Speaker: Sis. Techie Rodriguez ,Elder, The Lord's Flock Catholic Charismatic Community

“ Christians' Spiritual Stability ”

S ome Christians believed they were strong, mature and in high positions in the church. But they were not careful and they fell and sank like the “Titanic”. They were mighty before; but now they are gone.

A ll of us in our Lord's Flock community desire to be strong and mature. This is acceptable to God; however, we have to heed his warning. We should not fall from a position of seeming strength. We should watch and pray so that we will not fall into temptations.

Y our Elders feel very sad whenever members of our community are lost in their path. We feel so much pain because we usually see the danger before our members do.

The Church Is Always Under Attack

O ur church is always under attack by the enemy. God never hides from us what may happen. Jesus warned his followers that in this world, there will always be tribulations. No one is exempted from tribulations. However, the Lord promised those who are following him: “Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me.” (Matthew 5:10-11).

Conditions for Followers of Jesus

J esus told his twelve apostles their mission and the conditions of being his followers.

? “Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel .” (Matthew 10:6).

? “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans.” (Matthew 10:16-18).

? “You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 10:22).

? “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” (Mark 8:34 ).

Be Victorious against the Enemies: the Flesh, the World and the Devil

L ike the original disciples of Jesus, we shall be faced with tribulations and temptations. We should be watchful; we should pray in order not be tested or led into temptation. Temptation itself is not a sin. It is a test from God; we should pass this test. We should not succumb to the lure of Satan; if we do, we are committing a serious sin.

W e should be watchful and strong in order to be victorious against temptations from our three enemies: the flesh, the world and the devil.

T he flesh can tempt us. “For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want.” (Galatians 5:17). Let us walk in the Spirit; we cease doing so when we allow flesh and emotions to reign in our life. We have to be victorious over jealousy, pride, and other emotions.

T he world and its tempting material possessions can make us lustful, greedy and proud. We are attracted by the world and its money; we even forget the source. We are warned:

“D o not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world.” (1 John 2:15-16).

T he devil tempts us; he knows our weaknesses; he is aggressive. “Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for (someone) to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8). We thank the Lord that Satan is already defeated. He can no longer bite us unless we go near him and let him tempt us.

“Watch and Pray”

N o one is exempted from temptations. We thank God that we have a very powerful weapon to fight temptations: prayers.

J esus himself was tempted many times by Satan. (Matthew 4:1-11). With his 40-day of prayers and fasting, He emerged victorious over the devil.

W e should follow the advice of Jesus “Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41).

L et us be firm, stable, and persevering in temptation. “Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life that he promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12).

G od commands us to be spiritually stable, firm, steadfast and strong. (Joshua 1:9). We should be spiritually stable amidst persecutions and temptations.

T he church of Philippi is an example of a church where the believers share love for one another. “And this is my prayer: that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:9-11).

S t. Paul pleaded for unity and humility. “If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but [also] everyone for those of others.” (Philippians 2:1-4). For stability in our church, there should be love, unity and humility. Christians cannot have spiritual stability if they are double-minded and vacillating between doubt and fear. Those with two minds, unstable in their ways, cannot receive anything from the Lord. (James 1:7-8). They are unsure of what they believe as right or wrong, as good or evil.

God's Command To Stand Firm

G od's command about spiritual stability is affirmed in Philippians 4:1: “Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, beloved.” The Lord repeatedly commanded Joshua to “Be firm and steadfast!” (Joshua 1:6-9). He promised “Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord, your God, is with you wherever you go.” (verse 9).

L ike Joshua and the Philippians, let us stand firm in order that the Lord will give his purpose for us. When God calls us, let us grow where we are planted and bloom where God has placed us.

The Importance of Standing Firm

T o follow God's command to stand firm is important because of the following reasons:

1. W e need to stand firm against persecutions.

? W hen we encounter trials and persecutions, we should remain strong. We should not lose hope; we should not go weary. God sees everything that we do for him – including our suffering “For to you has been granted, for the sake of Christ; not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him.” (Philippians 1:29).

? W e should not be afraid when we are persecuted and when we face trials. There is a reward after passing trials. “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.” (Matthew 5:12).

2. T he command “Stand firm” (Philippians 4:1) is serious.

? T he command is similar to a military order to a soldier who is asked to stand his ground in the midst of a battle. “Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11).

? T he Lord is our commander-in-chief (2 Chronicles 20). We should stay atune to God's voice. Whatever He commands, we should follow. Otherwise, we will be like the “Titanic” that could meet disaster and sink in the ocean.

3. T he basis of the command is the believers' pursuit of righteousness.

G od wants us to stand firm and be strong in order to be conformed the image of his Son, Jesus Christ. He wants us to consider trials as all joy; “the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4).

B y being strong and standing firm, we are truly in pursuit of righteousness.