Picture it- You are a soldier in the military, and you are about to leave the barracks for the battlefield, where you are instructed to plunge into the center of the enemy! Before you leave. however, you must go to the supply room to make sure you are properly equipped. You must have the proper clothing and weapons in order to achieve victory. Knowing what awaits you on the battlefront, do you leave your helmet back at the base? How about your boots? Do you suppose you'll march very well without those? Or, how about if you take your boots, helmet, and bullet-proof vest but decide to leave your weapon behind. Will you have much success without that? Of course not! How foolish it would be for anyone to engage in warfare without taking full advantage of every resource available.
Sadly, there are many in the body of Christ who do not take advantage of every aspect of the "armor" that God has provided. They are not equipped to engage the enemy, which is why they avoid the battlefield altogether. Perhaps they are not aware that there is a battle going on at all .
Listen to the words of Scripture: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Eph 6:10-12
The war is real and the enemy is playing for keeps. We can ill afford to be ignorant of his devices. We ought to be always prepared to defend ourselves from his attacks. Hear the words of the apostle, "Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able ot withstand in the evil day, and having done all , to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins gird about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God..." Eph 6:13-16
Brothers and sisters, wear the full armor of God. You wouldn't go to war without the proper equipment, and you shouldn't wage spiritual warfare without being equipped either. If you desire to be used by God, you need to be protected by His armor. Don't go about it in your own strength.
See you on the streets!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Soldiers in the Army of God
Hard to believe another week has gone by. I left you with a challenge last week to make the most of every day and every opportunity to share your faith, because you can't turn back the hands of time. Every minute that passes is one you will never get back, so the challenge was to do the utmost in each moment for the Kingdom of God. The reason I continually bang the same old drum is because I know that if there is anything Satan does NOT want believers to do, it is to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to those he has in his grip, and he will do anything and everything he can to thwart the furtherance of the gospel.
As soon as you determine to open your mouth, all the flimsy excuses in the world will come flooding into your mind. Satan will seek to distract you, and if he fails at that, he will seek to discourage you, in a number of ways. He is quite content to leave you alone as long as you stay within the confines of your "christian circle" of friends. If you want to see all hell let loose against you, then determine and actually GO preach the gospel.
As a soldier of Jesus Christ, this is no surprise to us, and each attack comes as nothing new. Attacks from the enemy come with the territory when you are at war. We have been given the proper armor and been given our objectives, and the alarm of war has sounded. The battle is on. The only trouble is, many have not taken to the battlefield. They have received the orders from the Captain, but are not obeying them! They are busy enjoying all the benefits of being in the army, and studying the manual to learn as much as possible about warfare and the rules of engagement. They have regular meetings and parties at the barracks, which they spend large amounts of energy and resources on, while the battle rages on outside. They worship and adore their Captain, yet they do not do what he says!
Jesus said, "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do no the things that I tell you?"
"Have you noticed how much praying for revival has been going on as of late - and how little revival has resulted? I believe the problem is that we have been trying to substitute praying for obeying, and it simply will not work. To pray for revival while ignoring the plain precept laid down in Scripture is to waste a lot of words and get nothing for our trouble. Prayer will become effective when we stop using it as a substitute for obedience." A.W. Tozer
"We Cristians too often substitute prayer for playing the game. Prayer is good; but when used as a substitute for obedience, it is nothing but blatant hypocrisy, a despicable Pharisaism... To your knees, man! And to your Bible! Decide at once! Don't hedge! Time flies! Cease your insults to God. Quit consutling with flesh and blood. Stop your lame, lying and cowardly excuses. Enlist!" C.T. Studd 1860-1931 British missionary who served in China, India, and Africa
I know that the reason most of us do not share our faith is because we suffer with the "Fear of Man" Syndrome. We are afraid of what people will think or say. Imagine this for a moment. If I was to offer you $1,000 for every person you witnessed to in the next 2 weeks, do you think you would be more zealous in your evangelism? Think about it --- $1,000 cash for every person you shared the gospel with for two whole weeks. How much money could you make in two weeks? You're thinking "YES!!! Break out the pillow cases, baby! We're going to the bank!" It sure would be nice if that were the case. $1,000 per person would make many of us instant evangelists indeed.
So now let me ask you: Can you deal with your "fear of man" problem for your love for money, when you can't deal with it for your love for God? It's challenging, isn't it? Listen, the Lord has rewards in heaven that will make you detest anything that money can buy. Jesus told us to build treasures in heaven, where moths and rust do not corrupt. Where is your treasure?
We have so many motivating factors for preaching the gospel: compassion for the fate of the lost, to hear the words "Well done, good and faithful servant", rewards in the kingdom, the glory of God, etc. Won't you, at least for one of these, step out and obey the voice of your Captain and actively seek and save the lost by preaching the gospel to every creature? The Lord will not let you down when you obey him.
Until next week, ..... See you on the streets!!
Our Primary Objective, Part 2
Last week we were hit with the importance and the urgency of getting the gospel out to our friends and neighbors before its too late. Of course it would seem obvious that this should be the great and foremost issue in the mind of every believer. Its been well said that he who knows what he has been saved from will know what he has been saved for. How can we ignore the plight of the world around us? How could we smugly say to the world, " Go to hell; I'm saved and I don't care." In order to say that, one would have to have a heart of stone. Don't be like the seed that fell among thorns and let the cares of this life or the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and make it unfruitful in your life. Don't be like the rich man, fairing sumptuously every day on the riches of Bible study and fellowship while Lazarus lies starving at your gate.
Charles Spurgeon said, "She is a traitor to the Master who sent her if she is so beguiled by the beauties of taste and art as to forget that to 'preach Christ ... and Him crucified' is the only object for which she exists among the sons of men. The business of the Church is the salvation of souls."
Joseph Arlean, the great Puritan preacher said, "But from whence shall I fetch my argument? And with what shall I win them? I would write to them in tears! I would weep out every argument! I would empty my veins for ink... if only they would be prevailed upon to repent and turn."
Can you feel the passion in that man's heart for the lost? Does not your own heart burn within you as you read the emotion in his words? Can you also sense the urgency with which he preached the gospel? May we be as this man was, and have hearts so set ablaze by the Spirit of God, that we, too, would be able to say that we would "empty our veins for ink". How many of us have emptied a pen of ink to write to a loved one about the everlasting life we've found in Jesus Christ?
If we would just be more eternally minded it would really put things in perspective about our time here on this earth. Life is so short, and there is nothing we will be taking out of here, ...except people. Imagine you have a bank account that gets credited $86,400 every day. The only catch is that it does not carry over a balance from day to day - every evening it erases any part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? You would withdraw every penny, naturally. Each of us has such a bank. It's name is "time." Each morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds and each night it erases whatever part you didn't invest in good purposes. It carries no balance, and allows no overdrafts. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back, and no drawing against tomorrow. Invest it so you will get the utmost in God's will. The clock is running. Make the most of today.
Charles Spurgeon said, "She is a traitor to the Master who sent her if she is so beguiled by the beauties of taste and art as to forget that to 'preach Christ ... and Him crucified' is the only object for which she exists among the sons of men. The business of the Church is the salvation of souls."
Joseph Arlean, the great Puritan preacher said, "But from whence shall I fetch my argument? And with what shall I win them? I would write to them in tears! I would weep out every argument! I would empty my veins for ink... if only they would be prevailed upon to repent and turn."
Can you feel the passion in that man's heart for the lost? Does not your own heart burn within you as you read the emotion in his words? Can you also sense the urgency with which he preached the gospel? May we be as this man was, and have hearts so set ablaze by the Spirit of God, that we, too, would be able to say that we would "empty our veins for ink". How many of us have emptied a pen of ink to write to a loved one about the everlasting life we've found in Jesus Christ?
If we would just be more eternally minded it would really put things in perspective about our time here on this earth. Life is so short, and there is nothing we will be taking out of here, ...except people. Imagine you have a bank account that gets credited $86,400 every day. The only catch is that it does not carry over a balance from day to day - every evening it erases any part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? You would withdraw every penny, naturally. Each of us has such a bank. It's name is "time." Each morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds and each night it erases whatever part you didn't invest in good purposes. It carries no balance, and allows no overdrafts. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back, and no drawing against tomorrow. Invest it so you will get the utmost in God's will. The clock is running. Make the most of today.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Our Primary Objective
Our primary objective as members of the body of Christ is to bring the message of salvation to the rest of the world. We all have different gifts for use in building up and encouraging those already in the church, but we should not allow our zeal for service drown out the cry of the world around us as they sink into hell.
150,000 people die every day. Think for a moment about how many people that is. If we believe what Jesus said, that straight is the gait and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there be that find it, then most of those 150,000 people who will die today will be in hell. Do you care? Does your heart have enough compassion to do something about it? You have an incredible treasure in an earthen vessel. The gospel, inside of you, whether in the form of your own testimony or by preaching the words of everlasting life. Will you obey the voice of your Lord and preach the gospel to every creature? He spilled his blood and suffered for the payment of their sins. Will you reach out and pull them from the fire?
He could have used some other way to send the message across the earth, but he has ordained that through the foolishness of preaching he would save them that believe. He could have written it across the sky in big letters, or made it possible for us to see into heaven from earth, so that we wouldn't have foolish teachings like evolution or re-incarnation or other false religions. He could have written it inside our eyelids so that every time we close our eyes, we read the gospel. He could have used all sorts of other means to reach men and women with the truth, but he has chosen to use us. Are you being a true and faithful servant?
We've all seen the commercials on television where they go to some 3rd world country and exploit the suffering there in order to raise money for their organization. We've all had a sense of deep compassion as we've seen children suffering with hunger and nakedness and the pain on the mother's faces. These commercials raise millions of dollars. Brothers and sisters in Christ, let me ask you, how much worse a fate is it for one to end up in hell for an eternity? Forever and ever and ever in torment! The sad truth of the matter is that you don't have to travel to the ends of the earth to find a poor soul in this predicament. They are all around you, every day. Millions upon millions of them are spread out all over the globe and they are all headed moment by moment to the Day of Judgement when they will stand alone and naked before the throne of Almighty God and give an account of every detail of their lives. And if their names are not written in the Book of Life, they will be cast into the lake of fire and suffer the terrible consequences of their sins.
You and I hold the good news of forgiveness in Christ in our hands! We've already been told to take it to them. How can we sit idly by, enjoying fellowship and singing songs in the lifeboats while sinners are drowning all around us? Its been well said that the body of Christ is not a pleasure-cruiser sailing towards heaven, but a battleship stationed at the very gates of hell.
Oswald J Smith said, "Oh my friends, we are loaded down with countless church activities, while the real work of the church, that of evangelizing and winning the lost, is almost entirely neglected."
"Save some, O Christians! By all means, save some. From yonder flames and outer darkness, and the weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth, seek to save some! Let this, as in the case of the apostle, be your great, ruling object in life, that by all means you might save some." Charles Spurgeon
One last quote from the prince of preachers, "Brethren, do something, do something, do something! While societies and unions make constitiutions, let us win souls. I pray you, be men of action all of you. Get to work and quit yourselves like men. Old Suvarov's idea of war is mine: 'Forward and strike! No theory! Attack! Form a column! Charge bayonets! Plunge into the center of the enemy! ' Our one aim is to win souls; and this we are not to talk about, but to do in the power of God!"
Brothers and sisters, we are fighting an epic battle, and the objectives of our warfare are the souls of men. Please, for the sake of those around you, don't get so consumed with your own life that you forget the real reason you're still here.
See you on the streets!!
150,000 people die every day. Think for a moment about how many people that is. If we believe what Jesus said, that straight is the gait and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there be that find it, then most of those 150,000 people who will die today will be in hell. Do you care? Does your heart have enough compassion to do something about it? You have an incredible treasure in an earthen vessel. The gospel, inside of you, whether in the form of your own testimony or by preaching the words of everlasting life. Will you obey the voice of your Lord and preach the gospel to every creature? He spilled his blood and suffered for the payment of their sins. Will you reach out and pull them from the fire?
He could have used some other way to send the message across the earth, but he has ordained that through the foolishness of preaching he would save them that believe. He could have written it across the sky in big letters, or made it possible for us to see into heaven from earth, so that we wouldn't have foolish teachings like evolution or re-incarnation or other false religions. He could have written it inside our eyelids so that every time we close our eyes, we read the gospel. He could have used all sorts of other means to reach men and women with the truth, but he has chosen to use us. Are you being a true and faithful servant?
We've all seen the commercials on television where they go to some 3rd world country and exploit the suffering there in order to raise money for their organization. We've all had a sense of deep compassion as we've seen children suffering with hunger and nakedness and the pain on the mother's faces. These commercials raise millions of dollars. Brothers and sisters in Christ, let me ask you, how much worse a fate is it for one to end up in hell for an eternity? Forever and ever and ever in torment! The sad truth of the matter is that you don't have to travel to the ends of the earth to find a poor soul in this predicament. They are all around you, every day. Millions upon millions of them are spread out all over the globe and they are all headed moment by moment to the Day of Judgement when they will stand alone and naked before the throne of Almighty God and give an account of every detail of their lives. And if their names are not written in the Book of Life, they will be cast into the lake of fire and suffer the terrible consequences of their sins.
You and I hold the good news of forgiveness in Christ in our hands! We've already been told to take it to them. How can we sit idly by, enjoying fellowship and singing songs in the lifeboats while sinners are drowning all around us? Its been well said that the body of Christ is not a pleasure-cruiser sailing towards heaven, but a battleship stationed at the very gates of hell.
Oswald J Smith said, "Oh my friends, we are loaded down with countless church activities, while the real work of the church, that of evangelizing and winning the lost, is almost entirely neglected."
Charles Spurgeon said, "If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and un-prayed for." | |
| | |
One last quote from the prince of preachers, "Brethren, do something, do something, do something! While societies and unions make constitiutions, let us win souls. I pray you, be men of action all of you. Get to work and quit yourselves like men. Old Suvarov's idea of war is mine: 'Forward and strike! No theory! Attack! Form a column! Charge bayonets! Plunge into the center of the enemy! ' Our one aim is to win souls; and this we are not to talk about, but to do in the power of God!"
Brothers and sisters, we are fighting an epic battle, and the objectives of our warfare are the souls of men. Please, for the sake of those around you, don't get so consumed with your own life that you forget the real reason you're still here.
See you on the streets!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)