Devotions for Teens

[Soldier4Christ]

  Being In Love


"in all things God works for the good of those who love Him" Romans 8:28

Fifteen year old Beth is in love with James.  Is this real love?  Or puppy love?  It is real love and the commitment she has made to their relationship is real.  They have promised to love each other forever and they really mean it.  Now that doesn't mean it will last forever. 

Between the ages of 15 and 21 people change the most.  They change interests, attitudes and values.  They will discover new talents and gifts within themselves.  They will change attitudes about the way others live their lives and what they want out of life.  What the 15 year old may want at 15 isn't what she may want when she turns 20.  There are many decisions that you will make that can change you life in those ages of 15 through 21.  Making the wrong choice can have a lasting effect.  Some of the wrong choices may result in having sex before marriage, pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, etc. 

Love at 15 is real and all the real emotions come with it.  You need to evaluate your relationships and seek the will of God in these.  A commitment to God, keeping Him the central point in your life will help you keep all these emotions in check.  Love is the most important thing you will feel and it has its up and downs.  Having God walk with you through these very important years is vital to keep a healthy grounded life.  You don't want to live with regrets that you carry through a lifetime, no regrets, don't regret something at 21 that you did at 15.  Think carefully about love and your relationships.  Place God in the center of all things in your life, love included.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Lighting The Way


Matthew 5:16- In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

God tells us that we are ‘the light of the world". We, as Christians, were set on this earth to bring Christ to those around us. We are living vessels of the message of the good news of Christ. Have you ever held the door for someone at the grocery store, or helped someone in some way? Did you get that overwhelming since of meaning after you did that? The feeling that you just might have made a difference in their life? That is a big struggle in my life, the feeling of inadequacy, that I’m not making a difference. But here, in this scripture, Jesus tells us that our good deeds praise Him, which they show God in our lives. And I don’t know about you, but that makes me feel good.

We are all called to be ‘lights’ in this world of ours, and in the verse before this, Christ says we are not to be ‘put under a bowl, but instead, put on its stand, so it gives light to everyone.’ It is up to us to light the world, and give hope to those who don’t yet know God. I encourage anyone who reads this to go out there and light up the world.

Now, I know it isn’t everyone’s calling to go onto the streets, and proclaim the Word of God. Not all of us are good at that. But a simple gesture of kindness can mean the difference for some people. The smallest of things, like a compliment on someone’s hair, can make that person’s day! Many people think that Christians are stuck up, and that we think we are better than everybody else. That is what turns most people away from God. But if you get out there and let Christ shine through you, it makes all the difference.

We all have our bad days, and we don’t always feel up to the task, but I encourage everyone, including myself, to just try, even for just a day, to give just a little bit more, and say hi to anyone you see with a frown. And see how it makes a difference, not only in the lives of those around you, but also in your own.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Rock Concerts and Frat Parties


Some churches don't like me because my hair's purple. Seriously, you should see some of the looks I get on Sunday.

I'm a theatre major at a secular university, and in more ways than that, I don't consider myself to be your average Christian.  I had a really amazing experience last summer that changed my life forever.  God revealed His love to me, and I found the bliss of knowing salvation.  But with the freedom of salvation comes the calling of responsibility.  I knew that as I was going off to college, my life could change radically.  A lot of the things I had been doing in high school weren't going to be acceptable in the new Christian life I had received.  I had been in love with theatre for so long, but I was worried that God may have other plans for me now that I had gotten on track with Him again.  A year later, I'm happy to find that it seems, for now at least, that theatre is exactly where am supposed to be. I've been in the right place the whole time, but not always for the correct reasons. Before, I did theatre for my needs and me.  But over the last year, God's really shown me what work of His I could be doing there.  The problem is that most Christians today don't understand how I can be a theatre major, and still be a believer.  I get shunned for hanging out with 'those' people, and doing 'those' things.  Obviously, real Christians don't go to rock concerts or frat parties.

Jesus said, "Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples."(Matthew 28:18, CEV).  He said, to us, to GO to the people. Not wait for them to come to us.  It would be convenient, for us, to have non-believers come into our safe zone of church.  It would be convenient for them to go out of their way to make it easier for us.  But it doesn't happen that way.  The pressure is on us, a friend, to meet them there.  Where are they? Well, a lot of them are at rock concerts and frat parties.  Jesus set this precedent for us already, take a look in the Bible, and more often you will find him with drunks, prostitutes, etc, and not in a synagogue.

My hope today is that more Christians will see that there is more than one way to witness to the world.  I do not by any means want to put down my brothers and sisters who invite others to church, and who participate in church activities for the glory of God.  Those actions are of course important and effective - just not to every non-believer.  My goal in my life is that somehow theatre will be the vehicle that allows me to reach those who need God, and are otherwise inaccessible.

Today, I would invite you to really consider the gifts God has given you to reach out to others.  You may not be called to be a preacher or a missionary, but there is something in you that will make a difference when nothing else could.

[Soldier4Christ]

  If they don't know, Where do they Go?


Romans 1:18-20 (NIV)
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

God has plainly shown ALL humans His existence.  He has created us to KNOW that there is something much bigger than ourselves.  You can find tribes of people out in the middle of no where that worship God, because it is an instinct God gives us. 

The bible here is saying that God shows us His eternal power and divine nature, a lot of this He does through nature itself (the sky, trees, animals, etc.) but God has made himself known to us.  I know that I see God when I take a good look at a sunrise or sunset, you can't look at that beauty sometimes and think it wasn't created by someone magnificent. (nobody can paint quite like God can). 

God WON'T leave us without any knowledge, God will also give people revelations and understanding of Him.  I heard (from a very reliable source) of a tribe in Africa a few years ago that were cut off from the entire world.  A missionary went in and began to witness to them, many turned their lives over to God.  A war broke out and the missionary was called back and had to leave quickly, so he left a bunch of bibles with them.  Good idea, huh?  Well, none of them could read.  But, one of the young men in the tribe picked one of the bibles up and began to read it and could read it anytime to other tribe members.  When he tried to read any other books, he couldn't, he could only read the bible.

God doesn't leave us hanging.  The bible also talks about God judging those 'with the law' and those 'without the law' differently.  God is a fair and just God, if He sent His only Son to die for us, He'll make sure we all know about it.

The creator of the heavens and the earth, knows each one of us intimately.  He loves us all dearly and He knows the situations of our lives.  He has made it plain to all humans, we just have to listen. 

NOW!  Since God doesn't leave anyone hanging, He also uses MANY people to help spread His word everywhere. Most of the time He uses His people, Christians.   As a Christian, if God calls you to a mission field (which DOES include your own neighborhood), you should really consider answering Him.  There are many, MANY people among us, even in our on cities that have never even heard of Jesus.  God may want to use us as an instrument to take His word to them.  Don't let it be your fault that someone dies and has never heard of Jesus.     

[Soldier4Christ]

  Open Arms


Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come fearlessly into God's presence, assured of his glad welcome. (Ephesians 3:12) NLT

I've been a Christian for six years now. I've been an active Christian for three. Yet, it wasn't until this past June that I was able to walk freely into God's presence. My path was blockaded by past shame, guilt, and fear.

The shame came from looking back at the horrors I have seen and experienced. It came from knowing that God has seen the horrible things that have taken place in my life. Certainly after knowing that he wouldn't want me. The guilt came from the sin that I still kept locked in my heart. It was born of sins that I had let fester, even though God had long forgiven them. I still hated myself. The fear came from seeing Him as an angry Father who would strike at any moment.

Then, at a conference total saturated with the message of God's abundant love, I came to get a little courage. I first had to come to a point of brokenness and stand in that yucky place of shame, guilt, and fear. Then, in that point of intense vulnerability, I got up the courage to look up at my God and really look into His eyes. I saw that, contrary to my fear, he didn't run when he saw my grossness. Instead, He opened His arms and surrounded me in peace and relief.

What in your life is hindering you from waling fearlessly into God's presence? Do you know that God already sees that? Yet, my friend, he loves you anyway. He sees all that you are and is longing for you to look up to Him and give Him everything. Reach deep inside and find that courage to boldly enter His gaze-you will be shocked by what you find. You will find that the God of the universe is ready and willing to gladly accept you with open arms.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Pursuit Of Little Me


"This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." 1 John 4:10 NLT

Sometimes we get so caught up in trying to please God, and seeking Him that we forget His love for us. God loved us first; He is the one who started it all. Even though we might not know what we're doing all the time, or how to seek God, He knows us and He knows how to get our attention. You might feel really far away fromGod right now, but know that He is watching you and waiting for the prefect time to show you who He is. He is not trying to torture you; He is just waiting for the right time, so taht you'll be ready to recieve Him.

Read the verse above again. ...Done? Now, Can you just imagine that? God loves you even though your knowledge of Him is limited. Even though you don't realize His love, He still loves you. Nothing can stop His love.

"And I am convinced that nothing can separate us from his love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fear 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 8:38-39 NLT

Read the above verse two or three times. Read it and study it. 

Okay.. now I am going to venture even to say that you cannot separate yourself from the love of God. You might think you can, but you really can't. You can't make Him not to love you, no matter how hard you try. You can never get away from Him.

"I can never escape from your spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night -- but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are both alike to you." Pslams 139:7-12 NLT

Can you believe this?! We can never escape from God's love, or His presence!

Whenever I start to get tired of seeking God's presence, which is my number one goal in life, God reminds me that I can't get away from Him even if I try. Then the things He is telling me to do aren't quite as hard anymore. I just obey naturally. I know that He's there with me, guiding me and helping me, even when I don't want the guidance and the help. He never leaves me and He never forgets about me. My own faithfulness can never override God's faithfulness. He is always faithful, even when I am not!

"This is a true saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him. If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us. If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself." 2 Tim. 2:11-13 NLT

Now that is great to know. No matter how bad I am, God always stays the same. Sometimes I think just because I'm shaky in my faith. God has really forgotten about me, but just because I've forgotten about Him, doesn't mean He's forgotten about me. Get to know the Lord's love for you today!

[Soldier4Christ]

  Total Reception


Acts 2:37-38
Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter
and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” Peter said to
them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for
the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit.  (NASB)

When I was growing up, my Great-grandmother had an old radio in her spare
bedroom that was just phenomenal, and it still worked.  Back before
television, our family would sit around the old radio and hear stories,
news, and find out what else was going on within the world.

One afternoon while visiting her, I asked her if I could turn it on just see
if I could find a station.  Granted that was 1983 and there were more
stations then there were in the1940’s and 50’s.  I then grabbed the dial and
began to try to find a station to listen to.  Some came in loud and clear
while others had more static than you could ever imagine.  Those with the
static were trying to get their signal to me, but for some reason could not
make it. Then those, which came in clear, really glistened in my ear.  It was really
neat.

In Acts 2, Peter was preaching about the coming of the Holy Spirit and the
mission that He was to accomplish throughout the world.  When the people had
heard about it, it pierced their hearts.

God is near.  He has sent His Holy Spirit to be with us, and the
transmission is loud and clear.  The question is, do you have Him tuned
correctly within your heart?  Maybe right now He has a lot of static in your
heart because you only hear the things that you want to hear?  Take time
today, to make sure that you have Him tuned to the correct dial, and that
there is full transmission.  When you do, watch Him change your life, your
world, and your eternity!  May God’s Grace Abound In You

[Soldier4Christ]

  Why Laugh When God Cries


Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

"What made God cry I laughed at."  When I heard that statement I cringed.  I had never heard it before and when my pastor explained it, well lets just say I was guilty of doing just that.  I know there have been many times in my life that I laughed at jokes that weren't so clean or laughed when something that God made holy was made fun of in a movie.  When I heard this statement it really made me want to stop what I was doing and be more careful of what I am hearing and seeing.  I do not want to laugh at what makes God cry.  God in Heaven looks down on us and sees such sinfulness.  I don't want to be just another tear in His eye. 

We must guard our hearts.  We must change the way we think, keeping our mind on God.  We must keep moral purity.  We must choose our friends to those who uplift us and support us.  We need to chart a course for growth, deciding how we are going to grow in Godliness.  These things don't just happen and if we are not careful we fall into the category with those who laugh at things that make God weep. 

Think about your thoughts and behavior and ask yourself if these things make God proud of you or do they cause him to cry. Guard your heart....

[Soldier4Christ]

  We Are Family


"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from  whom the whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name." Ephesians 3:14-15 (NIV)

"Pointing to his disciples, he [Jesus] said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers.’" Matthew 12:49 (NIV)
   
One of the awesome things I realized about being a Christian (besides divine protection, eternal life, etc.) is the blessing of having God's family as our own! Of course we keep our present biological family, and still love them completely, only now we have an extended family beyond imagination! We have God as our father, and we are brothers of Christ and the angels! How awesome! The bible also says we should pray for the family of believers, so that means we have Christ himself interceding on our behalf, as well as all the angels, and our brothers and sisters in the faith all across the globe! Talk about a confidence booster!
   
So next time you go to church, a Christian get-together, or concert, remember that the people all around you are not just people you know, or people you are friends with or have the option of befriending. These are literally your brothers and sisters under God's father-ship. Thinking about this helps me a little with dealing with my shyness. When I go around a new Christian environment and begin meeting people, the old way of thinking always seems to kick in and put me on my guard against rejection and betrayal, and all the things humans fear from each other. But thinking about the fact that these believers love each other and will love me, because we are all brothers and sisters under Christ, puts me at ease somewhat.
   
I realize that not all believers will meet up to your standards of how they should treat their "family", but Christ spoke of these when he told us not to judge, and when he told us to always forgive our brother. Just know that there are people like you and like myself who not only want to follow the command of loving each other, but literally do love each other. I love you, mainly because nobody in the entire world besides a Christian can relate to another Christian, and that fact is one of the beauties God provided us that my soul cherishes. I think of all the things God says to my soul, and all the beauty I retain from knowing Him, and just thinking that another human being also has this in their heart makes them precious to me.
   
If you are a Christian who has been spending most of your Christian life by yourself, you are missing out! Don't be afraid of other believers, just find those in your church or wherever you meet them who are genuinely in love with Christ, and those are the ones who will also love you! Just like a real family, they will make mistakes. But the great thing is they will understand when you do, and will help you up when you fall!

If you are not part of God's family, then YOU ARE MISSING OUT! Get to a bible, get to a church, get on your knees and ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart and begin working now! Before you know it you will be into a church, filled with the Holy Spirit, and into the wings of your new extended family and in the hands of God the father. You will have the confidence of knowing you have ETERNAL LIFE, and that feeling is better than having a million dollars in the bank! Know that this isn't just a religion! It isn't just something we make up for fun! It is 100% real, and myself and anyone else who truly believes can testify to it with all honesty and sincerity!

[Soldier4Christ]

  The Freshman Experience


1 John 3:18 - Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but
with actions and in truth.

Matthew 28:20 - … And surely I am with you always, to the very end of
the age

No one ever said that being a freshman in college was going to be easy,
there are a lot of different things that one needs to adjust to… being
away from home for an extended period of time, actually having to take
care of yourself, making sure that your laundry gets done, your
homework gets done, and that you don’t spend all of you money too fast.
It’s an incredibly tough thing to be a freshman because you really
don’t know exactly what to do initially. Well, that is unless you go to
the college that I go to. I’m part of the 2006 rook (freshmen) class of
Norwich University. It’s a private military school, and right now I’m
the lowest of the low. One might ask why I chose such a fate, and
honestly, sometimes even I don’t know the answer. Granted this isn’t
what you might call a *normal* college experience, in fact it’s not
even close. I’m usually up running around doing pt when most of my
peers from high school are just going to bed. But here’s the kicker, I
love it! This place is addicting, and so is everything that we do here.
Granted there are some days that I wonder why I chose to come here,
that’s usually when we’re having a *happy band day*. Those aren’t too
fun, they consist of us doing just about everything that we could
possibly do, wrong, and our cadre definitely let us know about it too.
I never realized how many times in one day it’s possible to strack your
room and make your bed…. Those days are usually pretty hard for me for
a lot of reasons. I get frustrated because we’re all constantly messing
up, some of my rook buddies more than others, and I feel really lonely
at times too. The thing here is when one person in the platoon screws
up, everybody does, so everybody gets punished for it. It’s really
frustrating because while the rest of us did something right, one
person didn’t and we all have to pay for it. Those are the times that I
really want to turn around and scream at whoever it was that screwed
up, but then about three things hit me all at once. The first is that
we’re a platoon, and that we’re not a bunch of individuals. The next
thing that I realize is that there was usually something that I could
have done to help out that rook buddy. The third, and most important
one is that God has told us many times to love one another. 1 John 3:18
tells us to love with actions, for me this love means a lot. I love all
of my rook buddies dearly, I don’t know if I would be able to survive
without each and every one of them. All of those realizations tie in
with each other because I realize that by not helping out my rook
buddies, I’m not loving them the way that I was commanded to by God,
and I’m not showing them the love that they all need to get through
this particular time of our lives.

I mentioned it before, one thing that I really struggle with here is
loneliness. It’s not that hard to feel lonely here, there are many
times that I feel like everybody’s out to get me and that nobody really
understands how I feel inside. It’s those times that I remember that
God is always with us. He’s with me when I get yelled at by my cadre,
when I’m corrected on the UP by one of the command sergeant majors
(that’s never fun), when I get really frustrated at soccer practice
because I just can’t seem to leave the Corps on the hill for two hours
and I take all of my issues with me. Those times are really hard
because I feel like nobody understands or that nobody wants to
understand, but then it hits me that God does understand exactly how
I’m feeling and that He’s standing there waiting for me to go running
to Him. Let me tell you, when that hits me, it hits me like a ton of
bricks, but when I leave behind all of the garbage that I have a
tendency to carry with me and go running to the Lord, I don’t feel as
lonely anymore. God will give you strength beyond your own
understanding, and that’s all you need to make it through the day, and
through life. Pretty amazing huh?

[Soldier4Christ]

  Non Christian Friends


Question:

i have lots of non-Christian friends, but I don't have any christian friends. None of my friends know how much my faith really means to me and I don't know how to tell them. I'm just afraid that if I tell them they won't want to be my friend anymore. I can feel a block between them and I because I can't talk to them the way I could with my christian friends. I just need some advice.

Answer:

2 Timothy 1:7-9(NIV)

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time

People aren't comfortable with testifying about God. We claim to be Christians and we claim to other Christians that God is good, but we don't feel He's good enough to share with the people that need Him, and His love and salvation.  Satan makes us feel inadequate to share the word of the LORD with people, you know what? We are. But we are still told to be faithful and live the life God has called us to.  Satan does everything he can to stop us from sharing God's word, thats why you feel the 'block' between you.

It's our responsibility to share the good news with them.  Many times when God points out people to me to share the gospel with, He has already opened their hearts to receive it.  Your friends may WANT to know about Jesus, but maybe they are afraid of what you would think. 

Pray that God will give you the words they need to hear and pray that He will open their hearts to receive His word.  If they listen, you may have taken part in their eternal salvation.  If they won't listen and decide to not be your friends anymore, then your still better off.  Unsaved people are working for Satan and they will drag you down.  Regardless, Jesus has given us the responsibility to tell the world about Him.

Imagine, standing in God’s judgment and you are in the line that is going to heaven, and your non-Christian friends are in another line that is going to hell.  What a terrible feeling it would be for them to look at you and ask “Why didn’t you tell us?”  When we don’t do our best to bring Christ into the lives of others, we are part of the problem.  Do you want to be partially responsible for your friends’ eternal destinations?

[Soldier4Christ]

  Reckless Love


May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other--each with the attitude of Christ Jesus toward the other. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. So accept each other just as Christ has accepted you; then God will be glorified. (Romans 15:5-7) NLT

There are some people who just drive me crazy! Know what I mean? They do that one thing that grates on my every nerve. They constantly take from me and never give in return, or they talk about me behind my back. There are people who I just can't stand some days. How could God ask me to live in Harmony towards them? And how can he ask me to treat them like I would treat Jesus? Tough commands, eh? Yet, we are reassured that God alone will give us the patience and encouragement necessary to love them as Christ does.

I always hate it when people tell me to do something and then don't explain why I need to do it. Thankfully, God gives us a reason to love everyone, even those who drive us crazy. He wants us all to unify and to praise Him together. Praise God with the Goth in your school? Sing to Him with your abusive father? Honor the Father with girl who makes fun of you? Do these things seem impossible? They are God's vision. He envisions us all unified giving Him glory...and He gives us the tools to follow this commandment.

So, what is your job? To "accept each other just as Christ has accepted you." Look at your life and your heart. Glance deep inside and see all the times when you have scarred hearts with your words and harmed souls with your actions. How could the God of the universe accept you as you are? The answer is simple: grace-loving you even though you don't deserve it. So what are we to do: Show grace abundantly. Be the hands of Christ to that person who most drives you crazy. Thankfully, you don't have to do this alone because Paul reminds us that God will help us in this endeavor. So, go out there and love recklessly so that one day we can all praise God together.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Understanding God's Love


"The godly give good advice, but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense." Proverbs 10:21 NLT

Once you get a glimpse of God's love for you your perspective will no longer be the same. Often we go through life looking for love in other people and more often than not we find ourselves disappointed and let down. We as Christians need to get an understanding of love, once we do this we will be that more passionate for God and for people around us.

For the next few days we will be diving into the Word searching for God's love. God is so amazing, how often do you say that? Believe me, once the revelation come that "God loves YOU!" and you get that deep within your heart, your whole life changes!

Ask God right now to prepare your heart for the incredible revelation that is going to take place in your life. I firmly believe Proverbs 10:21 "...but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense." Just think how many people you know that if they had any idea that someone loved them so much they might be a little nicer, they might not think of themselves they way they do or they might actually see that they are worth something, someone does care for them.... I am sure you have friends that you know they need reached out to. Understanding God's love will help you tremendously. How can you share God's love with others if you have no understanding about yourself?
 
Right now, how do view God's love for you? How has God shown his love to you personally? How has it changed your life? What lies have you been listening to that hinders your understanding of God's love?   

[Soldier4Christ]

  To Much Spice For Me


Mark 13:11“When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit. (NASB)

My wife is too big into going to this special Mexican restaurant that is just in the city north of us. Generally, I get the unfortunate opportunity to go with her, and partake in the spice and heat of their free chips and salsa. On some visits, I am blessed with the mild, and on other visits, the hot hits my taste buds, and the water hose comes to the rescue.

I may then begin to fan my mouth, and then ask the manager if he forgot to put the air conditioner on this morning when he came to open the store.

When your brain gets the reaction of the spice hitting your tongue, it wants to find the right reaction to the heat. Maybe you do not have a glass of water available and need to run to the water hose. Maybe you find another way to ease the heat.
You know, the Holy Spirit has the power to give us the words to say. Not words that crush a heart of intimidate, but words that teach and reveal God’s word and His Spirit. The Holy Spirit is there to help us encourage a friend, give the right word for comfort, and just as your brain reacts to the hot salsa, the Holy Spirit moves you to speak, and maybe it is that word that you need to give that leads a person to salvation.

Let us remember to rely on the Holy Spirit that is within us to give us words to say. If we don’t we will soon find that we are using our own words and giving ourselves the glory in trying to move God’s kingdom, when actually God should get the glory. When God gets the glory, watch His kingdom boom! May God’s Grace Abound In You.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Second Coming of Jesus


The second coming of Jesus has been long anticipated, ever since He died and rose from the dead and went to live with His Father in Heaven.  He will return one day, no one knows the time or the day.  Only the Father knows.  When the time is right, the Father will tell His son to go get His children.  His children are the believers, those who believe in Him and have a personal relationship with Him.

Everyone on earth will see His return.  "the arrival of the Son of Man, it will fill the skies, no one will miss it."  Matt. 24:30  "This very Jesus who was taken up from among you to heaven will come as certainly and mysteriously as He left." Acts 1:11

Are you ready for His return?  Are you ready to meet God? "Prepare to meet God" Amos 4:12 How do you prepare?  Repent of your sins.  Receive Christ as your Savior.  Let Him forgive your sins.  And let the Spirit of God come live in you.  He will give you a new power of living.  Your name will be written in the Book of Life, and you will participate in the coming again of Jesus Christ.  You will have life eternally in Heaven with the Father and His Son. 

We Christians that are alive when He returns will be caught up in the air to meet Him. "Then the rest of us who are still alive at the time will be caught up with them into the clouds to meet the Master.  Oh, we'll be walking on air." 1 Thes. 4:17 We will instantaneously be clothed with glorified bodies which will be adapted for the journey.  Those who are lost will be left behind and will face the judgment of God.  They will not have their names written in the Book of Life.  They will live eternity in separation from God in Hell.  Are you lost?

Don't miss the most exciting and anticipated event in the history of man, Jesus' second coming.  You don't want to be just standing there with your mouth open when He comes with all His glory.