"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

                            -Matthew 5:10 

In a country where persecution is almost unheard of, it is hard for many of us to imagine the dangers that our brothers and sisters face in foreign lands. We think we have it rough when our friends make fun of us for going to church, when they go to jail for attending Sunday services. We feel tempted to give up on Christ after we get our feelings hurt, but they persevere despite physical torture. So why is it that they endure this type of treatment so willingly? It's because they accept it as part of the package when they become a Christian.

"...If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you..."

                            -John 15:20

Notice hear that Jesus didn't say, "...they will also persecute middle-easterners." He made an all-inclusive statement that every Christian will at some point face persecution. If we expect to be ridiculed, then we won't be surprised when we are. People in China, India, Columbia, etc., know that if they become a Christian they will most likely lose life or limb because of it. Thus, when trouble comes knocking, they are prepared to answer the door. Likewise, if we aren't expecting to face hardship, then when we do we won't be prepared to face it.

"Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." 

                            -II Corinthians 12:10

Though persecution isn't something any of us have a desire to experience, we should remember that it is during those times of affliction that we are drawn closer to God and His glory is displayed most brightly in our lives. In light of these things, we should welcome any persecution God allows us to endure, knowing that He has a purpose behind everything that He does.

"But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew..."

                            -Exodus 1:12

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

                            -John 3:36 

A few weeks ago I began to study this verse, and one of the first things I noticed was that John the Baptist (the one speaking) had a different perspective on eternal life than most Christians today. He said that whoever believes on Christ hath everlasting life, not that they will one day have it. The reason I found this so intriguing is that I had previously viewed eternal life as nothing more than endless existence, but according to this verse, eternal life begins the moment we are saved, not when we make it to heaven. Sure, endless existence is, in a way, eternal life; but even sinners will experience this type of eternal life in hell, and we know from Scripture that the lake of fire is "the second death" (Revelation 21:8), not a place of eternal life.

So what is eternal life then? To answer that question, we need to look no further than the second chapter of Genesis, verse 17:

"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

                            

If you have read the story of man's fall in the first few chapters of Genesis, then you know that when Eve disobeyed God and ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, she didn't drop down dead at the foot of the tree. Yes, she eventually experienced a physical death; but God had promised that death would come instantly, not eventually. So did God lie? Not at all! Adam and Eve did die, in that their perfect relationship with Him was severed. Based on these Scriptures, then, we can conclude that God's definition of life is more than living, moving, and breathing; it is having a relationship with Him.

Eternal life does indeed mean living forever, but it's more than just that. It is having an everlasting relationship with God. After all, a life apart from Christ is no life at all.

As many of you know, the Rebelution Tour will be in St. Louis on August 28 (if you are unfamiliar with the Rebelution, then check out the website here). Thousands of teens will be attending this conference and, for many of them, this has the potential to be a life-changing event.

As we read in James 5:16, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." With that said, I believe prayer is imperative to the success of this conference. That is why I am asking those of you who will be attending to earnestly and prayerfully consider joining me as a member of the Prayer Team. As Captain of this team, I will be recruiting as many people as possible to, in essence, pray for the event. You would be expected to,

• Pray approximately 15 minutes per day for the conference, its volunteers, and attendees. Also, I would give you periodic updates informing you of more specific prayer requests that have been presented to me by the staff, coordinators, and other volunteer workers.

• On the day of the conference, a prayer room will be designated at the event facility. The Team will gather there and have a prayer meeting before the conference begins.

• If any of the attendees request to be prayed with/for, we would be the ones to do so.

• Members of the Prayer Team will take turns spending a short amount of time (perhaps 15-20 minutes) praying in the prayer room in such a way that there is somebody praying throughout the entirety of the conference.

If you are willing to join me in this work, please contact me  and I will set you up as a member of the Team.

Any questions or comments are more than welcome.


In Christ,
Dakota

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."

                            -Proverbs 3:5 

This verse is one that I heard quoted a multitude of times when I was very young; but only in recent years have I begun to understand what it truly means to abandon our own understanding and to rely completely on God's.

As we read in II Corinthians 5:7, a child of God is to walk by faith, and not by sight. The fact is, when we walk by sight we usually don't make it very far, because our own perspective is often tainted and incomplete, making it impossible for us to succeed. But, when we trust in God, we can have faith that no matter what we go through, all things will ultimately work out for our good (Romans 8:28). In view of this, we should do as Solomon instructs and trust in the Lord, not somewhat, but with all of our hearts.

I remember about two years ago, our former pastor had organized a game that would take place after church service. When my turn came, I was blindfolded and led to where the game was to take place. But as he led me by the hand, he was surprised that I followed him with such confidence. I didn't feel the way before me with my free hand, or try to peek through the blindfold. Rather, I followed him without reserve. Why? The answer is simple: I trusted him. He'd never done anything that would have given me a reason to doubt him, so I went where he led me.

This is what it means to walk by faith in God. Though we may not always understand the way He works, He has proven Himself trustworthy and we should therefore trust Him - even when we can't see where He is taking us.

"For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness."

                            -I Thessalonians 4:7 

As Christians, we have all been called by God to pursue a life of holiness. That may sound simple, but those of you who have read the book of Romans know that holiness is something none of us can possibly attain through our own efforts (see 3:9-12, 8:7-8). Why then are we instructed to strive for it? Because God Himself is holy, and requires nothing less of us than to be holy also (Leviticus 11:45). And though none of us can become holy by ourselves, the Holy Ghost can and will enable us to do that which would otherwise be impossible (Philippians 4:13).

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:"

                            -Hebrews 12:14

"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."

                            -Matthew 5:8

As today's text states, uncleanness (i.e. sinfulness) is the opposite of  holiness, and we should therefore stay as far away from it as possible. In fact, according to these verses, a lack of holiness will keep us out of heaven, but the result of a having a pure/holy heart is to see the face of God! What greater reward is there than that?

Sadly, the doctrine of holiness and its importance has been abandoned by many most churches today. But, contrary to what you may have heard, holiness is still important to God and, as a result, should be important to us as well. Let us do as Paul admonished us in Ephesians 4:22, 24 and put off the "old man", and put on the new man of "righteousness and true holiness."

"For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death."

                            -Psalm 48:14 

There are a couple of reasons why I love this verse, but the part that I want us to focus on today is the words, "He will be our guide even unto death." You see, the psalmist realized that there is a difference between the Lord being our God, and Him being our guide. Being a Christian is about much more than going to church, reading the Bible, and praying; it is about allowing Him to guide us in every decision that we make, and making Him the center of everything that we do (scroll down and read yesterday's post). No, I'm not just talking about seeking the Lord's guidance before we buy a house, but also when we buy a movie. Not just when we relocate to a new city, but even before we decide to go on vacation.

"For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish."

                            -Psalm 1:6

Part of being righteous is doing as we have already studied and putting God's will first in all things. When we do this, we can be confident that we will not stumble. After all, would Christ lead us into a ditch? If you think about it, I'm sure you'll admit that the times you have stumbled was when you forgot to put God first and began acting without making sure you were first in His will (at least that's how it usually works for me).

As I have learned by personal experience, being in the center of God's will is always the safest place to be. It doesn't matter if the whole world is against you, when you are in His will, you will have His blessing and will ultimately have the victory over whatever you are going through.

"And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."

                            -I John 2:17

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

                            -Romans 12:1 

Just like the rest of Scripture's commands, we are here instructed to do nothing more than imitate Christ. Nearly everything the Bible tells us to do has already been done by Christ Himself. We are told to be holy because He is holy (Leviticus 11:45), to love Him because He loves us (I John 4:19) and, as this verse says, to present our bodies as living sacrifices because Jesus became one for us during His life on this earth (Hebrews 9:12).

But what exactly does it mean to be a living sacrifice? Does it mean going to church regularly? No, that is a weekly sacrifice. What about spending daily quiet time with God? No, that is a daily sacrifice. While these things are all very important, as Christians, we are called to be more than a weekly, or even a daily, sacrifice. Instead, we are to be  living sacrifices. This means our every word and deed should be aimed at bringing God glory. It means learning to say with the apostle Paul, "The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God." (Galatians 2:20)


We must learn to follow Paul's example and live our life entirely unto God. No, not our moments of convenience, but our entire existence. Then we will truly understand what it means to be a living sacrifice.

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

                            -I Corinthians 10:31