Spotlight 13/2016: Take up the fight!
If we want to be victorious with Christ, we have to put up a fight and do so with Christ. And we are not just talking about major battles here. District Apostle Markus Fehlbaum from Switzerland explains:
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Impressions from Camagüey (Cuba)
Photo: NAK Schweiz
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District Apostle Markus Fehlbaum with members in Varadero
Photo: NAK Schweiz
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A drawing for District Apostle Fehlbaum
Photo: NAK Schweiz
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District Elder Marco Martinez with the Chief Apostle
Photo: Oliver Ruetten
Victory with Christ is wonderful and exhilarating, and who would not want to experience that? But before we can gain the victory we have to fight, and fight with Christ. How comforting it is to know that we are not alone in this fight. Christ is at our side. And He will help us gain the victory!
Sometimes all that prevents us from seeing and experiencing the greatness and omnipotence of God are the reservations we have toward God. A while ago I was in Cuba and witnessed the unshakeable trust of our brothers and sisters there. They are not able to celebrate divine services as freely as most of us can, but they hope that this will change one day. They pray for this every day.
Most of us can go to church without any problems. It is the most natural thing in the world for us. And yet we sometimes give in to the stress and constant pressure of everyday life and do not really put up a good enough fight to make time to attend the services. Maybe other offers even seem more enticing, and we do not even begin to fight.
A brother who works in a restaurant recently told me that because of his having to work on weekends and in the evenings he has practically no time for the tasks connected with his ministry as a Deacon. He asked God for help, resigned from his job, and went to look for another one. When he was invited for an interview, he made it clear that he would not be able to work on Sundays or in the evenings. He explained that he was a Deacon in his church and needed that time for his pastoral work. This is rather unusual. But with Christ at his side this brother was able to gain a victory. His future boss not only agreed to his request, but even gave him a higher salary. The man is happy with his new employee, and the congregation is happy to have a Deacon who has time for the Lord’s work
During my stay in Cuba, the brothers and sisters asked me to pray for rain with them. The country was suffering from a drought and everything was parched. In childlike faith we prayed to our heavenly Father for help. About an hour later there was a rain shower, and two days later steady rain set in and lasted a whole night. It was the first rain in three months. Once again we were able to experience how God responds to the childlike trust of His children.
I wish all of us a daily victory with Christ!
