Devotions for Teens

[Soldier4Christ]

  My Prayer Life is Lacking


My prayer life is lacking. I find it hard to just sit there and pray.
Sometimes it goes weeks before I pray. How can I improve my prayer life?

Matthew 6:6 �But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have
shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your
Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.� (NKJV)

It never fails! I get the dumbest looks when I am driving in the car
because it looks like that I am talking to myself, when I am actually
talking to God. Go figure huh?

This is an excellent question and I am glad that you sent this one in
because it is something that I hear all of the time in the lives of
teenagers. A lacking prayer life is something that is very easy to talk
about how to fix, but putting it into practice is one of the toughest areas
of the Christian life. Mainly, Satan would like nothing
better than to have you be lazy in your talk and intimacy with God.

I think that the first thing that we need to do when it comes to having a
prayer life is to set aside time with God everyday. When Jesus was here on
the earth, we find in all four of the Gospels that Jesus took time to pray
and spend with the Father. (Matt. 14:23)

When He did that it was a time of intimacy with the Father, and Jesus made
sure that He was alone when He had it too. He made sure that He took time
to be with the Father and �regroup� if you will, and we need to do the same
too. Take time everyday to be with the Father and work on our relationships
with Him.

Next, I think that we sometimes think that we are so worried about how we
pray, that we are not going to say what needs to be said in the proper
fashion that we just quit. Jesus gave us the proper things to pray for
(Matt. 6), but He never told us that we had to give some type of �preacher
prayer� every time that we pray. Matter of fact since God knows our hearts
anyway, He would rather us be ourselves to come to His throne room of grace.
(Matt. 6:6) When we take time to pray, we just need to be ourselves, and
talk about what is on our hearts.

Finally, remember that you can pray anywhere. Maybe you are in your room
or in a special place alone by yourself. You can grow in the Lord no matter
if you are praying in the car like I do, or if you are praying while taking
a walk. God is everywhere and we can talk to Him anywhere about anything.

In conclusion, when it comes to our prayer time, we have to remember that we
need to make the sacrifice on a daily basis in order to grow and have that
relationship with God that He so longs to have with us. I would challenge
you to look in the Scriptures and see how people prayed. When you look at
it, ask what, where, when, why and how. When you do, I know that you too
can see your prayer life change for sure. May God�s Grace Abound in You.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Forever


"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word
of our God stands forever." (Isaiah 40: NIV

Is there anything in this world the will last you
through eternity? Is there anything that will be
around after we die? Is there any one thing that will
never change?

The answer is yes, there is. God does not change. He
is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Aren't you
grateful that God is never changing? In a world where
everything is always changing, God remains the same.
We as people are always changing. The world around us
is constantly changing. But the truth is that God
never changes.

God has given us His Word. His Word is the Bible. The
above verse tells us that the Word of our God will
always be there. It will never change nor will it ever
loose it's power. The Word has the power to speak to
us. It does all the time. Sometimes we may read a
verse many times and still not see any significance in
it. Other times we will read a verse over again and it
is filled with meaning.

Rejoice that God and His Word stand forever and that
they are never changing.

Here is a challenge for you, spend at least 15 minutes
reading your Bible everyday. It is a hard discipline
to learn but it is worth it. You will learn so much
about God and His Will for us. Remember to pray before
you read and ask God to reveal to you what He wants
you to see. If you don't know where to start try
starting with John and the Psalm.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Satan Knows Jesus?


John 17:3 KJV And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.   

I saw a sign on a small billboard in front of a church the other day that read "Satan knows Jesus and he isn't in Heaven."  It made me stop to think what that really meant.  Satan does know Jesus. There is a relationship between them, but not the kind that brings one to heaven. Satan does not reside in Heaven, because he turned from God. So this means that just knowing Jesus doesn't get you into Heaven. Just knowing Jesus, his life story and the things he has done isn't enough. 

This is often called book knowledge, you know the stories and the facts but that doesn't do it.  You need heart knowledge, a longing to love and honor God, a deep desire to be His child and follow Him. The difference here is a love relationship.  To be sure you have a reservation into Heaven you have to know Jesus not only personally but you need to have an intimate love relationship with him.  At some point in your life you need to make a conscious decision that you want Jesus in your life.  You have to pray to God and ask Him to enter your life.  With that you turn from you old ways and turn to the ways of God.  You need to follow this with growth in Bible study and Christian fellowship.  Just knowing and even admiring Jesus, his life story and the things he has done isn't enough. 

When Jesus enters your heart, you become one and the Holy Spirit dwells in you.  You feel the difference.  If you haven't felt the difference of knowing Jesus or really knowing Him, do this now.  All it takes is a sincere heart and a prayer to God.  Many a man will stand at the gates of Heaven and say they knew who Jesus was, even believed in what He did and that He was a great man.  Many a man will be turned away because this head knowledge wasn't enough.  Make sure your heart belongs to Jesus, make sure you know the difference.

[Soldier4Christ]

  His Masterpiece



"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us
to do." (Ephesians 2:10) NIV

Each one of us is God's masterpiece. We were carefully
planned out before God's brush ever hit the canvas. He
designed us to fit in where He wanted us to be. What
would have happened if Moses was born today? You don't
have to answer that. It is just an example. God has
placed us in the right time at the right place. It may
not seem like it but He has.

A few weeks ago God put it on my heart to learn how He
sees me. This is key in learning the fear of the
Lord. So I decided to find out where in the Bible it
tells me who I am in Christ.

Psalm 139:14 tells us that "...I am fearfully and
wonderfully made, marvelous are His works...." (NKJV)

We were also created in God's image.

God loved us so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus
to die for us. Jesus died the most agonizing death
ever. He was crucified on the cross for our sins. He
took all our sins upon Himself. What a loving God we
serve. He was nailed to a tree for what we did. If
that doesn't tell you how God sees you than I don't
know what does. How could such a perfect God love such
an imperfect me?

If you would like to know more about how God sees us
then just email me. I will be more than happy to reply
to you and talk with you more. Also if you don't know
Christ and would like me to share the Gospel with you
let me know.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Grace

Romans 3:10- As it is written: There is none rightouss, not even one. (NIV)

  -Romans 10:19- Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.

  Through the law we are aware of sin, because no one can keep the law! For example, how many of you have ever broke one of the ten commandments? I know I have many times, and they have shown me that I am a sinner, and I need a savior.

  -Romans 3:23- For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

  If you are under the law, that means that you have to work for your salvation. That humanly cannot be done! That is why Jesus gives us grace.

  -John 1:17- For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

  You can only be "good" through Jesus. Through Jesus' grace we are forgiven and considered rightiouss before God, not by works. When Jesus dies on the cross his shed blood covered all of our sins, old, new, and future, so that we are clean and pure before a Holy God.

  -Romans 4:5- However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as rightousness.

  -Romans 4:7-8- Blessed are they whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.

Jesus died, taking our place so we wouldn't have to go to Hell. He died, because sin will uiltimatly cause your spirit and body to die. Things like sex, drugs, and alcohol, these things all lead to Hell.

Romans 6:23 says:  "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Grace is our gift from God, it's free, and you can't do anything to earn it.

  Well, some of you might be thinking, "Okay, well since nothing is coiunted against me, I can do what I want!" Of course not! It's Jesus that keeps us from stumbling and doing wrong. We have to constantly struggle with our desire to do bad things, but Jesus keeps us strong to resist them. That doesn't mean you will never fall though. When you do fall, God is always righ there to pick you up again.

-Romans 7:22-25- For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work within the member of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God- through Jesus Christ our Lord!

  Even though Jesus makes us strong, we willtumble and sin, so Jesus is like our defense attorney who stands up for us, when Satan is accusing us of what we did. Jesus makes us innocent before God! So, even if you mess up, you are not held accountable to the law, but are rightiouss by faith in Jesus to save you! If you do not know him, please give him your life today. He will make you blamless before a mighty God who has the power to send you to Heaven or Hell.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Homosexuality



In Romans 1.25-26 God talks about homosexuality, when I brought this up to
someone of that nature, he says it is caused from birth. Now I've heard
about this, but I do not know how to respond. If you could help me out, that
would be great!

I have received a lot of questions this time on this and feel that I need to
focus on this again. It seems that in the history of America that we have
faced many different mindsets, ideas, and issues on what is right and what
is wrong. At one time, there was once a general knowledge of all teen-agers
growing up on what was right and what was wrong. Now, it seems that what was
right is now labeled as wrong, and what was wrong now is labeled right. Now,
people and teenagers in America are making their own boundaries, rules, and
regulations. The foundations of our "first love" with decent morality, and
Biblical principles are being torn apart and ripped down the middle. People
are replacing the hole in their hearts not with the Spirit of God, but with
the things of this world that will ultimately fade away. The actions,
lifestyle, and the thoughts of homosexuality are just that, a passive way to
fill the hole in the hearts of its victims. Satan is using it to believe a
lie that God did not create us to be heterosexual, but to have whatever
sexual desire we wish.

Homosexuality is becoming more and more accepted in our society and some of
us as Christians are letting it slide just as well. Our churches are hiring
homosexual pastors, and we are letting homosexuals have leadership areas in
our churches. The problem is that homosexuality is sin. God made man and
woman to be in "His image" (Gen. 1:26) He made them to become one and to
work as one in order to multiply the earth, and be a family. People began to
practice homosexuality in the OT and God began to detest it then just as He
did in the NT and still does today, even to the point of destroying whole
cities because of the act. We have to realize that there is darkness in a
homosexual’s heart. They do not regard their body as sacred and pure before
God. Because of this God gave them over to a reprobate mind that knows no
boundaries where sin is concerned. God did this because He loves them and
they have rejected, ignored, and suppressed His truth. (Rom. 1) They filled
that hole in their hearts not with the truth, but what was in their minds
that will ultimately fade away deserving of only death as a punishment.

The problem is that homosexuality is definitely sin, but we alienate those
people by calling them names that are unmentionable in this devotional and
not socializing with them. The solution to their pain, loneliness, and
hardship never gets presented.

But, there is a solution to this problem, as well as to other sin in this
world, Christ. There is no reason for deserting homosexuals as friends.
Sure, homosexuality is sin, and I am not ignoring how serious the sin is,
but they are so lonely, and need the moral support in order to help them see
that through Christ they too can win the battle of who wins the hole in
their hearts. We have to remember that Jesus had the same problems when
people looked at Him for who he hung around. People looked at Him and said,
"Hey, why are you hanging around with the sinners, tax collectors,
fishermen, drunks, thieves, adulterers, and outcasts?" Jesus did these
things because of who He is, was, and especially for His love. Tell your
friends about Christ. Be friends to them in Christ, and pray that they will
begin to see Him in you. Try not to be so judgmental, but show them the love
that really needs to fill the hole in their hearts. They need to see the
heart of what the Gospel is! Which is the righteousness of God through Jesus
Christ His Son. What would happen if a homosexual would come into your
church? I know that earlier I said that we are putting them into leadership
in our churches, but what are we doing to show them that Jesus loves them,
and what they are doing is sin? Are we befriending them like I talked
about earlier so that they may see Jesus in us? May God‘s Grace Abound
in You.

Some verses that may help:

Lev. 18:22
Lev. 18:29
I Kings 14:24
Romans 1

[Soldier4Christ]

  God In Our Everyday Life


I recently read a statement made by Dr. Charles Stanley that said, "Christians often separate their spiritual life from their common everyday life.  God never intended that to be the approach you take."

How many times do we catch ourselves and think, "oh yeah there's God!" Sometimes we forget that we even have a God who watches over us and loves us.  We plow through life and try to do all the things that are expected of us, clean our rooms, study to get good grades, obey our parents, be on time at our jobs, etc. 

I can remember getting backed into a corner when I didn't study for a test and lied to go out with friends.  I remember getting a D on the test then getting grounded.  So what did that prove?  I was mad at my parents and upset because I couldn't see my friends, plus getting behind in class, well my life was all messed up.  Then in my desperation I cry out to God, "help me." And sad to say that these types of situations only get worse as you get older.  If it isn't a problem of the wrong decisions at school and home, it may be at college or on the job or with your own husband and children. 

We live minute to minute looking at what life dishes out then we do what we feel is best.  Most times we call out to God when we already mess up.  I know many times I would pray to God to help me out of a jam instead of constant prayer and following His will for me daily.  Oh what fool I was, doing my own thing, messing up and then calling on God to clean up my mess. He was always there for me and never let me down.  It wasn't until I was much older and had learned the hard way that it didn't have to be like this.  I can live my life in the world with God.  My spiritual life will be part of my everyday life.  This way I know I will have help making the right decisions. When I ask God to keep me from temptation, He will. 

When I ask for His guidance I know He will give it.  I lean on Him. This is not to say that I don't make mistakes, I do and will until I die.  But the difference now is that my life here is full of the Holy Spirit at all times.  It is in me, part of me and all I have to do is look to God for guidance, twice a day or 100 times a day. Just staying in His will keeps my head above water even before I know I am about to get a dunk.  This leads to peace and contentment in life.

"Therefore I urge you brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.  Romans 12 1-2

[Soldier4Christ]

  An Intimate Portrait

Let's take a trip back 2,000 years in time. Are you ready? Great! Buckle up, here we go. Zooooooommmmmmmmmm! All right, we're here. It's Friday afternoon, the day they crucified Jesus. Look over there. That's Calvary. Can you see the three crosses in the distance? On the two outside crosses hang thieves. Then the cross in the middle, that's Jesus. Oh quick, look at the foot of the cross. You see that? Those are two Roman soldiers, they're gambling to see who will receive the clothes of Jesus. We have another name for Him though. We call Him Savior.

      Let's move in a little closer. You see those thorns pressing on the brow of His head? Can you see the blood dripping off His cheek? Why would anyone go through this type of pain? Oh, and the one thief. He knows he's dying. So, he mocks Jesus. Listen to what he's saying. "If you are truly the Son of God, why don't you save yourself and us." Wow, you know that's a good question. I wonder why?

      Oh, but look, the other thief is about to reply. "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnations? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong." Then he looks to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom." Those are powerful words. What is Jesus doing? Oh, He is about to reply. I wonder what He will say? Will He yell at him? Condemn him for all of his sins? No, not this Man. "Assuredly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."

      To actually be able to see this event would probably bring tears to most men's eyes. Just the thought of someone going through this much pain, this much suffering for us, is unreal. I'm here to try and show you, and tell you that this is very real. Jesus died for us, and this Easter, we should take time to look over these events. Try and picture what took place. Try and grasp the events as they really happened.

      He loves us with a love that will never be matched. More than a friend or loved one. He died so that we can have eternal life. Not just any death either. He was nailed to a tree to hang a slow and painful death, but He did it for you, for me. Paul once said, "We are all sinners, of whom I am the chief." Paul knew how bad a Christian he was, and he knew that Jesus would cover all of his sins with His blood.

      If today you're not sure if you have been saved, if you're not sure whether you would go to heaven if the world would end today, or if you would die in an accident, I would love to be able to share the gospel of Jesus with you. If you have received Jesus as your Savior, then please don't take it lightly. If you're not living your life for Him 24/7, then change. He gave His life on a cross for us. The least we can do is give our hearts back to Him. I look forward to hearing from you soon. God Bless and Keep the Faith.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Through Times Of Trouble


'Then the Lord's angel came and sat under the oak tree that belonged to Joash. His son Gideon was threshing some wheat secretly in a winepress, so that the Midianites would not see him. The angel of the Lord appeared to him there and said 'The Lord is with you mighty warrior!' Gideon replied 'If the Lord is with us why has all this happened to us? What happened to the wonderful things the Lord did for our forefathers? The Lord has abandoned us!' The Lord ordered him, 'Go with all your strength and rescue Israel. I myself am sending you.' Gideon replied But how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest and I am the least important member of my family!' The Lord said, 'You can do it because I am with you.' (Judges 6: 11-6)

Have you ever felt totally abandoned by God and wondered whether it was worth trusting in Him anymore? Just recently I have been wondering the same. I had decided to take up God's call to start a Christian band who's vision would be to bridge the gap between the Church and our generation. We prayed loads and we believe we now have the band line up God wants. We have been practicing and have done several concerts. God has promised us He wants to use us for something big.

However since we began the devil has tried his best to stop us. Most of the band have some sort of serious medical condition all of which have caused the grief recently and most of us have been in hospital with that. We have seen a break down in a relationship within the group causing a lot of hurt, we've had problems with brakes on cars, problems with families not supporting us or giving us more grief, operations canceled and I was feeling severely disillusioned, especially seeing I knew this was what God wanted me to do.

I cried out to God and asked Him why all this stuff was happening. I felt like God had abandoned us. A friend reminded me of Gideon's story. He had heard about what God had done in the past and yet he too felt God had now abandoned His people. The Midianites had taken Israel captive. However God was in everything that was happening and he used what little Gideon had and tested his faith. Later on in the story God cuts down the size of Gideon's army from 30,000 men to 300 men! It was doubtful that the 30,000 could have defeated the Midianites but Gideon had no choice he had to trust in God.

The story goes on to tell about how God used this small army to defeat the Midianites all because one man trusted in Him. When I was praying about my situation the only answer I received from heaven was ' Trust in me.'

It's a hard thing to do, responding to God's call, stepping out of your comfort zone and trusting totally in God. Are you willing to trust God through the tough times as well as the happy ones? God has already won the victory, we don't have to defeat the devil just resist him. He will do his best to destroy anything God has planned. It's up to us to stand firm in Jesus and put our trust in Him. But we are not on our own, Jesus will be with us every step of the way. Gideon felt small and insignificant but God used the little faith he had and used him to change the lives of those around him. He longs to do the same with us. And remember whatever God is calling you to do:

'The Lord is with you mighty warrior' judges 6 v 12

May you really know what it means to trust in God and may you feel His love and grace in your times of trouble.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Church is Boring

Hebrews 10:25 �Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.�   (NIV)

�I am having a really tough time going to church.  It is just so boring, but my parents make me go. Do you have any ideas?�

The alarm goes off and it is 7:30 AM time to get ready to go to Sunday School.  Pastor Pillow and Sister Sheets are calling their first hymn from Bedside Baptist and you turn over to hear Brother Mattress getting ready to ring the bell for the time of your sleeping in to come about.  Your body says stay in bed, and then your mother comes in and says, �Time to get up, we don�t want to be late for church.�  So, you roll yourself out of bed and look back at the Bedside Baptist wishing that you could hear the message one last time knowing that your day at church is going to be boring.

The tune sounds all too familiar huh? I know that when I was growing up, that was the normal feeling around my house on Sunday mornings.  I was told that no matter how late that I was out on Saturday night that I had to be in Sunday School on Sunday morning.  Mom always kept to that too.  But, how do we overcome being bored in church?  Is there a way?  Absolutely!

Friends, when it comes to being bored in church, I would have to ask you what are you going to church for?  Is it for yourself, or is it to glorify and worship God?  The mindset that we have when we go to church is ultimately what is going to make church either boring or beneficial.  I would encourage you to begin to pray that God would send a passion upon your heart to want to worship and serve him in the context of church.

Second, we have to remember that church is for exhorting and getting together with other believers to help our walks with God.  If we know Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, we want to be with people that are like minded as we are.  We want to encourage them, and watch them encourage us as well.

Next, ask yourself if the church that your parents are going to is really trying to reach you and not be boring.  I know that for some churches and some adults they are trying to feed the youth of their church, and when they are trying, we have to give them the respect that they are trying. Maybe they have hired a youth pastor, or have people who are leading.  What is you're attitude towards them?  But, if the church is spiritually dry, prayer is the key.

Finally, maybe you have never been taught how to get something out of church, or more importantly how to worship God.  I would encourage you too seek help on that and find out how.  It is my prayer that you will get a fire under you for the Lord that you have never felt in your life.  May God�s spirit convict you in your endeavor to worship Him. May God�s Grace Abound In You.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Coldest Of Times



Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16) NKJV.

There is nothing better than after a cold day at school to come home and relax in the warmth of a hot tub. Living in Florida the only temperature is usually hot and hotter, but I had the chance to visit some relatives in Canada a couple of winters ago when there was snow on the ground. (By the way that's a Kodak moment when a Florida boy sees snow.)

It was late at night when a few of my cousins decided it would be great to go out side to their hot tub under the patio. Needless to say, I was all for it until I found out that their patio was outside and not closed in. I thought they were nuts. "You guys are going to go out side in the freezing cold to get into a hot tub?" Now to me this didn't make sense, but before I could say anything else they, were running outside with their swimming trunks on in 10 degree whether, making a mad dash for the Jacuzzi. Not wanting to be left out I tried to figure up a plan. Maybe if get a couple of pairs of long johns on and a ski jacket, along with some ear muffs and a pair of snow shoes, I could make it down the stairs before I became frozen solid.

Friends, we live in a world that is completely covered with snow. When we are away from God or haven't accepted Him as your savior your practically standing out side in your swimming trunks freezing. But Jesus is our Hot tub in the mist of the ice age that surround us. We can go to Him and find warmth in the coldest of conditions. Most of us have found Christ as our Savior. But some of you are sitting on the out side of the hot tub just dangling your feet inside while the rest of your body is cold. Jesus calls us to be full time Christians that means going under.

It's natural to stray at times, we all have done it. When you get out of the tub your body is still heated and you think your OK. But all it takes is a couple of minutes before the cold thrusts the heat out. Let's take the time out of our day to relax and enjoy Jesus, and talk to Him in prayer. You'll then realize how nice it can be to have the warmth of His love streaming through your body when everything else is so cold. God Bless and Keep The Faith!

[Soldier4Christ]

  If It's To Be

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6) NKJV.

Not too many people can argue that we live in a society that simply believes this: If it's meant to be, it's up to me. So many people today feel that the only way they can be a success is to depend on only yourself. "I can't trust anyone to get me through my life, I'm the only one that can change anything." This person is partly true. But also wrong.

As we went into the class room to talk strategy before our soccer game, the team was really getting pumped up. This was our last home game, and for me my last home game ever as a senior. So needless to say, we were getting pumped. As coach was giving the pep talk he looked up and in the class room hung a sign that simply said. "If it's meant to be, it's up to me." "Guys, nobody else can help you at this point. You have to go out there and give it your all. Don't look back and keep fighting till the final whistle blows," echoed the coach through the room.

For a soccer pep talk, I agreed mostly with this statement, but as a life application statement I think I would reword it some. Maybe to say something to this effect. "Guys, only God can help you at this point. You have to go out there and give it your all. Always look up and keep fighting till the final whistle blows."

Friends we better get pumped up for this game. There isn't a whole lot of time left and the game is tied. We need to put our whole heart and soul into this if we want to come out victorious. This is a team that doesn't quit, doesn't give up, and will keep pressing forward no matter how many bad calls we get. Because the great thing about this game is we already know who will be the winner. We just have to stick it out with all we have in the meantime. For when the game is over we can go back to the bench, sit down, and have a drink while the coach comes over and gives you a pat on the back and says, "Well done, good and faithful one." God Bless and Keep The Faith

[Soldier4Christ]

  On A Personal Note

Matthew: 19-20 (NIV)
  "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

     The Great Commission, what a challenge Jesus put before us. That is to tell the world that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior. Is that something that you do on a daily basis? Do you tell your friends, family, and peers about what Christ has done for you?

    Tonight I had the opportunity to share about what Christianity is all about with one of the guys in a fraternity that I met last week. When you share Jesus with others do you tell them that it is not enough to just know about Him but that you have to know Christ personally. Knowing Jesus is what Christianity is all about. Knowing who He is and living our lives to be like Him. We are not perfect and we will fall, but God forgives those who know His Son, Jesus.

    Sharing who Christ is to you and knowing Him personally is only part of the Christian walk. We also need to walk the talk. In other words use the Bible as your guidebook. The Bible is a Christians' direction for life. It tells us how to live our lives. If you don't believe in the Bible you cannot truly call yourself a Christian. We need to live our lives for God and God alone. John 13:25 says "by this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (NIV.) It is so true. How we live and what we say need to reflect the same Christ that is in us.

    If you don't know Jesus Christ personally as Lord and Savior today, ask I will be more than happy to share the Gospel with you and share with you how you can come to know Christ personally. If you aren't living you life totally for Christ today than ask for forgiveness and give your life totally to Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Fear Not


Though a mighty army marches against me, my heart shall know no fear! I am confident that God will save me. (Psalm 27:3) TLB

     Isn't it great to know that no matter what comes our way, no matter how hard the trek we call life becomes, that God will save us? Think about it! We often know that God loves us, we often ponder the fact that He is with us always. But, rarely do we realize that He is always there to save us when we get into trouble.

     It has been a few years ago since my parents told me about their divorce, but the memory never seems to fade away. I've tried so many times to figure out what happened. Everything seems fine one day, then the next my life is forever changed.

     It was during this time that I found Christ again. I had no where to turn. I didn't have any friends, I had nobody to lean on, and my world was falling apart. But, amidst all of this. Jesus found me. I was invited to church again. Later that night I rededicated my life.

     Friends, please realize this. Jesus loves you and no matter where your at in your life, He wants to help. If you're feeling like your life isn't complete, or if something is missing, then stop and just give it all to Him. Because, no matter what is going on He will save you. But, you have to give your life and problems to Him. If your waiting for a big swooping hand to come from the sky and take away all your problems, (even though stranger things have happened) you might be waiting a while. The one thing that always brings a smile to my face is knowing that Jesus is bigger than any problem, any trial, and any sin. Because, when we are living in Christ, fear is not an option. God Bless and Keep The Faith!

[Soldier4Christ]

  How Do I Keep The Fire Going


“I am having a really tough time keeping the fire going in my walk with the
Lord.  I do not feel that my parents are helping and neither is my youth
leader.  Do you have any ideas?”

Matthew 5: 14-16 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be
hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they
put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the
same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds
and praise your Father in heaven.“ (NIV)

John 2:5 “His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." 
(NIV)

Romans 12:11 “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor,
serving the Lord.” (NIV)

The most awesome concert happened last night, and you are really pumped up
and on fire for God.  WOO HOO!  Last summer, you just came back from a
mission trip, and the Holy Spirit was really moving among the people so much
that all you had to do was say, “Jesus love you!” and 500 people came
forward in the alter call.  Maybe it was just the other night at youth
group, and you were so touched by the testimony that the friend of the youth
pastor gave that a light sparked within your heart, and now you have a fire
and a passion for God.

Then, the hose comes out.  Maybe it is the friend that said something to you
that really got you bummed.  Maybe it was something that happened that you
thought that God would do something to really change the matter, and then
did not do as you wanted.  You come back from that mission trip and then the
next thing that you know, it is back to the same old same old.  What do you
do?

First, want to keep that fire going for the Lord!  Rise to the hour!  Ask
yourself, “What am I doing as a teenager in this world to keep my zeal for
God, and to spread that zeal for others?  What do I pray for?  Do I look for
answers in my prayers?”

Second, think of others more than yourself.  What are you doing to help
others? What are you doing to see fire burn with other people?  Sometimes I
feel that we have become so lame and so just going with the moves that being
on fire for God has become a tale that we once told, and we just want to
slide by, and let others slide by.  What about their hearts?  What about
their fire?  Stick another log on the flame of someone else!  Find someone
to pray with.  Be that light!  Stir up your gifts!  Keeping a fire in your
heart comes from serving one another and stoking one another's flame.

Finally, the person that wants to have a fire for God, looks for the will of
God, and has a passion to do the will of God. Mary the mother of Jesus said
the same thing, “Do whatever He tells you.”  What happened?  They saw a
miracle.  We have to do just the same.  Obey God!  If you want fire, you
want to know God, and do His will.  I believe there is nor doubt in my mind
that when we do those things, it does not matter how much water comes to
douse our flame, but we can still have a fire that burns.  May God’s Grace
Abound In You.