Devotions for Teens

[Soldier4Christ]

Life Worth Living



    "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mothers womb I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." ( Psalms 139:13-14)

Are you glad that you were granted life? Are you completely healthy and well educated? Do you have hope, and are you motivated? Have you always had a home and plenty of food? Do you feel loved?

If the answer to any of these questions is "No", then you probably should have been aborted- at least according to the former Surgeon General, Jocelyn Elders. Dr. Elders claims that 60% of America's children are "unplanned and unwanted". (Of course, when questioned regarding the source of this statistic, she was unable to defend it.) Dr. Elders promotes the idea that abortion (i.e. the premeditated and violent murder of an innocent and defenseless human being) is far better than an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy. In defense of her opinion she claims, "It's a matter of what you call living..."
I have a question: what do you call living, Dr. Elders?

    "I call living a child that's healthy, educated, motivated, and has hope. I don't call it living when you have pain and no health insurance...I don't call it living when you're a member of a hug-less club. I don't call it living when you have no hope." (Elders statement at pro-choice rally in Arkansas)

Interesting analysis. Most people would call it living when someone is alive- you know, like 'death challenged'? That would include the millions of unborn children who are victims of abortion. Elders seems to promote abortion as the answer to all of life's difficulties. Almost as if we abort all unwanted or unplanned pregnancies, we will then be on the highway to a perfect society.

This truly is thick thinking and ludicrous logic. There are thousands of 'wanted' children who do not necessarily experience the "high quality of life" that Elders uses to justify abortion. Moreover, many unplanned children are experiencing a very high "quality of life" at this very moment.

I wish Dr. Elders could have sat in my office across from a 13-year old girl as she shared her story. This young lady spent the early years of her life being abused mentally, physically, and verbally by two alcoholic parents. I wanted to cry as I listened. As she finished I asked, "What is it that has caused you to believe that life is worth living?" Her eyes sparkled and a smile filled her face as she replied, "I know now that I wasn't put here as the world's punching bag. God has a purpose and a plan for my life, and I can't wait to see what it is!"

I am thankful that I serve a Creator who has chosen to hug the hug-less and give hope to the hopeless. I am thankful that my Master chose to reveal His unconditional love to the world through an unjust death. I am thankful that my Lord chose to selflessly sacrifice Himself for sinners that I might have life, and life more abundantly. I am thankful that God does not believe that only a few are worthy of life, and that millions must die because there is no better way to ensure the "quality of life."

Unfortunately, the message that many teens are receiving today comes from the world. The message is this: "If you cannot produce as a valuable member of society; if you cannot be found worthy of societal acceptance and rewards; if you are without hope, love, hugs, are a home; you are better off dead!"

As Christians we should be working to spread the message of hope in Jesus Christ. People need to hear what Jesus calls living, and shown what we call giving. We should stand against those who seek to overlook the value of every human life and embrace the philosophy of selective death. If 'living' is just a matter of having everything go your way, then I suppose every person on earth will at one time or another be a candidate for abortion! Fortunately, the Author of Life offers us ultimate living that is completely unrelated to circumstances.

If you want to improve the 'quality of society'-the answer is not found in the sacrifice of millions, but the sacrifice of One!

[Soldier4Christ]

Do Something!

A recent survey found that 77% of Americans believe in Heaven, and 76% say their chances of going to heaven are good or excellent.

Apparently, our job of evangelism is almost done- since nearly 8 out of 10 are headed for the streets of gold...right?

Then again, this survey never got past the surface questions. I wonder what the percentage would have been if the inquiries would have dug just a little deeper. It would have been so easy to slip in a quick follow up question:

    "Since you believe that you are going to heaven, let me ask you this: why do you think you deserve to go there?"

Of course, once you drop that line, all manner of weirdness breaks out. Believe me; I think I've just about heard it all. Everything from alien connections to karma to even atheism. That's right- I've spoken with atheists who believe they are going to heaven.

Huh?

Generally what it boiled down to, though, was that most people believe they are pretty good. Good enough, in fact, to not have to end up in hell...therefore heaven must be their destiny.

Isn't that just like us Americans? As long as were not as bad as some people, we're sure to be headed for Paradise. So we take a mixture of belief systems, movie messages, conversations, and relatively harmless verses from a multitude of religious texts and-poof- everyone has there own made to order religion that's sure to end up all good.

The truth is that it is not going to end up all good. This survey reminds me of the rich and beautiful people on the Titanic who were drinking champagne and playing games with chunks of the iceberg while the ship was rapidly taking them to their deaths. I'm sure that more than 77% of them believed that everything was going to be alright- but the reality turned out to be very different than they expected.
Jesus addressed this exact issue:

    "Knowing the correct password--saying "Master, Master,' for instance--isn't going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience--doing what my Father wills. I can see it now--at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, "Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.' And do you know what I am going to say? "You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don't impress me one bit. You're out of here.' (Matthew 7:21-23- The Message)

Apparently there were lots of folks in His day who thought they were going to heaven as well. Jesus is plainly warning them that it is not a matter of religious works- but one of righteous faith.
The survey and this passage send a clear message to me:

We're asking the wrong questions. Many evangelistic techniques try to persuade a person to want to go to heaven. I've got news for you- most people already do! The issue for them is not whether heaven exists, or even if they believe they are going. The key is *why* they think they are going. It boils down to believing vs. behaving. If works could get us into heaven, then why did Jesus waste His time by coming to earth and dying a horrible death? As well- I think deep down most people- no matter what they say outwardly- know that they don't deserve heaven. Yet instead of facing that awful truth and turning to Christ- they decide instead to keep drinking the champagne of false religions and playing the games of denial and positive thinking.

Meanwhile the ship continues to go down.

How should we respond to this survey? The same way that of the greatest preachers who ever lived encouraged his congregation:

    "Brethren, do something; do something, do something! While societies and unions make constitutions, 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 do in the power of God!" - Charles Spurgeon

[Soldier4Christ]

Many Roads to God



    Dear God,
    It's O.K. that you made different religions, but don't you get mixed up sometimes?

    – Arnold (age 10)

Cute kid. Bad information. Somewhere along the way to the ripe old age of 10, young Arnold was informed that God is behind the plethora of pacifying belief systems that claim to answer life's questions.

Did you know that there are over 10,000 distinct religious groups in the world? Let's see now, if God was behind that wouldn't it mean that He played a fun little game of trivial pursuit with the world's population? C'mon folks- do you suppose He is so confused that He would change His mind 10,000 times?

Or perhaps there really are that many ways to get to heaven, or Nirvana, or Paradise, or become one with the universe, or whatever. Sort of like an ice cream shop. Just pick your flavor of the month, because every choice is valid. Of course ice cream flavors don't argue with each other very much. Many things can taste good at the same time, but many conflicting ideas cannot all be true at the same time.

To be honest, if there really was something that could 'mix up' God, I think it would be how human beings could invent so many conflicting philosophies of life and blame Him for the origin of them. Especially when He Himself came to earth to sort things out.

So Arnold, if you are out there reading this- let me offer you an answer to your question that God might have written, and I think you'll understand that He is not the One who is mixed up.

    Dear Arnold,

    Thank you so much for your question! With all the different churches and religions out there, it really does get confusing.

    Let me start out by saying that my number one desire is to have everyone on earth come and live in heaven with me. In fact, that's the plan that I've had since before there was time. But remember the story of Adam and Eve? The devil tempted them to do wrong and they disobeyed Me, and when that happened it changed my plan. From that point on, everyone born would have a bad streak in them which caused them to do bad things. When they did these things (sinned), they lost their chance to go to heaven. So as you can imagine I had a big problem! I love people, but I hate sin, and I cannot allow sinners into heaven.

    To solve my problem, I Myself came down to live on earth (remember learning about the first Christmas? I came down as Jesus). I lived a perfect life, and I died on a cross so that people could have their sins forgiven . I even came back from the dead to show everyone that I am God. I visited with over 500 people so they could tell all their friends the good news about being able to go to heaven when they died.

    Many people believed me after I left earth, and the 'religion' that came out of that is called Christianity- but really it is more of a relationship. People who believe that I died on the cross for their sins and are trusting in that to take them to heaven are brought back into a right relationship with me. This is the only way to get to heaven, that is why I said "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me...". What I was saying there is that trusting in Christ is not "a" way to heaven, but "the" way. If there really are other ways, why would I take the time to come down to earth and die a horrible death???

    So where did other religions come from? Well, as you remember from the Adam and Eve story, Satan hates Me, and he really hates people, because I made them and they are the objects of my love. He hates them so much that he doesn't want anyone to go to heaven and live with Me. So since the beginning of time he has made up all sorts of 'other' ways to get to heaven and called them 'religions'. They look harmless enough, and most of them actually help people in some way. But the problem is that while they are helping people feel good about themselves, they are keeping them from the truth about Jesus.

    So if you want to know where all these other religions came from Arnold, you need look no further than to the devil- because putting your trust in any other person, thing, or beliefs besides Jesus is a one way ticket to hell.

    It is true that all roads lead to Me, Arnold. One way (Jesus) leads to my mercy, all the other ones lead to my judgment.

    I hope this helps, my son. If it makes you sad that Satan has led so many astray, remember that it makes me sad too. But what you can do is make friends with people who don't know about Jesus, and tell them the good news about Him being the only way. Bless you as you help those who are confused!

    Your Heavenly Father,

    God

[Soldier4Christ]

Party On?



    Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13)

There's a huge party coming up. No, it's not like any that you have ever been to. I'm not kidding!
What are the differences you ask?

Well, first of all the location is out of this world...literally. It's going to be held in an unknown (at the present time) location. Possibly in another dimension, or into the far reaches of the galaxy. Either way, this place will be like nothing you've ever seen or experienced.

Secondly, the guest list is mind-boggling. You could end up mingling with people from every nation, tongue and tribe from every conceivable corner on the planet. Not to mention as well that you will be shaking hands with people who have been dead for hundreds, even thousands of years!

Then there's the guest of honor. Think for a moment how you would feel about going to a bash put on by the President of the United States or royalty from a powerful country...think you might get a little amped-up about that? Well compared to this Host, the greatest people on the planet look like beggars.

The coolest part is that these festivities go on for...well, forever. It is a perpetual party except without the puking patrons and moronic masses. Just the opposite, in fact. These folks will know how to really have a good time without the consequences.

So what do you think? Wanna go? Perhaps you are already on the guest list, and you don't even know it. Let me show you the handwritten invitation:

That triggered a response from one of the guests:

    "How fortunate the one who gets to eat dinner in God's kingdom!" Jesus followed up. "Yes. For there was once a man who threw a great dinner party and invited many. When it was time for dinner, he sent out his servant to the invited guests, saying, "Come on in; the food's on the table.' "Then they all began to beg off, one after another making excuses. The first said, "I bought a piece of property and need to look it over. Send my regrets.' "Another said, "I just bought five teams of oxen, and I really need to check them out. Send my regrets.' "And yet another said, "I just got married and need to get home to my wife.' "The servant went back and told the master what had happened. He was outraged and told the servant, "Quickly, get out into the city streets and alleys. Collect all who look like they need a square meal, all the misfits and homeless and wretched you can lay your hands on, and bring them here.' "The servant reported back, "Master, I did what you commanded--and there's still room.' "The master said, "Then go to the country roads. Whoever you find, drag them in. I want my house full! Let me tell you, not one of those originally invited is going to get so much as a bite at my dinner party.'" (Luke 14:15-24)

I'm not sure how you imagine heaven, but clearly one of the depictions given in Scripture is of a huge, blow out, one of a kind party.

Were you thinking that heaven was going to be boring? If so, it might be time to bone up on your Bible a bit.

Did you catch the other point made by Jesus' story? "The master said, Then go to the country roads. Whoever you find, drag them in. I want my house full!"

If you are a believer, your reservation at the party is confirmed. If you know people who haven't RSVP'd yet, you need to remind them of their invitation. It's simple really, and I'm not sure why everyone seems to make it so complicated!

If you knew of an incredible party coming up that you were invited to, how fast would you be on the phone with your friends?

That's what I thought - probably immediately or sooner.

Oh, but when we share the gospel we have to 'wait for the right opportunity', or 'build more bridges', or 'look for an opening'...why??? Look, you don't know when their invitation is going to expire - so what are you waiting for?

Friends don't let friends miss the party.

Also, I'm thinking that you should get ready for the celebration yourself. I'm not talking about having clean underwear on or something like that, what I'm getting at is living a life pleasing to God and growing in your relationship with the King.

Don't worry, your seat is secure- but as for me, I want to walk into the room and have Jesus say: "hey, there's Lane! C'mon up front my friend, I want to introduce you to everyone and tell them what a good job you did for me on earth!"

What's He going to say to you?

[Soldier4Christ]

Famous Last Words



    Then there was the time that the Risen Savior played a little game of hide and seek with the two depressed guys who were leaving Jerusalem (Luke 24).

Oh yeah, He disguised Himself and had them tell the story about the very Person with whom they were walking! I so wish I could have been there- how funny that would have been to see. Were you thinking that Jesus doesn't have a sense of humor? Think again Baptist Boy- Christ would blow away the greatest comedic minds of all time. Not that He took life lightly- are you kidding? Yet where do you think laughter and joy came from if not from God Himself? The point is that whenever Jesus jests, it is to communicate truth.

Not only does the Lord have a heart for humor, the angels do as well. One of my favorites is the incident that occurred not that long after the first Easter. Allow me to set up the scene: Jesus had appeared to more than 500 people in all kinds of places and circumstances; spoke to people- ate food- and generally proved to everyone that He had returned from the dead. Now it was time to take His rightful place at the right hand of God in heaven. Jesus speaks His final words to the disciples, and 'POOF' He's taken up into the sky lickety split. Here's what happened next:

    They (the disciples) stood there, staring into the empty sky. Suddenly two men appeared--in white robes! They said, "You Galileans!-why do you just stand here looking up at an empty sky? This very Jesus who was taken up from among you to heaven will come as certainly--and mysteriously--as he left." (Acts 1:10-11)

Can you picture it? Jesus makes this fantastic and glorious exit- and the disciples are frozen in time with their heads tilted back and their mouths hanging open as they gaze up at the heavens. The angels don't waste a second. "Hey- what's going on boys? You looking for alien encounters or what? We're pretty sure Jesus' famous last words before He left were marching orders, so we highly recommend that you get going, because He'll be back to check on your work..."

O.K., that's a pretty loose interpretation of mine, but basically that was the gist of the reprimand. And how funny would that have been to see!

So what was the truth they were communicating through their comedy? Simple: don't be a blockheaded believer. Every Christian who has ever lived, is living, or will live is under the exact same 'life purpose statement'- which is: "you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Problem is that many of us are just standing around 'looking at the sky' (so to speak) - and consequently the whole 'witness' thing is not getting done!

So what condition are you in? Are you a sky gazer or a witnessing laser? Sky gazers are all about the 'wait and see' scene. They wait around and see if people will drop out of the the heavens so they can share the gospel with them- but I would ask the same question: why do you stand around staring at the sky? People in this post-modern potpourri are not particularly positive about approaching believers- that's why Jesus said:

    "Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19)!

Witnessing lasers, on the other hand, are armed to the teeth with winsome ways to share Christ with others. The firepower comes from the Holy Spirit, but you must take the aim and pull the trigger. Remember, every day brings a potential chance to be a witness for the risen Christ.

I'm so glad that the heavenly host has a sense of humor- but don't think that sharing your faith is a joking matter, and don't stand around too long, because He really is going to follow up with His famous last words!

[Soldier4Christ]

The Luck of the Irish

Just who did this guy think he was? He walked right up to people from a different background and culture and told them straight up that they were going to hell... Not only that, he also condemned their traditions which had been practiced for thousands of years. Basically, he set out on a mission to turn a society upside down- even if it cost him his very life.
Who was this politically incorrect culture bashing Jesus freak?

None other than the guy we use as an excuse to wear green and party on: Patricus (otherwise known as St. Patrick).

I know you've probably heard all the stories about snake chasing and shamrock picking- but please allow me to give you the facts behind the fictitious fantasy formation.

Some 1500 years ago there was a rich, spoiled British teenager named Patricus who was probably out partying one night when a band of Irish pirates kidnapped him from his beloved home. They then sold him into slavery, which I imagine was not his first career choice while he was growing up.

He eventually escaped and was able to return home...end of story? No, actually just the beginning- because (amazingly enough) Patricus became convinced that he was handpicked by God to bring the entire country of Ireland to a saving knowledge of Christ.

Wait a sec...isn't this the same country that was home to his abductors? Who in his right mind would feel a missionary calling to a place that made him a slave?

Perhaps God uses other things besides our 'right mind' to guide and direct us in His ways and purposes. Patrick returned to Ireland, and accomplished one of the greatest missionary feats of all time with some of the most godless people who have ever lived. Consider these facts:

He was the first missionary to take the gospel literally "to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:. No one previous to Patrick had gone so far with the message of Christ.

He faced a culture where human sacrifice, slavery, and barbaric warfare were everyday practices. Yet by the end of his life, nearly all of these nasty habits were gone from Ireland.

He essentially brought about the conversion of a nation, who then in turn helped to save Western civilization during the dark ages.

There are many more stories about Patrick and his legacy which are far more impressive than the made up fantasies about him- but I think it's time to make a wee little point or two.

   1. Patrick was a person just like you and me in every respect except for one: obedience. Oh I know we would like to believe we are completely sold out to Jesus - but let's be honest- Patrick puts us to shame. It would be impressive enough to forgive the people who kidnapped you, but he took it a step further and risked his life to share the gospel with them! Most of us have a hard time forgiving people who merely lie to us or betray our confidence, and we will rarely even cross the street to witness to people. Isn't it about time we started taking this whole Christianity thing as serious as he did? Is God calling you to do something? Are you listening? Really listening?
   2. Patrick saw every human being as equally valuable and precious to God. The Christian missionaries before him most likely didn't get the gospel to Ireland because they viewed them as 'sub-human', and therefore not deserving of the message of the cross. Are there people in your life that you don't think deserve to hear about Jesus because they are different than you? Satan gains a great victory when he gets Christians to let their pride get in the way of God's compassion.

March 17th is St. Patrick's day- which was not the date of his birth. That day recognizes the anniversary of his death, and celebrates the unbelievable legacy he left. My suggestion would be to take part of that day and honor his memory. How? For one, try thinking about the specific things in your life that should change so that you can be more radical and passionate about your Christianity. What would the world be like if Patrick had said 'no' to God? What will the world be like tomorrow if you say 'no' to God today? Just who do you think you are?

[Soldier4Christ]

Let's God-Size It

One day a little boy strolled casually up to his mother and asked:

    "Mommy, just how big is God?"

    "Bigger than everything, son" she replied.

    He pressed further: "Bigger than the moon and stars?"

    "Yes"

    "Bigger than the whole universe?"

    "That's right honey- but why do you ask?"

    "Because you said that when we trust Christ, God comes to live inside us."

    "I did say that sweetheart, but what does that have to do with how big he is?"

    "Well Mommy, if God is bigger that the whole universe, and He also lives inside us - shouldn't He show through?"

Jesus said:

    "You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand." (Matthew 5:14-15)

Let's face it...that kid was onto something. It really does make sense that if the Eternal God of the universe has chosen to somehow take up residence in our puny souls, eventually folks around should be able to tell. But just what does that look like?

Well to start with it means that you are in perfect relationship with other Christians.

    Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples--when they see the love you have for each other. (John 13:34-35)

This may seem a little strange to you, but there is no room for the Holy Spirit and hateful sourness. A Holy God and a heavy grudge cannot be room mates for long. Isn't it strange that Jesus said our distinguishing characteristic would be the way that we love each other? Not what kind of music we listen to, not what movies we do or don't attend, not even how heavy a Bible we tote around. Yet I know plenty of "spiritual" looking believers who are as dark as a thousand midnights because they refuse to forgive.

If there is one thing the grace of God should have done for you, it is the power to let go. If you want to be any kind of witness to those around you, start with the person you see in the mirror- and see if the face staring back is full of the light of forgiveness and love for other believers.

[Soldier4Christ]

Pooh-itis



    Pooh: "Did you fall into the river, Eeyore?"

    Eeyore: "Silly of me, wasn't it?"

    Pooh: "Is the river uncomfortable this morning?"

    Eeyore: "Well, yes, the dampness you know."

    Pooh: "You really ought to be more careful!"

    Eeyore: "Thanks for the advice."

    Pooh: "I think you're sinking."

    Eeyore: "Pooh, if it's not too much trouble, would you mind rescuing me?"

The key phrase in this exchange is- "if it's not too much trouble". Pooh obviously was aware of Eeyore's predicament, but apparently he didn't care quite enough to take some needed action steps.

How many churches, youth groups, and individual Christians have what I would call 'Pooh-itis'?

    Pooh-it is (poo-eye-tis): adjective
    The mental state of being knowledgeable regarding the needs of people, yet hesitant to assist in any way.

There are a gigantic, huge, enormous number of people who right at this moment destined to spend an eternity in hell. In fact, they are some of your friends, family, classmates, and co-workers. They are people with whom you have conversations with everyday.

Oh we are great at going to conferences, forming committees, putting together action plans, and engaging in wishful thinking...but the bottom line is that people aren't getting saved! We Christians are long on preparation and short on performance.
To put it another way, the scenario looks something like this:

    Believer: "Are you on the path to hell, my friend?"

    Unbeliever: "Silly of me, isn't it?"

    Believer: "Is the path uncomfortable?"

    Unbeliever: "Well, yes, the guilt you know."

    Believer: "You really should have been more careful!"

    Unbeliever: "Thanks for the advice."

    Believer: "I think you're going to end up in hell."

    Unbeliever: "Christian, if it's not too much trouble, would you mind rescuing me?"

Isn't that really what people are saying on the inside? There is an epidemic of spiritual cancer, and you are holding on to the only cure...are you just waiting around to be asked?
That's not the way the Apostle looked at it:

    [For] "Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"(Romans 10:13-15)

Paul knew that people were 'stuck in the river', but he didn't beat around the Biblical bush- he went straight for the heart of the issue: heaven vs. hell- period.

Have you ever considered the possibility that the folks in your life who haven't heard the gospel might not ever get the chance because you waited too long for the 'right opportunity'? In God's mind- every opportunity is the right one! There are Eeyores out there who will never ask to be rescued, but don't use that as an excuse to not share your faith.
So let me propose a few remedies for Pooh-itis:

For churches/youth groups who have it- simple...give the gospel every week. Don't surrender to the silly sentiment that says it should only be given at special occasions- are you kidding? You might have a student that shows up for one meeting and one meeting only- and that was your one shot Jack! Besides that, if you present the gospel every week, there's a very good chance that the youth group will eventually catch on to the fact that seeing people come to Christ is a primary reason why youth groups/churches exist in the first place.

For people who have it- switch on your witnessing radar. Look for an opening to share Christ in any and all conversations. It's really not as difficult as you might think.

Scared? Yep, me too. But I'm actually more afraid of disappointing my heavenly Father, who placed me in that relationship to begin with! It's all a matter of perspective.

So what are you waiting for? Jump in the river and get your beautiful feet wet!

[Soldier4Christ]

O Scary Night



    That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior--yes, the Messiah, the Lord--has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!" Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others--the armies of heaven--praising God:

    "Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and peace on earth to all whom God favors. "

    When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Come on, let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds' story were astonished. (Luke 2:8-18)

Picture yourself in charge of announcing the biggest news the universe has ever heard. Bigger than world peace, the end of hunger, and a cure for AIDS all rolled into one.

Would you contact the president? Call a press conference? E-mail blast the world?

Or...would you get together with some friends and make a brief announcement to a group of homeless people, then be on your way.

That's what Gabriel did. He was appointed the task of proclaiming to the world the news that the Son of God was about to be born. Yet instead of using his awesome angelic powers to get the word out on the World Wide Web, he simply called up the troops and gave notice to a bunch of sheepish shepherds who had the social status of sows- remember? The shepherds of that day were looked upon as last place in the human race. In fact, many of them were not even allowed to worship in the temple basically because they were the 'wrong kind' of people. Yet these were the folks who were honored by the presence of angels and the proclamation of the Messiah's birth.
Does anything in this story seem wrong to you?

Not to me, and I'll tell you why.

God loves to use the unusable. He takes the ragamuffins of the religious realm and refines them into remarkable representatives of reconciliation. He chooses the church chumps and the washed-out witnesses to win the day.

Don't miss out on this very key element of the Christmas story, because there are three very strong applications to be considered.
First -

Face it...we're all shepherds, and that's one reason God loves us so much. We'd like to think that we 'got it going', but the truth is we don't. If you think you have something to offer Jesus, then friend- you've been duped by the devil. God could use fruitcake as effectively as us, but in His great mercy He chose us to hear about the Savior and proclaim the good news. Don't ever think that you are doing Christ a 'favor' by serving Him; rather remember the unbelievable 'favor' He presents to you on a daily basis.

Rate yourself shepherd boy (or girl) -

When it comes to my heart, I am:

1------2------3------4------5------6------7------8------9------10
Haughty Humble
Second -

Stop it...you know what I mean. Stop treating unbelievers like shepherds. No wonder the unsaved world thinks we are a bunch of stuck-up, irrelevant, preachy, judgmental, finger pointing, killjoy Pharisees- because sometimes we are!

Here's a newsflash: sinners sin- yep, people who don't know God actually don't obey Him. Were you expecting something different? Are you holding unbelievers to a standard they don't even know about? Are you expecting them to clean up their act before they come to Christ?

Rate again please -

When it comes to unbelievers, I am:

1------2------3------4------5------6------7------8------9------10
Condemning Compassionate
Third -

Tell it...just like the shepherds. Did you notice what happened to these guys once they got a taste of grace? They forgot about the sheep and what people might think and spread the good news like wildfire. They risked being laughed at and persecuted, but who cared? The glorious angels trusted them to be faithful- just like the King of Glory trusts us to be faithful. Who in your life needs to hear the gospel this Christmas?

One more test -

When it comes to sharing the good news of the gospel, I am:

1------2------3------4------5------6------7------8------9------10
Bashful Bold

[Soldier4Christ]

Persuading 101



    For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. (II Corinthians 5:10-11a)

A long time ago in a country far far away...no, I'm not talking about Star Wars- I'm thinking of a place called Greece. They were pretty famous for having a bunch of really smart dudes called philosophers. Their job mainly consisted of thinking of exceedingly brainy thoughts, then telling others how they could be brainy too.

One particular philosopher was named Aristotle, and he wrote a classic book called Art of Rhetoric. This work taught people how to persuade others to their way of thinking. I was checking out this book not long ago, and I thought "hey, this is great stuff! I'll have to use this sometime when I'm in a debate". Now most of the time, I deliberate with others on matters of opinion. For example, if I like the movie Shrek and my friend John comes along and tells me it was a stupid flick- we will probably enter into a discussion and I will try to convince him that it was actually an excellent show. Yet that is just my opinion, because we both could be correct from our different perspectives.

However, sometimes I get into conversations with people about God- particularly the gospel. Now when it comes to sharing the gospel we are not talking about opinion- we are discussing the truth. Jesus Christ is the way to heaven, not a way- it cannot be both ways. Therefore, I propose that we use Aristotle's great persuasion techniques to convince people of their need for a Savior- so let me explain how they work:

    * Technique one:
          o Ethos (character). Henry Stanley said of Scottish missionary and explorer David Livingstone, "He never tried to convert me, but if I had been with him any longer I would have become a Christian." When we as believers actually 'walk our talk', our words are taken more seriously. Perhaps there are people in your life who are almost ready to trust Christ, but they are waiting for you to start living like a Christian instead of just talking like one.
    * Technique two:
          o Pathos (emotion). At one of the Dare 2 Share conferences, there was a group of students witnessing to a security guard at a mall. He was very resistant to the gospel, until one girl tearfully pleaded, "If you don't accept Jesus, you'll go to hell. Please, please trust in Jesus." Her emotion most definitely got his attention!
    * Technique three:
          o Logos (reason). As we strive to live a godly life, we will attract attention. Others will take notice of our inner joy and peace, and this will lead to questions. It is at those moments that we need to be ready to give reasons for what we believe, and we are to do so gently and humbly (1 Peter 3:15). That's why we need to know the Bible, and the reasons why it is absolutely true.

All three of these techniques work very well by themselves, but when you combine all three you become an extremely compelling witness for Jesus. This week, ask God to help you identify which area you need to work on, and look for opportunities to share the most marvelous hope in the universe with those around you with a one-two-three combination.

When you know Christ, you want others to know Him too.

[Soldier4Christ]

I Mail Dead People

For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are. Nothing in all creation can hide from him. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes. This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done. (Hebrews 4:12-13)

Just when you thought you had heard everything, you immediately find out that you haven't. Especially when it comes to people who we can't hear from anymore, mainly because they aren't here anymore.

What in the world am I talking about? A new concept that has to do with places out of this world by people who are apparently out of their minds.

The company is called "Afterlife Telegrams"...yep; the name pretty much says it all.

If you've got a few bucks ($10 a word), you can have a 'telegram' delivered to someone who has died. The way it works is that your message is transported to the deceased by a terminally ill person who has memorized your memo.

Scary thought: what if your telegram was returned with postage due?

On a more serious note: how incredibly sad that there are people who would put forth the faith (and the dough) to a flim-flam outfit who is preying on the grief of people when they should be praying for the forgiveness of God.

It just goes to show this world's fascination with the supernatural- which brings up another point: are you taking advantage of this fact? People today are much more willing to talk about spiritual things, and we have the only spiritual truth. In fact, did you know that the words of Scripture are more powerful than the words of a ghost?

In Luke 16:19-31, we read about a rich man who died and went to hell. I don't think anyone would have wanted to send him a telegram, because it sounds like he's your basic definition of greediness.

While there, he suddenly gets concerned about his family having to join him down under (isn't it amazing how the heat of Hades turns evildoers into evangelists?)

Turns out his brothers never trusted in God- maybe because they had life pretty easy like he did, so they're not too concerned about the afterlife. So the rich guy comes up with this brilliant plan to convince them that Scripture is true: send a televangelist telegram in the form of a ghost- and then they'll believe.

That sounds reasonable, doesn't it? I mean - it worked for Scrooge in The Christmas Carol (sure, it took three ghosts, but it did finally change him).

Have you ever wished that you could produce something supernatural for your friends or family to convince them of the truth of Scripture? Yet Abraham's response was: `If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't listen even if someone rises from the dead.'

In other words, The Bible is not just a collection of letters on some paper. If you are witnessing to people using God's word, that is as powerful as it gets. Not even a 'gospel ghoul' would be more convincing than John 3:16. Talk about the ultimate 'afterlife telegram'!

So if you are discouraged that people don't seem to be responding to your efforts to share the good news of Christ, be encouraged by Luke 16. If you are presenting the gospel with the words of Scripture, you are doing exactly what God wants you to do. Fancy talk, flawless arguments, and flashy methods add nothing to the power of the Word. Think about the fact that everyone on this earth has some level of interest in spiritual things- and remember that quoting the Bible is more effective than calling a ghost.

[Soldier4Christ]

The Pardon



    Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? (Matthew 19:16)

He did it. He wasn't making any excuses either. He had gone to prison and served his time. He had paid his "debt to society" and had worked very hard to put his life and his family back together again. By everyone's standards, he had been rehabilitated.

Although many years had passed, he was still suffering, however, the consequences of his crime. As each election came, he was prevented from voting. As a young boy he loved to hunt and looked forward to taking his sons hunting when they got older but his felony conviction prevented him from even being in possession of a gun. Even when he would apply for a job he knew he would be confronted with that same question on the job application form...."have you ever been convicted of a felony?" As he answered the questions "yes", the looks, whispers and embarrassment would start all over again.

He wished he had never done it, but he did. He couldn't change that as much as he wished he could. What he could do, however, was to get a pardon.

To get a pardon in most states, a convicted felon must apply to a Board of Pardons who reviews the applicant's past and the seriousness of his crime. They also look at what changes the person has made in their lives. They basically determine if they have done enough good things to deserve a pardon. In other words, the Board of Pardons tries to determine if the applicant has earned a pardon. If they believe the applicant is worthy, the board recommends to the Governor that the person receive a pardon.

If the Governor grants a pardon (he doesn't have to), the recipient is legally treated as if he/she had never committed a crime. All of the constitutional rights that were once lost are now restored. He/she is no longer a "felon". Unfortunately, a pardon from the Governor does not wipe away the memories of your family, friends and neighbors...sometimes they never forget, and sometimes they don't forgive either.

Spiritually speaking, all of us are like the person who has been convicted of a felony. Romans 3:23 tells us that"

    "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

In God's eyes, we all start out as "convicted spiritual felons". As a result, we too need a pardon. The kind we need, however, is a spiritual pardon.

How do you get a spiritual pardon? Well, it is not like getting a pardon from the Governor. To get a pardon from the Governor requires you to prove that you deserve and have earned the pardon. It is based upon your good works. In this case, you can't earn nor can you deserve a spiritual pardon.

Romans 9:16 makes it perfectly clear that "it does not therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy". Thus, to get a spiritual pardon is merely a gift from God.

To get a spiritual pardon is actually quite easy. Romans 10:9 says that:

    "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

That is how you get your spiritual pardon. By putting your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Nothing more, nothing less. Your sins are forgiven and whereas your friends never forget your past, the Bible tells us that God does!

Each person has to get his or her own spiritual pardon. You can't buy it, put it on your credit card or have your parents get it for you. You don't get it by attending a certain church, getting baptized or taking communion. It is merely a gift you don't deserve but that God wants you to take.

[Soldier4Christ]

Roll the Bones

Ever been talking to someone about your faith in Christ when suddenly he or she throws a stumper question at you?

    "How did Noah get all those animals on the boat?"

    "Isn't the Bible just a bunch of stories?"

    "Don't all religions basically teach the same thing?"

Then you are faced with a choice: either follow doubting Thomas down the Bible trivia bunny trail, or try and keep the main thing the main thing.
What is the main thing?

Jesus. J-E-S-U-S. Alpha and Omega. Beginning and End.

Aren't those other questions important? Sure, but there's plenty of time later for stuff like that. Many times those questions are just a convicted soul running interference anyway.

So what if they ask a question about the main thing? Something like- "How do you know Jesus even exists?"

That, my friend, is not a bunny trail. That is not only a question, but the question. If Christ never existed, then (obviously) He never died and rose from the dead. If that never happened, we are the stupidest folks who ever got out of bed in the morning.

But we don't need to worry about that: because He did exist, live a perfect life, die a sacrificial death, and rise victorious over sin to provide a way back to God. Listen to the words of a man who died for believing in these real claims:

And if Christ was not raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your trust in God is useless. And we apostles would all be lying about God, for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave, but that can't be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless, and you are still under condemnation for your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ have perished! And if we have hope in Christ only for this life, we are the most miserable people in the world. (I Corinthians 15:14-19)

Paul's whole case rested on the faith and facts, not faith alone. If Jesus really lived and did what the Bible said, then that trumps all other religious claims. The problem is that not everyone is aware of that, or they have been lied to by parents and/or a perverted public education about the real story of Jesus.

Well here's the good news folks- this past month secular science has unearthed what might be the most important Biblical archaeological find in all of history! I won't bore you too much with the details, but here is a summary:

When people in Jesus' time period died, they would often put their bones in a box and write their name on it. This past month, there was a particular box dug up that had this on it:

    "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus."

So what? Well, the long and short of it is that with the combination of these three names on one box coming from that time period, there is pretty much no doubt that a man named Jesus lived, and must have been pretty famous to get His name on his brother's bone box.

To me this means two things:

   1. If and when you have doubts about your faith, stand firm! This is just another validation that our faith rests in solid historical proof, even though people have been trying to disprove it for 2000 years! The deeper we dig into the dirt of history, the more proof of Christianity will rise to the surface. Remember that the foundation of your faith is built on facts, not feelings.
   2. Get the news out! This is a big story folks, so if you are looking for a way to bring up the subject of the gospel- you might as well give this one a try! At the very least you may get people thinking about what is truly important.

So who would have thought that a 20" bone box would rock the world 2000 years later? And who also would have thought that God could use simple people like us to get the good news out?

[Soldier4Christ]

The Sin of Tolerance

At the very least I was discouraged, and at the worst I was shocked...According to two different (trustworthy) surveys, turns out a good many born again Christians believe that there are other ways to God besides Jesus, and that most religions basically teach the same thing. O.K., I can understand why we might want to think that. The people we meet from other religions are (more often than not) nice, sincere, and dedicated folks. It is nearly impossible to imagine literally billions of these people being sentenced to an eternity in a horrible place called hell.

So we just don't 'go there'...and rework our belief system to include a mental picture of most people making it to heaven somehow, someway. After all, we don't want to come across like some snobby, sanctimonious saint who is interminably intolerant.

If that is your case, may I suggest rethinking your position? It's not that I think you are a bad person- in fact I applaud your compassion. After all, the greatest commandment in all of Scripture is that we love God and love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12)- so isn't it 'unloving' to force our belief system on other people?

Apparently Jesus didn't think so.

    Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

Did you catch those two key words? No one...no matter how sincere- no matter how many good works, no matter how dedicated or determined: no one.

Why so narrow?

Well, look at it from Jesus' perspective. If there is any other way into heaven besides trusting Christ, then didn't He sort of waste His time and effort?

    "Hey Jesus, I really appreciate You coming down to earth, living a perfect life and dying a horrible death...but guess what? You didn't need to, because there are other ways to God...oops!"

Only one 'religion' teaches relationship with God through faith in Christ alone: Biblical Christianity. So either we are wrong and other religions are correct, or we really do have the only truth.

No, I'm not saying we should be unloving or conceited when we witness to others. My point is that it seems that we have become so tolerant that we are willing to tolerate others going to hell in the name of 'politeness'. We have been called to share the gospel at every opportunity, so when we keep our mouth shut because we might offend someone, we actually offend God.

    "Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it." (James 4:17)

Your unsaved friends, co-workers, classmates, and family members have terminal spiritual cancer that leads to eternal consequences. You can point the way to the only true Way out. Don't let wacky worldly wisdom lead you to an attitude of apathy - commit yourself to being like these two guys mentioned in this story:

    They brought in the two disciples and demanded, "By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?" Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Leaders and elders of our nation, are we being questioned because we've done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? Let me clearly state to you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed in the name and power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth, the man you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead. For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says,

        `The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.'

    There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them." The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men who had had no special training. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:7-14)

[Soldier4Christ]

9 Out of 10 People Say What?

Did you check out the AOL survey last week? If not, you missed a pretty interesting set of statistics:
What is the key to getting into heaven?

    * Living a good life. 65.5%
    * Having connections to someone at the top. 26.7%
    * Helping old ladies cross the street. 2.7%
    * Slipping St. Peter $20.00. 1.9%
    * Having a strong letter of reference. 0.5%
    * Making a deal with the devil. 1.2%
    * Telling a really good lie. 0.5%

Total votes 121,836
Are you going to heaven?

    * Yes. 89.8%
    * No. 10.2%

Total votes 143,309

(Source: www.aol.com)

Most of the answers didn't surprise me, but did you notice how many more people responded to the second question (are you going to heaven?) as opposed to the first? 21,473 more folks opted to answer that simple question as opposed to taking time to think about the first one.

Apparently, nearly 9 out of 10 people believe they are going to heaven, but many of them don't know and/or don't care why.

I believe Satan's goal is to take as many people as possible into hell with him. To do so, he doesn't need to get anyone to convert to Satanism; he only needs to slightly distort the truth. This survey is a case in point: in one fell swoop he has 90% of Americans feeling good about themselves while at the same time are destined for eternal separation from God.

If these figures aren't a wake-up call to our responsibility to share the good news of Jesus, I don't know what would be. The devil has this country convinced that the 'do good gospel' gets them into heaven, and we are the only ones who can help them remove the blinders and see the Light of the world.

My suggestion would be to do a little survey in your corner of the world. Perhaps use this one, or make up new questions. The point is: get people talking about their perspective on heaven/hell. My guess is that most people you talk to will end up responding similar to the survey: i.e. good works get me into heaven. Here are a few verses you can use as discussion points:

    Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

    God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

    He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5)

    There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them. (Acts 4:12)

    But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. (Revelation 21:

Evidently, God's survey would come out very different: one out of every one goes to hell without Christ!