I Have Fought the Good Fight

2 Timothy 4:1-8 New Living Translation (NLT)

4 I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom: ² Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.

³ For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. ⁴ They will reject the truth and chase after myths.
⁵ But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.
⁶ As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. ⁸ And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.

When I wrote my previous blog post on October 2, I could not have predicted what the next two months would hold. On October 15, I suffered an aneurysm, and the doctors told my husband that aneurysms are usually fatal. Today, I am a living testimony of the healing power of the Most High God. It is only by His grace that I am able to compose this blog entry today. He is urging me to continue preaching the Word of Truth, even in the face of rejection.

The tag line in the footer of my blog says,
Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, Satan shudders & says.."Oh no....she's awake!"
 

Well, guess what, Satan...I am awake and armed for battle against your attempt on my life!

After 21 days in ICU and 5 days in inpatient therapy, I finally arrived at home. At first, I was upset with God for not letting me step straight into heaven. He knows I am ready to cross the finish line, and I have tried to remain faithful to His call on my life. The lesson God is teaching me is that He still has an assignment for me here on earth. He is challenging me to continue to press on toward the goal, to continue the fight, because there are still people I can invite to join me in the race.

Do you fall into the group who "will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear?" Please ask God to help you break free from the lies of the devil who is deceiving you. God loved you enough to send his Son to die in your place. You deserve to suffer for your sins, but God longs for a relationship with you. Stop resisting His offer. Accept His gift of forgiveness today and receive His promise of eternal life.

Visit this link and find your peace with God today!

Are These the Last Days?

Father God, I wish I could have a glance at your Kingdom calendar so I could understand where we are on your timeline. Are we in the last days?

I have been alive 49 years as of this week, and I cannot remember a time when people were not saying, "Jesus could come back any moment now." Times are difficult, but haven't they always been? People are "selfish, greedy, boastful, and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to parents, and ungrateful" (2 Timothy 3), but have they not always been this way since the time of Cain and Abel? Nothing is sacred in our day and time, but didn't Moses face that same attitude when Aaron built the golden calf for the Hebrew people? Every day we encounter people who are unloving and unforgiving; we hear slander and we witness the effects of those who have zero self-control. But these words describe humanity from the dawn of time. People are cruel and hate what is good, but there are examples of this in every century. Betrayal, recklessness, pride, and the love of pleasure are evident in every part of our world, but these have been in existence since the great accuser was kicked out of heaven along with all of his demons. Is there anything that distinguishes our day and age from every age before this? The only cure for the wickedness in our world is the coming reign of Christ when he comes and defeats the enemy and casts him into hell for eternity.

What can we do until then?

It concerns me that as believers, we read these verses as though they only apply to people outside the church. We point our fingers and say, "All you people are heathens, and you're going to hell if you don't come to Jesus!" and we blame the evil of this world on all those sinners out there.

The book of 2 Timothy was written to a pastor. Paul was helping Timothy understand how to work with his church members. Let that sink in for a moment. The church has no one to blame for the chaos in this world but themselves. "They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!" (2 Timothy 3:5) This verse strikes terror in my heart! 

Are we only playing church, or are we stepping out in the power of the Mighty Name of God our Master and Savior? Are we carrying our shields of faith and waging war with the sword of the Spirit, or are we sitting in our pews and casting stones at all those evil sinners?

It's time to get up off that thing, church. We have to live our purpose and stop running scared from persecution and suffering, which are the only things that will purify us from evil and form us into godly servants. We must become inspired by the Holy Scriptures and preach the Word of Truth that teaches us to do right and equips us for every good work. Are you equipped? Time is short. Get to work! 

Do You Know that You Know that You Know?

Can you REALLY know that you are saved? Peter encourages you to "make your calling and election sure" (2 Peter 1:10), and he explains how you can know that you know that you know you have eternal life in his book of 2 Peter.

Have you received faith from God? (v. 1) You cannot come to God unless God himself enables you and gives you the gift of faith. (John 6:44, 65) If your faith is weak, ask Him to strengthen it!

Is your faith precious to you? Are God's promises precious to you? (v. 1, 4) If your faith and God's promises are truly precious to you, then your life WILL be changed.You will purify your life from everything that contaminates your body and spirit, and you will give it your all to live a perfect and holy life. You will revere God. (2 Cor 7:1)

If none of this describes you, then you are NOT saved. If you DO revere God, and your faith IS precious to you, then God's divine power has given you "everything you need for life and godliness." (2 Peter 1:3) Does this mean the race is over and your work is done? No. Peter says you will want to "make every effort to add to your faith." Receiving salvation through faith is the basic model. Now you can receive the upgrades: goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness, and love. And these are not one-time upgrades; you can have all of them "in increasing measure" when you keep on growing in your faith and knowledge of God and his righteousness. (2 Peter 1:5-9) Why would anyone settle for the basic package? Who would want to be ineffective and unproductive in their Christian life? Not me! And I don't think you want to either.

What are some practical ways to insure that you are saved and that you are effective, productive, and increasing your upgrade potential?

1. Stop right now and ask God to fill you with his divine power. Ask others to pray with you. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:16) When you ask in faith, God answers this prayer!
2. Study the Bible daily. How else can you grow in your knowledge of Him?
3. Find a godly mentor and ask him or her to help you add to your faith. Whose Christian walk do you admire? Ask that person to help you learn to be effective in God's Kingdom.
4. Be a mentor to a new believer. Making disciples is the only way you will be productive in your faith walk. If you don't know how to make disciples, refer to point #3, and ask your mentor.

Are you tired of living a mediocre faith life? Then read God's Word and put it into practice. The life improvements are 100% guaranteed!