After Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount, his listeners sat in awe. Scripture says, “The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:28-29, NKJV). The Greek word for authority in this verse means “with mastery, power, liberty; as one in control.” Jesus’ listeners were saying, in essence, “This man knows what he’s talking about.”
James understood suffering. In Jerusalem, persecution of the early Christians was rampant. Many of Jesus’ followers were martyred, causing others to flee across the region. What did James say to encourage the church? He wrote, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray” (James 5:13, ESV).
Our ministry receives letters from many Christians who have somehow lost heart. These are followers of Christ who have truly been saved. They’ve tasted the mercy and goodness of the Lord and experienced joy, peace, hope and gladness of heart. Then something happened; they fell into some kind of sin or compromise, and the joy of the Lord left them. Now they live in turmoil and fear, completely defeated.
In the span of a mere ten verses, David expressed all the pains of life. Psalm 6 contains a revealing glimpse into the agonies that our spiritual ancestor endured all at one time, sufferings that would stretch any person beyond their limits. We see David struggled with sin, endured physical sickness, cried out with an anguished soul, faced threatening enemies and looked death squarely in the face.
“Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered” (Psalm 68:1, NKJV). In every generation, God is rising to scatter his enemies. He puts to chase all demonic principalities, driving them from his people. The very words of this verse, in fact, were quoted by Moses when the ark went forward in Israel. “So it was, whenever the ark set out, that Moses said: ‘Rise up, O Lord! Let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you’” (Numbers 10:35-36).
A few years ago, I was in a crosswalk when I was very nearly crushed between two cars. One vehicle had stopped in the crosswalk, and another sped rapidly toward it, the driver not paying attention. I was caught in between just as the speeding car neared. Instinctively, I jumped, lifting myself onto the parked car as the speeding car rammed into it. The impact threw me onto the pavement and into oncoming traffic. Fortunately, all drivers were able to stop.
God’s Word tells us again and again to flee temptation. Whenever many Christians read such passages, their reflex is to muster up more will to honor his commands. Yet, although their intentions are good, their aim is off. Paul tells us that overcoming temptation isn’t about what we do or don’t do. It’s about what we believe concerning the one we serve.
It is time to pray. It is time for each of us to appeal to heaven for a revival in the church and an awakening in the nation.
True generosity has to come from the Spirit of Christ not from carefully measured human goals. We need to show discipline not so much in counting pennies and dollars but in obeying the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus said, “I am the way” (John 14:6, NKJV), he issued a powerful proclamation to his church. Tragically, we have not fully understood the power behind his words here. I believe if the church today truly grasped the simple statement that Jesus is the way, we would once and for all end our fleshly strivings to try to please the Lord and instead trust him for his promised favor.
