BE PREPARED

Enduring to the end is not a way to be saved but rather the evidence that a person is truly committed to Jesus Christ. Persistence is not a way to salvation; it is the by-product of a truly devoted life. Jesus said that God was aware of everything that happens, even to sparrows, and you are far more valuable to him than they are. You are so extremely valuable that God sent His Only Son to die for you (John 3:16). Because our loving heavenly Father God places such high value on you, you need never fear personal threats or difficult trials. If you are walking through a difficult season, it doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love you. Satan doesn’t roll out the red carpet for anyone taking his territory. Nothing can shake God’s love or dislodge His Holy Spirit from within you.

This doesn’t mean God will take away all your troubles. The real test of value is how something holds up under pressure, wear, tear, and abuse of everyday life. Those who stand up for Jesus Christ in spite of their troubles have lasting value and will receive great rewards. Despite the struggles and trials you may be facing, remember that you are highly valuable to God and that He is making you more like Christ (Romans 8:29). 

It’s in the Bible, “If anyone acknowledges Me publicly here on earth, I will openly acknowledge that person before My Father in heaven. But if anyone denies Me here on earth, I will deny that person before My Father in heaven. 

Clinging to this life may cause us to forfeit the best from Christ in this world and the one to come. The more we love this life’s rewards (power, leisure, financial security, popularity), the more we discover how empty they really are. The best way to enjoy life is to loosen any greedy grasp on earthly rewards and promotions, so that we can be free to follow Christ.  In a world where good is sometimes labeled evil, we can expect that similar accusations may come, but we will be vindicated by God Himself. (The Pharisees called Jesus “Satan” (see Matthew 9:34). 

Take time to spend reading and studying the Word of God–this will prepare you for things to come. Scripture makes it clear, that we are to be prepared ( 2 Timothy 4:2; 1 Peter 3:15). Jesus is teaching us not to be unprepared but to be unworried about what we will say. Jesus told the disciples that when arrested for preaching the gospel, they should not worry about what to say in their defense–God’s Spirit would speak through them. This promise was fulfilled in Acts 4:8-14. Be prepared by developing an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit through renewing your mind in the Word of God. This way–when life doesn’t go as planned, the Word of God rises up and empowers us to stand!