Devotions for Teens

[Soldier4Christ]

Beware the Mule

I've read that when a group of thoroughbred horses face attack from an outside enemy, they get together in a circle facing each other- then they kick out at the attackers using their hind legs. Donkeys, on the other hand, do just the opposite. They circle up, facing the enemy, and use their hind legs to kick each other!

Good move guys...nothing scares an enemy away faster than when you start beating each other up.

Perhaps that's why the popular television show highlighting people with the IQ of dryer lint is named after donkeys.

Have you ever noticed that many Christians have lost their 'horse sense'? We are always under attack from Satan and his demons, so naturally we should be circling up and kicking the enemy behind us. But this is not what I have seen. More often than not, believers turn into burros and start kicking each other around, even though they are facing attack.

The 'kicks' come in many forms- and they are all as helpful to the devil as his own attacks. For example, some burro believers use legalism as a favorite kicking tool. They think that they are God's gift to the church or youth groups, so they self-righteously apply their idea of the Christian life to everyone else around them. They love to smack struggling believers with a 'holier than thou' attitude and make them think that they are saved by grace and kept by works.

I've seen other delivered donkeys who strike with the hoof of gossip. They love to hear the latest tidbits of information about others in the group- especially if it's negative. Then they smugly pass along the tittle-tattle by way of a 'prayer request' because they are 'concerned'. Sounds like a lot of hee-haw to me.

Ever been kicked by cliques? Try to work your way into the well established group of folks who play favorites with each other. As long as they are happy, they are oblivious to the needs and concerns of others. Sometimes I think Jesus Himself would have a hard time fitting into some of the mule-like ministries I've observed over the years.

I've been kicked by bitterness before...it does not feel good. It was that person's responsibility to make things right and restore the unity between us, but instead this individual chose to turn around and whoop me upside the head.

Mules are very stubborn. It is extremely difficult to get them to change their ways. I think God knew this, which is why He gave a certain command:

    Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31-32)

In other words- get along little donkey! Turn your life around and stop kicking your own brothers and sisters! It breaks the heart of God to see us change from beautiful believers to malicious mules. It also brings Satan great happiness when he perceives us applying the donkey defense technique...it makes his job of destroying believers *oh* so much easier- especially when it is an inside job.

My guess is that you have been on the giving and receiving end of kicks in the end...now it is time to change. It is your job to leave the pack and get back in the race with the thoroughbred horses. I think you will find that the Christian life works much better when you are working together...in fact, you may discover that it is quite a kick!

[Soldier4Christ]

Time to Chill?



    The pastor walks to the microphone and begins:

    "If there is one thing I cannot stand, it is people who let themselves get walked on. I mean, at some point in life you have to learn to stand up for yourself...get some backbone...show people who's boss...know what I mean? If you don't, you'll just end up with people taking advantage of you, and worst of all you won't get what you want out of life- and God wants us to blaze our own trail...so who's with me?"

    Amidst the cheering of the newly self-empowered crowd comes a mild-mannered voice that poses a simple question:

    "What would Jesus do?"

Oops- end of sermon.

Maybe that pastor should have studied a little bit more? Those of his opinion love to remind people how Jesus got angry and chased the cheats out of the temple- and other stories that supposedly justify their self-driven, out of control actions and attitudes. You know the kind? They always have to be right, and if you disagree they fly off the handle like a baby that needs changing.

May I offer a better perspective from one of the greatest Christians in history?

    "When two goats meet upon a narrow bridge over deep water, how do they behave? Neither of them can turn back again, neither can pass the other, because the bridge is too narrow; if they should push one another, they might both fall into the water and be drowned; nature, then, has taught them, that if the one lays himself down and permits the other to go over him, both remain without hurt. Even so people should rather endure to be trod upon, than to fall into debate and discord one with another."

    By Martin Luther, Table Talk

As believers we should be marked by our meekness, patience, and willingness to defer. Want proof? Here you go:

    By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35)

    But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23)

    And so on, and so on. If your life is characterized by a hot temper, you need to grow up and cool down. If you think life is about getting your way, you've forgotten that your life was bought with a price. If you want to be more like Jesus, try living by His promise:

    "You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family." (Matthew 5:9)

[Soldier4Christ]

What's Love Got to do with it?



    Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. (I John 4:11)

It's kinda sad when you think about it. We only have one day out of the entire year that is (supposedly) focused on the idea of highlighting love. Not that I could afford more than one Valentine's day each year- in fact I wish V-Day was celebrated on February 29th...that way it would only come every four years.

On the other hand- for the Christian, everyday should be Valentine's Day!
Why? Let me explain.

Someone has pointed out that we have 3 million laws established to explain only 10 commandments. But what's love got to do with it?

Everything...Here's why: (Warning: the following is a loose re-telling of Mark 12...you should certainly read it for yourself at some point in time)

As is was with most days in the life of Jesus, there was a group of legalistic religious nuts who were fond of playing Biblical trivial pursuit with Him on the outside chance that they might catch Him in a contradiction- or at least stump Him. They came up with silly scenarios like whether or not to pay taxes, or whether or not people who get married more than once will end up having some serious anniversary issues when they get to heaven. And as you might expect, Christ turned the tables on them- basically exposing them for the bad motive bad mouthing buffoons that they were.

Except for this one guy. He actually was one of the sharper knives in the drawer. His quiz question for Jesus was this:

    "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

Now that's a good question! After all, there are over 600 commands in the Old Testament- so since they are all from God, could there possibly be just one that outweighs them all?

Jesus wasn't stumped. He didn't need a lifeline, an audience poll, or even a 50/50 split of choices. The answer was rolling off His tongue almost before the man was finished answering:

    "The most important commandment is this: `Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' The second is equally important: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these." (Mark 12:29-31)

Christ had the answer long before the Beatles: all you need is love.

Thus - everyday is Valentine's Day because our lives should constantly be consumed with the commitment to serve God comprehensively and completely.

Your first thoughts out of bed in the morning should be:

    "how can I demonstrate my undying love and affection to the God who created me and the Savior who gave His life for me?"

Your next thoughts should be:

    "how can I show every single person with whom I come into contact that I am choosing to seek the best for them?"

Remember that this kind of love demands that we remain obedient even when we don't feel like it, and that the people we dislike the most are probably the ones God requires us to love the best. You should also know that one of the most loving things you could ever do for anyone is to share the gospel with them.

So how are you doing? Perhaps you are failing miserably- but don't give up! Each sunrise brings a brand new chance to be a living Valentine to the Lord Jesus. Don't let the flowers of your spiritual life wilt in the vase of complacency and discouragement, commit this weekend to making the most out of your life by fulfilling the greatest commandment!

[Soldier4Christ]

When Jesus Played Trivial Pursuit



    "He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God..." (Psalm 40:3)

Sometimes I picture the religious leaders of Jesus' day as a group of Elmer Fudds (as in: "ooooo, I hates that waskly Jesus!") One day when Jesus was minding His Father's business at the temple, when the people who should have been ministering to people came up with this harebrained idea:

The leaders sent some Pharisees and supporters of Herod to try to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. (Mark 12:13)

Why were they doing this? Because they despised Jesus out of pure jealousy. They threw some tricky questions at Him for a while, but soon they figured out that the Son of God is just a little smarter than your average person. In the midst of their devious game, however, a very positive thing happened. There was one follower of God who had been listening to Jesus' amazing answers, so he decided to ask an honest question. Here's how it went:

    One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the discussion. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" Jesus replied, "The most important commandment is this: 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength'. The second is equally important: `Love your neighbor as yourself'. No other commandment is greater than these." (Mark 12:28-31)

This was more than just a trivial pursuit game with Jesus; this man honestly wanted to know which commandment was the most important to God. Why would that be so hard to answer? Well for one thing, at that time in history there were no less than 613 different commandments that the religious leaders demanded that you keep. (And you thought that ten was a big number!) For another thing, many leaders disagreed over which commandment was the 'heaviest', so for most it was just a matter of opinion.

So Jesus wraps up the teaching of the entire Bible into one basic formula: Because God is God, love Him with your whole being and love your neighbor as yourself. Genius! If you love God that completely, you would never do anything to break His heart- therefore you'll keep His commandments naturally. As well, if you really do love God, you will love those made in His image- which happens to be every human on the face of the earth. Jesus knew that it impossible to love God and disobey Him, and it is also impossible to love God and treat others wrongfully.

Here are a couple definitions to help you take a last look in your spiritual mirror at the end of this year:

    * Love God = thinking, saying, and doing only those things that make Him smile
    * Love neighbor = thinking, saying, and doing to others only that which you would want done to you.

Skip the resolutions this week. Instead, make a solemn vow and undertake a serious effort to love God and love those around you in the new year.

[Soldier4Christ]

Word Up



    Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds. (Hebrews 10:24)

Think hard for a minute, can you remember how many skinned knees or cuts and bruises you got as a kid? Can you picture right where you were and what you were doing when most of those little injuries happened?

Probably not, and neither can I. Yet I am extremely confident that you could easily recall hurtful words and hateful phrases from folks when you were growing up.

Where did we get the notion that 'words can never hurt' us? I believe they have the ability to change the course of a life for good or bad.

I remember when I was in elementary school, I ran for office in Student Council. The problem was that you had to give a speech to the entire school, and I had never tried public speaking before. After my attempt, my teachers basically told me that I should never try that sort of endeavor again. Thinking that they were the experts, I gave up that dream year after year because I feared failure and embarrassment.

Finally in middle school, I had a teacher who really believed in me. He encouraged me to run for Student Council, and just be myself when giving the speech. But those old voices still haunted me, so I wrote a long discourse boring enough to put rabid chipmunk to sleep. When I stepped up to the microphone I remembered what my teacher had said, and something clicked in my self-confidence. So right there on the spot, I crumpled up the speech and just went for it.

Not only did I get elected, I also received a standing ovation.

That day changed my life. Since then the Lord has given me the opportunity to fan into flames the gift of teaching, which never might have happened because of a few thoughtless comments from my former authority figures.

Perhaps you have been wounded by words. Keep in mind that there is nothing you can do about that now- except to forgive, forget, and move on. If you let those memories continue to cripple you (like I almost did), you may be missing out on the Master's master plan for your life.

Think about how Jesus might have turned out if He had listened to His critics!

The other thing to consider is what path you will choose with your words. If you have languished over the language to which you were exposed in the past, you of all people should carefully consider the cutting potential of your conversation.

You are either helpful or hurtful with your words- period. Don't dilly dally around and try to justify tactless terms by saying "I was only kidding!" Speak the truth in love, but keep in mind that you have a Judge who listens to every word you say.

Here's what Jesus had to say about the subject:

    "A good person produces good words from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil words from an evil heart. And I tell you this, that you must give an account on judgment day of every idle word you speak. The words you say now reflect your fate then; either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:35-37)

Wow! Pretty serious don't you think? Commit today to be used by God to help heal people and set them on the path that God has chosen for them with the power of your words.

[Soldier4Christ]

Going to Prison?

I read about this doctor who died and didn't leave a bunch of money for his wife. She couldn't figure what happened to all his assets, so she checked back through his records with the intensity of a private investigator. What would she find? Did he blow all the cash on gambling? Did he have a mistress who he supported on the side? Was he a drug addict who floated to cocaine market in his area?

No. All she found was a number of accounts that were crossed through with this note:

    "Forgiven - too poor to pay."

But this wasn't enough for the physician's wife. Later on she decided that these accounts must be paid in full and she proceeded to sue for money. When the case came to court, the judge asked but one question. Is this your husband's handwriting? When she replied that it was, he responded: "Sorry ma'am, but there is no court in the land that can obtain a debt once the word forgiven has been written."

Ever felt unforgiven? There are few things worse in life than having a gnawing, belittling, condemning voice in your head saying that someone is holding blame over your head even after you apologized.

Maybe that's why there are verses like I John 1:9

    "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

I love that verse, and I apply it daily. That's why I can know and feel forgiven.

But what does this verse have to do with our relationship with other people? Plenty...let me explain.

First and foremost - every human on earth has offended God and is in need of forgiveness in order to restore our relationship with Him and go to heaven. Just like in the story above, God looked at the "bill" we owed Him, and because of Christ's death He can write: "Forgiven-too poor to pay" when we trust Him for salvation.

But that's not where it ends! Too many believers are just like the doctor's wife. They go digging through past records and demanding payment from people. Sort of reminds me of a story that Jesus told- see if you can pick up the theme:

    Then Peter came to him and asked, "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?"

    "No!" Jesus replied, "Seventy times seven! For this reason, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. He couldn't pay, so the king ordered that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt. But the man fell down before the king and begged him, `Oh, sir, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.' Then the king was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.

    "But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. `Be patient and I will pay it,' he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn't wait. He had the man arrested and jailed until the debt could be paid in full.

    "When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him what had happened. Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, `You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn't you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?' Then the angry king sent the man to prison until he had paid every penny.

    "That's what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters in your heart." (Matthew 18: 21-35)

You probably have heard this story before, but knowledge is not the issue, application is! Perhaps today God is asking you the same question as the King in the story: "Shouldn't you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?"

I'm not saying it's easy, or even pleasant. I've been wronged before, and I must admit that it sometimes feels good to hold anger in your heart. But the point is that if you are a believer, you have been forgiven of an insurmountable debt at Christ's expense. You were "too poor to pay", so Jesus erased the debt. Therefore you have a serious and required responsibility to go through the book of your life and cross out the debts of those who "owe" you.

If you are feeling unforgiven, perhaps it is because you are holding a grudge yourself. If you are holding a grudge against someone else this day, then God will put you in a mental prison until you "pay Him back" for the death of Christ...think your mental bank account can handle that one?

[Soldier4Christ]

Desperately Seeking You



    For people can't come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them from the dead. (John 6:44)

John Powell, a professor at Loyola University in Chicago writes about a student in his Theology of Faith class named Tommy:

    Some twelve years ago, I stood watching my university students file into the classroom for our first session in the Theology of Faith. That was the day I first saw Tommy. My eyes and my mind both blinked. He was combing his long flaxen hair, which hung six inches below his shoulders. It was the first time I had ever seen a boy with hair that long. I guess it was just coming into fashion then. I know in my mind that it isn't what's on your head but what's in it that counts; but on that day I was unprepared and my emotions flipped. I immediately filed Tommy under "S" for strange, very strange. Tommy turned out to be the "atheist in residence" in my Theology of Faith course. He constantly objected to, smirked at, or whined about the possibility of an unconditionally loving Father/God.

    We lived with each other in relative peace for one semester, although I admit he was for me at times a serious pain in the back pew. When he came up at the end of the course to turn in his final exam, he asked in a lightly cynical tone,

        "Do you think I'll ever find God?"

    I decided instantly on a little shock therapy. "No!" I said very emphatically.

    "Oh," he responded, "I thought that was the product you were pushing." I let him get five steps from the classroom door and then called out, "Tommy! I don't think you'll ever find Him, but I am absolutely certain that He will find you!"

    He shrugged a little and left my class and my life. I felt slightly disappointed at the thought that he had missed my clever line --- He will find you! At least I thought it was clever. Later I heard that Tommy had graduated and I was duly grateful.

    Then a sad report came. I heard that Tommy had terminal cancer. Before I could search him out, he came to see me. When he walked into my office, his body was very badly wasted and the long hair had all fallen out as a result of chemotherapy. But his eyes were bright and his voice was firm, for the first time, I believe.

        "Tommy, I've thought about you so often. I hear you are sick," I blurted out.

        "Oh, yes, very sick. I have cancer in both lungs. It's a matter of weeks."

        "Can you talk about it, Tom?" I asked.

        "Sure, what would you like to know?" he replied.

        "What's it like to be only twenty-four and dying?"

        "Well, it could be worse."

        "Like what?"

        "Well, like being fifty and having no values or ideals, like being fifty and thinking that booze, seducing women, and making money are the real 'biggies' in life."

    I began to look through my mental file cabinet under 'S' where I had filed Tommy as strange. (It seems as though everybody I try to reject by classification, God sends back into my life to educate me.)

    "But what I really came to see you about," Tom said, "is something you said to me on the last day of class." (He remembered!) He continued, "I asked you if you thought I would ever find God and you said, 'No!' which surprised me. Then you said, 'But He will find you.' I thought about that a lot, even though my search for God was hardly intense at that time. (My clever line. He thought about that a lot!)
    "But when the doctors removed a lump and told me that it was malignant, that's when I got serious about locating God. And when the malignancy spread into my vital organs, I really began banging bloody fists against the bronze doors of heaven. But God did not come out. In fact, nothing happened. Did you ever try anything for a long time with great effort and with no success? You get psychologically glutted, fed up with trying. And then you quit.

    Well, one day I woke up, and instead of throwing a few more futile appeals over that high brick wall to a God who may be or may not be there, I just quit. I decided that I didn't really care about God, about an after life, or anything like that. I decided to spend what time I had left doing something more profitable. I thought about you and your class and I remembered something else you had said: 'The essential sadness is to go through life without loving. But it would be almost equally sad to go through life and leave this world without ever telling those you loved that you had loved them.' So, I began with the hardest one, my Dad. He was reading the newspaper when I approached him."

        "Dad."

        "Yes, what?" he asked without lowering the newspaper.

        "Dad, I would like to talk with you."

        "Well, talk."

        "I mean . . . It's really important."

        The newspaper came down three slow inches. "What is it?"

        "Dad, I love you. I just wanted you to know that."

    Tom smiled at me and said it with obvious satisfaction, as though he felt a warm and secret joy flowing inside of him.
    "The newspaper fluttered to the floor. Then my father did two things I could never remember him ever doing before. He cried and he hugged me. We talked all night, even though he had to go to work the next morning. It felt so good to be close to my father, to see his tears, to feel his hug, to hear him say that he loved me."

    "It was easier with my mother and little brother. They cried with me, too, and we hugged each other, and started saying real nice things to each other. We shared the things we had been keeping secret for so many years. I was only sorry about one thing --- that I had waited so long. Here I was, just beginning to open up to all the people I had actually been close to. Then, one day I turned around and God was there. He didn't come to me when I pleaded with Him. I guess I was like an animal trainer holding out a hoop, 'C'mon, jump through. C'mon, I'll give You three days, three weeks.' Apparently God does things in His own way and at His own hour. But the important thing is that He was there. He found me. You were right. He found me even after I stopped looking for Him."

    "Tommy," I practically gasped, "I think you are saying something very important and much more universal than you realize. To me, at least, you are saying that the surest way to find God is not to make Him a private possession, a problem solver, or an instant consolation in time of need, but rather by opening to love. You know, the Apostle John said that. He said: 'God is love, and anyone who lives in love is living with God and God is living in him.'

    Tom, could I ask you a favor? You know, when I had you in class you were a real pain. But (laughingly) you can make it all up to me now. Would you come into my present Theology of Faith course and tell them what you have just told me? If I told them the same thing it wouldn't be half as effective as if you were to tell them."

        "Ooh ... I was ready for you, but I don't know if I'm ready for your class."

        "Tom, think about it. If and when you are ready, give me a call."

    In a few days Tom called, said he was ready for the class, that he wanted to do that for God and for me. So we scheduled a date.

    However, he never made it. He had another appointment, far more important than the one with me and my class.

    Of course, his life was not really ended by his death, only changed. He made the great step from faith into vision. He found a life far more beautiful than the eye of man has ever seen or the ear of man has ever heard or the mind of man has ever imagined.
    Before he died, we talked one last time. "I'm not going to make it to your class," he said.

        "I know, Tom."

        "Will you tell them for me? Will you . . . tell the whole world for me?"

        "I will, Tom. I'll tell them. I'll do my best."

    So, to all of you who have been kind enough to hear this simple statement about love, thank you for listening. And to you, Tommy, somewhere in the sunlit, verdant hills of heaven --- I told them, Tommy, as best I could.

    If this story means anything to you, please pass it on to a friend or two. It is a true story and is not enhanced for publicity purposes.

    With thanks,

    John Powell, Professor Loyola University in Chicago

[Soldier4Christ]

Amazing Grace



    One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to come to his home for a meal, so Jesus accepted the invitation and sat down to eat. A certain immoral woman heard he was there and brought a beautiful jar filled with expensive perfume. Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.

    When the Pharisee who was the host saw what was happening and who the woman was, he said to himself,

    "This proves that Jesus is no prophet. If God had really sent him, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She's a sinner!"

    Then Jesus spoke up and answered his thoughts. "Simon," he said to the Pharisee,

    "I have something to say to you."

    "All right, Teacher," Simon replied, "go ahead."

    Then Jesus told him this story: "A man loaned money to two people--five hundred pieces of silver to one and fifty pieces to the other. But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?"

    Simon answered, "I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt."

    "That's right," Jesus said. Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn't offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn't give me a kiss of greeting, but she has kissed my feet again and again from the time I first came in. You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. I tell you, her sins--and they are many--have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love." Then Jesus said to the woman, "Your sins are forgiven." (Luke 7:36-48)

O.K., pop quiz time: to which character in this story do you most relate?

   1. Jesus- because I never play favorites with people, and I especially like it when social outcasts come up to me in public and pour out their affection.
   2. Simon- because I like to be seen with the popular people of the day, even if I don't care about them. Also, I especially get upset when those popular people (who are making me look good) do something embarrassing in public, or when some 'loser' gets all the attention.
   3. The woman- because before I trusted Christ, my sins were an unbearable weight on my heart. I would give up anything to be accepted in His presence. I don't care what others think of me as long as Jesus knows that I am totally committed to him.

Perhaps there is a little of all three of these characters in us. We can obviously sympathize with Jesus, who masterfully put a self-righteous Pharisee in his place and restored the dignity of a downtrodden woman in one fell swoop. We can also relate to Simon, because we all have our opinions and draw our social lines somewhere as far as "who God loves, and who God loves not".

Most importantly, we all had better be able to relate on some level to the woman, because her immorality is no different than the depths of sin in which we all wallowed before we came to Christ. If you don't think so, then you've just shown yourself as prideful as Simon, so perhaps you should re-read the passage.

Brother Lawrence wrote: "That when we enter upon the spiritual life, we should consider and examine to the bottom what we are. And then we should find ourselves worthy of all contempt, and not deserving indeed the name of Christians..." (Brother Lawrence, Practice of the Presence of God).

Were you thinking that you deserve the name of "Christian"? Those who follow Christ the most intensely are the ones who know they are the least worthy. When we realize our own extreme sinfulness and His mind-blowing forgiveness, we are faced with these decisions: "Is it worth giving everything I have to follow Him? Is it worth surrendering all I am to His control, for Him to use as He sees fit? Is it worth casting myself aside to serve the King?" If it is not, then perhaps you have forgotten how deep was the pit from which you have been rescued.

[Soldier4Christ]

Who Loves Ya Baby



    "Give me 100 men who love God and nothing else, who hate sin and nothing else, and I will change the world."

    - John Wesley

I recently read a story about a sociology class that conducted a study of 200 young people from the inner city of Baltimore. It basically concluded than none of them had a reasonable chance at being successful in life. Twenty-five years later a sociology professor did a follow-up study, and located 180 of the original 200. Of that number, 176 had become doctors, lawyers, ministers, and successful business people. When he asked each of them how they were able to escape their predicted future, they all pointed to one teacher. The professor found that teacher, and asked her what she had done to make such an impact on them. She just smiled and said...

Wait a minute! 176 out of 200 people who were on a fast track to failure completely turned their lives around, all because of a single person. What was her secret? Let's look at some possible responses:

   1. She just smiled and said: "I bought them all stock in Microsoft at a young age so they could pay for college later."
   2. She just smiled and said: "I told them they were all going to be total and absolute morons when they grew up unless they changed their foolish ways."
   3. She just smiled and said: "I boosted their egos through intensive positive self-image group therapy."

Actually, none of these were her real response- the story ends like this:

The professor found that teacher, and asked her what she'd done to make such an impact on them. She just smiled and said: "I loved them, and they knew it!"

Pretty simple- eh? The power of love is the greatest force in the universe. No amount of hate, bitterness, poverty, injustice, or prejudice can overcome it.

You know what else is simple? The power of God's love. No amount of guilt, shame, sin, failure, or doubt can overcome it.

There are many among us who truly do not know that we are utterly loved by the One who made us and knows us. Yet just like the people in the survey, we could overcome even the most difficult of circumstances if we simply took God at His word:

    "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness." (Jer. 31:3)

    God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Heb. 13:5)

    What can we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since God did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't God, who gave us Christ, also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? Will God? No! He is the one who has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? Will Christ Jesus? No, for he is the one who died for us and was raised to life for us and is sitting at the place of highest honor next to God, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death? (Even the Scriptures say, "For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep." No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31-39)

Face it my friend, God absolutely loves you. Your past is forgiven and your future is secure. Your picture is in His wallet and your voice is in His MP3 player. Your life is His favorite DVD, and even now He is custom building your future home in heaven. The greatest lie the devil has thrown our way is the message that God's love is fickle or conditional. Satan knows that if we just slightly became aware of the depth of God's love, we might be as dangerous as the Apostle Paul...no wonder he works so hard to keep us feeling worthless and unloved!

[Soldier4Christ]

Devil Got Your Tongue?



    And I tell you this, that you must give an account on judgment day of every idle word you speak. (Matthew 12:36)

You probably remember an old proverb that went something like:

    "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me..."

I recall using this phrase when someone loosed verbal venom my way, how about you? Let's be honest, though, the whole reason we said it was because we really were hurt. There are things that have been said to me that I will never forget, and they still sting like the day they were spoken.

O.K. so we all agree that we should control our tongues and not slam people to their face. That's why it's so much easier to do it behind their backs, then deny it later- right? Check out this story:

In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, "Do you know what I just heard about your friend?"

    "Hold on a minute," Socrates replied. "Before telling me anything, I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test."

    "Triple filter?"

    "That's right," Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you're going to say. That's why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"

    "No," the man said, "actually I just heard about it and..."

    "All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?"

    "No, on the contrary..."

    "So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him, but you're not certain it's true. You may still pass the test though, because there's one filter left: the filter of usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?"

    "No, not really."

    "Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?"

    - Author Unknown

    James (the brother of Jesus) put it this way: "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless." (James 1:26)

In other words, one of the primary ways we show that we are truly members of God's family is by keeping our mouth shut when we're tempted to gossip. It really gets scary when you think about what Christ said in Matthew 12:36...notice He didn't say that we would have to give an account for 'most' of our idle words, or for the worst things we said, but for EVERY unkind utterance. Our speech is under heavenly surveillance, and we are all building up quite a dialogue database.

So...got gossip? Perhaps today you should start triple filtering so you don't get double whammied on judgment day.

[Soldier4Christ]

Will the Real Love Please Stand Up?



    If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? (Matthew 5:46)

And so the story goes that this priest named Valentine (who lived a very long time ago) sent the first valentine. Of course, anytime he sent anything, it was sort of like a valentine- right? What had happened is that the Emperor at that time outlawed marriage for young men so that they would make better soldiers. Being the romantic guy that he was, Valentine decided to perform marriages in secret.

When his practice was discovered, he was thrown in jail and sentenced to death. While awaiting his sentence, Valentine fell in love with the jailor's daughter who would often come to visit. Right before his death, he wrote her a love letter and signed it: "From your Valentine"...and a holiday was born.

Not just any holiday, mind you- but one that sees card sales in the one billion range! Restaurants are full, jewelry is flying off the shelves, and credit card companies are in love with their customers.

Has all this history, celebration, poetry, and music through the centuries helped our world become more loving? Nope. Same wars, same prejudices, same spite, bitterness, unforgiveness, and greed that has always been around. Perhaps that's because we don't really 'get' what love is in the first place- so in honor of St. Valentine, let's have a quick interview with two central figures who are authorities on the subject: Worldylove and Godlylove. Let's start with Worldylove-

    Lane: "Is it true that you two are brothers who are hard to tell apart?"

    Wordlylove: "Maybe, I don't really know Godlylove very well, plus I don't see him around very much."

    Lane: "Well, what are you like?"

    WL: "People say I'm mysterious and enchanting. I'm up and down, hot and cold, all seeing and blind. I fit a hundred different definitions, and I love sneaking up on people when they least expect it."

    Lane: "Wow, sounds confusing!"

    WL: "Absolutely. In fact, one of my favorite things to do is to get people to believe I'm the real deal, then ditch them after they think I'll never leave."

    Lane: "So...you're not the real deal?"

    WL: "Are you kidding? I'm whatever people want to make of me. I'm the excuse for lust, I'm the motivation for jealousy and greed, I'm the traitor to commitment, and I'm a wreck to relationships. I've inspired silly songs and worthless movies, and I am the itch that people just can't seem to scratch."

    Lane: "Sounds like you're one dangerous entity...how can I warn people about you?"

    WL: "Actually, there's a whole book about how to recognize and avoid me, but most people don't pay attention to it anymore. They carry it to church meetings, but that's about it."

    Lane: "One last question, what's the easiest way to get you under control?"

    WL: "I'd love to answer that- but my boss is calling, and he gets devilishly angry when he's disappointed- know what I mean? See you soon!"

    Lane: "I hope not...now let's talk to Godlylove- isn't it true that you are dull, boring, and unromantic?"

    Godlylove: "I know that's a popular notion, but Worldylove started that lie thousands of years ago."

    Lane: "So what are you like?"

    GL: "Contrary to popular belief, I am true romance- romance based in the context of commitment. I have feelings, but the feelings don't change the faithfulness."

    Lane: "What's the main difference between you and Worldylove?"

    GL: "Worldylove is defined by the person experiencing it, I am defined by the God who created me."

    Lane: "That's quite a difference. No wonder most people avoid you, so they can gratify their selfish natures."

    GL: "Sadly, yes. If only they knew that true freedom and happiness is found in giving yourself to others, and not in using them for your own purposes."

    Lane: "How can people get a hold of you?"

    GL: "Go to my owner's manual, written by my Creator. Specifically look at I Corinthians 13. If people could grasp the definitions and concepts found in that one little chapter, the world would be a very different place."

[Soldier4Christ]

Forgiveness a Phone Call Away?



    For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus. (I Timothy 2:5)

So I'm browsing through the newspaper one day, and I find this advertisement that reads:

    SORRY FOR SIN?
    Repent- call 1-***-*-REPENT
    $3 first minute, $1 additional minute, must be 18
    ******* Ministries, ******** ****, ***** 55555

Wow - what a relief! Now you can repent of sin and be forgiven through the medium of modern communication- and all for the low low price of $3. Unless of course you are really guilty, then you're going to have to cough up a buck for each additional minute.

Seems like there was Someone else who came up with the idea of forgiveness long before the telephone was invented. His name was Jesus Christ, and here's what His ad has to say:

    DESTINED FOR HELL?
    Trust- simply place your trust in Christ's death and Resurrection as your only hope of salvation
    No charge, because the full price has already been paid, no minimum age required
    Here are a few words from the Founder:
    For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
    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)
    So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)

If you are feeling guilty today, there are two possibilities. One would be that you have never truly placed your faith in Jesus to forgive you. The other would be that you are a Christian, but you are living in active disobedience to our Lord. In either case, remember that repent means a 'change of mind', so you either need to change what you believe about Christ, or you need to change what you think about living for yourself.

If today you decide to repent, don't pick up the phone! Instead, lift up your heart and have a conversation with the God who is ready and willing to grant you a full and abundant life for his glory.

[Soldier4Christ]

Who's the Christian Mole?

Ever see that television show called "The Mole"?

The Mole? What is The Mole? Who is The Mole? The Mole is a reality TV show from ABC. Ten contestants have been chosen to participate in the adventure of a lifetime, for their chance to win $1,000,000. The catch is that one of the contestants is a mole who will attempt to secretly sabotage the participant's challenges.

Ever see that show? Well this guy didn't...his name is Philby, and for 30 years he worked as a spy and saboteur for the Soviets, betraying British secrets to the Russian secret service. For this, Philby has been called "the greatest mole of them all." A New York Times editorial had this to say of Philby and his fellow moles:

    "Beyond information, their greatest service to Moscow was to spread the poison of suspicion, setting ally against ally."

Satan is currently taking applications from believers to become moles in the Christian community. Think you've got the right stuff? It's simple really- all you need to do is spread the poison of suspicion through subtle, calculating gossip among your friends and family. I'm not referring to blatantly passing along tidbits of failure to other believers. Moles don't shout gossip in the daylight; they whisper divisive information in the dark. They cast doubt on a person's reputation or integrity by a raised eyebrow and a questioning tone of voice. Sometimes this comes in the form of: "I have a concern about..." Other times moles open up a sabotaging conversation with - "hey, I have a prayer request about..."

God has news for Christian moles in the "seven deadly sins" that He hates. The list begins with "a proud look" and concludes with "one who sows discord among brethren" (Prov. 6:16-19). Between those two are five other acts of betrayal, each represented by parts of the body: tongue, hands, heart, feet, and lips. In other words, God hates moles! Why? Simple: betrayal among the brethren kills the cause of Christ. If you were a non-Christian, would you want to become part of the fellowship of moles? We must not share the saving message of grace in one breath and the destructive poison of gossip in the next.

If you're a mole, or starting to turn into one, dig out as soon as you can. Gossip and sowing discord contaminates Christ's reputation. Before you share information about other people, ask yourself one question: are my motives holy or "mole-y"?

[Soldier4Christ]

Sticks and Stones



    "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." (Ephesians 4:29)

Amaze your friends-confuse your enemies! Astound your parents-perplex your teachers! How? New magic tricks? Don't think so. Amazing feats of physical skill? Not hardly. It's so simple, anyone can do it- it's called encouragement!

Why? Because we live in a culture that breathes and breeds sarcasm and cynicism. The media is like a skunk on the loose spreading skepticism and scorn. Public school hallways discipline us in damaging dialogue. The lunchrooms dish it out, and the locker rooms reek of it. I'm sure that if you thought about all the conversations you had this past week, you could easily recall being on the giving and receiving end of 'unwholesome' talk. One of the biggest lies in the world is the saying that 'sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me'.

It was no different in Paul's day. The standard form of speech in his world was often characterized by put downs and insults. Yet his point is that Christians should be different, because we are God's people. God is love, so we must be loving- and that should show up in our speech. So let me give you an assignment this week: Keep a mental tally of every instance where you resort to unwholesome talk because you are angry or you're trying to impress someone. As well, keep another tally of every instance where your speech was beneficial to those who heard it. The goal would be for consoling conversation to win hands down. You will probably be amazed at how little our day-to-day speech is encouragement centered.

Remember, the students that you sit with in class need encouragement. They 're used to being hammered with the cutting jokes and biting remarks of other teens. I'm not talking about sugarcoated speech that comes off insincere, but a few words of authentic encouragement could be a landmark in their lives. Those who learn to encourage will stand out like a cool breeze on a hot summer's day.

It's true that we as believers are the only Bible that some people ever read. If we want to convince our friends and family that Christianity is 'for real', then we must back it up with the way we speak. Shatter the norm! Break the status quo! Rock the boat! Be an encourager in a sarcastic world!

[Soldier4Christ]

Send in the Calvary

Quick as a bunny, the Easter season approaches. Lots of commotion, chocolate, and church services. What does all this mean?

    * To some, it's one of two Sundays during the year to go to church (the other being Christmas time)
    * To others, it is spending time with family and taking lots of pictures
    * To many, it is just another weekend. Oh perhaps there may be a vague recognition of rabbits, redemption, and relatives- but overall Easter is just another day on the calendar

Come to think of it, I don't want Easter Sunday to be just another ordinary day- because it isn't! Yet how does one go about preparing for that day? I personally believe that the key to experiencing the resurrected Jesus this weekend is to focus on the crucified Christ this week. How? Well, there's lots of ways actually.

   1. You can read through the crucifixion accounts in the gospels (Matthew 26-28, Mark 14-16, Luke 22-24, and John 18-20)
   2. You could attend a Good Friday service at a local church.
   3. You could rent or borrow the "Jesus Film" and watch Jesus' trials and eventual execution.
   4. Or you could start this week off by reading an interview I had with the Roman soldier who stood at the foot of the cross. Hope this helps!

    Lane: You've obviously been at many executions, what made Christ's death any different than the others?

    Soldier: That's simple, when Jesus Christ was executed on our behalf, the cross took on a new significance. There the Savior made peace with us through His blood, shed on the cross. (Colossians 1). He made it possible for us to escape the judgment of an eternity in hell and be reconciled to God. Also, the amazing thing to me was that even in dying, Christ was teaching us how to live. Instead of crying out for mercy or pardon like most people, Jesus was uttering to us profound lessons on life.

    Lane: Do you remember what He said?

    Soldier: Of course I do- how can you forget the last words of a dying man!

    Lane: True- but what did you learn from His last words?

    Soldier:

        * He said:"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do" (Luke 23:34). If Jesus could forgive His killers, who could we NOT forgive?
        * He said: "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43). Salvation is by faith alone- available to anyone.
        * He said: "Woman, behold your Son! . . . Behold your mother!" (John 19:26,27). He showed us that our own needs should not overshadow the needs of others.
        * He cried out: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Mark 15:34) To be separated from our God is the most painful experience in the world.
          He said. "I thirst" (John 19:28). These words remind us that Jesus was fully human, and can relate to our needs.
        * He said "It is finished" (John 19:30). He told us that salvation is completely paid for- there is nothing we can do to earn or deserve heaven- He did the work.
        * He said: "Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit" (Luke 23:46). In our suffering, we can completely trust God


    Lane: So what difference should Jesus' execution make in our lives?

    Soldier: Simple, as we focus on what Jesus did for us on the cross, we will be completely humbled. Our feeble efforts are nothing; His work is everything! The cross is the reminder that He paid the ultimate price because of love. My whole life was completely changed after that day. He died for me, I'll live for Him...

Well, I guess he pretty much summed it up.