Sharing faith doesn’t require theological expertise or complex arguments. Early followers of Jesus used three simple words: “come and see.”
When Andrew found Jesus, he immediately brought his brother Simon Peter with this invitation. When Philip invited Nathaniel, who questioned whether anything good could come from Nazareth, Philip simply replied, “Come and see.”
This approach focuses on bringing people to experience faith firsthand rather than engaging in debates. One invitation can have eternal impact—Peter’s later teaching at Pentecost resulted in 3,000 conversions.
Believers need only willingness to extend a simple invitation.
People often wonder how much control Satan has over the evil we see today. When we look at corruption in government, harmful messages in entertainment, or false teachings spreading through society, we might ask if the devil is personally directing these things. The answer is not simple.
Jeremiah 17:9: “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?, NASB; IRS Images, 2025
Even without Satan, the world would be full of evil. This is because human nature is fallen. The Bible tells us that the human heart is deceitful and wicked. People naturally struggle with desires of the flesh, covetous eyes, and pride. We do not need the devil to make us sin. We are already inclined toward it.
What Satan adds to this picture is structure. He takes human sinfulness and organizes it. He builds it into systems that trap people. He creates false religions that lead souls away from truth. He develops harmful philosophies and ideas that sound reasonable but lead to destruction. Satan works like a deceptive angel of light, making evil look appealing and acceptable.
He does not control every individual action, but he shapes the larger systems where fallen humans act out their sinful nature. Through his demonic forces, he influences governments, schools, entertainment industries, and other institutions to serve his purposes. The apostle John wrote that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. This means Satan has arranged an organized system of evil that surrounds us.
Understanding this helps us recognize that we face both internal struggles with our own sinful hearts and external pressures from a world system designed to pull us away from God.
We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
The measure of genuine salvation is not found in what someone claims to know or says they believe. Instead, it is revealed through how a person actually lives their daily life. This practical test of faith centers on whether someone walks in the Spirit or continues following the desires of their old nature.
For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want. Galatians 5:16-17; IRS Images, 2025
When a person becomes a Christian, an immediate internal conflict begins. Before conversion, people simply do whatever they want, following their natural desires without spiritual resistance. However, once someone truly comes to Christ, the Holy Spirit takes residence within them and begins leading them toward God’s ways. This creates tension between what the flesh wants and what the Spirit desires. The flesh refers to more than just physical temptations. It encompasses everything related to self-centered living, including self-promotion, selfish priorities, and insisting on one’s own way. This stands in direct opposition to life in the Spirit, which operates through submission to God.
Christ provides the perfect model of this submitted life. Although He was God, He chose to submit fully to the Father’s will. He possessed the Spirit completely and demonstrated what it means to walk in obedience rather than self-will. This same struggle between flesh and Spirit defines the Christian experience. The flesh constantly seeks its own exaltation while the Spirit calls believers toward obedience to God’s word.
Take my life, and let it be Consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Take my moments and my days; Let them flow in ceaseless praise, Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
The works of the flesh are not mysterious or hidden. They include sexual sins like adultery, fornication, uncleanness, and inappropriate behavior. They also encompass false religious practices such as idolatry and sorcery. Additionally, they involve destructive social behaviors including hatred, quarreling, jealousy, angry outbursts, etc. Those who continuously practice such things without repentance will not inherit God’s kingdom. This warning addresses people who make these sins their lifestyle and refuse to abandon them, not believers who occasionally stumble but genuinely desire to live righteously.
The contrast to these destructive patterns is the fruit of the Spirit. This fruit is singular, not plural, because it all flows from one source: the Holy Spirit dwelling within believers. This fruit includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. No law exists against such qualities.
Love here means choosing to care for others regardless of whether they deserve it or make us feel good. It reflects how Christ loved humanity, not because people were lovable, but by deliberate choice. This love for fellow believers serves as evidence that someone has passed from spiritual death to life.
Joy is a deep sense of well-being completely independent of circumstances. Unlike happiness, which depends on favorable situations, joy remains constant even during terminal illness or severe hardship because it flows from relationship with Christ through the Spirit’s presence. Peace means the calm assurance of being right with God. This tranquility persists regardless of external difficulties or testing circumstances.
Patience involves enduring hardships and accepting irritating situations with grace, recognizing that God allows all circumstances for purposes of growth and transformation.
Kindness shows tender concern for others, treating them gently as the Lord treats believers. It makes one’s presence a blessing rather than a burden to others.
Goodness reflects moral and spiritual excellence expressed through active kindness toward others. Faithfulness demonstrates loyalty and trustworthiness in all relationships and commitments. Gentleness describes a humble attitude that remains patiently submissive even when offended, free from revenge or retaliation.
Self-control enables believers to restrain their passions and appetites, measuring their words and actions carefully before responding.
Walking in the Spirit happens through immersion in God’s word. The Spirit leads believers through Scripture, never contradicting what He inspired. This is why genuine Christians develop a hunger for the Bible and expect teaching to come from it. The Spirit uses the word as believers read and meditate on it to direct them into lives pleasing to God. Living with purpose means living in obedience to Scripture, even when that obedience creates difficulty or conflicts with personal preferences. This walk requires constant vigilance because sin always waits at the door for an opportunity to attack. The flesh never becomes sanctified or holy.
No amount of human effort or determination can accomplish this spiritual walk. Just as the temple could not be rebuilt through human might or power but only through God’s Spirit, learning to walk in the Spirit cannot happen through personal strength. It requires being filled with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit does His work perfectly and simply wants believers to yield to Him.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want.
In the story of John the Baptist, we see how quiet faith and steady obedience can shape history in ways no one expects. His life begins with two older people, Zachariah and Elizabeth, who lived with devotion to God. They followed God’s ways with sincere hearts, yet they carried the pain of having no child. When an angel told Zachariah that Elizabeth would give birth, the message sounded impossible. Their age and long years of waiting made the promise hard to believe. Zachariah asked for a sign and received one, though not in the way he hoped. He lost his ability to speak until the child was born, a reminder that God’s word stands firm even when our faith feels weak.
Elizabeth’s pregnancy was a gift she had once given up hoping for. She kept herself out of public view for several months, likely waiting until her condition could not be questioned. When it became clear that she was expecting, the joy of the community would confirm the mercy she had received. Her quiet praise shows how God sometimes answers long–held desires in unexpected seasons.
John’s birth was more than a family blessing. His arrival fulfilled promises spoken generations earlier. Prophets had said that someone would prepare people to meet the Messiah. John was that person. He did not come as Elijah returned in the flesh, but he carried the same spirit and boldness. His purpose was simple and direct: to call people back to God and help them recognize the one who was coming after him.
Be still my soul the Lord is on thy side Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain Leave to thy God to order and provide In every change He faithful will remain
Yet even a person with a strong calling can struggle. Later, when John was imprisoned for speaking truth, he began to question whether Jesus was truly the one Israel had waited for. His suffering did not match the future he expected. So he sent his followers to ask Jesus for clarity. Jesus did not rebuke him. Instead, he pointed to the work being done. He spoke of the blind receiving sight, the lame walking, lepers cleansed, the deaf hearing, the poor hearing good news. These signs had been written long before in the words of Isaiah. Jesus used those promises to steady John’s heart. Through this, we see that doubt does not cancel faith; it reveals our need for God’s reassurance.
Jesus affirmed John’s place as a prophet with a unique role. He also explained that the least person in God’s kingdom now stands in a better place, because the promised Saviour has already come. John lived as the final voice announcing the arrival of someone greater.
John’s message was sharp but honest: turn from sin because God’s kingdom is near. Many people came to be baptized, admitting their wrongs and seeking a new start. But some came with pride, trusting their heritage instead of their hearts. John warned them that real change shows itself in a changed life, not in family ties or status. He spoke of judgment in clear terms and pointed to the one who would bring a deeper work, a cleansing that only God’s Spirit can give.
The account of John’s life shows that God works through ordinary people, difficult moments, waiting, and even doubt. God brings good from situations that seem broken, and he does not ask us to figure out how he will do it. Faith means trusting that his purpose will stand, even when our plans fall apart.
Come close to God and He will come close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Some moments appear ordinary, yet they carry quiet meaning. These moments may come when we least expect them, and they give us the chance to see people to some point in the way God sees them. A story from Acts 3 shows how two men, on their way to a time of prayer, met a man who had been unable to walk since birth. He sat at a temple gate each day and asked for money from those passing by. On this day, he called out as usual, hoping for a small gift to help him get through another day.
IRS Images, 2025
But something different happened. The two men stopped, looked at him closely, and asked him to look back at them. That simple act of eye contact mattered. It showed they did not see a category or a problem. They saw a person. Others likely passed quickly without noticing him, but they slowed down long enough to take him seriously. Seeing people in this way often requires us to move at a slower pace and look past surface details. It asks us to set aside frustration, fear, or assumptions, and to notice the deeper needs in front of us.
His physical healing was clear to everyone who had seen him begging for years. But the change ran deeper. The healing of his body pointed to a change of heart and faith. The man who once sat outside the gate now walked freely beside those who had helped him. His excitement drew a crowd, and he became living proof of what hope can do. His life showed that God steps toward people who cannot help themselves, and that faith brings new beginnings.
The man in Acts 3 experienced outward healing, but the deeper miracle was the transformation of his life. He experienced God’s Amazing Grace.
These events also remind us that help is not only about meeting physical needs. Meeting those needs matters, and sometimes it is the right place to start. But many people carry questions beneath their requests. A simple favour, a short conversation, or a small need can create space for something more. Our conversations at work, in the neighbourhood, or during errands can open a door to something deeper if we pay attention.
When people experience real care, trust forms. The man who was healed held tightly to the two who had helped him. In the same way, people often cling to those who offer kindness when life feels dark or confusing. These simple interactions can lead to healing of the heart and can spark faith that grows over time. Our ordinary moments can become places where God brings new life, healing, and hope.
Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
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