The gospel is always a battle, and there is much opposition! (1 picture + 1 experience with the Lord) 30-day challenge

As long as you are a believer in the Lord, one who has received the divine life, you are qualified to preach the gospel. You don't have to "go to a seminary" or "be ordained" as a priest to be qualified to preach the gospel. Actually, if you are one who loves the Lord, the gospel will be your living and it normal for you to speak of your Beloved Lord Jesus, of His Word which you enjoy daily, of the things He did for you, or of your experience and enjoyment of Him daily! It is normal for a believer to speak the gospel and to tell others about the Lord!

1 picture today - a Hotel on Seven Sisters Road

This is one of the many hotels on Seven Sisters Road as you walk from Finsbury Park towards Manor House. It's a long road along which there are several such hotels and motels. Some are more fancy while others aren't. I guess that for the many people working and visiting London, especially in the Finsbury Area, towards the Arsenal stadium / the Emirates, there's the need for hotels and short term stay motels... Guess what, they are building even more of these! There are several areas in London, close to large centres like Paddington, Finsbury Park, Stratford, Liverpool Street, Notting Hill Gate, etc - where these little or medium size hotels are booming!

1 Experience with the Lord today - The Gospel is a battle, and there's much opposition!

I think that this is our experience every day - there is a struggle within us to speak about the Lord, and there's a battle outside of us when we open our mouth to speak. We love the Lord and we really want our friends and the ones around us to know the Lord, love Him, taste Him, and see how amazing He is. So we pray for our friends, and sometimes we try to speak to them... Why do we feel so "awkward" when we speak the gospel? It should be normal for us to speak about the Lord, but there's a struggle within... And then, many times the response is either not so positive or we may even be ignored...

These days I've been reading the book of Acts, and I was impressed with this matter - even in the Apostle Paul's work and ministry there was a battle when he spoke the gospel. Let's just say that he overcame "the inward struggle", since he as a Jew went all around Asia and the Gentile world announcing the gospel(which is something quite unusual)... But in city after city, as he spoke, he had a lot of people who received the Lord! In some cities there were hundreds who received the gospel... And then some jealous Jews would stir up the whole city against him! They saw how many people received the gospel and they were jealous - so they would stir up a certain class of people and then persecute and oppose the apostle! Paul had to flee from one city to another - and sometimes the Jews would even follow after him to speak things against his ministry! How about that as an opposition!

Today we may speak to our friends about the Lord, and the hardest thing to do is to be together with all your friends and speak something - it's almost as if they are all "judging you" and "not on your side" as you tell them you're a Christian. When you speak to your friends one-on-one is easier - but even then, sometimes they speak not so nicely about you, or even criticise / undermine your speaking and your working... Sometimes people would even reject you openly and scream and shout at you. As you pass leaflets with "The Mystery of the Human Life", "A Thirsty Mankind", or some Rhema cards, people would reject you or sneer mockingly at you... You manage to overcome the "inward struggles" and speak the gospel, and people are rejecting you!

One thing I was very encouraged with is that the VERY FACT that we are rejected and opposed when we speak about the Lord Jesus to others shows us that we are on the right track! The Lord Jesus was rejected and He still is being rejected today! The apostles were rejected - and many times they had to be physically fleeing a certain city because the very people to whom the salvation has come first - the Jews - would stir up the whole city against them! Whenever we announce the Lord Jesus Christ as the gospel, Satan's kingdom is being shaken and exposed, and the enemy does not like it. But we have the Lord Jesus on our side, and He is the One who speaks in us and through us! The sons of peace will hear the gospel, and they will believe!

Another matter I was encouraged with is the fact that in spite of all the opposition and persecution, there are SOME who receive the Word and who believe into the Lord! It is not up to us to pick and choose WHO will receive the gospel, but it is up to us to speak the Word of God! The Lord will accompany our speaking and He will speak His word through us. The seeking ones, those ones who are "ripened", ready to receive the Word, will receive the Lord! We would love to save everyone to whom we speak, but God carefully selects some that He will save! So even though the apostles were persecuted and sometimes they had to flee a city, there were some disciples who continued in these things back in that city! Praise the Lord!

All we need to do is just to SPEAK! All God needs today is not a great work that is welcomed by every one but He needs that all His believers would be strengthened into their inner man to SPEAK Christ - preach the gospel! The more we speak the gospel, the more we announce the good news, the more there will be an opposition - but at the same time the Lord is with us! His presence accompanies us as we cooperate with Him to bring in His kingdom! Also, there will be SOME among those to whom we speak that the Lord has worked on and has prepared them to receive Him! These ones will receive the good news and will come into God's kingdom! I don't know about you, but I want to learn to speak! Yes, there's a battle, but the Victorious One is on our side, and His arrows are in the heart of His enemy! Praise the Lord!