Mankind’s Internal Battles

By Jeff Curtis

From the earliest writings to present day writings, testimonies abound about the internal struggles of mankind. An extreme example of inner conflict can be found in the Robert Louis Stephenson’s classical tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. More recently, in a western movie called “The Missing,” about a renegade Indian challenged to be the hero, “Inside you are two dogs. One is evil, the other is good. The mean dog fights the good dog all the time… Which one wins?” At first the hero said, “I don’t know,” but then he came to this conclusion; “Whichever on I feed the most.”

Of course, the conflict that Paul speaks about in Romans 7:14-25 wasn’t just like the conflict in the examples given. Those conflicts involved inner an inner desire to do evil, while Paul’s conflict came about from a heartfelt desire to only good – a desire he couldn’t consistently fulfill. Nevertheless, Paul’s inner struggle is a parallel to mankind’s internal battles enough to allow each of us to make application to his or her own life.

Johnny Cash once recorded an album that had a cover showing two dogs. One dog was black with a white stripe, the other was a white dog with a black stripe. He was asked in an interview about what the dogs represented to him. His response was, “When I was really bad, I was not all bad. When I was trying to be good, I could never be all good.” Most of us can sympathize with the individual who said, “I wish I could be as good all the time as I am some of the time.”

Pressing Toward the Goal in the New Year

by Jesse A. Flowers

“I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

The beginning of a New Year is always a good time to make resolutions and set goals.

Many will make a goal of losing weight, but more importantly “let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1).

Others will make a resolution to exercise more, but let’s be sure to exercise ourselves toward godliness (1 Timothy 4:7). “For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come” (1 Timothy 4:8).

Many will decide to eat healthier in the new year, but don’t forget to feed daily upon the bread of life (John 6:35; Matthew 4:4; Psalm 1:2). Let us “hunger and thirst for righteousness” that we may be filled (Matthew 5:6).

And of course, it is vitally important that we never lose sight of the most important goal of all - Heaven. Let each one of us resolve that every day the Lord grants us that we will press toward that eternal goal.

Meditate on This:

Romans 6:4

Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

“Zealous with My Zeal”

By Ethan Tidwell

There is serving the Lord, and then there is serving the Lord with zeal. Zeal, from the Greek word zelos, means "intense enthusiasm" or "fervor of spirit." This kind of passion is what God desires from His followers—serving Him with all our heart, soul, and strength.

A powerful example of zeal is found in the story of Phinehas. In Numbers 25:11, the Lord spoke to Moses saying: "Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal."

Phinehas displayed great zeal for God when Israel fell into sexual immorality and idolatry with the Moabite women, worshipping Baal of Peor. His passionate desire to keep the people pure before the Lord stopped God's judgment. He acted with a heart for holiness, desiring the purity of God's people. As Christians, do we feel the same? Do we desire purity within the church and among our fellow believers? Are we willing to be zealous for the holiness of God's people?

When we come to worship, do we do it just to be present, going through the motions without engaging our hearts? If so, this is not true worship. John 4:24 tells us, "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." True worship requires passion and sincerity. Without zeal, we are not truly worshipping God.

In Colossians 3:23, we are reminded: "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men."

This verse encourages us to bring zeal, passion, and eagerness to everything we do, especially in worshiping the Lord. He deserves our best. If we can be fiery and passionate about our hobbies, daily tasks, or other worldly pursuits, yet fail to bring that same passion to our worship of God, there is a serious problem.

If you have lost your zeal, it is time to get it back. The world can be harsh and cold, slowly diminishing our fiery passion for the Lord. But remember, everything we do is for Him. Let that truth reignite your passion. Do not let the world steal your zeal for God. He deserves our fervent worship, wholehearted devotion, and unyielding passion.

Meditate on this:

John 16:5-11

⁵ “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ ⁶ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. ⁷ Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. ⁸ And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: ⁹ of sin, because they do not believe in Me; ¹⁰ of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; ¹¹ of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.