Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
Since demonic activity is sadly real (Revelation 9), we are commanded “to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). Verses 13 and 14a add, “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore.” A simple principle emerges from these verses: do not be surprised by the battle. Following Jesus is not a Saturday stroll in the park, with candy and ice cream as special treats if we behave. I Peter 4:12 says, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you.” Furthermore, II Timothy 3:12 promises, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” Sadly, that “persecution” may include martyrdom, as we have seen recently in Nashville. Philippians 1:29 adds, “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him but also to suffer for His sake.” This certainty of intense spiritual warfare is presented to us in God’s Word in a straightforward, matter-of-fact manner, for it is fact. I recommend two devotional books to any Christian: Born for Battle and Ready for Battle, both written by R. Arthur Mathews. His message is Scriptural: do not be surprised by battle.