The Christian Message

 What does it mean to “contend for the faith”? The Greek word is an athletic term that gives us our English word, agonize. It is the picture of a devoted athlete, competing in the Greek games and stretching his nerves and muscles to do his very best to win. You never fight the Lord’s battles from a rocking chair or a soft bed! Both the soldier and the athlete must concentrate on doing their best and giving their all. There must also be teamwork, believers working together to attack and defeat the enemy. Sometimes you hear well-meaning people say, “Well, it’s fine to contend for the faith, but don’t be so contentious!” While it is true that some of God’s soldiers have been the cause of quarrels and divisions, it is also true that some of them have paid a great price to defend the faith. As Christian soldiers, we must not fight each other or go around looking for trouble. But when the banner of Christ is in danger of being taken by the enemy, we cannot sit idly by, nor can we ever ho...

  Warren Wiersbe, in his Be Dynamic commentary on the book of Acts, offers insightful reflections on Acts 16:6-15, which recounts the Apostle Paul's journey through Macedonia, including the conversion of Lydia and the spread of the gospel. Below is a summary of his commentary on these verses: Acts 16:6-10 – Guided by the Holy Spirit Wiersbe emphasizes that Paul and his companions were led by the Holy Spirit throughout their journey . They were directed to avoid certain regions, such as Asia and Bithynia, which would seem like logical places to spread the gospel, but the Spirit had other plans.  Wiersbe underscores that God’s leading is often not clear to us in the moment but is revealed progressively as we move forward in faith. At Troas, Paul was called to Macedonia by a man whom he saw in a night vision. Paul was quick to respond to the vision (compare Acts 26:19). Paul and his team were sensitive to the Spirit’s guidance, and they waited until the vision from God (the Mace...