Category: Thoughts and Meditations

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.” – 2 Timothy 3:1-5

Welcome to the last days! Seriously!!! What Paul wrote about is clearly upon us. So, what should you do if you’re a faithful follower of Jesus? Avoid the influence of those who would draw you down the path he describes. Recognize they are everywhere and many of them call themselves Christian. Be very careful about who you listen to (in person or online). Be very careful about what you read and watch. Be very, very careful about what influencers worm their way into your social media streams.

Pursue personal holiness. Devote extra time every day to reading, studying, and meditating on God’s Word. Pray often and enjoy your conversations with God. Share the good news of Jesus Christ with other people. Worship God. Serve the Lord humbly for His glory, not yours. Find a good (but not perfect!) Bible-believing church and learn to love the saints (even the difficult-to-love ones) there as you worship alongside them.

Pray and work to spread God’s Kingdom here on earth. Be at peace (despite the chaos) in the presence, power, love, and grace of Christ in you. #FollowJesus

“For which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!” – 2 Timothy 2:9

Nothing can bind the word of God. NOTHING! God’s people may be opposed, persecuted, imprisoned, or killed. But God’s Word will move forward by God’s power. Do not become discouraged or grow weary in the face of entrenched rejection or opposition. Paul was in chains and facing death. However, he knew that there are no chains that can stop the Gospel of Jesus Christ from spreading around the world.

Whenever you look around and feel that there’s no hope for the church and the movement of Christ, remember this truth. God’s Word has supernatural power to awaken spiritually dead hearts and minds. God’s Word has power beyond anything we can imagine. God’s Word, whether written or spoken, will continue to draw people to God. It will not return void. It will not leave the world without a testimony. It will accomplish the mission for which it has been given.

Always remember that the greatest power for evangelism, missions, and life transformation is God’s Word. Focus on presenting it rather than sweating over persuasive arguments or compelling presentations by God’s people. Do whatever you can to get God’s Word out in the world, then watch and be amazed at how God uses His Word! #FollowJesus

“My soul longs for your salvation;
I hope in your word.
My eyes long for your promise;
I ask, ‘When will you comfort me?’”
– Psalm 119:81-82

God works on His perfect timetable. Often that’s very, very different from our preferred timetable! We pray, we beg, we plead and then we wonder if or when God will move to change whatever hard situation we’re in. The answer is that God will move when and how is ultimately best in His perfect, eternal understanding of things. That’s considerably different than our limited, present understanding of those same things. When we’re tempted to doubt God, we need to be like the psalmist – longing and asking while continuing to hope in God’s word and promises.

God will often walk with us through difficult seasons far longer than we would prefer. This builds our faith and trust. It breaks our pride and self-sufficiency. It cultivates patience and reliance on the Lord rather than ourselves. It teaches us steadfastness and perseverance. It reveals the strength of God amidst our weakness and brokenness. It gives us needed time to do soul work, cleaning out some of our residual filth, sin, and self-centeredness.

So, when you’re longing for God to “fix” a hard season you’re enduring through, be patient. Be faithful and diligent in prayer. Wait well – spending extra time reading and meditating on the Bible. Draw near to God and recognize that intimacy with Him is eternally better than a short-term fix for your situation. Long for God’s promises but trust they will come in His perfect timing. Have strong, confident hope in God’s Word, His goodness, and His presence in your struggle and pain. Love God and love your neighbors, even when it’s hard. #FollowJesus

“A man who bears false witness against his neighbor
is like a war club, or a sword, or a sharp arrow.”
– Proverbs 25:18

The Bible is crystal clear when it comes to lying about others – it’s a big deal to God, so don’t ever do it! Lying about someone violates one of the Ten Commandments. This proverb explains that it’s like attacking them with a sword, beating them with a club, or shooting them. If you’ve ever been the victim of lies told about you, you certainly know it’s true. The wounds aren’t physical but they’re deep and very painful.

Followers of Jesus MUST NOT tell or participate in lies about people. We must not speak lies, write lies, post lies, tweet lies, like lies, or share lies. We will be held accountable by God for every loose, careless, cruel, or false word we speak. We must walk with total integrity. We must speak up for those being lied about, no matter what it costs us personally. We must speak the truth about people, even those we don’t like, no matter what it costs us personally. Popularity, friendships, opportunities, promotions – we must be willing to let go of them all to maintain our integrity before the Lord.

Nobody can take your integrity from you. However, it can be very, very tempting to give up your integrity for some real or imagined benefit. Don’t do it. Don’t become a weapon of the devil. Serve the God of truth in complete truth. #FollowJesus

“When I think on my ways,
I turn my feet to your testimonies;”
– Psalm 119:59

Do you, like King David, think on your ways? Do you take time to step back and reflect on your habits and patterns of life and how they compare to the example and commands of Jesus? Do you consider the direction of your life and whether you’re moving closer to God or further away? It’s a good and healthy habit for every follower of Jesus to practice. Every few months, schedule time to pray and ask God to reveal any concerns He has about your ways. Think about what you have seen, heard, and read about Jesus and how your ways compare to His ways.

Most Christians don’t decisively move away from God. Instead, they drift away, little by little. One decision at a time. One choice not to worship, read, pray, fellowship, or meditate at a time. One choice to sin rather than honor God at a time. Before we realize it, our ways can be very different from God’s ways. So, be like King David and if you discover your ways aren’t the most obedient, edifying, or glorifying, do what he did. Turn your feet toward the testimonies of Scripture. Make intentional choices to reject sin and reject laziness. Reject the world, the flesh, and the devil and re-engage your mind, heart, body, and soul in the ways of God.

Worship with other believers. Read and meditate on Scripture daily. Memorize God’s Word. Pray, give, and fast in faith. Get engaged with a small community of fellow believers seeking to grow in the ways of Jesus. Serve the Lord and share your hope in Christ. Practice Five to Thrive and #FollowJesus