Category: Verses of Strength and Encouragement

Perseverance

James 1:12 – “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

Luke 21:19 – “Stand firm, and you will win life.”

Perseverance – steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.

Perseverance is an accurate description of my effort in writing this post. I’ve made several attempts over the past couple of days and the verses and the words just didn’t come. Can you relate? Have you had a project for school that you just couldn’t pull together?

There’s a sign in front of a church on Valleydale Road currently that says, “Life comes at you fast.” Wow! Does it ever! You are growing up in a time when technology has put the motion of life in hyperdrive. I know each of you have incredibly busy and demanding schedules every week. Our ability to persevere and gut through these challenges is important to how we achieve and advance in life. Without sounding too much like a parent, your ability to persevere in giving your best to school work will have a direct impact on the number of doors of opportunity down the road. What’s hard for all of us, in this “life comes at you fast” world, is that perseverance requires patience. Patience is not something wired in our DNA. We have to learn it. Often the struggle to persevere involves developing patience when things are not working out at the speed we would like. Being patient is one of the Fruits of the Spirit that doesn’t necessarily involve being patient with others, but with ourselves, and even with God...

So what about your faith? Obviously, God wants us to persevere in our walk with Him. But we have free will. We have the will to choose whether or not we will continue the journey with Him. We all face obstacles in maintaining our walk with the Lord and that will continue. Spiritual perseverance is connected to our faith and to God’s grace. When we stumble, when we fall short, God extends grace to us to forgive and allow us to move on. The problem is when some people hit a bump, they think they can’t recover from what they’ve done, they can’t be forgiven, and they fall away from God and quit their walk with Him. God extends grace, we have to choose to receive it and to persevere, by faith, through the consequences of our actions. Perseverance means we simply don’t quit. Here’s a verse I want us to explore:

Revelation 12:11 – “They overcame by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimonies; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”

This verse speaks to me about perseverance. We are going to overcome this world and the deceptions of Satan by the blood of the Lamb, our Lord Jesus Christ. We are also going to overcome and persevere on this journey with God through the word of our own testimonies. When I finally realized that I was not alone in my struggles in my walk with the Lord, it was transformational! I know it sounds strange, but I thought I was the only one who was struggling to overcome my sin. You’re going to fall short, but your perseverance to continue in your faith and allow God to restore you is YOUR TESTIMONY! God will use your testimony to help someone else recover from their struggle. It’s a beautiful thing. God gives us grace to reconcile ourselves with Him, God uses our testimonies to heal each other through our struggles, and we all persevere as God transforms us from the brokenness of who we were to the beauty of who he has designed us to be. This song describes that desire to have God transform us…

Unity

1 Peter 2:9-10 – “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” 

Unity – the state of being united or joined as a whole.

The Apostle Paul stressed the importance of unity. As believers and members of the body of Christ, we must live in unity. We each came into this world with no choice in the matter. We were born into the circumstances and environments that are unique to each of us. We have different economic, social, cultural and family backgrounds, which make each of us a little different and influences our perception of everyone else. But the beauty of our faith is that we are united in a common love and common worship of Jesus Christ. Our ‘sameness’ is actually more powerful than our diversity. Here’s what Paul has to say:

Philippians 2:1-2 – “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.” 

Now we turn to Ephesians chapter 4, titled: Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ. There is tremendous depth in the words of Paul as he explains the importance of unity and through that unity we grow together “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13).  Read that verse again. We are striving for unity in the faith, and Paul says at some point we will attain the whole measure of the fullness of Christ!  Do you hear the power of these words? Can you imagine having the full measure of the character of Christ? I wish there were a way to articulate or illustrate the power of unity in Ephesians 4. If you search YouTube you will find hour long sermons, detailed whiteboard drawings, and academic teachings that break down the verses of Ephesians 4 into deep detail. And as much as I LOVE this chapter, I leave you with this simple video:

Disciple

Matthew 28:19 – “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”

Disciple – a personal follower of Jesus during his life, especially one of the twelve Apostles. A follower of the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Let’s go back for a moment to Judea in the first century A.D. Understand that the “bible” at that time was the first five books of the Bible; Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, also known as the Torah. Jews didn’t walk around with a Torah app on their phones, or a bound Torah under their arms. There were no printed Torahs. There were a precious few handwritten scrolls that contained the Torah, and those scrolls were in the possession of the “masters of the scripture”, the Rabbis. A Rabbi would teach the Torah to students, and the students who excelled in memorizing the Torah would be chosen to follow the Rabbi. These followers, many of them teenagers, were known as the Rabbi’s Talmidim, or disciples.

In first century A.D., God’s word was spoken, not read. Jews attended temple services to hear the word of God as it was read from the Torah. This was their only contact with the word of God. Jewish followers of a particular Rabbi were said to be “yoked” to that Rabbi. That Rabbi controlled their access to God’s word simply by what he chose to read from the Torah.

Think about the access you and I have to the Word of God. We not only have the Word at our disposal, but we have every imaginable commentary and discussion instantly available on our phone or computer. Being a disciple means focusing time and effort to learn the teachings of Christ and God’s word.

Disciple was probably always a hard word for me because it is the root word of discipline… So I didn’t read or study God’s word as a teen, or as a twenty-something, or for much of my thirties… That lack of Bible knowledge cost me dearly over those years and kept me from finding my faith. Now I will admit that I wasn’t receptive to learning God’s word either, but I hope you have been impressed by Joe, Erika and the Fuel leaders that learning, become a disciple of God’s word is critical to your growth, not only as a Christian but in making important life decisions as well. Being a disciple means having a hunger to learn what God has for you. I got that hunger after a lot of battles in life, and finally realizing I didn’t have all the answers I thought I did. My constant prayer for each of you when I upload these posts is that you will find that hunger now, like the Talmidim did 2,000 years ago.

 

Promise

2 Corinthians 1:20 – “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through Him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.”

Promise – a declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that a particular thing will happen.

Joshua 23:14 – “…You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.” 

God has made many promises to us. Let me share a few:

1 John 2:24-25 – “As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life.”

1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Psalms 103:12 – “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us..”

John 16:13 –  “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

Joshua 1:9 – “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

I haven’t counted, but I have read there are well over a thousand promises in the Bible. I look at God’s promises as guidance. Some of God’s promises direct us to do something in which God says when we do, there’s a blessing in it. For example, we studied Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will guide your path.” If you think about it, this is a huge promise from God! He’s saying we don’t need to rely on our own wisdom to make decisions in life, but rather turn those decisions over to Him, the creator of the universe, and let Him guide our decisions. Wow! That’s a powerful promise, BUT it requires us to turn those decisions over to Him, and that requires our last word – “FAITH”. I find, including myself, that people struggle with giving things over to God. If I can share anything with you, start turning your struggles and decisions over to God now! I speak from experience that He will give you better direction than you will make on your own. Trust in the Lord! You may, and probably won’t get an immediate answer, but remember God’s timing is not our timing, and God’s timing is always perfect, not ours. But you will know when God, through the Holy Spirit, gives you answers and direction.

The world is a heap of broken promises. It is filled with good intentions, but we are broken, and imperfect, and often don’t keep the promises we make. The sooner you begin putting your trust in the Lord, your whole trust, the sooner you will walk out life in God’s promises. God may not answer you the way you want, but He will always do what is best for you. It may mean you have to walk through struggles, but understand God is growing and strengthening us through those struggles. In the end, remember God’s greatest promise that if we remain in Him, He will give us eternal life with Him.

Faith

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

I trust you recognize the verse above, Hebrews 11:1, as it was one of our verses from 2016. Yesterday, we discussed hope. I said that hope is the intercessor to the things we desire that we can’t control in life. Hope is a feeling that brings comfort to the uncertainties we face.

But faith, faith is the confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Are you following where I’m going here? As Christians, and more importantly, as believers, we have faith that God is in control of all things. God is guiding our path and direction. God loves us and doesn’t want to harm us. We have confidence through our faith that God knows best for our lives and thus we can face the uncertainties, not out of hope, but out of our faith in Him.

That doesn’t mean we won’t face problems. It doesn’t mean we are immune to loss and tragedy. It doesn’t mean that God is going to provide a positive outcome in every situation we face. It means that God has a purpose behind all of the outcomes, positive and negative, in our lives. There may be a school you are applying to attend that you don’t get accepted to, but you have to realize that God had a bigger purpose for why you weren’t accepted. We have to walk through this life with confidence, our faith, that although the immediate circumstances weren’t what you may have hoped for, God has a reason that is leading you down a better path, with a better ending and a greater purpose.

We live in a world focused on fame and fortune. The world wants you and I to pursue fame, notoriety, and fortune with all we have, but I ask you, do you really believe God put you and I on this earth to acquire fame and fortune? God wants us to live our lives focused on loving and glorifying Him in all that we do. This runs counter to the world. Now you may attain fame and fortune in your life, and God may have blessed you with both, but it is for His purpose and to ultimately glorify Him. We’ve seen a lot of celebrity deaths in the past few weeks. Many of those celebrities definitely achieved fame and fortune but lived horrible lives in the process. George Michael fought a lot of demons most of his life and appeared to be a very loving, but tortured soul. God is directing our lives towards joy and contentment, not fame and fortune and that may be your life’s blessing in the end. We have to live by faith that our heavenly Father knows what is best for you and me.

1 Timothy 4:12

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.”

Now let’s study the second part of this verse – “BUT SET AN EXAMPLE FOR THE BELIEVERS IN SPEECH, IN CONDUCT, IN LOVE, IN FAITH, AND IN PURITY.”  I’m going to refrain from my commentary and ask for yours. Now to be fair, putting this in the context of Paul’s message, the Apostle Paul was stressing to Timothy that he was now in charge. He was going to lead their movement and he needed to set the example for the believers.

How do these words apply to your life and you walk? Leave a comment!

1 Timothy 4:12

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.”

Let’s begin with the opening of this verse – “DON’T LET ANYONE LOOK DOWN ON YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE YOUNG”. Do you remember the phone app that repels mosquitos?  It was a high-frequency sound that emitted from the phone that only ears under 30 could hear. Old guys, like me, can’t hear it. Jentzen Franklin used this at Winterfest a few years ago as an analogy for hearing from God. His point was that God is speaking at a different, more vibrant, wavelength, a different frequency to you as a youth than He is to older adults. He’s revealing dreams, vision and purpose for your life that speaks to you as a youth, where you are in your life journey.

I share this with you because I want you to gain encouragement that although you may be early in your walk with the Lord, it doesn’t mean that the Lord doesn’t hold you in any less value to His kingdom. To the contrary, He is pouring His purpose for your life into you. But you have to be receptive to hearing His will and purpose. So I encourage you, if you are at that place where you are questioning, “What am I going to do with my life? Where am I going to college? Am I going to college?” just take time to be still, submit your requests to God, and let Him guide your path. You may not have it all figured out yet, and that’s okay, neither do us old folks either… But you are important to Him, and you are important to all of us, so don’t be discouraged if someone looks down on you because of your youth. Remember, God has a plan and purpose for your life – Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Don’t let anyone steal your dream, but allow those who know you best and love you the most to provide counsel and guidance for what you want to do with your life.

 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” These were Paul’s words in 2 Timothy 4:7. I hope they will be my words at the end of my journey. My prayer is that we pass the torch of faith on to you and that you will embrace the love of Jesus, pouring your trust in Him in whatever you do in this life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p48lRMhLXQ

1 Timothy 4:12 “Don’t Let Anyone Look Down On You”

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.”

This is another foundational verse that I hope you will find as encouragement! I get excited every time I read this verse because I have witnessed so many youth, including several of you, who have not let your age be a hindrance to expressing your faith in Christ.

This verse was Paul’s instruction to a young Timothy who he knew would go forth after Paul in leading the early church. What I hope you will take away as we study this verse is that you have more influence on others than you may realize. You can share your faith with another teen in a way that has far more impact than me. You set the example in your actions and in your words. You have the ability to set the bar with your friends on how to conduct yourself.

When I was in high school, I was a “locker hugger”. I was the guy (before backpacks became the norm) who carried all of his books, stacked under one arm, leaning against the lockers as I walked down the hallway so that no one could knock them out of my arm. Yes, I was not the popular, cool guy who walked down the center of the hallway, watching the crowds part before me. I was the guy who just tried to stay out of the way.

As such, I was not an influencer, but was influenced by others. I was a follower, and I was willing to follow anyone, good or bad. You may feel this way at times yourself, but I want to encourage you that you have been given a gift. You have a gift of faith in Christ, and there are “followers” like I was, who are looking for someone like you who will show them this gift of faith in Christ. You, yes you, can change someone’s life. I wish I had met you when I was a teen, as it would have changed my life’s direction for the better. You can do this now with the friends you influence. Remember, Jesus only had twelve disciples, yet from those twelve, they changed the world.

There’s someone in your life that needs you to share your faith. I have been blessed many times now to witness how a youth stepped out and lead a friend to Jesus and it changed the direction of their life. Reflect on these words today, and pray for the Lord to guide your steps towards someone you can have a life-changing impact on by knowing Jesus. You won’t be going alone in this. You have the Holy Spirit to guide you and to give you confidence, and you always have Joe or any of the youth leaders to bounce questions off of if you are certain about how to talk with someone.

 

Philippians 4:6-7 (Final Post)

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

We finish Philippians 4:6-7 with the final part of Philippians 4:7 – “WILL GUARD YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS”. So we looked at the peace of God as transcending all understanding, but how does this also guard our hearts and our minds?

It’s difficult to articulate a feeling. But when we truly start turning over our needs, our struggles, our hopes to God and let Him guide us and navigate us through our decisions and actions, we receive a sense of peace. That peace comes when we finally let go of our own perceived control and realize that He is the one in control. Additionally, we realize that God cares for us and His promises are real. Since God wants to take care of us, He guards our hearts against the anxiety of trying to do it on our own. He protects our minds from drifting into places we do need to go; in other words, God keeps us in check. You’ve maybe heard the phrase, “keep things on the straight and narrow”. God does this when we submit to Him, not as some form of punishment, but as pure love to protect us. We have free will, which God has given us as well, to choose His way or our way. You can freely choose to go off the path and do it all your way… What do you choose?

Philippians 4:6-7

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

“AND THE PEACE OF GOD, WHICH TRANSCENDS ALL UNDERSTANDING”

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reported last year that the number of Americans on antidepressant drugs increased 51% from 1999 to 2012. Nearly 15% of all Americans, or 1 in 5, take some form of antidepressant drug!  That is astonishing to me and should be to you. We have a lot of people struggling with stress and anxiety.

Another way to define anxiety is a simple, four-letter word, FEAR. Fear is a spiritual matter, not just an emotional or psychological matter. Fear is the absence of faith. They cannot coexist. When we place our faith in Jesus, and truly turn over our needs to Him (remember our earlier verse, Proverbs 3:5-6), we live our life in the PEACE OF GOD, which transcends all understanding.

Reflect on these words today. Is it any wonder why so many people are taking antidepressants? Think about another previous verse we studied, Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of the 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.”  A lot of people, including those taking antidepressant drugs, are living in the pattern of the world and are not living in the faith of Jesus Christ. We can do it our way, or we can do it God’s way. Our way, we think we control everything, get the full, head on attack of the world, and thus make bad decisions because we lean on our understanding and then ultimately end up needing to medicate to cope with life… God’s way, we put our whole heart faith in Jesus Christ, we still get the attack of the world, but we have the power of the Lord leading our decisions, gain comfort which transforms all understanding, and have our lives transformed in the process to an abundant and joyful spirit, having no need for medications.