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I don't have a television or a VCR, and by God's grace I have been kept from all forms of pornography. But consider the Christians who have TV — and cable as well. It's after 10 p.m., the kids are in bed, and they sit and watch an R- or X-rated movie. Right before their eyes they see adults fornicating and performing every evil thing from hell. Both spirit and body get caught up in it. Or, there might be this scenario: You are away from home and nobody knows you. You are feeling alone and a curious urge comes over you.

We know the Holy Spirit has come to "convict the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment" (John 16:8). The Puritans interpreted the Greek correctly in rendering it, "When He, the Holy Ghost, shall come, He will give demonstration concerning sin, righteousness and judgment."

How will the Holy Spirit produce this conviction in a Laodicean age? How will He convict a world growing more corrupt and chaotic by the hour? How will He convict our unconverted loved ones, especially when there is so little preaching that is anointed by the Spirit?

There are three great truths I would like to bring to your attention. Each is a definition of what a true Christian ought to be.

Three anointed men of God best exemplify these truths and they are John the Baptist, Stephen, and Peter. John was the voice, Stephen mirrored the glory, and Peter took the daring step of faith. Their examples should be the goal of every true believer who is devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ.

The devil's final strategy in deceiving believers is to make them doubt the faithfulness of God in answering prayer. Satan would have us believe God has shut His ears to our cry and left us to work things out for ourselves.

Christians are strange creatures. They travel the world, preaching the love of Jesus and His forgiveness for any and all sin. They tell the heathen, the addict, the alcoholic, the prostitute - "Come to Christ and be forgiven. He forgave your sins at the Cross - so come and receive forgiveness and healing for all your hurts. You can have peace and be free of guilt." As a result sinners, who have been guilty of every conceivable kind of dark and evil deed, gladly come to Christ and are instantly forgiven and delivered from their guilt.

How often have you heard Christians say, “God is doing a new thing in the church”? The “new thing” they refer to may be called a revival, an outpouring, a visitation or a move of God. Yet very often the “new thing” they describe dies out quickly. And once it has faded, it can’t be found again. In this way, it proves not to have been a move of God at all. In fact, Christian sociologists have tracked many of these so-called visitations. They’ve discovered that the average span of such an event is about five years.

I’m convinced we can’t fully obey God’s Word until we understand why the Lord calls for perfect obedience. Why does God demand this? Is it because he’s a despot, a tyrant who delights in placing heavy yokes and burdens on his people? No, not at all. Jesus tells us the burden he places on us is light and easy (Matthew 11:30). His commands aren’t grievous.

 In Scripture, the word tabernacle speaks of a place where God resides. It is his home on earth where his glorious presence dwells. Through the centuries, God visited his people and made his presence known to them, but he didn’t have a tabernacle where his presence could dwell on the earth.

Noah heard God’s voice, but the Lord didn’t dwell daily with him. Abraham spent his days looking for the city whose builder and maker is God. Jacob was visited by God, but only on occasion. He didn’t know God’s presence dwelling in his midst daily.

The Bible says that when Jesus was baptized at the Jordan River, “the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the spirit of god descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: and lo a voice from heaven, saying, this is my beloved son, in whom i am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16-17).

We all have a high calling from the Lord. And at various stages of our lives, he has set before us a preordained plan we are to fulfill. Moreover, God promises that if we act in faith, trusting him, he will bring that plan to fulfillment.

Yet this isn't always easy. As everyone who has walked with Jesus for any length of time knows, following his high calling means we're going to meet obstacles. And one of the most common obstacles is the skeptic's voice. As we seek to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land, we'll hear every kind of voice telling us not to go.