Stand Your Ground In Jesus

I was reading tweets this morning and I came across a few things that really made me stop, shake my head, and ask the Lord to spread revival.  I feel so much sorrow and compassion for our society.  It is truly sad what is happening in this world.  Here in America and all over the world, people are calling evil good and good evil just like the Word says the world will do in the end.  It also says people will not put up with sound doctrine as the end draws near, and we see that in our time too.  People want to twist God’s order and they call out for more and more sin to be accepted as normal.  It seems many who do not believe in Jesus want to shake their fists at God as they march in the streets and demand for immorality and depravity to rule the day.  They are on a rampage as they try to do everything they can to stamp out God’s truth from society.  Believers in Christ, do not let it discourage you!  Jesus is coming back soon!  Stand strong in Jesus and don’t back down!

Don’t fret when you see the wicked succeed.  The Lord knows their end!  Just pray for them, speak the truth in love, and keep moving forward with the Lord!  Listen to this wise encouragement from King David’s writings in Psalms.

“Do not fret because of evil men

or be envious of those who do

wrong;

for like the grass they will soon wither,

like green plants they will soon die

away.”

Psalm 37:1-2

“Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;

do not fret–it leads only to evil.

For evil men will be cut off,

but those who hope in the Lord will

inherit the land.

A little while, and the wicked will be

no more;

though you look for them, they will

not be found.

But the meek will inherit the land

and enjoy great peace.

The wicked plot against the righteous

and gnash their teeth at them;

but the Lord laughs at the wicked,

for he knows their day is coming.”

Psalm 37:8-13

The wicked would do well to consider the words of Isaiah:

“Woe to those who call evil good

and good evil,

who put darkness for light

and light for darkness,

who put bitter for sweet

and sweet for bitter.”

Isaiah 5:20

We should not be surprised when the world hates us.  Jesus told us the world will hate and persecute those who believe in Him:

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.  Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”

Jesus in Matthew 10:16

“All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

Jesus in Matthew 10:22

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own.  As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.  That is why the world hates you.”

Jesus in John 15:18-19

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”

Jesus in John 16:33

The wicked plot against those of us who love Jesus.  They despise that we hold to God’s Word.  They gnash their teeth at us and they want us and the Bible banned from society.  They want us seen as backwards bigots because we speak God’s Truth.  Brothers and Sisters in Christ, do not fret!  It has been this way for followers of Jesus since the very first 12 disciples followed Him!  This is nothing new for God and He laughs at the wicked because He knows their end.  It is our calling to stand firm in Jesus no matter what!  At times it feels as though the world is closing in on us and we are standing all alone against the tide of sin and evil, but take heart!  He will sustain us and we have already overcome the world through Him!

“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”

2 Timothy 3:12-13

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

1 Corinthians 1:18

Think about all the persecution the Apostle Paul went through!  Imprisonment, torturous beatings, and ultimately being killed for preaching the Gospel!  Through it all, Paul stood his ground and stood up for Jesus!  Even when everyone had left him out of fear of the Romans, Paul stood unashamed for Christ!

“At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me.  May it not be held against them.  But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it.  And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth.  The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom.  To him be glory for ever and ever.  Amen.”

2 Timothy 4:16-18

Did you catch that?  Paul was in a Roman court being tried for preaching the Gospel and they were deciding whether or not to feed him to the lions!  Nobody showed up in Paul’s defense.  No other Christians came to his side.  Paul was the last man standing and still he stood up for Jesus!  As the hatred of society against Christians got worse, he remained unashamed of Jesus.  As society persecuted Christians, cast them out of society, and became violent against them, he remained unashamed of Jesus.  Paul remained unashamed of Jesus all the way to his death because he knew Jesus is the power of God for the salvation of the entire world!

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”

Romans 1:16

Yes, it is getting worse and we are seeing some crazy things in this world.  Here in America, they are persecuting us on social media and trying to destroy everything in our culture related to Christianity.  They hate us, but they are not yet burning Christians on poles to light the night as the Romans did, nor are they feeding us to the lions…not yet anyway.  There are Christians who go through such persecution in other parts of the world and may we never forget to pray for them.

We don’t know the times or dates of the end, but we are definitely seeing the signs of the times.  Just remember, God is in control and He sees us all!  Remember the warnings and encouragement Paul wrote to Timothy as we see more and more godlessness and wickedness in our time.

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.  People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God–having a form of godliness but denying its power.  Have nothing to do with them.”

2 Timothy 3:1-5

“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:  Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage–with great patience and careful instruction.  For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.  Instead to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.  But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”

2 Timothy 4:1-5

That sounds just like the time we are living in now!  Especially the part about people being lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.  When Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy, persecution was raging against Christians.  Paul knew his time was coming to an end.  He knew the times were going to get worse and he encouraged Timothy to press on for Jesus.  He did not want Timothy losing his peace when he witnessed the wicked succeeding in their evil plans.  Paul wanted him to trust in Jesus and keep preaching the Gospel!

“For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day–and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

2 Timothy 4:6-8

Shortly after Paul wrote that letter, the Romans beheaded him by sword.  He kept his faith in Jesus to his very last breath and the Lord was glorified through him!  As we see the times getting darker, stand strong in Jesus!  Keep your peace in Jesus, endure this crazy world in the strength Jesus gives us, and speak the truth in love as you shine His light through the darkness!

“So do not be afraid of them.  There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.  What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.”

Jesus in Matthew 10:26-27

“Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.  But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.”

Jesus in Matthew 10:32

Remember what Jesus told us!  The times will get worse, but He will never leave us and He will be with us to the end!

“Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

Jesus in Matthew 24:12-14

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20

Jesus is Lord and only Jesus can save us and that is the truth we preach no matter how much the world hates us!  As the love of the world grows colder every day, keep His love burning bright in your hearts and keep loving people by sharing God’s truth!

“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Romans 10:9

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 6:23

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

Acts 4:12

Fight the good fight!  Finish the race!  Keep the faith!  No matter how dark this world gets, nothing can take away what the Lord has in store for us!  Even if you are the last one standing, stand your ground in Jesus and keep preaching the truth!  He is with us always and He will bring us safely to His Heavenly Kingdom!

Grace and peace to you all!