Jesus spent three years pouring His life into the twelve men He called disciples.He taught them God's new covenant,showed them how to live and gave them the authority to perform miracles in His name.When it was time for Him to leave,his work on earth was ending,theirs was just beginning.
Jesus did not motivate them with tales of adventure and excitement.He didn't send them off with a pep talk about 'positive thinking',nor did He promise them early retirement in a sea side community.He sent them with a warning:Look,I am sending you out as sheep among wolves-Mathew 10:16.Jesus protected them from future disappointment,doubt and despair by preparing them for what was to come.
Few American Christians experience persecution;we are more often subject to psychological variation like scorn and ridicule.But people around the world are experiencing persecution even as you read this.
We cannot always avoid temptation,but we can reduce our vulnerability to it by saturating our minds with the truth so that Satan's words will sound ludicrous to us.Although we cannot completely conquer our weakness,we can avail ourselves of Christ's strength;and although we cannot escape persecution,we can develop endurance in minor adversity so that we will be strong enough to persevere even when our lives are on the line.
Our task as believers is to carry on the work started by Jesus and continued by His disciples and apostles.To do this we must protect ourselves spiritually and the Bible has a clear plan for doing so.
Jesus did not motivate them with tales of adventure and excitement.He didn't send them off with a pep talk about 'positive thinking',nor did He promise them early retirement in a sea side community.He sent them with a warning:Look,I am sending you out as sheep among wolves-Mathew 10:16.Jesus protected them from future disappointment,doubt and despair by preparing them for what was to come.
We cannot always avoid temptation,but we can reduce our vulnerability to it by saturating our minds with the truth so that Satan's words will sound ludicrous to us.Although we cannot completely conquer our weakness,we can avail ourselves of Christ's strength;and although we cannot escape persecution,we can develop endurance in minor adversity so that we will be strong enough to persevere even when our lives are on the line.
Our task as believers is to carry on the work started by Jesus and continued by His disciples and apostles.To do this we must protect ourselves spiritually and the Bible has a clear plan for doing so.
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