Faith Matters with Brian and Andi Hale The Book of Signs by Dr David Jeremiah. Here we review chapter 21 on Martyrs. There have been hosts of believers who have been martyred for their faith over the centuries. It has been said that the entire history of redemption is written in the blood of martyers. Whether we look at history, current events, or the future revealed in Revelation 6, we find tha tpersecution and martyrdom have always accompanied Christianity - and always will. Satan, who in Eden usurped the lordship of this fallen world, is determined to annihilate anyone exuding the aroma of goodness and godliness. Stand strong in your commitment to Christ regardless of the severity of the cost. Even if it means giving up your own life, what is that compared to the glory of the reward?

Remember Your First Love The beginning is always exciting, isn’t it? Even if taking a leap of faith also feels a little terrifying, there is still the anticipation of what’s to come that compels you forward with a little extra pep in your step. It can be tempting to reach for that new beginning feeling and abandon what you’re in the middle of because the middle just isn’t as exciting. Maybe it’s exhausting. Maybe it’s not going the way you imagined. Maybe you’ve gotten so caught up in the details of it that you have forgotten why you even started. It’s not possible to return to the beginning, but it is possible to return to the One who was with you in it and is the source of that joy and hope. More often than not, we grow weary because we’ve lost sight of Jesus, our First Love. We waver in our faithfulness. We are overtaken by our emotions. We get distracted. But Jesus never does. We may need to circle back to our commitments and try again, but the incredible thing about turning to Jesus is that it’s just like the first time because His love is constant. When you focus your attention on Him, you have the opportunity to be filled with the passion and motivation you need to continue. It might sound unproductive to stop and spend time in the presence of God, but Psalm 37:4 tells us that when we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our hearts. This not only means that He will give us what we want, but He will give us the desire for what He wants. In other words, when we spend time with Him, we get the desire to keep going. He refreshes us. The Message version of Proverbs 16:9 says, “We plan the way we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it.” We can try outlining our own way to success, but He is the fuel that gets us there. Take a moment right now to pause and sit in the presence of God. Acknowledge Him for His faithfulness in light of your wavering. Thank Him for His perfect love, and ask Him to revive your heart. Continue to sit in His presence for a moment longer and listen to what He might be saying to you.