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By Mike Caton

John 16:1, “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away.”

Jesus is preparing his disciples, and us as well, for what lies ahead. The apostles and all of the disciples will face an intense time of persecution; we can read about some of that in the book of Acts. But there were many things that happened that are not recorded. There is much tradition about what happened to the apostles, and there are many recorded facts about other Christians in other places and in other times who were brutally persecuted for their faith.

And today, we might not face that persecution, at least in America, but there are still great temptations for us to fall away from the faith. We can think about all of the things the world is teaching our children – and us – that will make us shudder. We might think about the schools, especially the colleges, but they are not the only education powers in our world. There was a time when the TV was a major source of information, but that has been surpassed by the internet. And pretty much every man, woman and child has access to that in one way or the other. I suspect most have access in their pocket or the palm of their hand. And we need to be warned to stand firm for our faith.

The way to stand firm is to hear and heed to the teachings of Jesus. The more we learn, the better off we are. Knowledge is one thing that no one can take away from us. So we need to be make the best of every opportunity we have to learn everything we can from and about God. You see, now is the time to make preparations for whatever lies ahead. Now is the time to decide on your stand. Now is the time to decide where you will draw the line. And those decisions are made based on what you know about Jesus.

Father, help me always stand firm. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Mike Caton is the preacher at Mount Olive Church of Christ in Belhaven. He volunteers at the Ponzer Fire Department and works part time with Hyde County EMS. If you would like to receive daily devotions in your inbox, email mikecaton@centurylink.net.

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