Be Like Christ

                               BE LIKE CHRIST

We were originally created by God in His own image and likeness but that blueprint was lost when our first parents fell at the Garden of Eden by disobeying the command of God not to eat of the fruits of the Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil. Then the whole seed of humanity came under a curse losing his direct fellowship with God and being born under a state of depravity with his spirit becoming dormant and non effectual. But God so loved mankind that He remedied the situation by sending His only begotten Son to die on the cross and become a propitiation for humanity's sins. Christ death opened the gates of heaven to mankind but only to those who will accept Jesus Christ as Lord and savior and would surrender their lives to Him. "Jesus answered, 'I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14: 6) Being born again, the renewed man is transformed by God from glory to glory until he reach the whole measure of the fullness of Jesus Christ. This is the promise of God. "Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1: 6). We should emulate the examples of Jesus Christ because God intended Him to be the trailblazer for struggling mankind. If we have faith that God requires of us, we can do the same miracles that Jesus did, all for the glory of God. We must be totally selfless as Jesus was and we must love all mankind with the love exhibited by Jesus Christ. Then we will become the light of the world and the salt of the earth reflecting the glorious image of Jesus Christ.

Love Your Neighbor as Yourself, Part 1

John Piper | Desiring God

Friday, February 13, 2015

Matthew 22:34-40

But when the Pharisees heard that He had put the Sadducees to silence, they gathered themselves together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

The Incredible Context of This Commandment
My main concern in this text is the commandment: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." But it is surrounded by such stupendous statements we would be foolhardy to plunge into it without pondering these surroundings. So it is going to take us two weeks at least to deal with this text.
The Great and Foremost Commandment
The two stupendous things I have in mind are, first, the greatest commandment in the Word of God. In verse 36 a Pharisee asks Jesus, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" Jesus answers by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5,

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.

Then he adds his own words to put the commandment even higher than the question required. The question was, "Which is the great commandment?" and Jesus says, "This is the great and foremost commandment."
So the first stupendous thing surrounding the commandment to love your neighbor as you love yourself is the commandment to love God as the greatest and foremost thing that is in the entire Word of God. The greatest and most important thing you can do is love God—love GOD—with all your heart and soul and mind.
On These Two Depend the Whole Law and the Prophets
The other stupendous thing surrounding the command to love your neighbor as you love yourself is what follows in verse 40,

On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.

Everything else in the Old Testament in some sense depends on these two commandments: the commandment to love God and the commandment to love our neighbor. This is an amazing statement. We have the authority of the Son of God here telling us something utterly stupendous about the origin and design of the entire plan and Word of God.
The Overwhelming Commandment to Neighbor Love
Now those are the two stupendous things we need to ponder before we dive into the overwhelming commandment to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. I say it is overwhelming because it seems to demand that I tear the skin off my body and wrap it around another person so that I feel that I am that other person; and all the longings that I have for my own safety and health and success and happiness I now feel for that other person as though he were me.
It is an absolutely staggering commandment. If this is what it means, then something unbelievably powerful and earthshaking and reconstructing and overturning and upending will have to happen in our souls. Something supernatural. Something well beyond what self-preserving, self-enhancing, self-exalting, self-esteeming, self-advancing human beings like John Piper can do on their own.
Before we take up such a commandment and apply it to our lives, we need to ponder these two stupendous things that surround the commandment. That the commandment to love God is the great and foremost commandment in the Word of God and that all the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.

The Whole Law and the Prophets 

Let's start with verse 40. "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."
He Didn't Have to Say This
First, consider the sheer fact that Jesus said this. He didn't have to say it. The Pharisee didn't ask this. Jesus went beyond what he asked and said more. He seems to want to push the importance and centrality of these commandments as much as he can. He has said that the commandment to love God is great and foremost. He has said the commandment to love your neighbor as you love yourself is "like it." Verse 39: "The second is like it . . . " That's enough to raise the stakes here almost as high as they can be raised. We have the greatest commandment in all the revelation of God to humanity (Love God); and we have the second greatest, which is like the greatest (Love your neighbor).
But Jesus doesn't stop there. He wants us to be stunned at how important these two commandments are. He wants us to stop and wonder. He wants us to spend more than a passing moment on these things. More than a week or two of preaching. So he adds, "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." They are 1) the first and the greatest, and 2) the second that is like the first and the greatest. But they are also the two commandments on which everything else in the Bible depends. "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."
Now what does this mean? Let me see if I can open a window into heaven by contrasting what Jesus says here (in v. 40) with what he says in Matthew 7:12 and what Paul says in Romans 13. Turn with me to the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:12. This verse is better known as the Golden Rule. It is, I think, a good commentary on "Love your neighbor as you love yourself."
Matthew 7:12: This Is the Law and the Prophets
Jesus has just said that God will give us good things if we ask and seek and knock, because he is a loving Father. Then in Matthew 7:12 he says,

Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Notice that again Jesus refers to the Law and the Prophets like he did in Matthew 22:40. He says, if you do to others what you would have them do to you, then "this is the Law and the Prophets." In Matthew 22:40 he said, "On these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets."
Take notice here that the first commandment is not mentioned in Matthew 7:12. Loving God with all your heart is not mentioned. Treating others the way we would like to be treated, he says, "is the Law and the Prophets."
We must be careful here. Some people over the centuries have tried to take sentences like the Golden Rule and say that Jesus was mainly a profound teacher of human ethics; and that what he taught is not dependent on God or any relationship with God. They say, "See, he can sum up the whole Old Testament, the Law and the Prophets, in practical human relationships: the Golden Rule."
I say we must be careful here, because thinking like that not only ignores the great things Jesus said about God elsewhere and the amazing things he said about himself coming from God to give his life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45); it also ignores the immediate context. Verse 12 begins with "therefore" (dropped in the NIV):

Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them.

What this shows is that the Golden Rule depends on what went before—on our relationship to God as our Father who loves us and answers our prayers and gives us good things when we ask him (Matthew 7:9-11). In fact this is a very profound key to how we are able to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. So God is here upholding the Golden Rule by his fatherly provision. His love for us and our trusting, prayerful love back to him is the source of power for living the Golden Rule. So you can't turn Jesus into a mere teacher of ethics.
But still, Jesus does say that treating others as you want to be treated "is the law and the prophets." He does not say that loving God "is the Law and the Prophets." Why does he say it in this way? I think what he means is that when you see people love like that (fulfill the Golden Rule), what you are seeing is the visible expression of the Law and the Prophets. This behavior among people manifests openly and publicly and practically what the Old Testament is about. It fulfills the Law and the Prophets. Loving God is invisible. It is an internal passion of the soul. But it comes to expression when you love others.
So loving others is the outward manifestation, the visible expression, the practical demonstration, and therefore the fulfillment of what the Old Testament is about. So there is a sense in which the second commandment (to love your neighbor) is the visible goal of the whole Word of God. It's not as though loving God is not here, or that loving God is less important; rather loving God is made visible and manifest and full in our visibly, practically, sacrificially loving others. I think that is why the second commandment stands by itself when the New Testament says that love fulfills the law.
Romans 13:8–10: Love of Neighbor Fulfills the Law
Let's look at one other text that points in this direction.
Look at Romans 13:8-10.

Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. 9 For this, 'You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet,' and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.

Two times (vv. 8, 10) Paul says that the command to love our neighbor is the "fulfillment of the law." This is what Jesus meant when he said (in Matthew 7:12) that treating others as you would like to be treated "is the law and the prophets." And, just as in Matthew 7:12, Paul doesn't say that the law is fulfilled in loving God and loving neighbors. He only says that if you love your neighbor, you fill up the law. I think this means the same as Matthew 7:12, Loving our neighbor as we love ourselves is the visible expression and manifestation and practical completion and fulfillment of all that the Old Testament was about, including love for God. Love for God comes to visible manifestation when we love others. Or you could say, our love for God is "fulfilled" when we love others.
We know Paul saw this practical love as utterly dependent on our relationship to God. In Romans 8:3-4 he says,

For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh [= self reliance], but according to the Spirit [= God-reliance].

In other words, fulfilling the law—loving our neighbor as we love ourselves—is not something we can do on our own. We do it by the Holy Spirit. And we saw last week that Paul teaches God supplies the Spirit to us through faith.
So it's the same as in Matthew 7:12. When Jesus and Paul say that loving our neighbor as we love ourselves is the fulfillment of the Old Testament, they don't exclude our love for God and his love for us; they assume it.
Matthew 22:37–40: On These Two Hang . . .
But let's go back to our text in Matthew 22:37-40. Here Jesus DOES mention both love for God and love for neighbor; and he explicitly says (in v. 40), "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." Why? I want to suggest that he is saying something different here than in those other texts (Matthew 7:12; Romans 13:8, Romans 13:10). Here he does not say that these two commandments "fulfill" the Law and the Prophets, or that they "are" the Law and the Prophets. He says that the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments. Verse 40:

On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.

Now this is a window into heaven, if you have eyes to see. When he says here that the Law and the Prophets depend (literally: "hang," like a stone around the neck, or a snake on the hand, or a man on a cross) on love, this is the reverse of what those other texts were saying. They were saying that the Law and Prophets lead to and find expression and fulfillment in love. But here in Matthew 22:40 Jesus is saying the reverse: love leads to and finds expression in the Law and the Prophets. The Law and the Prophets are hanging on—depending on—something before them, namely, God's passion that this world, this history of humankind, be a world of love to God and radical, other-oriented love to each other.
Illustration
Let me see if I can put this in a picture, so that you can see it more plainly. It is so important, if we are going to grasp the magnitude of the significance of love in our midst, as we move forward into the practical expressions of it in our preaching and in our life together at Bethlehem.
Let's picture the inspired history of redemption from creation to consummation as a scroll like the one John saw in Revelation 5. This is the Law and the Prophets (and the New Testament). The story of God's acts and purposes in history are told in this scroll, along with God's commandments and promises. Matthew 7:12 and Romans 13:8-10 tell us that, when the people of God love their neighbor as they love themselves, the purpose of this scroll is being fulfilled. Its aim is being expressed visibly, manifested practically so "that people can see our good deeds and give glory to our Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). So the scroll is leading to love. Love is flowing from the scroll.
But then Jesus gives us an incredible perspective. He lifts us out of history and out of the world for a moment and shows us the scroll from a distance. Now we can see it whole—the Law and the Prophets, the Old Testament, the story of redemption, the purposes and acts of God in history. And what we see is that the scroll is hanging by two golden chains, one fastened to each end of the scroll handles. And Jesus lifts our eyes to heaven, and we see the chains run up and disappear into heaven.
Then he takes us up to heaven. And he shows us the ends of the chains. They are fastened to the throne of God. One chain is fastened to the right arm of the throne where the words are inscribed: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind." And the other chain is fastened to the left arm of the throne where the words are inscribed, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
And Jesus turns to us and says, "The whole scroll, the whole Law and the Prophets, the whole history of redemption and all my Father's plans and acts hang on these two great sovereign purposes of God—that he be loved by his people, and that his people love each other."
I believe it would not be too much to say that all of creation, all of redemption, all of history hang on these two great purposes—that humans love God with all our heart, and that from the overflow of that love we love each other.
Which means that love is the origin (Matthew 22:40) and the goal (Romans 13:8, Romans 13:10) of the Law and the Prophets. It is the beginning and the end of why God inspired the Bible. It's the fountainhead and spring at the one end, and the shoreless ocean at the other end of the river of redemptive history—remembered and promised in the Word of God.
God's Word to Us This Morning 
God's word for us this morning is that we take with tremendous seriousness this season of dealing with love at Bethlehem. That we let this picture stun us and remake our priorities. That we get alone with him and deal with him about these things. That we not assume that we fully know what love is or that it has the proper centrality in our lives. He is saying: All of Scripture, all of his plans for history, hang—HANG—on these two great purposes: that he be loved with all our heart, and that we love each other as we love ourselves.

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What Is The Best Way To Protect Yourself Against False Teaching?

Christianity.com Daily Update

What is the Best Way to Protect Yourself against False Teaching? Liz Kanoy

Some Christians can easily come up with a list of dangerous pastors, speakers, or books…but there are others who are not able to tell the difference as easily. Aaron Armstrong, blogger and speaker, has written a blog piece titled How do we protect ourselves against false teaching? on his website, Blogging Theologically. He relays, “As a new Christian—and worse, a new Christian developing doctrinal convictions—I tended to wield my lofty opinions (some of which were even right) as a mighty hammer with which to smash my perceived foes. So I would do stupid things like blurt out, “Why would you read that—don’t you know it’s heretical nonsense?” And let me tell you, that does not win friends or influence people.” Armstrong expresses that sometimes our “mighty theological hammer of justice” does not always have the effect we intend. Instead we should be asking, why are so many Christians prey to these false teachers? How can we address the real problem? Armstrong says the root of the problem is biblical illiteracy among many Christians today. If Christians don’t know that what they’re hearing is wrong, they won’t question it. So how do we protect ourselves from false teaching and encourage others to do the same? Armstrong writes, “I’ve really come to appreciate the simple truth that the best way to protect ourselves against false teaching (and protect others from it as well) is not always with lofty arguments, but with the consistent study of Scripture.” I once heard a pastor ask his congregation, what’s the best way to spot counterfeits—do you study as many counterfeits as you can or do you study the real thing? The answer is the real thing…there will always be counterfeits, and new ones will pop up every day. But while counterfeits may change, Scripture stays the same. The solution is to know what Scriptures says and compare everything else against it. If you’re not sure ask yourself, “What do the Scriptures say?” Then seek it out. God gifted us with his Spirit for a reason; He's ready and willing to help us with our understanding. Armstrong explains, “When we read a book, even by a generally trustworthy source, we need to ask this. When we listen to our pastors’ sermons, we ought to do likewise. When we read blogs and tweets and other such things, we must always ask this question. When we do this, when we are committed to, with the help of the Holy Spirit, seeking to understand the Scriptures to the best of our ability, and when we hold all teaching—even good teaching—up to its light, there is no place for false teaching to hide.” To read Aaron Armstrong's full article please visit BloggingTheologically.com. In 3 Ways to Handle False Teaching and False Teachers Crosswalk.com Contributor Matthew Harmon states, “… every believer is responsible for being so familiar with the true gospel that false teaching is immediately obvious. The gospel is the only way that we can be made pure, because it points us to the only one who is truly pure-Jesus Christ.” For Christians it is important to spend time in the Word each day because the more we know Scripture the easier it will be to spot false truths. Not only will we be able to spot false teaching, but our relationship with God will be so much richer. We have nothing to lose when it comes to spending time in God's Word!

Count Your Blessings

                                      COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

Most people dwell on what's negative and whatever they lack in life. They always compare themselves with people who have accomplished more in life. They want the very best that life can offer but they end up frustrated and stressed. Why? Because no man has the monopoly of the very best in life. Each man has his own limitations in life and life on earth is never perfect. To be happy and contented in life, why not try the opposite approach. Why not count our blessings instead of what's lacking in us. Why not be thankful to God for whatever blessings He has bestowed on us. Then we will see that this is a wonderful world bestowed with so many blessings that we would lose count  on them. Surely there's the fresh air that we breathe every day. And there's that warm sunshine that dispels all gloominess in this world. And who is not thrilled when they see a rainbow up in the sky. Even the myriads of birds and insects that fly in the air remind us of how blessed we are to be alive. The waves of the sea that constantly traverse the seashore gives us a tingling feeling when they embrace our feet. And who would forget the wonderful sounds of nature at night when the night creatures begin to sing their lullaby. And we will have peace and joy in our hearts if we know that we are walking in the will of God and have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior. Then we can really anticipate that blissful reunion with the Lord in heaven and enjoy life eternal. 

Vignettes From The Pearly Gates (Additional posts)

                                          VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

If you have already accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior, and if you remain faithful to God's will in your life, nothing can snatch you away from the Lord. Hear His promise. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall them out of My hand." (John 10: 27-28)

                                           VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

If you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior, please do so now before it is already too late. "Seek the Lord while you can find Him. Call on Him now while He is near. Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thoughts of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that He may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for He will forgive generously." (Isaiah 55: 6-7)

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                                       VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

"If any of you needs wisdom to know what you should do, you should ask God, and He will give it to you. God is generous to everyone and He does not find fault with them. When you ask for something, do not have any doubts. A person who has doubts is like a wave that is blown by the wind, and tossed by the sea. A person who has doubts is thinking about two different things at the same time and can't make up his mind about anything." (James 1: 5-8)

   
                                      VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

Anxious`about something dreadful that might happen to you? Losing sleep on a frightful possibility that might happen to you? Here's the solution to your problem. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4: 6-7)

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                                  VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

PSALM 23 (Chapters 1 - 6)
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me towards paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely, goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life. And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

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                                  VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

Love conquers all. Hear what Paul says about love. "If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, if I have faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing." (1Corinthians 13: 1-3)


                                  VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

Be vigilant and careful in what you believe in so that you may not be deceived. "Be careful not to allow anyone to captive you through an empty deceitful philosophy that is according to human traditions and the elemental spirits to the world and not according to Christ. For in Him all the fullness of deity lives in bodily form and you have been filled in Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority." (Colossians 2: 8-10)


                               VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

As much as possible, be at peace with everyone you know, forgiving their offenses as much as God has forgiven yours. "Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace." (Ephesians 4: 2-3)


                             VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES
 2nd Commandment
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. ⁵ You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, ⁶ but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments."


                             VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

We must love one another because that is the command of God to us. "A new command I give you: Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another." (John 13: 34-35)


                            VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

As long as we are walking in the will of God and having accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior, nothing can ever separate us from the love of God. "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8: 38-39)

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                             VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

Walk in total obedience to the will of God in your life. "So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to the fullness of God." (Ephesians 31: 17-19)

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                           VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

Faced with an extreme trial that tends to destroy your faith in the goodness of God? "Consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1: 2-4)

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                          VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

Faced with an over powering temptation that you feel you could no longer resist? "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end or the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance." (1Peter 1: 13-14)   

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                          VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

Be sure to make Bible reading a priority activity of your day. Why? Because...."All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2Timothy 3: 16-17)

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                           VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

Who are those who will surely enter the gates of heaven? Here's the answer. "Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart. Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol. Nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the Lord. And righteousness from the God of his salvation." (Psalms 24: 3-5)

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                          VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

These are the rewards for those who will walk in the will of the Lord. "Blessed is the one who does not walk in the step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers; but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on His law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither- whatever they do progress." (Psalm 1: 1-3)  

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                          VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

It is not a matter of us choosing God but of God choosing us. "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. And so whatever you ask in My name, the father will give you." (John 15:16)

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                        VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

These are the greatest commandments of God. "Jesus said unto him, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.'" (Matthew 22: 37-40)

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                       VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

 Not because everybody is doing it means God approves of it. Be careful in choosing the path you will take in life. "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- His good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2)

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                      VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

Unable to bear the terrible strain of the trial you are bearing? Praying to God to take away the trial which has caused you untold  miseries? Hear God's answer. "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weaknesses." (2Corinthians 12: 9) 

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                      VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

If you trust the Lord with your very life, these are what He will do for you. "If you say, 'The Lord is my refuge,' and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." (Psalm 91: 9-12) 

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                      VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

These are the promises of the Lord to those who really love Him. "Because he loves Me, says the Lord, 'I will rescue him, I will protect him, for he acknowledges My name. He will call on Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver and honor him with long life. I will satisfy him and show him my salvation." (Psalm 91: 14-16)

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                       VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

God has a perfect plan for the life of everyone. Everything that happened to us is good because God allowed that to happen in accordance with His plan for our lives. The stern lessons we may have encountered in life were the results of our going the opposite way from where God wants us to go. "And we know that in all things, God works together for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." (Romans 8: 28)  

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                       VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

Cling to the Lord for your safety because He promised that..."When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, your savior."
(Isaiah 43: 2-3a) 

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                      VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

These are the two greatest commandments of God as announced by Jesus Christ. We must follow not only the first but also the second in order to please God and do His will in our lives. "Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22: 37-40)

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                     VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

Be compassionate and patient with one another, forgiving the mistakes of others as God has forgiven you. "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts , knowledge, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." (Colossians 3: 12-13)

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                     VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

Do not be dismayed nor be afraid of your enemies for the Lord has made a promise to you. "The Lord is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war breaks out against me, even then will I be confident. One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple."
(Psalm 27: 1-4) 

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                     VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

Not sure whether you will have eternal life after you die? Do you want to make sure that you will attain eternal life after your death? Then do this. "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of  God abides in him." (John 3: 36) 

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                      VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

You are now a new creation in Christ, so leave behind all sinful habits that will separate you from God. "Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." (Colossians 3: 9-10)  

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                       VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

 Put your trust in the Lord and walk in His will and this is what He will do to you. "But blessed is the one who trust in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes, its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." (Jeremiah 17: 7-8)

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                       VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

God's mercies and love for you will never end. Never hesitate to come to the Lord and confess your sins to Him. He will pardon you if your confession is sincere. "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."
(Lamentations 3: 22-23)

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                      VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES
We must pray and strive for the fullness of the Holy Spirit. "That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height- to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3: 16-19)

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                      VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

To all who have already accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior and have already surrendered their lives to Him, these are what you must do. "Therefore as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (Colossians 3: 12-14)

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                     VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

Do all your works with diligence and with a singleness of purpose as though you are doing it for the Lord. "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."  
(Colossians 3: 23-24) 

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                    VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of your body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." (Colossians 3: 15-17)  

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                     VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

Walk in the way of the Lord and also do good. God is no respecter of persons. "God will give to each person according to what he has done. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life. But for those who are self seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil."
(Romans 2: 6-9) 

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                     VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

We are called by the Lord for righteousness and holy living. "I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. I am the Lord: that is My name! I will not give glory to another or My praise to idols."
(Isaiah 42: 6-8)  

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                      VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

We have no fear if we are walking in the ways of the Lord because this is what He promised. "The Lord is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war breaks out against me, even then will I be confident." (Psalm 27: 1-3)  

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                      VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES
  
If we are walking in the will of the Lord, there is always peace in our hearts. "Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory." (Romans 5: 1-2) 

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                      VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

Fear the Lord and walk in His ways and this is what He will do for you. "But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His Holy Name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord even as we put our hope in you."
(Psalm 33: 18- 22) 

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                     VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

The Lord will create a New Jerusalem. "Behold I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in My people; the sounds of  weeping and crying will be heard on it no more." (Isaiah 65: 17-19)

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                     VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

Love is not just a feeling. It is a decision we make to be committed to the one we love no matter what the circumstances maybe. Love should be centered in Christ to make it work and last a lifetime and beyond. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, 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. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
(1Corinthians 13: 4-8) 
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                     VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

Beware of false prophets and false teachers who will introduce misleading and erroneous doctrines among you. "But there were false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them- bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping." (2Peter 2: 1-3)

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                     VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

As God's people, holy and beloved, lead a righteous life so that people may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. "Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God." (1John 3: 7-9)

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                    VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

We must seek enlightenment from the Lord and live by the mighty power of Christ's resurrection from the dead. "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know...what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 1: 18-20) 

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                   VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES 

When we received Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior and have surrendered our lives to Him, we were marked by the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession. "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession to the praise of His glory." (Ephesians 1: 13-14)   

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                  VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

When we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior and after we have been born again, we are declared as children of God and co-heirs with Jesus Christ in the kingdom of heaven. "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Dear friends, now we are all children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." 
(1John 3: 1-3)  

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                   VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

Put into practice the lessons you learned from the word of God, for in doing so, you will be like a wise man building his house on a rock as a firm foundation. "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and put them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house; yet it did not fall, because it has its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house, and it fell with a great crash." (Matthew 7: 24-27)

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                   VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith, goodness, and to goodness, knowledge, and to knowledge, self control, and to self control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins." 
(2Peter 1: 3-9)  

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                     VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

The Lord wants us to cast all our cares to Him for He cares about us. "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."
(1Peter 5: 5b-10)  

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                      VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

As much as possible, we must live in harmony and peace with one another. "Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, 'Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."
(1Peter 3: 8-12)   

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                      VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

Never for a moment think that you have a better plan for your life than what God intends for you. He knows everything, so much more than we could ever know. So better to humble ourselves and meekly obey His leading for our lives. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts."
(Isaiah 55: 8-9) 

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                      VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade- kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." 
(1Peter 3: 3-7)    

OUR WILL VS GOD'S WILL

                               OUR WILL VS GOD'S WILL

We were taught that we must exercise our will in order to survive and achieve success in life. The stronger our will, the better for us. But in the spiritual realm, the opposite is true. We must discern God's will and do it in our lives in order for us to advance in God's kingdom. It boils down to a clash between the two- God's will versus our will. The more we exercise our will and become successful in life, the more will we become independent of God. And the more we become independent of God, the more we rely on our own strengths and resources instead of being dependent on God. We may never notice it but we will slowly and surely drift away from God. And before we realize it, we are already building up our own monuments of success. This will start our downfall in life. We may become financially successful and powerful in life but we become bereft of the true riches of heaven. We become king of the earth but a miserable pauper in God's kingdom. But what is worst is that, we lose our passport to God's kingdom and eternal life with God.  

Responding to Opposition and Persecution

Founders Ministries exists to work for the recovery of the gospel and the biblical re-formation of local churches. They have a myriad of ministries that are given to that two-pronged effort, including a
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by Tom Ascol
It is impossible to live a faithful Christian life without experiencing opposition and persecution. Jesus promises his disciples that in this world we “will have tribulation” (John 16:33), and Paul warns Timothy that “all who desire to live a godly live in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). Given this inevitable reality, how then are followers of Jesus to respond to such treatment?
Jesus clearly answers that question when he says, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44) and “bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Luke 6:28). This is what apostles teach, as well. “Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse” (Romans 12:14); “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing” (1 Peter 3:9).
It is natural to become defensive or combative when mistreated, but the way of Christ calls us to respond with humility and love. As we remember our sin and what we actually deserve, we are humbled. As we remember our opponents and what they actually need, we desire to see them blessed.
Two examples stand out in my mind as illustrating this kind of grace at work. The first comes from a fascinating scene in the life of King David. When his son Absalom usurped his throne, David was forced to flee Jerusalem. Early in his journey Shimei confronted him and his entourage by throwing stones at them and cursing David, “Get out, get out, you man of blood, you worthless man! The LORD has avenged on you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned, and theLORD has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, your evil is on you, for you are a man of blood” (2 Samuel 16:7–8).
Those words had enough truth in them to pierce David’s conscience. One of his mighty men, Abishai, wanted to decapitate that “dead dog” Shimei, but David, reminded of his own sin and God’s sovereignty over even these events, refused to allow any vengeful response and to leave the matter with God.
The second example comes from the life of George Whitefield, the 18^th century evangelist who was greatly used in the Great Awakening. He was often abused by opponents, even having rotten fruit and dead cats thrown at him on occasion. Perhaps nothing wounded him more deeply than to be vilified in the name of Christ by fellow ministers of the gospel. He describes one such occasion that took place on a Sunday morning in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1740.

In the morning, I went to church, and heard the Commissary [representative of the Bishop of London] preach. Had some infernal spirit been sent to draw my picture, I think it scarcely possible that he could have painted me in more horrid colours. I think, if ever, then was the time that all manner of evil was spoken against me falsely for Christ’s sake. The Commissary seemed to ransack church history for instances of enthusiasm and abused grace. He drew a parallel between me and all the Oliverians, Ranters, Quakers, French Prophets, till he came down to a family of the Dutarts, who lived, not many years ago, in South Carolina, and were guilty of the most notorious incests and murder.

How would you have responded to being singled out, lied about, and scorned in such a way in a Sunday morning sermon? Whitefield’s response shows us the way of Christ.

To the honour of God’s free grace be it spoken, whilst the Commissary was representing me thus, I felt the Blessed Spirit strengthening and refreshing my soul. God, at the same time, gave me to see what I was by nature, and how I had deserved His eternal wrath; and, therefore, I did not feel the least resentment against the preacher. No; I pitied, I prayed for him; and wished, from my soul, that the Lord would convert him, as he once did the persecutor Saul, and let him know that it is Jesus Whom he persecutes. In the evening, many came, I was informed, to hear what I would say; but as the Commissary hinted, that his sermons should be printed, and as they were full of invidious falsehood, I held my tongue, and made little or no reply.

This is precisely the way that our Lord responded when he suffered to accomplish our salvation. In doing so he has provide us with an example of how we who follow him are to respond. “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23).
Christians must remember that our Master secured our salvation through suffering and crucifixion. The path that we are called to walk as we work out that salvation in our own lives is no different. As servants, we are not above our Master. By the grace that comes from our Lord, we can learn to live by faith in him so that we do not respond to opposition and persecution in the same way as those who do not know his grace. As we do so, we demonstrate that there is a power greater than our own strength at work in our lives and provide a platform for the source of this power to be proclaimed with persuasive credibility.