Faith—There is always a danger of getting complacent in our faith. Where people around you don’t know the incredible love of Christ and His atoning (sin cleansing) sacrifice on the cross, we will talk to them about sports, politics, events happening in the community and family, yet not let them know why we are so blessed in knowing Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior.
Hope— other people are needing the hope we have in our future. Not the kind of hope for monetary wealth or health and well being. The kind that says, “I am only passing through this beautiful life, but my hope lies in an even better place at the end of my journey — a place flowing with the real meaning of life. You see, the secret we have here is fantastic. Even with some of the bad stuff which comes our way. Even with immoral people who take advantage of what this world gives. These evil people take and take but don’t give back to the goodness of this life.
Other people, journey through this life and give away more than they get—the incredible hope that I have, the promise of one day entering into a permanent and enriching experience which I get freely.
Nor have I had to earn anything to get to this incredible place. All I have had to do is put my trust in Jesus the Christ (The Messiah or Savior of this world). I did not have to go door to door explaining anything or ride my bike to some foreign land to tell people about the Gospel. Even though sharing the Gospel is the right thing to do, we don’t have to go a thousand miles to share it.
Love— It’s been said that love conquers all. I am here to tell you that love does conquer all. Just look at the Roman Empire. The empire was never conquered by hoarders of marauders warring against it from the fringes of the empire. No, what conquered the Roman empire was love that spread within its walls. Christians were slaughtered and denied access to food and water. They were expelled from selling their things at the local market places.
As long as they rejected the local and Roman deities, Christians were bullied and tortured. Yet, these same Christians would give whatever they had to others. They would pick up infants whose lives have had been found lying in the streets because their families did not want them. Christians would live lives that emanated the love of Christ.
Look at the Vikings. They killed and plundered. They went into all of Northern Europe and took what they wanted; gold, silver, women and anything valuable. When they settled into the lands, they had conquered, something happened. These ferocious invaders started seeing what Christian love for their neighbor, churches, and their community was.
This love wasn’t perfect, but it was far better than the way of the Viking way of life. Decades later, the conquerors were conquered by this love of Christ.
Today, we are seeing all the wrong things that are happening in this world. Terrorists killing Christians with the sword, making it a point for others to fear them and letting the world know that all countries will need to ‘convert’ to their religion.
Political agendas demeaning Christian life and going against their livelihood with frivolous lawsuits and in other countries, not having Christians be able to buy food, water and the necessities of everyday life.
Just like the Roman Empire, the world is also hating Christians for standing up for babies. Christians will continue to do the things we do because Jesus told us that people would know we were his disciples by our love. It is not a fake love. Nor is it a bought love. It is a God Spirit kind of love. Only by knowing Christ can you have this supernatural love,
