Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Opposition Will Come A Knockin'

This post is for anyone, anytime, anywhere on their walk with Jesus Christ. This post is for anyone who has the Spirit of the living God in them. This post is for anyone who is considering following Jesus. This post covers all of us!

Just read this verse and you'll know where this is headed.

Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. They hired counselors to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia. Ezra 4:4, 5


For all of us who follow Christ, for all of you who might one day, as we grow in our walk and relationship with Jesus

there
will
be
opposition.

I won't go on and on here about our spiritual enemy because it goes without saying that he is out go take down our walls, our boundaries, our minds and hearts. He is the opposition.

But, what about those who aren't Satan? You know, family members? Society? Friends? Co-workers?

Do we ever encounter people who might "poo-poo" our relationship with Jesus? Do we ever find that in our society the Christian is called weak-minded-in-need-of-a-crutch-kind-of-person? Do we not find ourselves discouraged and afraid of building our faith?

Yes, yes we do. And we will until the end of the age.

BUT

What do we do with that? What have we been taught? What does the Word say to us with this opposition at our temple doors?

I'll leave you with the Word because God will do a better job at encouraging you that I can right now.

Be wise in the way you act toward outsider; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:6,5


We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. I Thess. 2:4



Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23, 24


So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught and over-flowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this word rather than on Christ. Colossians 2;6-8

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me...I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward.
Philippians 3:12, 14


I could keep going, but you get the idea. Our making of our "temples" is our business with God and no one can take that away from us. We are His and He is ours. You stay with Jesus. You fight the opposition in prayer and with your loving testimony. You keep your eyes on Christ, the author and perfector of YOUR faith.

Opposition is inevitable, but we don't have to be taken down by it now do we!!!

1 comment:

Shelly said...

Thanks Nat! I needed to hear/read that today.