Following Christ English

“Do not be drunk with wine…but be filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18    The Christian life isn’t only a changed life but an exchanged life. At the moment of conversion, we give our old life to God and He gives us a new life in its place. But He does more; He comes to live within us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul made the contrast between being drunk with wine and being filled with the Spirit. One causes you to be out of control, while the other enables you to be in control. One is counterproductive, while the other is productive. One makes you powerless, while the other empowers you. One brings you sorrow, while the other brings you joy. This Scripture is not a promise or even an option, it’s a command: “Be filled with the Spirit.” And Paul gives us three evidences of a Spirit-filled life: (1) “Singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (v. 19 NKJV). This song isn’t induced by circumstances but despite them. “At midnight Paul and Silas were praying and

“Those who trust in the Lord…cannot be shaken.” Psalms 125:1   People are naturally attracted to leaders who convey poise and self-assurance; they won’t follow one who lacks self-confidence. An excellent illustration of this is an incident that took place in Russia during an attempted coup. Army tanks encircled the government building that held President Boris Yeltsin and his prodemocracy supporters. As the army moved into position, Yeltsin strode from the building, climbed up on a tank, stared the commander in the eye, and thanked him for turning to the side of democracy. Later the commander admitted that although he hadn’t intended to go over to Yeltsin’s side, the Russian leader appeared so confident, the soldiers decided to join him. Great achievers exhibit confidence regardless of circumstances. But true confidence doesn’t come from having the approval of people around you. The Bible says,  “The Lord will be your confidence” (Proverbs 3:26) ; it’s about knowing He has

“Hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.” Eph 6:16  Pay attention to what Satan is shooting at you: “fiery arrows!” He knows that if he can light the fires of worry and anxiety within you, he can immobilize and defeat you. And notice what God has given you to protect yourself: “the shield of faith.” But you have a part to play: “Hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.” A shield won’t help a soldier while it’s on the ground, or even at his side. He must lift it up to cover himself from attack. The same goes for you. When the Devil attacks you with unpleasant circumstances and thoughts that cause you to worry and be afraid, you must immediately lift up the shield of faith. Faith in what? Yourself? No, faith in the faithfulness of God! At times your faith in God may falter, but His love and care for you will never falter. “Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy” (1Th 5:24 AMPC). How do you li

Q: Will We Eat and Drink in Heaven? Jesus assured His disciples that some day they would “eat and drink at my table in my kingdom” (Luke 22:30). Some have speculated that glorified bodies will not require food for sustenance, but the Lord promised, “I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7). And John gives us a glimpse of this revelation: “On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month” (Revelation 22:2). This would indicate a bountiful supply from Creator God. Remember too that when Jesus appeared to His followers in His glorified body, He asked them if there were anything to eat. Luke reports that “they gave him a piece of broiled fish … and [He] ate it in their presence” (Luke 24:42–43). It wasn’t that Jesus was hungry, for He was no longer subject to human needs. I believe He ate with them for two reasons: to prove His bodily resurrection and for

Will We Recognize and Be Reunited With Our Loved Ones in Heaven? I am often asked this question—and my answer is always a resounding yes. Someday soon, I know I will be reunited with all those in my family who are already in Heaven—including my wife, Ruth. And when it happens for each believer, we will fellowship around our Father’s throne, finally meeting Him face-to-face. And the family of God—our brothers and sisters in Christ—will be there. This is why it’s so important for us to tell our loved ones about Christ. Nothing is more wonderful than for our families to share in this great hope of being part of the heavenly family. Jesus in His resurrected body was known to His followers. When Christ was transfigured and His heavenly glory overwhelmed His earthly appearance, Moses and Elijah appeared with Him before Peter, James, and John (Matthew 17:1–3, NIV). Though the disciples had never seen the great prophets, they recognized them, just as they recognized the Lord in His

Q: I’m in a religion class and studying the great sermons ever preached. To my surprise, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount isn’t included. When I questioned the professor, the answer was that it wasn’t Jesus’ finest sermon because of His teaching on meekness, which does not fit into the success-driven society in which we’ll be ministering. I began preaching my own sermon to the professor about meekness (not weakness) being an attribute of God. Isn’t this true? A: From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham While many people think of meekness as weakness, this is certainly not the Biblical view. A wild horse that has been broken is no less strong, but the horse is now useful to man. Jesus was meek—not weak. Jesus was, and is, God—compassionate and strong. When Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, what did He mean when He said that the meek will inherit the earth? He was speaking of an attitude, a form of humility that is sorely lacking in our culture. No person is meek by nature.

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. —Matthew 21:22 Prayer is a two-way conversation; it is our talking to God, and His talking to us. As a Christian, you have a heavenly Father who hears and answers prayer. Jesus said, “All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” Every man or woman whose life has counted for the church and the Kingdom of God has been a person of prayer. You cannot afford to be too busy to pray. A prayerless Christian is a powerless Christian. Jesus Christ spent many hours in prayer. Sometimes He spent the night on a mountaintop in solitary communion with God the Father. If He felt that He had to pray, how much more do we need to pray!