Beware of the Wolves

 

 

Iliamari Mendoza-Gómez – cbn.com

There is no doubt that current times are difficult. Hatred, envy, greed—conflict is all around us. I remember when life growing up was simpler, less hectic. Kids played on the street while the neighbors enjoyed a friendly chat, and strangers would greet each other as they passed by. You could see people smiling, helping each other. There was respect, values.

The Bible talks about the evil increasing in the last days, and this is what we are experiencing today, not only in the world but also in the church.

But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit (Jude 1:17-19 NIV).

Be careful, for example, of churches that only seem to preach about prosperity and good times. Be careful that they don’t call what’s bad as being good and what’s good as being bad. And make sure they don’t twist the Word of God to confuse and lie to their congregations.

Please don’t misunderstand me. God does want us to prosper and have an abundant life, but He wants us to be wise and lean on Him and not on our own understanding.

Be on guard against those who would pull you away from what God wants.

These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage (Jude 1:16).

In Matthew 10:16, Jesus said: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”

You might ask, “How do I accomplish this?” The beauty of God is that He answers—and in 1 Peter 5:8, He tells us that we need to be alert and of sober mind.

Make sure you are serious about your relationship with God. Be disciplined by reading the Word of God, and always seek Him. Be careful of your salvation and vigilant of the wolves that want to see you fall from grace. The enemy has a plan and it is to destroy us. And he uses many things—such as people, money, work, sickness—to take our focus away from Jesus. As part of the body of Christ, we must help each other.

But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life (Jude 1:20-21).

The good news is that we don’t have to do this alone. Jesus is with you and me, walking beside us every day to guide every one of our steps! Jesus defeated the devil when He died on the cross. He has great plans for our lives. He gave us purpose and authority—and His love for us is eternal. He loves you just the way you are.

Today, I encourage you to keep your focus on Jesus and be intentional in your relationship with Him. Read your Bible to gain the knowledge you need to continue your walk with the Lord. Pray, worship, spend time in His glorious presence, and if you don’t know Jesus, my friend, I invite you to give your heart to Him. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. May God bless you abundantly!

Imitate Good

 

Janice Moore – CBN.com

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but [imitate] what is good. The one who ractices good [exhibiting godly character, moral courage, and personal integrity] is of God; the one who practices [or permits or tolerates] evil has not seen God [he has no personal experience with Him and does not know Him at all] (3 John 1:11 AMP).

Before babies develop their own personalities, they mimic everything they see—good or bad—everything. The Word tells us to teach our children the way they should go:

Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and will for his abilities and talents], even when he is old he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6).

Teaching and modeling what’s good will make a difference in the lives of young people as they grow and mature. That is why it is essential for us to be doers of the Word rather than hearers only.

Have you seen the movie, Imitation of Life? (It was made in the 30s and then remade in the late 50s.) It was epic, innovative, and quite radical for its time. It involved a very fair-skinned black girl passing as white to obtain better opportunities that would lead to a better life. The idea of wanting a better life is not inherently evil, but the idea of faking your identity to be someone else is not good. Doing so would make you a perpetrator, a fake, a counterfeit, and encourages lies and a whole lot of deceptive behavior. Her life was not an imitation of good, much to the detriment of herself and the people in her life.

Sadly, many movies and television shows depict how not to live. Now, let’s also briefly consider video games. Video games are so popular, and the animation is so real that they vividly imitate life’s experiences. But are they imitating good? Once again, the answer is often no.

How about church leaders? Can you look to them for inspiration? When they actively choose to follow Christ and obey Him, then yes.

Remember your leaders [for it was they] who brought you the word of God; and consider the result of their conduct [the outcome of their godly lives] and imitate their faith [their conviction that God exists and is the Creator and Ruler of all things, the Provider of eternal salvation through Christ, and imitate their reliance on God with absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness] (Hebrews 13:7).

Interestingly, the Bible includes stories of evil that no one should imitate, such as those of Cain, Delilah, and Saul. However, there are many more stories from Scripture that portray good behavior—including the stories of Joseph, Daniel, Esther, and especially, of course, the story our beloved Savior, Jesus.

In the 11th chapter of Hebrews, you’ll find a discussion about the heroes of the Bible, describing how their faith catapulted them into the “faith hall of fame” and demonstrating behavior that should be imitated.

But you can also find beautiful stories told every day in this world that should inspire us all—stories of people volunteering to help disaster victims, medical professionals working countless hours to help, missionaries working in remote places to share the Gospel, and regular people going beyond the call of duty.

Since we are to imitate good, an effective way to do that is to “pay it forward.” The concept of paying it forward is a good example of imitating good. It involves someone doing a good deed—and the person receiving that good deed is required to do the same—to “pay it forward” to someone else. There is even a Pay It Forward day!

Immanuel, He Is God With Us!

 

Marissa Nordlum – Email Analyst

Have you ever prayed for the presence of Christ to be so tangible in your life that you can feel and see it? I think all of us who call ourselves Christ followers have prayed a prayer like this at one point or another.

While the Holiday season can be a season of hope and renewal, it is often a season of restlessness and fear about the future. It’s easy to lose our perspective on the hope of Christ when we are focused on our momentary lack. If you have felt that way, be encouraged, you are not alone! I will be the first to say that I have been there before, doubting and wondering if God was going to show up.

This past Christmas season, finances had been very tight. Things didn’t seem to add up and my husband and I worried about providing gifts for our young toddlers plus paying all the bills that were due. We felt overwhelmed with stress and doubt.

During this season of uncertainty, my husband began to pray and truly ask the Lord for a miracle. I didn’t realize how desperate our need was, as he didn’t share it all with me. He just began to pray.

A few days later, while the kids were eating dinner, he was opening mail that we had picked up from the mailbox. As crazy as it sounds, there in front of us was a check from our mortgage company saying we had paid too much over the year and they were refunding us a check. This check was around the exact amount of our monthly mortgage payments plus a little extra. We were in shock. But we knew it was God with us.

God was reminding us of His provision in every season. My husband and I praised and thanked God right there in our kitchen for His provision over our little family. We were left truly in awe at how God responded.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14 NIV).

When I read this verse during the Holiday season, I am often reminded that when Jesus came, He truly was Immanuel, God with us. He lived, breathed, walked, and was with us as God the Father had sent Him. He can sympathize with our pain and our weakness (Hebrews 4:15), and He knows our every need even before we ask (Matthew 6:8).

Matthew 1:23 says,

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means “God with us”).

During the Christmas season, His Word contains some beautiful reminders to us:

Philippians 4:19 says, “…my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus,” and Matthew 6:28-30 says that if He clothes the flowers of the field, how much more will He take care of our needs.

If today you find yourself overwhelmed during the Christmas season like I did, call out to God. He is faithful to provide in every season. When things seem hopeless, He is present. Whether you need His financial provision or His comfort and peace for your mind, He is Immanuel, God with us. He became flesh and dwelt among us for this very reason.

I pray this Christmas season you would see the goodness of God poured over your life. That even in the doubt, you would be reminded of His grace, provision, and overwhelming love for you. May you be blessed as you put your hope in Him.

Merry Christmas!

Standing Firm

 

 

Brenda Williams – cbn.com

Don’t you just love the fact that our God proves Himself faithful and trustworthy over and over? Because He knows the end from the beginning, we can always trust Him—confident that He is working behind the scenes on our behalf. In every situation, He has our best interests at heart and will turn everything around for our good and for His glory if we choose to trust Him.

I experienced God’s faithfulness several years ago when I worked as a secretary in sales. On my second day there, I discovered it was going to be a challenge after my boss told me to lie whenever a sticky problem came up. I was so disappointed in being asked to compromise the truth and thought to myself, Well, that won’t work! During a few years of pressure, God enabled me to find other avenues to solve problems instead of stooping to lies. I lost that job because I kept taking a stand for righteousness, and my boss lost his biggest client due to lying. Later, the Lord led me to the best job I’d ever had by working at CBN, a ministry of amazing integrity and sincerity.

Many of you have already encountered something similar or you might in the future. As lawlessness increases in our culture, we are called upon by God to make a choice—and take a stand for the Lord when someone asks us to compromise. In His faithfulness, the Lord will help us stand. He will deliver us, and He will reward us. We know that it is ultimately Christ we serve, not man.

In Daniel 3, three Hebrew friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego faced this issue when working with King Nebuchadnezzar. They were upright men, fully devoted to the Lord God, who held respected positions in the King’s affairs. So, when Nebuchadnezzar demanded that all the people in his kingdom bow down and worship him, they had a choice to make. They knew the consequences of choosing God’s ways could be severe, and they were. As we read the story, into the fire they went—but they didn’t go in there alone. The fourth man, Christ Himself!—was with them, and He is with us. When Nebuchadnezzar saw this, he had the men released immediately.

Because Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego took a stand for God, the king and the nation noticed and turned to worship God. When we stand for righteousness, people will take notice and it will make an impact. Although some may not like it, others may turn to the Lord. The way we live, including the choices we make, is a testimony to the life of Christ in us—and it shows people what righteousness looks like.

David once asked if there was a cause (1 Samuel 17:29). Our cause is Christ. Joshua 24:15 NKJV reads,

“… choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.”

First Corinthians 16:13 tells us to stand firm in the faith. Because of our faith, it is not in us to live like those in the world. We are people of God’s kingdom and live by a higher standard. Our faith compels us, and God enables us, to choose righteousness and stand firm against compromise and overcome it.

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith (1 John 5:4).

Oh Lord, we choose to live for You. When we are faced with choosing to be like the world or You, help us choose You. We know that by Your power and grace, we will stand for righteousness, a stand for truth. Amen

Seeking the Abundant Life

 

 

Chanel Abrams – cbn.com

My heart was racing. I couldn’t catch my breath. My chest felt like an elephant was sitting on it. My arms were tingling and then numb. I couldn’t string two thoughts together nor could I stop them from racing from one topic to another. What was happening? I was having a panic attack—one of many that I would experience.

For years I suffered from anxiety and depression. I hid these attacks from my family and friends until one day I couldn’t hide anymore. I was riding in a car with my best friend when a panic attack struck me. She urged me to get help.

Soon after that, I entered intense therapy to deal with the mountain of issues I had stuffed over the years. It was gut-wrenching. Sometimes I came home from sessions and ended up balled up in the floor wailing from the subjects we covered. I did experience breakthroughs during therapy, but inside I knew there had to be more freedom.

Later, I found myself in the process to become a licensed minister. I came to know that going to church alone wasn’t going to deliver me. I needed a good church, Bible study, the Holy Spirit, and a therapist. I remember saying to the Lord, “This can’t be the life and life more abundantly that Your Word speaks of” (see John 10:10). I went on to say, “Lord, please show me how to handle these attacks.” I wanted to be free and knew that it was my birthright to be just that.

As the panic attacks continued, I recall the Holy Spirit giving me instructions on how to make it through them. He gave me Scriptures like:

“Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7 NKJV), and “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

The one that gave me my wings to take flight was:

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, …” (1 John 4:18).

The Holy Spirit gave me breathing instructions to complete and techniques to stop my mind from spinning out of control. I found out later that these exercises are called grounding techniques. These strategies eventually showed me how to identify attacks before they started and ultimately how to defeat them.

Finally, I was free! “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36) are no longer only words in the Bible, but how I live my life. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).

I am a living testimony of what being freed from the prison of anxiety and depression looks like. If He did it for me, He can do it for you.

Pray this with me: Lord help me to cast my cares on You, knowing that Your love drives out all fear. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

A Mom for Christmas

 

 

Carolyn B. Frasier – cbn.com

“Can I call you Mom?”

I never experienced the joy of having my own children. But one Christmas, I stared deep into the eyes of a young teenager I met at an orphanage in Russia as she asked this question. Her eyes pleaded with me to say, “Yes.”

I had spent much of my adult life single with no children. I devoted my time to working in ministry and traveling overseas on mission trips, believing that motherhood would be something I would never experience. But God had other plans.

The girl’s question weighed heavily on my heart. An orphan, she had no family—at least, no family who still claimed her. She could have clung to the hope that they would one day change their minds, but she eagerly reached out for something more, something better.

I paused. I, too, was imperfect. I wasn’t able to officially adopt her, but could I love her the way she needed to be loved? Or would I fail her like everyone else? I wasn’t sure I was up to the task, but I knew the One who was.

We are all born into a world that is broken. We yearn for something more, something better. But when we approach God, He does not hesitate. He is ready to adopt us and become our Father, a perfect Father.

First John 3 reminds us that we now belong a new family—God’s family.

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! (1 John 3:1, NLT, italics added)

We did not begin as God’s children, but when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we were not just forgiven. We joined His family!

As His children, God desires that we draw close to Him.

You have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:15 NLT)

We don’t have to be afraid of Him. We can call Him our “Daddy!”

Because we are part of God’s family, we have the opportunity to start over again. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 reminds us, anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! God invites us to become more like Him. Throughout the remainder of 1 John 3, we read what that means: leaving the world of sin behind and doing what is right. But over and over again, He gently reminds us that we are His “children.”

That day in Russia, I said “Yes” to that young orphan girl. She jumped into my arms and said, “I love you, Mom.” I would only be at that orphanage for a few more days and had no idea what would come next. But that Christmas, we started a relationship. Today, we are still in touch, even across the globe.

I am thankful that we serve a God who says, “Yes” to us! May we leap into His arms with the same joy and excitement when He invites us to join His family as His children.

Disciples or Admirers of Jesus?

 

 

Jonathan Villarreal – cbn.com

For many years I admired C.S. Lewis, an author who changed my way of thinking in many areas. His conversion to Christianity was impressive; his analysis of pain and faith led me to deeply admire him. Even with everything I say about him, I assure you that I have not yet been able to imitate him. I do not necessarily want to be like him, and I am not interested in becoming a C.S. Lewis version 2.0. Why? Because I am only his admirer, not his disciple.

The word disciple comes from the Greek mathētḗs and means “apprentice: someone who imitates, replicates, and behaves like his teacher.” For years, I´ve heard many say that they are disciples of Jesus but live in a different way from what He taught us. I must confess that I was one of them—until I saw one of the WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) bracelets. I then asked myself if I was really being like Jesus. That changed everything and took me from questioning to action.

The Bible is clear on this topic:

“But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did” (1 John 2:5-6 NLT).

A disciple fully imitates his teacher, follows him with his actions, and makes him a model in everything. Are we being like Jesus? Or are we just admiring Him? A true disciple of His knows that he must be an active agent of change in people’s lives and use everything to achieve the goal of winning souls for heaven.

As director of the Spanish version of Christian World News, sometimes I like to leave the tasks of directing the news and go out to do reports on the street. A few weeks ago, I was on the border between Costa Rica and Panama, where there are thousands of Venezuelans and Haitians in a struggle to find a better future. Many cross the Darién, a very dangerous jungle from which very few come out alive.

Both those who migrate and the people who live in this area have given up. They simply cannot figure out how to help so many people at the same time. However, there was one person there who decided to make a difference: Mrs. Luci. I met her by accident, but she showed me Jesus with her actions.

Mrs. Luci chose one family from the many that migrated. She saw them on the street in deplorable conditions. The girls were dehydrated and had diarrhea, the parents had a serious infection, and they had no money to be treated. With the little resources Mrs. Luci and her family had, they took action. They took the struggling family in, gave them medicine, food, and clothing. Weeks later, they helped them so they could continue on their way. Mrs. Luci’s actions, giving everything she had, changed the history of one family.

You know what caught my attention? Seeing many people in this region resign themselves to reality, accept living with the suffering of others, and not doing something to change it. Mrs. Luci decided to do the opposite.

When I saw Mrs. Luci give her best, it reminded me of the people of Israel when they gave their best and offered it to the Lord.

“Each morning you must sacrifice a one-year-old lamb with no defects as a burnt offering to the LORD” Ezekiel 46:13 NLT

This word is clear: offer to Him your very best. None of the disciples of Jesus gave what was left over, but they gave their best instead. They gave their lives to follow the Teacher—and so did Mrs. Luci, only she did it in the 21st century, where recognizing a disciple is sometimes not so easy.

Today we can make a difference in someone’s life. Often, what seems little to us is a lot to others. And if we join forces, we can make a big change in the world. What do you have to give that can be a blessing to other people? You and I are the modern-day disciples of Jesus. So, now it’s our turn to act!

Walking in the Light of God

 

 

Jennifer Scribner – cbn.com

If we claim that we experience a shared life with him and continue to stumble around in the dark, we’re obviously lying through our teeth—we’re not living what we claim. But if we walk in the light, God himself being the light, we also experience a shared life with one another, as the sacrificed blood of Jesus, God’s Son, purges all our sin (1 John 1:6-7 MSG).

I am filled with a spirit of conviction and truth whenever I read this passage from 1 John. God is always present in my life, no matter where I am or what I am doing. Although I may be able to tell lies to myself and even to other people, God is always aware of the truth.

Night blindness is something I have struggled with for close to five years now—which means that I am no longer able to drive at night, which is a very frustrating restriction. It was a scary situation when this problem first started. It was like attempting to operate a vehicle with only a peephole in the windshield. I had a vital choice to make then: either I kept driving in the dark, crossing my fingers that I wouldn’t get into an accident, or I did what was responsible and not drive after it got dark.

Even though each of the verses above refers to a slightly different concept, it is still possible to recognize the parallels between them. Anyone can have a relationship with God—but walking in His light (truth and obedience) requires us to come out of the darkness (sin and worldly ways).

When I was younger, I often heard people use the “putting on your church pants” phrase. Even though it might be a silly expression, the meaning behind it is correct. On Sunday mornings, we get dressed in our Sunday best and head to church. We also change our attitude and demeanor to reflect our best Christian selves. Monday through Saturday, our lives are busy and can be difficult, which can lead us to do things that take our attention away from God and cause us to sin. That is why we need our Father God and His guidance to help us navigate life better. He is aware that none of us is perfect.

I am comforted to know that God is my Light in this dark world, and I am grateful for His acceptance of me in spite of my flaws—and His encouragement that helps me to keep trying. I am grateful for His love that washes away my sin and enables me to consistently choose to be my true best self—every day, not just on Sunday.

See You Tomorrow

 

Beth Patch –  cbn.com

I kissed Otto’s cold forehead and whispered, “I’ll see you tomorrow,” as my eyes brimmed with tears and I backed away. I knew I’d never set eyes on my beloved father-in-law again on earth, but those words spilled out from my soul nevertheless. My adult children by my side, we casually steadied each other as the three of us walked away from his coffin and took our seats with the rest of the family.

Later that evening, my son asked, “Mom, why did you say you’d see him tomorrow?”

“I think that’s how it will seem to him in heaven,” I said. “Like he won’t even feel he’s been there very long when I see him again–like maybe a day. Time’s different there.”

But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day (2 Peter 3:8 NLT).

Time’s a mysterious companion. Now that I’m eligible for senior discounts, I look back over the years and wonder, how did I get this old so fast? But I also remember being a young teen who felt it was taking forever to get old enough to get a driver’s license. We celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, counting the years as they pass by. And when people we cherish die, time becomes a rude reminder of how much we miss them. Mourning makes for long, slow days.

However, our deceased loved ones who loved the Lord God are celebrating being in the presence of Jesus Christ, Emmanuel—God with Us (literally), where time has no place. Imagine that! Because existence is in a different form and on a different continuum, there’s no concept of time.

I don’t pretend to know exactly how this will feel or how our afterlives will play out on heaven’s lack of a timetable. But I do know we are promised a glorious eternity. We will be in the light of God’s glory and Jesus has prepared a place for us.

Picture yourself in heaven. There’s no night, no darkness. You are distinguishable as you, but you have a different body, not capable of death or disease. People you knew on earth know you in heaven. Your surroundings are out of this world – streets paved with gold and gates made of huge pearls. You might not know when you got there or when anyone else got there. You’re just glad to be there. An angel brings messages every now and then telling you what you need to do. Then, perhaps in the midst of your typical activities, I imagine you might get the message to go to the front gate to greet another person you love whose eternity in heaven is just beginning. What incredible joy! A much different picture than what’s happening on earth.

Possibly, I’ve used too much imagination in connecting the dots about life in heaven. Surely, the most wonderful joy of the afterlife will be living in the presence of God, serving Him, worshipping Him, and living in a new world without sin and death. But the older I get, the more people I’m looking forward to seeing when I get there. Their reservations were ahead of mine.

When it’s time for me to go, I want all of my family and friends to be so sure of their final destination that they can kiss my earthly body’s forehead and whisper, “I’ll see you tomorrow.” In fact, I hope I don’t have to leave before getting that assurance in my soul.