Eyes on The CHRIST

Sometimes our once bubbly effervescent faith becomes a deflated helium balloon. You’ve seen it before, faith that scuttles along, dragging itself from here to there as the wind blows. But, wait a minute! We are anchored in Christ through faith and the Word of God and this week our Devotional Team will remind us of some fundamental truths in God’s Word from this week’s topic, “Discouragement.” This scripture is a keeper, so commit it to memory!!!!

This scriptural passage truly drives home the point that the Christian life is not for wimps—that is to say it can in no wise be effectively lived to God’s glory in one’s own strength.  As frequently stated in recent years, the days of laissez-faire Christianity are also long gone!  Increasingly---and this may not be a completely bad thing---people professing to know Jesus really do need to “…be diligent to present-themselves approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” [2 Timothy 2:15]. The spirit of antichrist is undeniably right in our faces these days.  One must unequivocally know what they believe and why and purposefully cast out every doctrinal movement or man-made philosophy and ideology that is contrary to God’s Holy Word!  Remember, we will definitely be required to give an account to our Lord for what we did in His name.

Life for anyone, whether lost in Adam or saved and in Christ, can become wearisome, especially when the latter remove our focus from Christ, putting Him,  faithful Bible study, and other spiritual disciplines on the backburner of our lives.  Such souls become shipwrecked in the faith,  and slowly but surely  begin giving credence to unbiblical flesh-driven “religious campaigns”  launched by men across the generations. Lacking a tenacity to study God’s inerrant Word to shore up our biblical faith, encourage ourselves between Sundays and ardently pursue what thus sayeth the Lord, we render ourselves vulnerable to being knocked off the pathway that pleases our Lord and into a condition of ineffectiveness.
 
Those who are younger in the faith [not necessarily the biologically young] can be easily derailed from rightly dividing God’s word, if they miss the old sin-dominated life, believing that it was ”simpler or more carefree. How twisted has the word “freedom” become! The latest manifestation is some movement called “deconstructionism,” which is truly nothing new.  (They’ve just put a fresh name on it)!   One online article about this movement defines it as “the process of questioning, doubting, and ultimately rejecting aspects of Christian faith…..an approach that claims to disassemble beliefs or ideas while assuming their meanings are inherently subjective. [GotQuestions.org] “ The enemy’s ancient lies never change.  What has always amazed me over the years is how devoid of SPIRITUAL DISCRETION people who profess to personally know Jesus Christ can be!  No need to fret, however, if you are, by His grace, one of the undeterred, steadfast Christ followers, who have not succumbed to this rampant groupthink that has permeated the world since Jesus ascended!  He tells us to “MARVEL NOT!”  We must all move ahead, remaining “steadfast and immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord [1 Corinthians 15:58].”

PRAYER:  Dear Abba, please grant that we who have staked our eternal destiny upon the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ will recommit ourselves to “not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.  Thank You, in Jesus’ name!  Amen.
By Sis. Denise Diggs