“Have Faith in God.” These words from Jesus follow immediately after observing that the fig tree that Jesus had cursed earlier in the day had indeed withered and died. They immediately precede the statement by Jesus in which he said, “I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart.” Mark 11:23 (NLT)

What does it mean to say, “Have faith in God?...

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Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. John 17:18 (NLT)

Last week, we began to examine our options as we confront the forces of evil comprised of the world, Satan, our adversary, and our fleshly nature. In last week’s article, Resistance Is Not Futile , we learned that our choices include assimilation, that is, conforming to the ways of this world. Or do we attempt to isolate ourselves from the world? Or finally, we can choose to stand firm and resist th...

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I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. John 17:14–18 (NLT)

The question of how we as followers of Christ interact and eng...

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Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. Matthew 28:19–20 (NIV)

Jesus spoke these words just before His ascension to describe the church’s primary mission. Mark’s gospel is a little different: He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Mark 16:15 (NIV). Finally, in both his gospel and Acts, Luke emphasized wait...

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