Too Important Not to Share

Several years ago the Mercedes Benz automobile company developed technology that helped their vehicles better absorb the impact of front-end collisions.  This was a revolutionary and industry-changing advancement in car design.  Although they owned the rights to this newly-designed machinery, they felt compelled to share it with other automobile manufacturers in the interest of public safety.

To promote the new technology Mercedes released a series of advertisements explaining to the public their desire to make the technology an industry standard.  In the campaign they explained, “Some things in life are too important not to share.”

The same is true with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The greatest message anyone can ever hear is that Jesus Christ died for their sins and rose from the grave victoriously.  You see, the technology designed by Mercedes was developed to save more lives; but the message of Christ was divinely designed to save the souls of men.

If you have been genuinely saved by the grace of God, you will want others to know the life-changing message which is the Gospel!  Tell someone about Jesus today- there are some things too important not to share.

“The Great Commission is not an option that is to be considered; it is a command that is to be obeyed“- Hudson Taylor

Coming Out of Chapter 11

Several years ago I was preaching at a church, and during the invitation a man and his family came to the altar and prayed for an extended amount of time.  When I began praying for them and speaking with them I asked if there was anything in particular I could help them pray about.  The man responded by saying, “No preacher, we are just down here thanking God for bringing us out of Chapter 11 Bankruptcy.  We are so glad that God brought our family out of Chapter 11.”

What was interesting is that I had been preaching from John chapter 12.  This was the chapter when Mary anointed the feet of Christ in worship and adoration.  In the message I must have said something to the effect, “God brought Mary and her family out of chapter 11 and into chapter 12.”  In chapter 11, Lazarus died, the sisters were sorely distressed, and life had take a serious fall (it’s a terrible chapter), but the Lord delivered right on time and brought them through chapter 11 into chapter 12.

We all from time to time go through “Chapter 11.”  But much like the family that endured financial despair, God brings us through; and in Chapter 12 we should be found at the feet of Jesus giving Him praise and honor for the good things He has done.  Has God brought you and your family through a trying time, perhaps an untimely sickness, or an economic crisis, or an emotional season?  If so, find a place at His feet and rejoice that you are in Chapter 12!

“The Best Way Out is Always Through”- Robert Frost

I Want America Back

I love America, and I want her back.  I do not say that in a mean or ill-spirit; and I am not implying that she was ever the possession of a certain group of people.  But what America has become and is becoming is not the America I grew up in.  I am burdened when I see that America has turned into something that our forefathers never intended.

We are living in a time when the moral fabric of our society has become unraveled, and if there has ever been a time to get concerned it is now.  Yes I want America back.

• The America I want back believed and worshiped the True and Living God.  Since our inception we have boasted only in the God of the Bible.  From our nation’s beginning we acknowledged Him alone as Sovereign- on our money, in our documents, and in our worship.  We no longer live in that America.

• The America I want back rewarded and honored hard work.  What made our nation great was hard-work, invention, industry, and self-created opportunity.  We didn’t look for hand-outs, freebies, or entitlements.  We no longer live in that America.

• The America I want back promoted decency and civility.  We have lost common courtesy in this country.  From our preachers to our politicians we lack integrity and moral character.  There was a time when our children could listen to music, watch movies, or attend school without hearing perversions or lewdness.  We no longer live in that America.

• The America I want back had limited Government.  From education to bail-outs to healthcare, government is seeking to regulate every aspect of our lives.  Ronald Reagan said, “Man is not free unless government is limited. There’s a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts.”  There was a time when socialistic and Marxist beliefs were completely opposed in this land.  We no longer live in that America.

• The America I want back believed in the importance of family.  The foundation of any society is the family unit.  As the family goes so goes the nation.  Adultery, fornication, divorce, co-habitation, and the redefining of marriage has clearly affected the home.  There was a time when no one considered the possibility of a same-sex marriage.  We no longer live in that America.

• The America I want back defended the sanctity of life.  There have been more murderous acts in abortion clinics in our land over the past 40 years than in any of our wars.  On September 11, 2001 almost 3000 people died in the horrific attack against our nation.  As terrible as that is, over 3000 die every day in the wombs of our mothers.  America was not built on death, it was built on life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  We no longer live in that America.

• The America I want back believed in greatness.  We have accepted mediocrity as the status quo.  We no longer challenge one another to attempt great things for the advancement of mankind.  There was a time when we had the best athletes, the best academics, and the best attitude.  We no longer live in that America.

• The American I want back embraced the importance of prayer.  Regardless of what revisionists say, our forefathers were men of faith, and they prayed to God.  They sought God for wisdom and consulted God publicly in prayer.  They were not afraid to incorporate prayer into every facet of society.  We no longer live in that America.

Yes.  I want America back, and I believe most who will read this article wants the same.  It is easy to air the grievances; but how do we get her back?

1. We Must Pray for America.  It is easy to interrogate our land, but we must intercede for our land.  God’s people must rise and pray in this dark hour.

2. We Must Vote Biblical Principles.  Let’s face it, there are not many options these days in politics, but we must vote for the candidate who is more in line with Scripture.

3. We Must Teach our Children the Values that once Made this Nation Great.  Moral and ethical precepts must be passed along to this generation.  We perhaps have the most gifted and talented generation before us; may we help to indoctrinate them with moral principles.

4. We Must Begin with Ourselves.  Unless I am willing to live with honor and integrity I cannot expect it from anyone else.  When I change myself I can change my family.  When my family changes I can change my neighbors.  When my neighbors change I can change my community.  When my community changes I can change my nation.  Let revival begin with me because I want America back.

5. We Must Turn our Hearts Back to God.  Time is too short.  Our children are too precious.  Our opportunities are too limited, and our nation is too great to permit an anti-God establishment to ruin what has made America great for so many years.

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” Psalm 33:12

Greater Love Hath No Man Than This

Petty Officer Michael Monsoor is probably not a name you are familiar with- but he is a hero.  Monsoor was part of a dedicated team of Navy Seals fighting the insurgents in Iraq.  In 2006, he was stationed at a sniper lookout in eastern Ramadi, Iraq with three other Navy Seals.  Suddenly a grenade was tossed into their station by an insurgent.   Immediately Monsoor threw himself atop the grenade saving the lives of his friends.

When interviewed by the Associated Press, one of the Navy Seals said this of Monsoor, “He never took his eye off the grenade, his only movement was down toward it…He undoubtedly saved my life of the other Seal’s lives, we owe him.”

This selfless and sacrificial act of heroism is a stirring reminder of the love and mercy of Jesus Christ.  He died so that we might live.  He took our sins, our shame, and our guilt and bore it at the cross of Calvary.  Jesus Himself described the greatest act of love, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a many lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).  May we honor the sacrifice of Michael Monsoor as a token of the greatest love ever shown- Christ’s love to us.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” -Romans 5:8

5 Road-Blocks on the Path of Prayer

If we turn our faucet on and no water comes out, we try to fix it.  If we flip the wall-switch and see no light, we start checking the wires.  If we crank up our car and see the Service-Engine-Soon light, we take it to the mechanic.  But what about our prayer life?  When we feel like we are not getting through to the Lord we need to search intensely for the problem.  There are many things that can hinder our prayer life:

1. Unconfessed Sin- sin affects our prayer life so that God cannot hear us when we pray. Ask God to reveal any sin that has never been confessed.

2. Undeterred Schedule– too many times we are so busy that when we pray our hearts and minds are in a thousand other places.

3. Unresolved Squabbles– if we have an unresolved issue with our brother or sister we are instructed to get things right with them before we attempt to approach God.  One cannot pray effectively if he has issues with others.

4. Uncontrollable Struggles– sometimes we allow the burdens and weights of life to keep us from spending time with God in prayer- this is when we should pray the most.

5. Unasked Specifics- Vague generalities are the curse of our prayer life. We are to Ask, Seek, and Knock with specific requests in mind.

Determine today to remove these roadblocks from your life and make the most of your time with God.

And the Survey Says….

One of my favorite game shows growing up was Family Feud.  Families would compete (feud) with one another by trying to guess the answers of particular surveys.  The answers were always based upon the popular opinion of 100 people.  Oftentimes the answers that I thought would be up on the board were not; and vice versa.  Although the show was entertaining it was not always exact; and the reason being is because truth is not based upon the opinion of people.  Truth is derived from the Word of God.

We live in a culture today however that wants to accept opinion as truth.  Instead of referring to the Bible many times we consult a group of “experts” and base our judgment upon their thoughts.  This approach is even being adopted in many churches.  In an attempt to reach the masses we have appealed to the masses.  At the end of the day however, the masses are in the same spiritual condition they were in before we made the appeal.

What you and I think about something is always trumped by what God has already said about something.  Instead of taking a survey we need to take the Scripture and find our answers there!  It doesn’t matter what the survey says…what does the Savior say?

Don’t Change Your Occupation, Change Your Outlook

According to Forbes Magazine most Americans are unhappy with their jobs.  Nearly 84% of those surveyed, if given the option of changing occupations, would change their careers tomorrow.  In the same study, when asked how they felt about their jobs (love, like, dislike, or hate), 72% stated they either disliked or hated their job.

Some of the reasons cited for such disdain toward their occupation included: unfair pay or compensation, stress of assignments, bad relationship with co-workers, insensitive boss, and long hours.  The number one reason given however was lack of inspiration.  Most Americans want to feel as though they are making a difference in their jobs, and a vast majority feels uninspired about what they are doing.

The Word of God offers a solution.  The Bible says, “Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).  Instead of changing occupations we should consider changing outlook.  If you are a plumber, be a plumber for God.  If you are a dentist, be a dentist for God.  If you are a hair-dresser, be a hair-dresser for God.  The one who signs your check is not your Employer- God is!  I like what John Maxwell says, “If you don’t change the direction you are going, then you’re likely to end up where you are heading.”   If we would do what we do for His honor and glory it would change our attitude about what we do and how we do it.