He there when I was debating points with my friends, but He guided me in every experience I had. I’ve always been a person who wanted everything planned out, and as I’ve realized, the world doesn’t work that way. God stretched me that summer. I had to discover things on the fly and make decisions without knowing every consequence possible.

But the beauty of discovery was in knowing that God’s hand was pressed firmly against my back the entire time. It was just Jesus said a long time ago, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

God’s presence resonated in all of nature as well. As a favorite song of mine says, “Mountains bow down and the sea will roar at the sound of Your name.” Every tree, every mountain, every valley whispered to me the secrets of the glory of God. In response, my heart longed to climb to the top of one of those mountains and spin around like Maria in The Sound of Music.

Something I had feared before I went on the trip was being left in my room while my roommates went out drinking. It did happen a few times, but those times became some of my favorite evenings. I read my Bible, wrote in my journal, and spent genuine quality time with my Savior. He showed Himself to me in so many ways that summer. Verses I had never remembered reading before popped off the page.

An unexpected rejoicing

Rather than feeling sorry that I was left alone in my room, I felt so blessed to have that time with God. It was time I might not have discovered otherwise if it had not been “forced” upon me. I look back now and remember one of my favorite passages: “Rejoice in the Lord, always. I will say it again: Rejoice! … The Lord is near.” (Philippians 4:4, 5b)

My faith matured a lot in the summer of 2005.  That experience deepened my knowledge of God. I knew Him better than I ever had before and I realized more than ever that He had always known me.

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Are you ready to take a risk in your faith walk?
Leap of faith: As followers of Christ, we will be called to step out of our comfort zones.
Take our online lesson: Developing a heart of worship

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. James 1:19-21

There’s an old fable about a Cherokee Indian elder who was teaching his grandchildren about life. He said to them, “A fight is going on inside you. It is a terrible fight between two wolves. One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight going on inside of you is inside every other person, too.”

The children thought about it for a minute, and then one child asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”

The old Cherokee elder replied simply, “The one you feed.”

A Rabbi expressed it this way: “The two wolves symbolize the Evil Inclination (Yetzer Hora) and the Good Inclination (Yetzer Hatov). The former thrives on bodily appetites, while the latter thrives on Torah, prayer, and good deeds. Eventually, one swallows the other.”

Paul talked about in his letter to the Galatians, telling them to live by the Spirit, and not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. He said the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature.

In case the Galatians didn’t know how to identify these traits, Paul spelled them out: sexual immorality, impurity debauchery, idolatry witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like. And then he went on to enumerate the fruits of the Spirit which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Reading this causes me to take inventory of my inner self. Clearly, I can see the two wolves within me. Clearly they are in competition. Clearly, on my own I have not the ability to triumph good over evil from within. But the wonderful part of the story is that through the Spirit of Christ, I can overcome all things and I can be the kind of person God uniquely created me to be. I can be all things through Christ who strengthens me.

So, I encourage you to do as I did. Take an inner inventory. Decide who you want to be and who God wants you to be. And, above all else, make sure each day that you take time to feed the right wolf.

Question: How is your spiritual hunger being fed? What are some other sources of nourishment that you could be taking advantage of?

During November, our family often made an acrostic using the word thanksgiving. We’d list things we were thankful for, using words beginning with each letter. When our children became teenagers, words like telephone, summer, and ice cream topped the list. Now with grown children, I exchange a thanksgiving list with my pen pal each year.

But thanksgiving shouldn’t be limited to a season or holiday. God’s Word says, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV). Since a thankful heart should be the year-round norm, I’ve used the word thanksliving in this acrostic to share some things I’m thankful for.

T = Talents
I’m thankful for my God-given talents. If I develop them and use them for God’s glory, one day I’ll hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21).

H = Hope
I’m thankful for the hope I have in Christ and the Holy Spirit who spreads hope in my heart. Since I know the God of hope, I can point others to Him, no matter how bleak their circumstances. I often pray Romans 15:13 for others:  “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (NIV).

A = Acceptance
Acceptance is a basic human need. As a writer, I’m thankful when editors accept my writing. However, I’m especially grateful that God always accepts me; my worth before Him is not based on my performance or success.

N = News
Although world events may be discouraging, I’m thankful we can always find good news in God’s Word.

K = Kindness
I’m thankful for the many family and friends who express kindness to me in tangible ways. In turn, I want to express caring toward others.

S = Senses
My five senses help me experience life more fully. Beyond my physical senses, I’m thankful to spiritually “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8).

L = Life
Life is precious and should never be taken for granted. I’m thankful for each new day.

I = Intelligence
I’m thankful for my intellect which helps me think clearly and make wise decisions.

V = Vision
I appreciate physical vision to enjoy my surroundings and spiritual vision to understand spiritual truths.

I = Imagination
Imagination helps me think creatively. As I pray and seek God, He enables me to imagine no limits and to expect him to do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians. 3:20 NIV).

N = New Experiences
I’m thankful for new opportunities to grow and for new relationships that enrich my life.

G = God
God is the greatest treasure and reason to give thanks. I’m most grateful to have a relationship with  Him through Jesus Christ.

Listing what I’m thankful for always lifts my spirit. Besides that, the Bible says God is pleased with a thankful heart:  “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me” (Psalm 50:23 NASB).

Why not make your own thanksliving list? After we thank God for our blessings, we can serve Him from the overflow of our grateful hearts.

Take the next step:

5 Reasons to be thankful right now
Take a lesson: Develop a heart of worship

How accurate is the Bible? Is what we have today what was written down 2000 years ago? Is what was written down 2000 years ago true?” Over the course of the video series, Josh McDowell explores questions of truth and accuracy within the Bible. Fact, fiction or fallacy? Can we trust what the Bible says?

Take the next step:
How does the Bible fit into what we crave in life?
?Would you like to dig deeper into the Bible? Try our study on John 6.

Back to the Fact, Fiction or Fallacy index page

“Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?”" (Hebrews 13:5-6)

There are all sorts of ads on television and on radio. Frequently, when it gets down to the fine print, the announcer speaks so fast that you can’t keep up with him. Why does he speak quickly? He’s reading the part the company would rather you didn’t hear. The important message: Buy it now.

Satan makes the same presentation: Don’t worry about the future; you can have immediate fulfillment now! The strength of Satan’s temptations is that worldly things are available immediately. You can have them – for a price – and they will provide temporary gratification.

The Enemy doesn’t bring up tomorrow. He invites us to forfeit our future by demanding immediate fulfillment of our desires. There is nothing you or I “must have” now that is worth stepping out of God’s will or losing the privileges and opportunities He has prepared for us. God has a plan for our lives, and there is absolutely nothing that can compare with His will, His purpose, and His goals.

Our relationship with God is the most important aspect of our existence. No experience at any time in our lives compares in the slightest with knowing Him. Yet every day, because we must “have it now,” we’re tempted to choose what Satan has to offer.

We sacrifice our future when we make irrevocable decisions during times of emotional weakness. Jesus Christ can help us face any temptation or trial Satan can throw our way. The Lord is there for us, and He will never leave us or forsake us.

Question: How does the enemy tempt you? How can you see the enemy using your weaknesses against you, and how does knowing this is occurring help you to prepare for his attacks?

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