“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” Proverbs 17:17 NIV

The scripture above is true. A few good friends and relatives do exist. But we are living in a time when a person’s closest family members will turn on him/her. A time when people have no natural affection for one another. Jesus said it would be like this:

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Matthew 10:21-22 NIV

How great it is to have a true friend! How awesome it is to have good relations with one’s relatives. But if you don’t have these it doesn’t mean that you are cursed. It could mean the very opposite (you are blessed). In fact some of the most blessed people in the world and who ever lived have had family and friends turn on them. Today this is the norm:

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:10-12 NIV

“You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. THEY WILL BE UNLOVING and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. THEY WILL BETRAY THEIR FRIENDS, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!” 2 Timothy 3:1-5 NLT

This description fits people quite well, wouldn’t you agree? It proves we are living in the last days. So many are lost. If you love God they are going to attack you. The demons living inside of them will see to it. But don’t fret. God explains to us what it all means and how to handle it.

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” 1 Peter 4:12-16 NIV

Remember, God’s word says that a friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. (Proverbs 17:17) Jesus is definitely that kind of friend and brother to us. He loves us so much that he willingly took torture and death to save us. Now that we are being persecuted for Him, what kind of friends will we be to Jesus? Will we quit on Him because things get tough? Are we truly His friend?

How we handle trials is a test of our friendship with God, and it shows who we really are. Hopefully when it’s all said and done we won’t be hypocrites. Hopefully we won’t be those who wanted true friends but were unwilling to give true companionship to God. Hopefully we’re not the type that quits on God or any of our friends or relatives when the going gets tough. May we be the kind of friend who loves at all times, a brother who is there to help bear adversities.

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“The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.” Acts 5:27-42 NIV

No matter how much persecution the church goes through; whippings, torture, being fed to lions in the Roman coliseum, beheadings, exile, etcetera, it keeps on growing. Why is that? Gamaliel provides the answer in the passage above: “But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” (Acts 5:39 NIV)

When a thing is from God nothing and no one can stop it. No amount of fear tactics or bullying can bring it to a halt. Believers in Jesus Christ have been and still are being persecuted and killed around the world. And they just won’t quit. Gamaliel told us why: “It is from God.”

“However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says: “ ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things?’ “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him—you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.” When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.” Acts 7:48-8:1-8 NIV

Here we see Stephen our brother being harassed and murdered for his faith. And great persecution breaks out against believers that same day. Saul (a Pharisee) sets out to destroy the church. He goes from house to house dragging believers off to prison, breaking up families, and scattering them from their homes. Yes, many of our brothers and sisters became homeless fleeing persecution. But they preached the good news about Jesus wherever they went. As a result many more people became believers. How could this be? Why didn’t the persecution make them stop? Because their work is from God and not of human origin. The day is coming when our message will come to an end. Until then lets stay busy.

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV

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“When a prophet makes a statement in the name of the Lord, if what he says does not take place and his words do not come true, then his word is not the word of the Lord: the words of the prophet were said in the pride of his heart, and you are to have no fear of him.” Deuteronomy 18:22 BBE

Remember all the social media videos and sites where people were predicting president Obama would be the last US president? They predicted he would have a third term and wouldn’t leave office, remember that? How wrong these people were. And many of them claimed to speak from the Lord. As stated in the scripture above they were speaking merely from the delusions of their minds and the pride of their hearts. The Lord had not spoken through any of them.

“Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?” Lamentations 3:37 NIV

“It is God who alters the times and seasons, and he removes kings and promotes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” Daniel 2:21 ISV

Though I believe there is some good content in alternative and mainstream media one must be very careful and stick to the truth. How can we do that? By studying, believing, and obeying the scriptures.

“Then Jesus said to the Jews who had faith in him, If you keep my word, then you are truly my disciples; And you will have knowledge of what is true, and that will make you free.” John 8:31-32 BBE

What a bold statement to some, but it’s a true one. Because Jesus is the truth (John 14:6) one can only get the truth from Him. In order to know what’s going on in the times we live in and how to respond properly a person must receive a revelation from Jesus Himself. Hence we need to study the scriptures; all of Jesus’ teachings, while there is still time. There is so much smoke and mirrors these days, so much fake news. Lies are told 24/7 through all forms of slanted media. If people only knew EVERYTHING they see going on today was written about thousands of years ago in advance in God’s word the Bible. The Devil does not want people to know the truth. He and his demons don’t want us to be set free. Hence Satan’s propaganda machine is in high gear misleading the masses to their destruction. By getting people to believe in what is fake and not real Satan is leading MANY to destruction.

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 NIV

How are so many mislead on the broad road that leads to destruction? Through spreading false propaganda 24/7. By getting the masses to believe in lies of all kinds. By using every form of communication to spread these lies the Devil gets the job done. He’s so good at it that people even pay their hard earned money to be lied to regularly. Human actions come from what a person believes. Get a person to believe what is wrong is right, and you’ve successfully gotten them to behave wrongly. Satan’s got lots of experience at this. He’s been at it since the begining of time. He uses minions on a daily basis to further his cause. That’s why you and I must always be alert as to what we watch, listen to, read about, etcetera. If it goes against God’s word throw it away. If we’re not very careful we too will find ourselves under Satan’s mind control.

“We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” 1 John 5:19 NIV

“The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” Revelation 12:9 NIV

Yes, there is a sinister plan to control your mind. There is a real life Boogeyman who’s out to get you. Only thing is he’s not hiding under your bed. He’s hiding in your main stream news media, in your movies, in your music, in your social media, in your books, etcetera. And before anyone starts saying I’ve been watching too much TV, the Holy scriptures that expose the Devil and his tactics were written thousands of years before movies were ever made. In fact I think many movie producers and writers owe God some royalties. Because it’s quite clear that many of their plots and ideas come right out of the Bible. Of course they add their own spin on it.

Brothers and sisters be very careful regarding what you watch, read, and listen to. Study the scriptures daily, not Satan’s propaganda.

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If you look up the word, “Excursion,” you will see that it usually means a short trip mainly for pleasure. Nowadays you can do that right in your own home. That’s right. You can travel wherever you want through a technology called virtual reality. And it feels like you’re really there. I’ve heard some alcoholic drinks and drugs can do that for you too. Music to many is an excursion. Others say watching movies does it for them. Just about anything can become our getaway. It all depends on what we like. But when it comes to pleasures there’s a need for caution. Why? Because our desires are rooted in sin. Something so innocent can become our demise.

“But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1:14-15 NIV

Jesus’ warns:

“Constantly be on your guard so that your hearts will not be loaded down with self-indulgence, drunkenness, and the worries of this life, or that day will take you by surprise.” Luke 21:34 ISV

Jesus warns if we become OVERCHARGED with self-indulgent pleasures and the worries of this life we will miss out greatly. Instead of His return being the best day of our lives it will be our worse. Excessive pleasure and the cares of this life go hand in hand. Today people are more stressed out than ever. The normal solution when feeling this way is to do something that makes us feel good, something pleasurable. And there’s nothing wrong with that. The problem is we often go overboard. Instead of a relaxing drink we get drunk. Instead of some relaxing recreation to recharge our batteries we seek pleasure all the time. These things become distractions that take our eyes off of the real prize; the day when we will never ever be stressed over anything ever again, the day Christ returns and gathers us to be with Him in heaven forever.

THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH STRESS

While there is nothing wrong with engaging in entertainment to recharge our batteries there’s an ultimate way to deal with stress. To illustrate let’s look at David. Here is a man who was on the run from an unrighteous king named Saul. Saul sent men to watch David’s house around the clock in order to kill him. How did David respond? He wrote a Psalm; a song, a prayer that he sung to God. David’s prayer/song went like this:

“Save me from my enemies, my God; protect me from those who attack me!  Save me from those evil people; rescue me from those murderers! Look! They are waiting to kill me; cruel people are gathering against me. It is not because of any sin or wrong I have done, nor because of any fault of mine, O Lord, that they hurry to their places. Rise, Lord God Almighty, and come to my aid; see for yourself, God of Israel! Wake up and punish the heathen; show no mercy to evil traitors! They come back in the evening, snarling like dogs as they go about the city. Listen to their insults and threats. Their tongues are like swords in their mouths, yet they think that no one hears them. But you laugh at them, Lord; you mock all the heathen. I have confidence in your strength; you are my refuge, O God. My God loves me and will come to me; he will let me see my enemies defeated. Do not kill them, O God, or my people may forget. Scatter them by your strength and defeat them, O Lord, our protector. Sin is on their lips; all their words are sinful; may they be caught in their pride! Because they curse and lie, destroy them in your anger; destroy them completely. Then everyone will know that God rules in Israel, that his rule extends over all the earth. My enemies come back in the evening, snarling like dogs as they go about the city, like dogs roaming about for food and growling if they do not find enough. But I will sing about your strength; every morning I will sing aloud of your constant love. You have been a refuge for me, a shelter in my time of trouble. I will praise you, my defender. My refuge is God, the God who loves me.” Psalm 59:1‭-‬17 GNT

Wow! How many people you know when in trouble immediately start praying to God or praising Him in song? And how many do you know turn up the bottle, or smoke something to forget their troubles? The sad part is once the high is gone the problems are still there. And sometimes even worse because we spent all of our money getting high. David had faith that God would protect him, and He did. Sadly most people do not have this kind of faith.

“And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith.” 2 Thessalonians 3:2 NIV

While healthy excursions in their proper place are fine and dandy let us not forget where the ultimate help can be found when we’re stressed out. Let us pray to God and even sing to Him like David did.

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“We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.” James 3:2 NIV

It’s gonna happen. You’re gonna sometimes say or do something out of character. If you don’t you’re perfect. And the only person who ever lived that never made a mistake is Jesus Christ. But how we handle mistakes is what counts most. Do you beat yourself to death for messing up? Or do you go to the other extreme and justify your wrongs?

Let me say first that I admire all of you dear brothers and sisters. You live in a world where you are always going against the grain, swimming against the current so to speak. That takes a lot of courage and can wear anybody out. When you feel tired; tired of this crazy world, tired of crazy mean people, it’s easy to slip up. God knows exactly how you feel:

“And if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard.” 2 Peter 2:7-8 NIV

God saw Lot go through the same thing. He was vexed over the lawless deeds he saw and heard on a daily basis. All righteous people go through this. So what you are feeling is normal. And it’s also a fact that sometimes we get so perturbed that we slip up in our godly conduct. Don’t get it twisted, I’m not justifying getting angry with the world and messing up. I’m just being honest in saying sometimes it happens. And I encourage you to continue in the fight to do what is right.

OUR HELP

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:23-24 NIV

The truth is all sins must be atoned for. And Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins. If we believe this we won’t beat ourselves to death or justify our blunders. We’ll simply thank God for making this marvellous provision, confess our sins to him, repent, and keep it moving.

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“Fools say to themselves “There is no God.” They are corrupt and commit iniquity; not one of them practices what is good.” Psalm 53:1 ISV

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Two twin babies were having a discussion inside their mother’s womb. One asked the other did they believe in life after birth, and did they believe in mom. The baby responded, “Nah, I don’t believe in these things, I’m an atheist. I mean, have you ever seen mom?” Wow!

Mom had been taking care of them the whole time. Mom had protected them in ways they could not fathom. Mom even suffered to ensure their survival. And because one of them hasn’t seen her, he decides to believe she doesn’t exist? Amazing! This reminds me a lot of Jesus.

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Psalm 91

“1  The one who lives in the shelter of the Most High, who rests in the shadow of the Almighty,

2  will say to the LORD, “You are my refuge, my fortress, and my God in whom I trust!”

3  He will surely deliver you from the hunter’s snare and from the destructive plague.

4  With his feathers he will cover you, under his wings you will find safety. His truth is your shield and armor.

5  You need not fear terror that stalks in the night, the arrow that flies in the day,

6  plague that strikes in the darkness, or calamity that destroys at noon.

7  If a thousand fall at your side or ten thousand at your right hand, it will not overcome you.

8  Only observe it with your eyes, and you will see how the wicked are paid back.

9  “LORD, you are my refuge!” Because you chose the Most High as your dwelling place,

10  no evil will fall upon you, and no affliction will approach your tent,

11  for he will command his angels to protect you in all your ways.

12  With their hands they will lift you up so you will not trip over a stone.

13  You will stomp on lions and snakes; you will trample young lions and serpents.

The LORD Speaks

14  Because he has focused his love on me, I will deliver him. I will protect him because he knows my name.

15  When he calls out to me, I will answer him. I will be with him in his distress. I will deliver him, and I will honor him.

16  I will satisfy him with long life; I will show him my deliverance.” (Psalm chapter 91 ISV)

When we read each of these verses they tell us just how blessed we are for having God as our refuge. Meditating on these verses makes us feel good inside. We know we are loved by our Father and protected. It’s amazing!

Some of us while reading Psalm 91:11-12 may remember this is the same passage the Devil twisted while tempting Jesus:

“The devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’ ” Matthew 4:5-6 NLT

Basically, ‘If you’re really the son of God and if the scriptures are really true then jump, because nothing will ever harm you.’ Satan was using the scriptures to appeal to any pride in Jesus, and he does the same to us. The Devil has no new tricks, they’re just repackaged. But notice how Jesus answered his tricky dare:

“Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the LORD your God.'” Matthew 4:7 NLT

What a perfect answer. Jesus knew that though we enjoy God’s awesome protection we shouldn’t willfully put ourselves in dangerous situations. That would not be making God our refuge. The awesome promises we read about in Psalm 91 apply only to those who make God their refuge, not to daredevils.

One of God’s amazing promises is protection from plagues. But could we really expect such protection while engaging in activities or pleasures that cause plagues? Come on really. Has the Devil hoodwinked us into putting God to the test and then expecting Him to protect us?

GOOD NEWS

The good news is if we have been fooled into living life recklessly we can repent because Jesus paid the price:

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past.” Romans 3:23-25 NLT

“Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.” Hebrews 9:14 NLT

All of us mess up guys. But the truly blessed people repent. They receive forgiveness for ALL their sins, and experience God’s awesome protection we read about in Psalms 91. But if God shows us certain lifestyles and habits are not pleasing to Him and we continue to persist in them anyway, what then can we expect?

“Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies.” Hebrews 10:26-27 NLT

Don’t let Satan bamboozle you into thinking you can do whatever you want and nothing bad will happen to you because you have God’s protection. If we live wildly Psalm 91 doesn’t apply to us. He tried that trick on Jesus and it didn’t work. And it doesn’t have to work on you and me either.

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“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’ “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’ “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’ “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’ “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’ “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.” Matthew 25:1-13 NLT

For a moment imagine that you are one of those foolish bridesmaids. Imagine begging the master to get in but Jesus says to you, “I don’t know you.” Horrifying isn’t it? This will be the fate of many. Jesus warns us to be ready so it won’t be you and me.

How often do we see the attitude of the foolish bridesmaids? Ten of them were going to meet the bridegroom to be in his wedding. Five were foolish not to bring enough oil for their lamps. They didn’t prepare. And their lack of preparation cost them dearly. It showed the way they really felt about this grand occasion. Being bestowed with the honor of being in the bridegroom’s wedding wasn’t important to them. If it was they would have prepared themselves and planned ahead like the five wise bridesmaids. These were determined not to miss this occasion for nothing in the world. So they made sure they were ready. But the foolish ones were not and found themselves on the outside.

THE WEDDING FEAST OF THE LAMB

“And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.” Revelation 19:9 NLT

Do we recognize the importance of what we have been invited to; the wedding feast of the Lamb in heaven? Do we know how blessed we are because of this? Or are we like the five foolish bridesmaids? They wanted to be a part of the wedding (who wouldn’t want to live in heaven forever) but they did not care to make the proper preparations. They were nonchalant. Imagine you have a wedding, and on your wedding day your best man or bridesmaid arrives in filthy clothe. On top of that they are drunk, loud and boisterous. What would you think of that person? Do you know that we can look the same way to God? We have been invited to the greatest ceremony ever; the wedding feast or marriage of the Lamb. And the bridegroom is Jesus Christ Himself. We the church (every believer) are His bride. We’ve been individually and collectively invited to live with Him and rule with Jesus forever! Is not that the ultimate experience for us? Shouldn’t we want to be ready?

“Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a vast crowd or the roar of mighty ocean waves or the crash of loud thunder: “Praise the LORD! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.” For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.” Revelation 19:6-9 NLT

Though we know we can never earn salvation because it is a free gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9), there are still things God wants us to do:

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.” Philippians 2:12-16 NIV

“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, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, 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.” 2 Peter 1:5-8 NIV

“Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready. “Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.” Luke 12:35-40 NLT

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“Then the Pharisees met together to plot how to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested.” Matthew 22:15 NLT

Jesus was often asked tricky questions by His adversaries. They didn’t care to hear the truth about God. They were only trying to entice Him to say something that could get Him arrested, and killed. People treat us the same way today; on our jobs, at our schools, etcetera. Some of these even claim that God is their Father just as they did to Jesus:

“Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill me because there’s no room in your hearts for my message. I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father.” “Our father is Abraham!” they declared. “No,” Jesus replied, “for if you were really the children of Abraham, you would follow his example. Instead, you are trying to kill me because I told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing. No, you are imitating your real father.” They replied, “We aren’t illegitimate children! God himself is our true Father.” Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me. Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me!” John 8:37‭-‬45 NLT

There is so much to learn in the passage above. One thing we see is that the children of the Devil cannot understand the truth. It is impossible for them:

“But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.” 1 Corinthians 2:14 NLT

When people ask you tricky questions to find fault with what you’re saying it’s only natural for them to embellish what you’ve just said as well. Expect it. But once you know that this is going on how should you and I respond?

“Don’t answer the foolish arguments of fools, or you will become as foolish as they are.” Proverbs 26:4 NLT

We are not obliged to answer every question asked of us. Jesus didn’t. We are obligated to help those who are seeking the truth. In so doing when we learn that certain individuals have no interest at all in God’s word except to debate it, or to slyly get us to question our own beliefs, all we have to do is obey God who says:

“Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.” Matthew 7:6 NLT

“But avoid foolish debates, genealogies, contentions, and arguments about the law, for they are unprofitable and useless.” Titus 3:9 MEV

“Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights.” 2 Timothy 2:23 NLT

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“Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.” James 1:20 NLT

Ever wondered why so many things keep happening that can cause you to lose it? Human anger takes us out of God’s will. We can’t live in anger and live for God too. Someone is intentionally trying to make us mad. And I’m not talking about the humans who bring drama your way. Many of them are not even aware of what they are doing or that they’re being used. A ridicule here, a problem over there, unfair treatment over here, etcetera, all are designed to get you to snap. Satan and his angels are responsible for this. (Revelation 12:9) They are the orchestrators of chaos and use people like puppets to attack us. They desire to control you and me too. One of the ways they strive to do this is by getting us angry.

“And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.” Ephesians 4:26‭-‬27 NLT

Yes, human anger opens the door for Satan to come in and control us. Would you invite the Devil into your house? Of course not. But when we decide to live in anger we are inviting him and his demons into our homes, our lives, and our bodies too. Yes, a person can become possessed by a demonic spirit of anger. Ever heard someone say, “I don’t know what happened, I just snapped,” after committing a horrible act? They were taken over by anger. God says whatever we are angry about is not that important. He encourages us to get over it the same day. In fact God says not to let the sun go down while you are still angry. Hence we won’t be giving the Devil an opportunity to go to work in our lives.

Imagine you’re playing a video game. The object of the game is to win, right? But when you let anger control your heart you are losing in life. There will be serious consequences to face. You can’t just press a button like in a video game and start all over again once the damage is done. Like two men who were arguing at a street intersection when one of them got out of his car threatening the other man who then grabbed his gun and shot the fella, killing him. There’s no way to rewind or take it back. There’s only terrible consequences you must face because of a lack of self-control. The person who does not learn how to control his/her temper will become their own worse enemy. Conflicts and bad things happen to all of us. But the person who knows how to respond correctly always has the upper hand:

“A gentle answer turns away rage, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1 GW

OVERCOMING ANGER

If you have a hard time keeping your temper confess this to God. That is the first step to overcoming anger or any sin.

“People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.” Proverbs 28:13 NLT

Don’t act like the problem doesn’t exist. Come clean with God in prayer and He will show you mercy. He will forgive you. He will also give you strength to overcome anger. Ask for His help constantly. He will answer your prayers. Change is a process. So don’t give up. Keep seeking the Lord’s help to avoid anger no matter how many times you mess up. God will forgive you and help you overcome it if you do not give up.

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