by Christopher S. Esty on March 3, 2010
“Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.” – Philippians 1:15-18 NKJV
Just as there were people who used the gospel for selfish ambition during Paul’s time, many are doing the same today. Unfortunately, many discouraged people have left the church as a result of this, and many more refuse to give their lives to Christ for the very same reason. Have you ever felt like giving up on the church because of hypocrisy? Do you feel uncomfortable being around other Christians because you just don’t know who they really are behind closed doors? Are you having a hard time trusting other Christians because you’ve been hurt by people who claimed to be one with Jesus? Whatever the case may be, there’s a lesson to be learned in what Paul had said in the passage above. And that lesson is this: don’t let the behavior of others distract you from looking to Jesus Christ and carrying out His will for your life. Instead, keep your eyes on Him at all times, believing that He is at work, and will accomplish everything that He has begun to do within the hearts of His people. In other words, no matter how bad people may look, ultimate goodness will prevail in the end! Continue Reading
by Christopher S. Esty on February 26, 2010
One day, I began to think about all of the negative things that were said about me and to me in the past. Of course, I became discouraged as a result of this. But as I reflected on these things I felt the urge to open my Bible, and this is what I saw:
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV
God’s message to me was essentially this: Don’t let the things of the past hurt you in the present. It doesn’t matter what people thought about you then. All that matters is what I think about you now. And I’m telling you right now, in the present, that I have good thoughts toward you, to give you a future and a hope.
What a refreshing message! And just as God spoke these words to me, He speaks these words to you too. That’s right; God has thoughts of peace toward you; He wants to give you a future and a hope. Perhaps there were people who tried to put you down in the past with negative thoughts or maybe you’re dealing with people like that right now. Whatever the case may be, don’t let their negativity poison your mind. For you’re not what they think you are; rather, you’re loved by God. As long as we continue to live in a sinful world there will always be insensitive people who will try to creep into our lives to rob us of our dreams, seeking to leave us feeling hopeless and helpless. Nevertheless, God isn’t like that at all. He doesn’t want to put you down; rather, He wants to lift you up. In other words, He wants to step into your life to give you a future and a hope; for He loves you, and just simply wants to be loved by you.
But there’s more to this message; for the LORD goes on to say the following: Continue Reading