Life Word

They might never step inside a church building.
They might never lift their hands in worship or sit through a Sunday sermon.
But they will run into you.

And when they do, what will they encounter?

Will they feel judged… or will they feel loved?
Will they see religion… or will they see Christ?

You may be the only reflection of Jesus someone ever meets. Your patience in conflict. Your kindness when it’s undeserved. Your integrity when no one is watching. Your forgiveness when it would be easier to hold a grudge.

The Gospel isn’t confined to four walls. It walks into workplaces. It sits at dinner tables. It shows up in comment sections. It responds gently. It serves quietly. It loves boldly.

People might avoid a church, but they cannot avoid the way you live.

Be a living testimony.
Be grace in action.
Be truth wrapped in love.
Be the reason someone reconsiders God.

Because sometimes the closest thing they will ever get to a church…
is you. 🤍 🙏🏻

If the devil cannot stop your anointing, he will try to destroy your character. The devil was not after Job’s blessings, he was after Job’s integrity. If you can still hold on to God and your integrity while you are in pain, God will trust you with promotion. Hold on, greater is coming.

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Colossians 4:2

What is the first thing you think about when you open your eyes in the morning? Who occupies your thoughts the moment before you fall asleep? A period of fasting or self denial is all about setting new or different priorities. It means putting God first, even if it means giving up something else. If this is to become a lasting habit, we need the Holy Spirit to bless us with insight, self-control and true love for the Lord.

Even though He is in control of the entire universe, our Heavenly Father is never too busy for us. We always have His full attention. When we approach His throne, He never turns us away. God wants you to share your entire life with Him, even the tiniest details. When you involve Him in everything you do, feel and say, your entire outlook on life will change. When prayer becomes as natural as breathing, and communication with the Lord becomes your way of processing life, you'll learn to worry less—because He is always in control—and see the rich blessings He has bestowed on you, Instead of the things you worry about, but cannot change, you’ll be at peace because you can trust in the Lord to work everything out. You’ll see the people around you through different eyes—His eyes, that see everything clearly and still choose to love. What the world thinks of you will suddenly not matter all that much, because the only approval you'll need, is the Lord’s.

If you learn to give thanks even when there seems little reason to be grateful, you’ll gain a different perspective, and learn to trust, even if you don’t understand. All these things bring you closer to the Lord, protect you against the evil one, and help you stand strong in a world that often doesn’t understand what it means to walk by faith, and not by sight.

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted a by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Matthew 4:1-4

After His baptism, Jesus went into the desert and was tested by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights. When He is hungry, the evil one comes to Him in order to test the Son of God. Through withstanding the temptations the devil sets before Him, we see the strength of Jesus’ character and faith. We also see His humanness and willingness to suffer. Even though Satan wanted Jesus to prove His identity by turning stones into bread in order to satisfy His hunger, Jesus resists. He knows that God’s word is more important than satisfying human desires and is not swayed by the false promise of power. When He rebukes the devil, Jesus quotes the Bible. It is our best defense against temptation, evil and our own ego.

What the devil does here, is a strategy that he uses quite often. At the moment when Jesus is weak with hunger, Satan offers Him what He physically needs most. In the same way, we are tempted to sin when we are weak, or in great need. At times like these, we are often inclined to choose our own ways, instead of trusting in God to provide for us. But like Jesus, we, too, have the choice to keep in mind God’s word whenever the devil tries to lure us away from the Father. He has promised to care for us and to never forsake us, and He has given us the words that bring true life and feed our hungry souls.

‭Colossians 3:19 KJV‬
[19] Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

‭Ephesians 5:23 KJV‬
[23] For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

‭Ephesians 5:25 KJV‬
[25] Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

HOW'S THIS FOR A SIGN OF WHETHER A MINISTRY IS REALLY APOSTOLIC

How's this for a sign of how "apostolic" a ministry is: if people only know the name of the head honcho - the big kahuna - the chief apostle - the archbishop - the celebrity minister, the main man (woman) - and have no clue who some other faithful, consecrated and dedicated leaders on that main leader's team is, is the ministry or church truly "apostolic"?

Barnabas, Apollos, Aquila, Timothy, Titus, Tychichus, Luke, Silas, Priscilla, Andronicus, Junia, Phoebe, Euodia, Syntyche, Apphia, Sosthenes, Epaphroditus, Tertius, Onesiphorus are all mentioned in the New Testament epistles of Paul or the Book of Acts. The Apostle Paul commended them, promoted them, honored them, and mentioned them in his writings. He truly had an apostolic team that was - really apostolic.

One of the characteristics of the apostolic is team ministry. The Scripture is clear as to who was part of the Apostle Paul's team of ministers and leaders. There may be even more that were not mentioned, but look at the ones who were.

We can easily list many well known high profile ministers from across the country. But think about it - who can name anyone else from the immediate "Inner-circle" team? You probably can't. Then is the ministry truly apostolic? Just something to think about.

Axel Sippach