Are You Ready?

2 Tim. 4:2 "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching."

Although this verse is taken from a "Pastoral Epistle", written by Paul to Timothy, I believe it to carry strong meaning for each and every believer. As Christians, we all are to spread the Word of Jesus Christ. Often we only do it when it is convenient, or in times that make us look... "Spiritual". I know many believers that will jump at the chance to get up and speak at a youth camp, but when it comes to speaking at a gas station their tongue falls out. Many Christians, for the most part, are posers. They tend to pose as Jesus Christ only when everyone is noticing. Unfortunately, this is a very dangerous lifestyle to live. We need to change or attitudes about the duties we are expected to carry out.

It amazes me how many stories I have read in "Voice of the Martyrs" of believers all around the world going in to dangerous situations and Preaching Jesus Christ. They don't worry about what people think of them, they only care about glorifying the Lord with every word that procedes from their mouth. We can learn a lot from their stories. Fortunately, we are not under the intense persecution that they are. I believe this has caused us to become lazy, and we take it for granted. We should be ready at all times! We should spread the Word in every imaginable scenario. Whether it is youth camps or the gas stations, God has a reason for you to be there.

Don't let your so-called busy schedule or your personal reservations prevent you from serving the Lord. Constantly pray and ask the Lord to open doors up wherever you may be. Always be prepared to deliver a message of hope to all that you come in contact with regardless of what the reaction is. Remember it's not you they reject, but Christ. Put on a humble mind, and approach every situation as a servant of the Lord, and take your six feet for Christ wherever you may be.

Crowd Surfer

Matthew 21:9-10 “The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!" When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?"

Many Christians in today’s modern church are no different than these citizens of Jerusalem. Wherever the “crowd” is gathering, the people will be drawn. Whatever the “crowd” is doing, the people will do. Whatever the “crowd” is saying, the people will say. In essence, people are like cattle, they will follow the herd. These citizens of Jerusalem gathered, not for Jesus, but for the “crowd”. They even shouted the same words as the “crowd”, not for any other reason than, “Well everyone else was doing it, so I might as well.” They were all excited, shouting and dancing, but they didn’t even know who Jesus was. Does that sound like some Christian friends that you have? Does that sound like you? Do you attend church, Bible study, or prayer groups to get to know Jesus Christ? Or do you attend just to be part of the “crowd”?

It is wonderful to have Christian fellowship, but not as important as having fellowship with Jesus Christ. The book of 1st John is about fellowship; first, with Christ, then with people. In 1st John 2:3 it says this “By this we have come to know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.” Do you know Jesus Christ? Not just know “of Him”, but truly know Him?

The word that John writes (translated "keep") is actually a word for obedience. We only truly know Jesus Christ when we become obedient to His word. Knowing Jesus Christ doesn’t come from hanging with the "crowd", waving palm branches, and shouting. Knowing Jesus Christ comes from obedience. Everyday, many Christians falsely refer to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Although they have been saved by faith in the Gospel and know Him as Savior, they have never come to “know” Him as the Lord of their life through obedience to His Word. If He is truly the Lord of your life then you will apply the Word of God to the experiences of life. The Church has a Savior, what we are in dire need of now is a Lord. Make a commitment today to get to "know" Jesus by becomimg obedient to the Word, and a stop following the “crowd”.

You Can Be My Hero!

Hebrews 11:1-2 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval.”

Have you ever read any of the citations for the Medal of Honor winners from the United States Military? As a soldier, I read through the many “super human” feats of selflessness, bravery, gallantry, and fearless determination, and doubt that I could ever do such things. We, as Americans, look at our heroes with such awe and fascination that we catch ourselves thinking, “If I were put in the same situations could I, or even would I, react in the same manner?” To most of us the answer is “no”, but we still ponder the “what ifs”.

Hebrews Chapter 11 is the who’s who of faith. It’s like the Medal of Honor book for Old Testament champions of faith. These men and women listed between Hebrews 11:4 and 11:40 are truly heroes of faith. When we read of these men and women, we are to imitate their faith, learn from their experience, and follow their example in our daily walk. But just like reading the book of Medal of Honor winners, we don’t see ourselves measuring up. Moses led the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt. I never see myself doing something that great for God, do you? David slew Goliath with a single stone and went from Shepherd to King, from musician to warrior. We can’t relate to enormous feats of faith performed by most of these “heroes”, yet we are to imitate their faith. One person that we can imitate is Abraham. Abraham led no armies, wrestled no lions, parted no seas, or conquered kingdoms by his faith. Abraham did what we all can do, “Abraham believed God!!” Romans chapter 4 verse 3 says, “For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS."

All we have to do in order to become a hero of faith is “believe God”. If you find it hard measuring up to the likes of Moses, David, or Joshua just remember that we can all follow the example of Abraham and trust Almighty God by faith. Abraham believed, trusted, and relied on a promise! Claim a promise from the word of God, trust it by faith, and you can become a daily hero who sets the example of faith for others to follow.

What Do You See in Me?

Philippians 1:20 "...Christ will be exalted in my body, whether I live or die"

How many people do you come into contact with each day? We tend to develop personal relationships with the people that we see on a daily basis, whether at home, work, the store, or some establishment that we frequent on a regular basis. People need other people. Have you ever stopped to think, "What do people get out of a relationship with me?". The simple answer is, people get what you give them. If you give them you, then they will get you, but if you give them Christ, then they will definately get Christ. As ambassadors for Jesus Christ, we represent Him by our attitudes, words, and actions whether good, bad, worthy, or unworthy.

We need to ask ourselves this question when encountering people throughout our daily grind; "When people leave an encounter with me, did they see Christ through me and the value of the cross, or did I do something or say something that separated them from Him?"

God makes no mistakes and nothing is an accident or coincidental. Every person that crosses your path needs to see Jesus Christ and the grace of God through you. He becomes evident in the words that you say, the things that you do, and the attitude in which you have. If you just talk a big game for the cross of Jesus Christ and don't live "the CROSS", then Christ is no more real to others than He is to you. In order to talk the talk, we must walk the walk. All we have to offer people of real value is our hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is not our words that witness nearly as much as it is our lives.

"Exault Christ in your body", treat people the way that He would treat them, say the words that He would say to them, and keep the attitude that He would keep with them. By doing this you become a living, breathing, walking, talking witness for Jesus Christ, and then, it is no longer you that they seek for a relationship, but because of Christ in you, they seek HIM.

Honor Our Parents

Eph 6:2-3 "Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.

This is probably one of the most neglected commandments in the Bible. I say that, because I believe that we don't fully understand the meaning behind "Honor". Growing up under our parents' authority makes it simple to comprehend the command to "obey our parents". That doesn't mean that we always did, but we have an understanding of the authorities that have been placed in our life.

Now what does it mean to Honor them? How do I honor them? These are questions that I have been asked for years, while teaching teen bible studies. Honoring you parents is done by a lifestyle. We have the choice of how we want to live our lives. Even if our parents were unreasonable according to the Word of God, we are to choose the right way to live to bring honor to them. The way to do that is live according to the will of God, making every decision based on the Bible.

Even if your parents are unbelievers, or have no interest in God's plan for their life, we will still bring honor to them by following the guidance of the Holy Spirit that resides in us. This is a constant learning process that takes every day dedication to studying and applying the Word. The more we take in, the more we should apply, resulting in honor to our parents and to God Almighty.

Mission Accomplished

2Timothy 4:5 “But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

I think that you will agree with me when I say that everyone who teaches the word of God has their own style of teaching. Even though all pastors share the same gift, the Holy Spirit designs it specifically for the individual. Most pastors use their personality, perceptions, and personal life experience to help the hearers gain a better understanding of the message that God intends for them to hear. When the Word of God becomes personal, the people listening profit because they can relate to the principles that are being taught by the pastor.

I tend to use a great deal of military analogies because I can relate my personal military experience to Scripture and gain a better understanding, not only for my self, but also for those who are listening.

The Apostle Paul also used a great deal of military analogies in his writings due to his experiences with the Roman military. During Paul’s house arrest, he was chained to a different soldier every eight hours. This experience gave him the ability to relate the Christian way of life to soldiering in the military.

New soldiers arriving at basic training are humbled, disciplined by consistent training, and taught to submit to the authority of their superiors. In this verse alone, there are four military style commands. When receiving a command from a ranking officer, the subordinate must obey the order. Paul, called to be an Apostle, writing under the influence and inspiration of the Holy Spirit is absolutely speaking with God given authority. Paul commands us to be sober (be sound in judgment), endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill our ministry.

To be sound in judgment is to have a mind that is transformed by the word of God. Hearing the word is the first step of transformation.

To endure hardship, you must trust in the promises of God. To trust is to believe that the word of God is absolute truth, infalliable, and one hundred percent trustworthy.

To “do the work of an evangelist” is to obey the Great commission by applying the command of Jesus Christ,"MakeDisciples".

“fulfill your ministry.” Fulfilling is synonymous with completing. As a Christian soldier, you are are expected to complete the mission that God has given you. If you hear the word of God, believe what you hear, and apply what you believe, then God will complete His plan for your life by fulfilling the ministry that He appointed you before the creation of the world.

Hearing, believing, applying, and completing are the keys to a life of faith. When you see your Savior, in all His glory, don't you want Him to say, "Well done fatihful and loyal servant. Mission Complete!!"? Take the time to study the Word and get to know Jesus Christ, believe Him to be absolute truth, and live His life by applying His mind to all situations in life. God will complete His Word in you by conforming you into HIS image, and that is truly MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!!!!!!

Armor Up!

Eph 6:13 "Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm."

Can you imagine one of our soldiers, fighting for freedom in Iraq, waking up in the morning and forgetting to put their armor on; Or putting their armor on, but forgetting their weapon. They would have to spend the entire day indoors or hiding from the enemy.

Now imagine you, as a Christian, leaving your house in the morning without being properly equipped to fight the spiritual battle that surrounds you each day. Pretty scary thought! We are in a spiritual war, and we are expected to participate each and every day. As believers we are targeted by the evil world that we live in. I strongly believe that we are more likely to be attacked than any unbeliever alive. This is because we pose more of a threat to Satan's plan than the unbeliever.

So how do we prepare for this battle? It's interesting to note that every item, except for one, that makes up the armor of God is strictly for defensive purposes. The belt, breastplate, shoes, shield, and helmet are all used to stand firm against the fiery darts that Satan's demonic forces throw our way. By putting on these items every day we are less likely to stumble, and more likely to disrupt Satan's plan. The sword is our only offensive weapon, but it is the most effective, The sword of the Spirit is the word of God. The more we intake the Word, the more we are able to attack the enemy. The saying, "Shoot or be shot!", is very important in the Christian life. If we study God's word, and store it in our soul, we are able to impact the evil world in a way that God desires.

Something Old Something New

2 Tim 4:10 "for Demus, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica."

Every Sunday around the world Christians assemble together in the local church to fellowship, worship, pray, learn, and grow together. The next time that you go to church, look around, scan the faces. Is there someone who used to come on a regular basis that you don't see anymore? Has one of your Christian friends given up on God and the Christian Way of Life? Maybe you haven't been spending as much time with the Lord as you did in the past. Maybe you feel yourself losing the desire that you once had. Why do some Christians walk away from God and the Christian way of life?

We have wonderful examples of "steadfastness" in the Bible. John was the longest living apostle. Paul persevered through beatings, hatred, shipwreck, and imprisonment. Then we have people like Demus. Demus was a faithful, fellow worker of Paul, but became tired of it all and set it aside. To Demus, the Christian life became old. Some of us know someone like Demus and then again, some of us are quickly becoming like Demus.

Today, pastors are consistantly trying to come up with some new sermon, new program, or new way to inspire the congregation with hopes of an increase in attendence. For some reason people flock to something new. Our generation has become so "new and improved" oriented that once the newness wears off, we become indifferent and look for something else. You have to understand that God is the same today as He was yesterday. He does not change. As Christians we need to stop looking for something "new and improved" from the word of God and start "applying" the the truths that have become old through lack of application.

In Leviticus 19:18 we are told to "love our neighbors". Fifteen hundred years later Jesus was saying the same thing. After the ressurection and ascention of Jesus Christ, Paul and John taught the same thing. The only reason truth gets old is because we fail to become consistently obedient. Someone once told me that if it is "new" then it probably isn't "true". What is old in teaching constantly becomes new through "experience". If you want the Christian life to become new for you, stop trying to learn some new mystery or some new viewpoint. Start trying to apply the old ones that you already know and every day will become a new day for the Lord.

No Matter What

Dan. 3:17-18 "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."

We have all been taught the lesson of Shadrach, Meshach, & Abed-nego growing up in Sunday school. Most everyone would agree that the main theme would be "Faith". It is always taught in a way that shows how God WILL deliver you in your times of trouble if you continue to have faith. That is a very powerful lesson that we should always remember, but lets take a look at 4 key words that have changed my spiritual life forever (in a better way). Those words....."if He does not". What these three warriors for God have taught us is that they knew that their Omnipotent (All Powerful) God has the capabilities to deliver them from the furnace, but they also point out that it may not be in His perfect will. No matter what God chooses to do in this situation, they understand that He is rescuing them.

What can we take from these 4 words in this wonderful Bible lesson? Simple.... Continue to have faith no matter how God decides to deliver you. Always remember that His plan may differ from yours, but His is always perfect! God does work in a interesting way sometimes, and we are not asked to understand but only to trust. Continue to worship Him throughout your time here on earth and He will continue to show you His awesome power and gracious love and mercy.

Stress Test

1 Pet 5:7 "casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you"

What a wonderful and comforting verse! If you are anything like most people, you experience some type of stress on a daily basis. Whether at work, school or home, stress is there, and you cant hide from it. Because of this, it is very important to know how to handle it. It is disturbing to see authors making millions of dollars selling their "self-help" books, claiming they have all the answers you need to overcome your obstacles for just $39.99.

Many doctors I have talked to in the past have said that they believe stress is the cause for many ailments and even many deaths. Believe it or not, the things that we let stress us out are tiny compared to the stress that Jesus Christ was faced with during his life on earth. We worry about how to pay the bills, and God has promised He would provide. We worry about who to date, and God has someone perfect waiting for us. We worry about our future, and God wants us to shine today. Everything we come across that causes us to panic, God has a fix on standby.

So, what does God want us to do? How do we deal with the reality of "stress"? Easy, keep our focus on the promises of God, and let Him take care of all the unwanted drama in our life. He dealt with Satan, face to face, on many occasions, I definitely think He can handle our problems. So cast everything that may cause you to stumble in your daily walk with the Lord on Him, and concentrate on how to be effective in a way that glorifies God Almighty!!

Pencil Him In

Ps 76:11 “Make vows to the LORD your God and fulfill them;”

We have become a society of appointments. Everyone carries a day planner, calendar, palm pilot, or appointment book in order to keep track of the many engagements that clutter the waking moments of the day. In the typical day of the average person there is a time to wake up, a time to go to work, time for lunch, time for meetings, time for phone calls, time for kids, time for dinner, time for television, and time for bed. The only “time” our schedule gets broken is when we develop a physical ailment. If we are sick, we schedule an appointment with the doctor. If we have a toothache, we schedule an appointment with the dentist. If we have problems, we schedule an appointment with a counselor. We are a society on a schedule. We don’t miss an appointment that can “fix” the sickness, the pain, or the problem.

When do we schedule an appointment with God? How often do we keep it? You must understand that everyday we wake up with a Spiritual ailment. This ailment can only be remedied by a daily commitment to the Lord. We must set aside some of the worthless appointments that fill up our day, make an appointment with God, and keep it. One day a week is not sufficient to transform your Spiritual ailment into Spiritual blessing. Commit a portion of your day, everyday to the Lord. Pray for wisdom, study the scriptures, and apply the principles and promises of God’s precious word to your life. If this appointment becomes a priority then you will be continually transformed from Spiritually sick and contagious to Spiritually well and contagious. Your Spiritual well being will spread to all those whom you come into contact with during your busy, appointment-filled day.