Someone at your workplace finds out your're a Christian and begins to persecute you. It hurts. It may even anger you but you've chosen to "turn the other cheek." It only gets worse. The persecutor attacks Jesus' name with ridicule and lies, and, he's now gotten others to join him. What do you do now? Do you get angry with God because He won't defend Himself? Do you feel so all alone and scared that you retreat? You're no different than the original disciples. That didn't change His love for them; and, it doesn't change His love for you. It didn't alter His purpose and calling for them; and, it won't for you. It did make them realize that without the power of God given to them, they, in and of themselves, could do nothing. So must you , dear Christian. They were told to wait for "another Comforter." They gathered, they prayed, they waited--and, they received the power to be witnesses of Jesus Christ. Think about it.

Perseverance is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Once a person has received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, God the Father plants the seed of His Holy Spirit in him/her, the same Spirit which was in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit then cultivates and produces the fruit of perseverance (long-suffering, patience)in the heart and soul of the compliant child of God. God "approves" the one who believes in and loves Him; who by trusting in the Lord, follows the Lord's ways in persevering "under trial." And, God rewards the one who has sought Him when he has "encountered many trials." He/She receives the "crown of life." With that crown of life, comes honor, privilege, recognition and blessings. Think about it.

Can one ever comprehend the depth of God's love, through Jesus Christ, if at first he/she doesn't comprehend the extent of his/her depravity? It has been my observation, through the years, that some of those who have been "raised" in a modern Christian environment and have become sure of their righteousness through their religious activities, find it hard to get passionate about God's love for them. Is it because, as the old saying goes, "Familiarity breeds contempt?" Or, is it because they have grown accustomed to "duty" at the expense of a vital relationship with the Living God? I have also observed that those, who have come to understand their desperate conditon without God, their extreme poverty of spirit and life, take hold of Jesus Christ with a deep, abiding fervor. If you consider yourself rich, what need have you for the favor of God? If you consider yourself healthy, what need have you of the Healer, Jesus Christ? If you consider yourself to be "the master of your fate and the captain of your destiny," will you look for a Savior? What is it that keeps you from being a passionate follower of the Lord God Almighty? Think about it.

Jesus' disciples were quibbling about not having enough food for their meal; and, they had just witnessed the feeding of 4,000 people. They were quarreling about who was greatest among them; and, in the next breath, Peter declares Jesus "The Christ, the Messiah." The disciples just didn't get it. They did not understand "how God works." Neither do we, His modern disciples. Some of us, much like the religious leaders of Jesus' day, want more and more "miraculous guarantees" that He is the Son of God, the Christ, so we can stick with "the faith." Some of us, want to skip the suffering and get right to the glory part of Christian living, so try to "lead" God instead of "following" Him. Many of Jesus' modern disciples desire and vie for "greatness" among their peers, ignoring Jesus' command to love and to serve each other. Is Jesus correct? We really don't get it. We don't really understand what faith requires of us? He is the greatest; He is capable of caring for His loved ones; and, He does have requirements for those "who intend to come with " Him. Think about it.

Jesus Christ is the Life, and He brings people together in His life. As we commit ourselves to "the life together," dramatic change begins to occur. The Spirit of the Living God comes to "dwell in us." Sin no longer dominates us. We are filled with love for God and our neighbor. We no longer steal or lie or murder or hate without conscience. We begin to bless and not curse, do good and not evil. Our daily activities are now accentuated with the study of God's Word, prayers, worship and thanksgiving. Our lives begin to fill the fruit of the Spirit and empty of the deeds of the flesh. We find others who are like-minded with us in this "new life." We enjoy and encourage each other as we are truly knit together in the common bond of love and faith. We "weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice." We serve one another with the gifts that come with the Life. We, together, look forward to the day when "our faith shall become sight"--the beginning of eternity together. Think about it.

We are generations down history's road from the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We have copies of the Holy Scriptures, old and new testaments, all over the world, in various languages and formats. Churches dot the landscape, around the globe, and are both underground and magnificent edifices. We, Americans, claim our nation is established by and with Christian principles. Many other nations think American is synonomous with "Christian." But Christianity knows no political identity or limitation. Nor is the Christian faith just another religion that vies for supremacy though "holy" wars. True Christianity is found in the depth of love--love for God, first, and love for our fellow man, second. It is about the return of faithful relationship to God who created us, mankind, and gave Himself to us and for us. It is about receiving the gift of restoration and reconciliation and life that was lost to mankind because of sin. We, modern believers, are not Christian by familial default or locality or citizenship. Each of us, just as in the days of Christ and the early church, become Christians by believing in God and His Son, Jesus Christ, and obeying His commandments: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and strength; and, you shall love your neighbor as you love yourself." (See Matthew 22:37-40) This is the summation of all Moses and the prophets have said and written down.

Faith is the ultimate action of love. Believing in the one we say we love is the proof that this love is genuine and complete. Remaining in company and concert with our Beloved, the Lord who loved us first, will be our greatest challenge and our greatest joy. Think about it.

Because God is great, you, child of God, can do great things; "For greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4). We often think that because we may not have great genius or great wealth or great opportunities, we are assigned to the mundane, the back step, the lowest rung on the ladder of success. What a lie! That's "world-speak." "World-speak" says that success in life is measured by the wealth of money and things, high position in society, popularity and/or the number of conquests. That's totally upside-down and backwards from how God defines greatness. God says that he who would be great in His kingdom must be "the servant of all" (Mark 10:43-44). He says that loving Him whole-heartedly and loving others at least as much as you love yourself is the sign of true success. Because God's Spirit resides in the believer, we are enabled to do the "greater things" Christ said we, His disciples, would do. Those greater things are using integrity in our dealings with others, being at peace with all men, loving and blessing our enemies, even, laying down our lives for them, etc. What are you going to believe, world-speak or God-talk? Think about it.

Have you ever seen just how far you could go, in disobeying your parents or authorities, before getting disciplined? Most children try it at least once. The sad thing is that many adults either haven't been taught about boundaries or have decided they can ignore them without consequence. God created mankind. He looks upon them with love and cares about them, each one. He has set boundaries to benefit us by "natural" and "spiritual" laws. People have tested God to see if He really means what He said, some consciously and volitionally, some ignorantly, but all. None of us really comprehend how patient and gracious God is. Some of us take that patience to mean He won't hold us accountable for our decisions. If you test God, He will always pass; and, consequently, you will fail. Need a Savior? Think about it.

God is passionate to save mankind. What does an impassioned person look and act like? The impassioned becomes single-minded, mono-focused. The object of his affection is the focus of what he thinks and why he does what he does. The enthusiasm to benefit the one loved is so great that the impassioned would bankrupt himself. Every thought of the loved one spawns plans to benefit and care for that one. Every act is governed by consideration for the loved one's welfare and future. The impassioned attempts to remove all limitations and every obstacle that would separate him from the object of his affection. He considers his own life a disposable implement to be used up in love's labor. This is the fire of love, the desire of the lover--that the object of his affection would know how greatly treasured and valued he/she is. The impassioned lover spares no expense to clothe, feed, and save his beloved; to raise his loved one up to the highest place of honor possible. However, only Divine Love is impassioned enough to love His enemies, bless those who curse Him and do good to those who hate Him. Only the Divine Lover would forgive every transgression and insult to His love and lay down His life for His beloved. Does this kind of passion frighten or confuse you? What kind of response would you give to such a passion as this? Think about it.

How can a person celebrate Jesus Christ's resurrection with unbounded joy if he/she does not first come to the foot of the cross and sincerely embrace the grief of His crucifixion? Were you there? I was. I am one of those in the crowd who betrayed Him, arrested and beat Him, led Him off to be crucified and demanded it. I am one of the crowd who scoffed at Him because He would not save Himself. I thrust the thorny crown upon His head. I drove the nails through the very hands that reached to love and heal me; and, the feet that carried Him to me so I could hear and be set free, so I could be healed. Yes, I am in the crowd who came to gaze at the spectacle but walked away unmoved and unchanged. I denied Him. I cursed Him. But, when He arose, He came and rescued me from the "field of blood," the pauper's graveyard. He took me in and made me His child, a princess, a treasure. It cost Him dearly to pay for this sinner and to make her a saint. He counted the cost but thought it nothing compared to the weight of glory that comes when one sinner repents and believes.

Don't let the flame of continual thanksgiving die for lack of remembering Him and what He endured for you! Don't let it flicker for lack of fervant faith! Don't let the winds of worldly circumstance blow it out. Or did His passion ever burn in your soul? Did only remorse move you when you gazed upon the Innocent, who took your guilt, your crime, you sin upon Himself and forgave you? Has your fervor to love Him and follow Him been choked out by ease and compromise? Has your vow to be His, to know Him better, become only a hollow echo in your breast? Has the pursuit of His presence been supplanted by the trivial pursuit of your own pleasure? It's not too late! Quick run through the open door, into the presence of the Lamb and the Father! Ask for help and grace to turn your stoney heart to flesh, to revive your passion for Him, to re-ignite the light of faith. Hurry! At least,think about it.

No body, when they first become followers of Christ, is instantly saintly. We all must learn of Him and the way He wants us to live; not so He can lord it over us, though He is our Lord, but, so we may enjoy Him and the many gifts He holds for us. One of those gifts is good, healthy relationships with each other. If we love God as our Father and Jesus as Our Elder Brother, then we must also love the rest of the Holy Family of believers. That's what God wants for us and works in us. But, if we remain contentious and hateful with each other, we put God and Christ in a bad light.

Jesus asked His disciples to become yoked to Him and to learn of Him. Look closely at those with whom He spent most of His time. Are you better than they? Think again! It is the people who think they are better than everyone else, who afflict, oppress, abuse and misuse. Christ came to heal the brokenhearted, give good news to the poor, pardon to the prisoners, give sight to the blind; set the burdened and battered free (Luke 4:18ff). As we "learn of Him," we grow to be like Him and we find rest for our souls in a dark and troubling world. But, just like Jesus held nothing back in order to bless us with salvation and reconciliation, He does expect those of us who say we love Him and will follow Him to become ministers like Him. Are you an attentive student in the school of Christ Jesus or are you truant? Think about it.

Have you ever had someone, who says he/she loves you, suffer inconvenience just to help you? Has any person ever gone to great expense to give you a gift just because he/she loves you? Has there ever been someone who loved you so much he/she gave up his/her life so you could live? There's only been One who loves us that much--Jesus Christ. If you think about being loved that much, all our petty attitudes towards our friends' and neighbors' behaviors and words, glare at us from our consciences. When we really understand we are loved by God that much, we get a real sense of what is important. Knowing we are loved that much--Jesus laying down His life for each and every one of us, personally--should radically change our whole perspective about everything. Think about it.

Truly, marriage is not for the selfish or self-centered because marriage requires a giving of yourself that you will never encounter anywhere else (accept in giving yourself to God). When you marry, you are no longer yours. you belong to another, your thinking and doing must consider another first. Marriage requires a dying to self and a living for another. Only Jesus Christ can require more allegience, more commitment, more love and respect than your spouse. One must give serious thought to marriage before entering it. It is not a cure-all for your emotional needs, but an exposer of them. It is not an answer to your fiscal or physical needs but a challenger and a user of them both. And then you have children and the requirements and responsibilities increase. The drain and strain on yourself magnifies. If you are planning on getting married, you had better plan on dying to self. Think about it.

God is the Lord God Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, the Righteous Judge, the Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Wise Counselor, the Alpha and Omega, etc., etc. He loves the world and sacrificed Himself for mankind’s redemption and reconciliation to Him. However, He gives His friendship, not to all, but to those who “do what I command you.” He chooses His friends and appoints them to “go and bear fruit” in keeping with His purposes. Only His friends can ask “whatever” of His Father, “in His name,” that the Father may “give to them.” And, the command Jesus gives his friends is that we love one another, out of love for Him and respect for the Father, out of the union of friendship we have with God. Think about it.

If we love someone, we will care for them by warning them about things that can hurt them. God loves His servants and has given them “warnings” so they would have abundant life. The “keeping” of God’s words and ways is left up to each of us. God promises reward to those who heed them. For those who don’t . . . Think about it.

God loves to be specific in His direction so that the object of His love will not stumble or falter, but dwell in safety and blessing. What more could fill a heart with joy than to have this kind of care? Think about it.

Over the centuries, man has applied his every energy, genius, wealth, and connivance to comfort him self, to free himself, to better his circumstance. But, at best, he has only delayed his suffering and deprivation temporarily. Man knows within the deepest recesses of heart and mind that there is a key that unlocks the door to true success and satisfaction, peace and prosperity. “But the god of this age has blinded the mind’s eye,” and love for the world has dulled man’s senses. In the end, man discovers that he has labored in vain for that which tends toward corruption and destruction. With every self-effort to gratify and protect him self, man’s heart has become more brittle; his soul more lost. The key was openly offered at the beginning of time and has been continually available throughout all generations. Time and time again, this key has been re-introduced for man’s consideration. For the key is made of eternal substance. The key is the one thing that is not tarnished by time or corrupted by misuse. The key is love, divine love. It lies in the open palm of God, in the light of His countenance, in the temple of His heart. The one who seeks for divine love will find it. He who gives this love will be all the richer for giving. He who befriends divine love will never be lonely. He who comprehends divine love becomes wise. He who labors with divine love is successful. He who lives with divine love has eternal life. He who hungers and thirsts for divine love will find satisfaction in the Bread of Life and the Living Water. For this love that does not fail is found only in the bosom of the Divine One, the outstretched arms of the Savior, Jesus Christ, and the companionship of the Holy Spirit. In becoming rich with divine love, man will always enjoy success. Think about it.