Free Christian Corner

Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Back in the 18th century, Jonathan Edwards, the brilliant theologian, sat down and made a list of things he was resolved to do for Jesus and the kingdom of God. Just read a few of them that I’ve listed here.  “I resolve:
• That I will do whatsoever I think to be the most to the glory of God.
• To live with all my might while I do live.
• Never to do anything which I should be afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life.
• Never to speak evil of anyone.
• To study the Scripture steadily, constantly, and frequently so that I may find and plainly proceed myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.”
I love how clear and resolute Edwards was in his commitment to Christ.
So let me ask you something. What are you resolved to do for Christ? Have you thought about it? You can be certain of this: the enemy of your soul is resolved in his mission. The Scripture tells us that our enemy is like a lion roaming around seeking his next victim.
It’s time to know what you stand for and to have some steel in your soul! Let your resolve for Christ be fierce and let nothing cause you to turn back.

… “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’”                      -- Exodus 5:1 
When Moses stood before Pharaoh and spoke those famous words, "Let my people go," he was revealing the heart of God toward you and me. Did you know that?
God's plan is for us to be truly free. He wants us to be liberated by his Spirit to serve him. But here’s the challenge. As soon as we determine for ourselves to go with God and to live in the freedom made possible by Jesus Christ, the enemy goes to work. Satan’s primary goal is to keep you enslaved. That’s it.
Now, in Scripture, Pharaoh is an illustration of the devil. Pharaoh was a murderer and a liar. He never intended to let the children of Israel go free. Instead, he offered Moses compromises and negotiations. He told Moses, "Go ahead and sacrifice to your God.”
And in this same way, the devil will say to you, "Go ahead and be religious... go to church, that's fine. But just stay in Egypt." Right now there are countless church members who think they’re free, but spiritually, they’re still living in Egypt.


Listen. Satan’s plan is to keep you enslaved, but God offers you victory and freedom. Come out of the world and get under the liberating blood of Jesus Christ today!

-- Lamentations 3:22-23

We often fear failure, don’t we? I’m sure that’s true across many cultures. We fear failure to an amazing degree. But, in reality, failure teaches us some of life’s most important lessons.

Let me explain. You and I wouldn’t have learned to walk if we hadn’t failed a little in the process. And the principle of getting back up and trying again is critical in every aspect of our lives, especially in our spiritual lives. No one lives a perfect life.

But do you know the key difference between an average person and an achieving person? It’s how they perceive and respond to failure. Achievers let failure work in their lives. They learn from their mistakes and move forward.

Are you learning from your failures? Or do your failures overwhelm you and keep you from moving forward in your life? Listen. If you’ll let it, failure can be a friend that leads you back to God. His mercies are new each day—they are eternal. He desires to restore you and is ready to do so right now.

Recognize your failures, your defeats, and your sins for what they are… repent and move forward with the help of God.

IF YOU’LL LET IT, FAILURE CAN BE A FRIEND THAT LEADS YOU BACK TO GOD.

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.  Psalm 32:1

What if we learned that someone had the cure for cancer and kept it to themselves? How wicked that would be.
Now, if you have been saved… if you know the Lord Jesus Christ, and you’ve been forgiven of your sin, you now carry the cure for a sin-sick world! How wicked would it be for any of us who know the only hope for sinfulness to hesitate to share it?

But maybe you haven’t received the cure yet. If you haven’t, then you need to know that sin is dangerous; in fact, it’s deadly, and the only cure is Christ Jesus. Jesus is coming to you right now saying, “I want to take away that old sinful heart and give you a brand new heart.”

Well, you might ask, “How much will it cost? Will it hurt?”

The gift of Christ is absolutely free, and yes, it hurts a little. The Scripture says that you must turn from your sinful ways in order to follow Jesus. But he gives you a brand new life to live for him! And he’ll come live in that new heart to make you an overcomer in this life.

Accept the only cure for sin! Ask Jesus to forgive your sins and to give you a new heart. Then share with others the cure for sin!

SIN IS DANGEROUS… IT’S DEADLY, AND THE ONLY CURE IS CHRIST JESUS.

...he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
[1 John 4:4]

Each of us has giants in our lives. You and I know that. So the question is, “Are you going to slay those giants or let them hold you hostage?”


Let me share a little story with you. Back in 2001, the schools of Duke and Maryland were competing in the NCAA basketball semifinals. And Duke was favored to win.

But in the first half, they played poorly. They missed shots and rebounds, and even were down by as many as 21 points. They somewhat closed the gap, but ended the half stunned and feeling defeated.

At the end of halftime, after the coach had spoken, the players stayed behind for a bit rather that going out and warming up. One of the Duke players spoke to each of his teammates individually. He got in their faces and spoke these words, “Find your heart!” And they did! Duke won a great comeback victory… and eventually won the national championship!

So let me say to you, Christ-follower, “Find your heart!” Yes, you face menacing giants, but Jesus lives in you; you have the heart of a champion. And he is bigger than any opponent you will ever face!

Don’t let giants keep you down. It’s time to rally and to bring the giants down!

FIND YOUR HEART!

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”-- Luke 17:5


The apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith. And, as followers of Christ, this is something we should also be seeking. So let me share a little faith-building acrostic with you.

Just imagine yourself in a giant arena running the great race of life. You’re surrounded by a great crowd of witnesses who are cheering for your success! And the way you increase your faith is to
T-R-U-S-T!

T—Take away anything in your life that might slow you down or cause you to stumble. You mustn’t let distractions get you off track or let sins trip you up. You’re running to win!

R—Read and meditate upon Scripture. Scripture is a faith-building book, and the more of God’s Word you have in your mind, the more strength you’ll have in your heart and soul.

U—Use the faith you have. Faith is like a muscle; it needs to be exercised every day. You can’t just show up at church now and then and expect to have great faith. Exercise your faith daily.

S—Strengthen your faith with prayer and fellowship. We weren’t created to go it alone, but to have fellowship with other believers.

T—Turn your eyes upon Jesus. If you want to increase your faith, give Jesus your full attention. Jesus knows what it takes to run to win, and he is the author and the finisher of our faith!

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.


-- Psalm 32:1

What if we learned that someone had the cure for cancer and kept it to themselves? How wicked that would be.


Now, if you have been saved… if you know the Lord Jesus Christ, and you’ve been forgiven of your sin, you now carry the cure for a sin-sick world! How wicked would it be for any of us who know the only hope for sinfulness to hesitate to share it?

But maybe you haven’t received the cure yet. If you haven’t, then you need to know that sin is dangerous; in fact, it’s deadly, and the only cure is Christ Jesus. Jesus is coming to you right now saying, “I want to take away that old sinful heart and give you a brand new heart.”

Well, you might ask, “How much will it cost? Will it hurt?”

The gift of Christ is absolutely free, and yes, it hurts a little. The Scripture says that you must turn from your sinful ways in order to follow Jesus. But he gives you a brand new life to live for him! And he’ll come live in that new heart to make you an overcomer in this life.
Accept the only cure for sin! Ask Jesus to forgive your sins and to give you a new heart. Then share with others the cure for sin!

SIN IS DANGEROUS… IT’S DEADLY, AND THE ONLY CURE IS CHRIST JESUS.