Michael continues: Without Jesus Christ, truly the world cannot understand Him in whom we live and move and have our being. Even though the unsaved world will oppose the followers of Christ, the Apostle Peter said, we who are in Christ are a chosen generation, an holy nation, a peculiar people, a royal priesthood that you would show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. God is holy and those he has chosen are sanctified; set apart from this world for His purpose to proclaim, to show forth, to witness, and to testify of the excellency of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We who were once in darkness, God by His grace and mercy has called us the light of the world, to reflect the light of Christ. For we have this treasure, the gift of His Holy Spirit in an earthen jar of clay, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. Therefore, let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father which. Is in heaven. For those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, God has called us to be witnesses; living testimonies of His grace, mercy, peace, and love.
Jesus said, you can recognize false prophets by their bad fruit. An evil tree produces corrupt fruit. However, a good tree produces good fruit. Psalm 91:1-2 says, He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust. Some fruit can only be produced in the shade ... in the shadow of the Almighty. Some things you can only learn through trial, tribulation, and the fire of the Lord’s refinement. In the midst of the storm, we learn that our prayer is not, “Lord deliver me from the storm”, but rather, deliver me through the storm. He alone is our strength, our power, our refuge and our sufficiency.
The devil appeals to the prideful nature we inherited from Adam’s fall. The devil’s worldly doctrine says that the “God of self” is supreme. The kingdom of self is heavily defended territory. To forsake the world is to turn away from self and to turn our eyes upon Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. To approach God’s throne of grace with a heart of meekness and humility is to be broken of our pride. As King David prayed, search my heart O God and see if there is any wicked way in me. Purge me with hyssop, cleanse me from my sin and lead me into the path of thy righteousness. Create in me a clean heart O Lord that I may glorify you.
In the rodeo of this world, the wild bull of our flesh will try to buck us off the path of righteousness. When we’re tied down and secured with the tie that binds us to Jesus Christ and His power to count it all joy when the world buffets, bucks, beats, and berates us. According to Romans 8:18, God will teach us through the tribulation that the suffering of this present moment is not to be compared with the glory that shall follow.
The thief [the devil] comes not but for to steal, to kill and to destroy. However, Jesus said, I have come that the followers of Christ might have life, and have it more abundantly. The abundance of life is in the joy of the Lord. Despite the trials, tribulation, suffering, and persecution of this world, the abundance of life is in the fruit of the spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness and self-control. Against these things there is no law. Joy is not the absence of pain. Joy is in the Lord so that in the abundance of life in Christ, we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ, Michael
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