Where does my help come from???

1 Corinthians 16:13 (NLT) Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.

In the final chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul encourages the believers to stand firm in their faith. As Christians we should follow these instructions Paul gave to the church at Corinth. Paul understood something. He knew of the persecution the believers would face first hand because he had experienced it himself. Being a follower of Jesus Christ was not easy in Paul's day. Sometimes to follow Christ meant facing death. The same is true in today’s society. There are Christians persecuted because of their faith every day. Some of them, not so much those in the United States, even die because they profess the name of Jesus.

Paul encourages us to be on guard and be strong. In the book of Ephesians, Paul tells us to put on the full armor of God (Eph. 6:10 – 18) so that we can stand against the tricks of Satan. Satan is a deceiver. For every truth in the Bible, Satan has a mirror opposite. Just take a look at the first couple. God had created them and placed them in the most lavish garden on earth. He told them they were free to eat from any tree there except for the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2: 16 – 17). Satan comes on the scene and makes Adam and Eve doubt what God had told them “Did God say not to eat from any tree in the garden?” (Gen 3:1) Eve came back with what God had said and Satan turned it all around by making God out to be strict and stingy not wanting them to share in His knowledge of good and evil. We all know what happened after that right? Eve believed the lie and Satan has been wreaking havoc on God’s children ever since.

That’s why Paul encourages us to stand firm. He understood that our struggle is not against flesh and blood. It is against Satan (the master deceiver) and his band of fallen angels (demons). There is a battle being fought for your soul. The closer you get to Christ and living life His way, the more Satan will try to trip you up. It is our job to be aware of his tricks and fight with God’s strength by “hiding His Word” in our hearts (Psalm 119:11). We don’t have to fight this battle alone. “In this world you will have troubles,” Jesus told his disciples, “put take heart, I have overcome the world!” 

Isn’t that encouraging?

I know that if I look at my battles from a Godly perspective, I can withstand anything because:

·         When Satan stirs up thoughts of my past I know I am a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17)

·         I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength (Phil 4:13)

·         If I come near to Christ, He will come near to me (James 4:8)

Today, may I encourage you to read Psalm 121 and find confidence in Christ by claiming these words as your own.

I lift up my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let my foot slip, He who watches over me will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over me will neither slumber nor sleep.  The LORD watches over me, the LORD is my shade at my right hand; the sun will not harm me by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep me from all harm He will watch over my life; the LORD will watch over my coming and going both now and forevermore.

I am determined to stand firm...are you?

Daniel 3:16 - 18 (MSG)  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “Your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if he doesn’t, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn’t serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”

Isn't it amazing how God reveals things to us? He started to make His point last night through an article I read on Foxnews.com and then finished it this morning in my quiet time while I read through the story of Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego (Daniel 3).

His point?  

Stand firm in your faith and do not EVER compromise what you believe

Good point.

Last night, my husband and I were at the table eating our dinner and discussing the current circumstances with Syria. As we talked I went to the Fox News website for an update on the situation but before I got there I noticed another headline,

Christian bakery closes after LGBT threats, protests

Of course I had to click on the link. 

The article interested me because my small group has spend some time in recent weeks talking about Christians facing increased persecution here in the United States. In this article it appears that a family-owned bakery operated by a Christian couple with 5 children decided to close it's doors after threats from LGBT activists. The article said the bakery is currently under investigation for refusing to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple.  

According to the article, a Lesbian couple filed discrimination charges and then went to the media to "get the word" out. Since the business's refusal to bake the cake, the family has faced months of harassment from pro-gay marriage forces. The couple told the media they have nothing against homosexuals but because of their faith, they just couldn't take part in gay wedding events. 

Within days of the story being released to the media, the family received death threats - even the death of their children. The commissioner of Oregon's Bureau of Labor and Industries gave the following statement:

“Everybody is entitled to their own beliefs, but that doesn’t mean that folks have the right to discriminate,” he told the newspaper. “The goal is to rehabilitate. For those who do violate the law, we want them to learn from that experience and have a good, successful business in Oregon.”

I guess businesses in Oregon are being forced to follow the law..man-made law... and not God's law. As followers of Christ, we are suppose to live our lives according to the standard of God's word. 

As I read through Daniel chapter 3 this morning...  I saw similarities between these 2 stories.  Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego had a choice to make, they could bow down and worship the Babylonian king, or they could honor the commandment "Thou shall have NO OTHER gods before me." They chose to trust God and didn't compromise what they believed. 

In the same way, this Christian family held firm to their faith in God and their belief in God's word. This family remained faithful to God no matter what. 

When you take a stand for God, you will stand out. Rest assured, God will honor your faith. 

Are you prepared to stand with Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego and say "if He delivers me, or if He doesn't, I will serve God only."