Devotions for Teens

[Soldier4Christ]

  The Church at Thyatira


Revelation 2:18-26

It never fails!  I turn on the television and whammo!  There are a couple on their, essentially not married making out and grossing the rest of the world with their tonsil hockey or whatever else they may be deciding to do.  All I wanted to watch was some Loony Tunes, or some Tom and Jerry, but I turn on the tube and get flashed with this.  It seems like the more and more I have lived the more and more that I see immorality accepted in our culture, our school, and ever so quickly into our lives.   The city and the Church at Thyatira had the same problem.

The city of Thyatira was strong working town.  There were many trade federations for clothing, dyeing, and pottery.   Paul talked about the town while he was there, and mentioned a gal named Lydia (Acts 16:14 a merchant in Thyatira) who was his first convert in Phillipi.   When you look at the city as a whole, they were basically one their own when it came to religion. 

Jesus was concerned though for the church at Thyatira.  You see, there was a woman there that taught that immorality was not a something that believers should worry about.  We are not sure if her name was Jezebel or if John was actually referring to her as a type of Jezebel mentioned in the OT which was considered the most evil woman that ever lived.  The people were starting to believe her and thus causing all types of immorality in their lives.

When we talk about immorality (all types, whether sexual of moral)  and how serious it is we are talking about living in the desires of ourselves and not God’s desires.  Friends, when we live in the desires of ourselves and not God’s desires it hurts Him because it tells Him that we are relying on ourselves and not God.  It hurts others because it violates their trust and our relationships.  God wants to protect us from all types of immorality, and wants us to have no part with it even if our culture accepts it. 

We have the same going on in our society.   Sure, we may not be able to stop what our society does and the beliefs that they have, but we can stop what we think and the things that come into our hearts and minds.  Ultimately, flee all immorality.  Friends, immorality is serious, and God hates it.   He wants us to meet His desires, and not our own.  Are we doing that today?  I challenge you to do a reality check and find out in your heart.  May God Be With You.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Prayer


In Luke 11:1, one of Jesus' disciples said, "Lord, teach us to pray."  It was obvious the Jesus' strength came from His time in prayer.

What is Prayer?
Basically, prayer is communication between you and God.  "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know." Jeremiah 33: 3

Just try to think of trying to cope with your problems if there was no way to communicate with God. Remember that God created us for fellowship with Him.  He desires that we learn to spend time with Him in prayer.


Why Do People Fail to Pray?
We often convince ourselves that we can make it without prayer. 
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding: in all you ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs3: 5-6

How to Pray
Be real; be yourself.  You must be honest, genuine, open with God.  "Who may stand before the Lord?  Only those who do not practice dishonesty and lying." 
Psalm24: 3-4

Come before God as a child.  "The greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven is the one who humbles himself and becomes like this child."  Matthew 18:4

Talk to God as you would a friend.  "Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend." Exodus 33:11

Pray without ceasing.  "Pray at all times." 1 Thes. 5:17
Pray with persistence.  "Pray and never give up." Luke 18:1
Pray believing. ".... all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you." Mark 11:24
Prayers must be specific. Pray generally -- you'll never know. Pray specifically -- you'll see God at work.

God always answers prayer, in His time. 
God sometimes says, "No."
God sometimes says, "Wait."
God sometimes says, "Yes," and can even say "Yes" but in a different way than you expected.  Usually when you seek God, and you are praying according to His will, He will answer your prayer far beyond what you could ever dream.

Pray with Action.
A prayer can never take the place of action.  Like love, it must be expressed in action and not merely words.  "Be ye doers of the word." James 1:22

Don't just pray:
"Dear God, please help John today.

Example of How to pray:
"Dear God, I really hurt for John.  I want Your will for his life to be accomplished today.  If there is any way that You can use me, I am available.  Please make me sensitive to any doors that You might open to use me in his life today."  Be specific for his needs according to God's will and for your needs in this request as well.


Elements of a Prayer
Remember A-C-T-S.
A - Adoration is praising God for who He is.  This can be done by reading scriptures of praise or through music.
C - Confession is agreeing with God about your sin.  True confession always includes repentance, which is a change in your life.  Confession is important for spiritual growth.
T - Thanksgiving is thanking God for when He has done.
S - Supplication means requests.  These are the things that you ask God for.  There are 2 categories.
  1.  Petition is praying for our own needs.  We pray when we are in a bind.  We pray for our daily needs.  We need to pray for character development, physical abilities and material needs.
   2. Intercession is praying for others.  Praying for salvation as well as areas listed above.  "....... far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you" 1 Samuel 12:23

~ PRAYERS CAN'T BE ANSWERED UNLESS THEY ARE PRAYED~

Life without purpose is barren indeed ~
There can't be a harvest unless you plant the seed.
There can't be attainment unless there's a goal,
And a man's but a robot unless there's a soul.
If we send no ships out, no ships will come in,
And unless there's a contest, nobody can win.
For games can't be won unless they are played
And prayers can't be answered unless they are prayed.
So whatever is wrong with your life today,
You'll find a solution if you kneel down and pray.
Not just for pleasure, enjoyment and health,
Not just for honors, prestige or wealth,
But pray for a purpose to make life worth living,
And pray for the joy of unselfish giving,
For great is your gladness and rich your reward
When you make your life's purpose the choice of the Lord.
Helen Steiner Rice

~ LET YOUR WISH BECOME A PRAYER ~

Put your dearest wish in God's hands today
And discuss it with Him as you faithfully pray,
And you can be sure your wish will come true
If God feels your wish will be good for you...
There's no problem too big or question too small ~
Just ask God in Faith and He'll answer them all ~
Not always at once, so be patient and wait,
For God never comes too soon or too late...
So trust in His wisdom and believe in His word,
No prayer's unanswered and no prayer's unheard.
Helen Steiner Rice

[Soldier4Christ]

  Poem: He


He

He was an outcast to society
Misunderstood for his beliefs
Speaking in parables to the synagogues
Which offended the priests and chiefs.

He healed the blind with mud from the earth
And inspired hope to those he met
Breaking his body as bread
To sacrifice for the ultimate debt.

He climbed the rock at Calvary
Bruised and spat upon along the way
Yet he kept his mission deep in his mind
For the remainder of that dark day

He was laid upon the cross
Sharp nails driven in his hands and feet
A crown of thorns lacerated his scalp
Yet he would still not admit defeat.

He cried out his last breath
Red blood pouring down his face
Crowds mocked his dying actions
As they left that desolate place.

He was buried in a tomb
But on the third day he rose
Soon ascending into Heaven
To reign King as the one God chose.

He had proclaimed eternal life
With the cool blue spring of the Spirit
If people would only accept him
And not turn away when they hear it.

He still lives in today’s world
As he hugs his arms around me
Fanning the hot embers inside my soul
So I may spread the fire to all I see.

[Soldier4Christ]

  "Heaven's Telephone"


Heaven's Telephone
Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this
is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) NASV.

Imagine how life would be like today with out the telephone? Scary thought,
huh? Try and figure out how you would get in touch with friends. Would
you have to write a letter a week in advance to see if they wanted to go
to a movie? I have a few friends that would go through complete denial if
they had their phone taken from them for just a week. The phone can be
someone's best friend, or in my case a while back, your worst enemy.

I had just finished mowing the lawn when I decided to take a break and see
how my girlfriend was doing. As I picked up the phone and dialed her number
, I tried to think of all the stuff I wanted to talk to her about. But then
something horrible happened, yes you know the one thing we all dread. The
busy signal! I started tripping when I heard the most annoying beeping
sound known to a teen besides the fire alarm at school.

Then thoughts started running though my head. "What if she's talking to
another guy. She's probably asking her friends to help her find a way to
break up with me. Maybe she's tired and trying to give me the hint to
leave her alone. Or she might even be off with someone else and left her
phone off the hook so I wouldn't know. Ackkkk!"

After a few minutes, I calmed back down and decided I would think the
situation over and try a new approach. By the time I started thinking of
what to do next, I couldn't help but think of how God must feel at times.
Are there times when God tries to call me and He gets a busy signal? Maybe
there are times when I'm so busy talking to other people or hanging with
my friends that I forget all about my heavenly Father.

You know it's a free call every time we want to talk to our best Friend
upstairs. You never need to dial a 1 and you don't even need an 800 number.
He's there at anytime of day when ever we need Him. We just have to take
the time to pick up the receiver and dial Him up.

So take time during the day before you call a friend to remember there is
another person who not only is dying to talk to you but already died so you
can spend a few minutes a day to say hi. The next time you pick up the phone,
spend a second thinking of Him, because believe it or not, He spends all of
eternity thinking of you. May peace be with you.

[Soldier4Christ]

  "God?.......Are you out there?"



I Cor. 10:31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”  (NAS)

Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.”

Okay, think of a huge situation that you either have faced, are facing,
or you know is inevitable that you will have to eventually face. Some of
you have something on your mind that scares you, others are worried, but a
few of you have probably thought of something that brings you excitement
and anticipation. No matter what thought is on your mind right now, my God
is bigger. Yet, I never stop questioning my God. I have confidence and yet
so many questions. Countless are the days that I open my eyes and beg God
for a sign. Just a hint that He is really out there. And yet, just the fact
that I rolled over and opened my faithless eyes is this "sign" that I ask
for. Just the possibility that I could take a breath this very moment is
evidence of my God. Every time my heart beats, which is on average is
somewhere around two and a half billion times, is proof that my God is out
there orchestrating the universe.

It is okay to question, if you are looking for the answer. Pray that
God gives you a hunger for His Word and He will. The Psalmist wrote that if
you delight yourself in the Lord He will give you the desires of your
heart. Seek Christ and you will find Him. You don't even have to go far, because He
is everywhere.  Pray, "God take me to that quiet place where I can stand before your throne
and get things right." God says blessed is him who trusts. I encourage you
to trust in Christ and to step out in faith believing that He is there.
Faith is a verb. It is an action, something you do. Standing on faith is
almost an oxymoron. Get out and run with faith, you might be surprised.

[Soldier4Christ]

  "Is it ok to cuss?"


“Is it ok to cuss as long as you are not using the Lord’s name in vain? 
For example using four letter words as long as you are not using the Lord’s
name in vain?”


Colossians 3:8 “But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice,
slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.  NASB

I Corinthians 10:31        “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you
do, do all to the glory of God.”  NASB

Philippians 4:4-8
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication
        with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard
        your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
        whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever
        is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy
        of praise, dwell on these things.  (NASB)

I will be honest with you, I have had a problem with this one in my life as
well.  This question brings back memories about when I first learned to
cuss.  No sooner had I said the word, then did my mom take me into the
bathroom for an old fashioned washing of my mouth out with soap.   I even
remember the stupidity of teaching my little sister to cuss and how to use
the words correctly in a sentence.  Then, I one day had to come to the
conclusion that this was not what I wanted my life to be like.

After some time of growing up and learning about what I was saying when I
used some of those words, I found that I was really using abusive and
filthy language.  The question then was asked, “Is God happy with me using
these words after finding out the definition of them?”   I would have to
say absolutely not!   Everything in the Word of God says that we are to
build one another up, and serve one another.  Any time that we use these
words whether in normal speech or out of anger and pain,  it is not
building anyone up.  There are other words that we can choose to use,
especially when we are upset or smash our thumb with a hammer.  Let me
give you an example.

If we are to use the “D” word we are actually saying that we want the
person or the thing to go to eternal damnation.  What is eternal damnation?
  The King James Version uses it in Matthew 23:33:   33. "Ye serpents, ye
generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" (KJV)  The
story of the Pharisees and the seven woes.  When you talk about being
“Damned” you are talking about a judgmental “sentence“.  You are talking
about a judgmental sentence of an eternal separation from God!   Why would
we want that to happen to anything or anyone?  I would imagine that you
could figure out the rest of the words on your own as to why they are not
appropriate for any speaking out of our mouths. 

The first question of the Shorter Catechism says, “What is the chief end of
man?“    The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.
   Friends, cussing is not something that we need to focus on in our lives,
  and it especially not something that would cause God to be glorified nor
help us to enjoy Him forever.   We are to rejoice in the Lord always! 
God wants us to dwell on things that are pure, holy, and of a sound mind!
How can we do that when our hearts are in the wrong place?

The solution to this is that we need to be sure that we do watch what we
say and how we say it.  Let us think twice about what we are saying and
how damaging that it can be to another person or another child of God. 
Do we really want what we just said  to actually happen?  God wants us to
keep abusive (corrupt) language from our lips.  I would encourage you to
seek help on what you say, and maybe even learn to try to stop cussing so
that God’s glory may abound more in you and your hearts. 
May God Be With You

[Soldier4Christ]

  "In the clouds"


"Look, He is coming in the clouds and everyone will see Him...."  Rev. 1:7a
(NIV)

Deuteronomy 33:26  "There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on
the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty.  (NIV)

Psalm 147:8 He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain
and makes grass grow on the hills.  (NIV)



About every place that you look in the Bible where it talks about clouds,
you see that they are in one way or another connected to the attributes of
God.  Clouds may be the tough times that we have, or the sufferings that
we all face in our lives which seem to dispute the sovereignty of God.  It
is by those clouds in our lives that the Spirit of God is teaching us to walk
by an unconditional faith.  They are a sign that He is there. 

It is cool to know that God is there and He is coming in the clouds of our
lives, and that all of the clouds that we face we know that God wants us to
fix something in our lives.  His purpose is for us to totally rely on Him
until we come to Him like a child, and letting Him supply all of our needs
Like the psalmist talked about when we supplies coulds for the earth to be
replenished with rain.

What is your view of God today?  Do you see Him in the clouds?  Do you give
Him all of the praise and the glory in all that you do and all that He does
in your life?  The next time that you look at the sky and see the clouds,
think of God and His coming in the clouds of our lives, and also take the
time to be sure that everything in you glorifies Him.   

[Soldier4Christ]

  "Are you compromising?"


Rev. 2:12-17

16.  “Repent, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with
the sword of my mouth.”


Have you ever compromised your faith?  I know that I have.  I have let
things slide that have happened to me in order to make the people around
me happy.  We as Christians are not going to please everyone.  God says
that compromising our faith to make other people happy who are doing wrong
is not good, and if we do we need to repent.

It seems that when you look at the seven churches Jesus talked about in the
first three chapters of the book of Revelation, you notice one thing:  It
was not easy to live in the cities where the churches were located. 
Pergamum was different from the cities that we talked about the last few
weeks.  They not only worshipped the Greek gods, but they housed temples
for them in their city.  Even though they were surrounded by Satan and the
worship of other gods, the church at Pergamum never would renounce its
faith.  They still believed in the one true God. 

It was not easy to be a Christian in Pergamum.  With all of these different
god’s and Satan running around like a roaring lion,  it could not have
been easy to live as a Christian.  There had to be more persecution than
you could handle.  The problem that they were having though is that they
were beginning to tolerate those who believed in their different faiths,
and going along with the crowd.  Essentially, they were beginning to
compromise, and Jesus rebuked them for it.

Friends, how many of us compromise?  Compromise is a settlement of
differences in which each side makes concessions.   Are we compromising
our faith so that other faiths or people who don’t even have faith will
win out?   We have to stand firm in our faith and not compromise with any
other.  We have to know that what we believe is truth, and that no one can
tell us different.  We as Christians need to continue our stand for our
faith and what we believe.  I challenge you today to stand for your faith,
and not let Satan use someone else to get you to compromise the commands of
God’s Word.  If you have compromised your faith, then I would encourage
you to repent and get back on the right track serving the Lord.  May God
Be With You

[Soldier4Christ]

  "Looking Outside"


"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under
heaven given to men by which we must be saved"  Acts 4:12 NIV

How many of you are looking for something?  Something to fill your life to
make you feel complete?  I know the feeling well.  I looked for friends to
give me validation.  I looked to my own looks to give me self esteem.  I
looked to what others thought about me for my self worth.  I was always
looking outside of myself to fill me with what I desired.  I wanted to
feel peace in that place inside of me that felt empty.  I could not figure
out what was wrong with me, I just knew I needed something.  If I could
find that one special boyfriend then I would be OK.  If I just let my hair
grow longer I would look better.  If I could hang out with a certain group
of friends I would be more popular.  If these didn't work, I could always
get high to be cool to fit in and defuse the pain.  I could always have sex
with my boyfriend to feel the ultimate love I needed.  I could go shopping
and buy new clothes and jewelry.  I would be like a blind person grasping
in the dark for something to hold on to.  I was looking outside of myself
to fill the void inside.  All the things I did filled a temporary void and
made me feel good for a time.  But then reality hit hard, after the "good
feeling" left then I was faced with guilt and shame.  On top of feeling
empty now I had this ugly feeling on top of it.  It is a circle of
emotional pain.  Then I started looking to my peers in my church for help,
especially my youth pastor.  They were great help but once again I was
looking for something outside of myself to fill me.  When you look outside
of yourself to fill the  emptiness and void you will always come up short.
People will always disappoint you some way or another because they are only
human. 

NOTHING OR NO ONE.... but Jesus Christ can fill you.  The secret is, that
Jesus is inside of you, He is at the core of your being.  All you have to
do is go there, in prayer and seek His love and comfort.  I was so busy
looking to everything around me that I neglected to stop and look inside.
We are all born with the ability and free will to put God in us, all we
have to do is acknowledge Him and ask Him into our lives.  Ask God to
reveal Himself in you and stop floundering around in the dark looking for
the answer.  You will find the true peace and happiness inside of you just
waiting to take over.  Go there now and find true peace and contentment
for your life. 

[Soldier4Christ]

  "Taming the Tongue"


"...the tongue is a small part of the body, but consider the trouble it
causes...the tongue...is a fire...a world of evil among the body...no man
can tame the tongue...out of the same mouth come both praise and cursing.
This should not be." (James 3:5-10)

Has there ever been a time in your life when someone has really hurt,
yelled, or slammed you down for one reason or another? I'm sure we have
all been there, we have all felt the knife being stabbed into our backs by
our friends or parents. It's during these times when we so badly want to
speak our heart instead of our minds.

She was all I could ever want in a girl. Sweet, pretty, funny, popular,
and most importantly, a Christian. We started talking and before I knew it,
we were off on a date. We didn't even do anything except go to the mall
and hang out on the swings at the city park, but that was just enough to
take my heart completely away from me.

I wish the story had a happy ending, but unfortunately that wasn't in God's
plan. The following two days she stopped talking to me and I was too shy to
confront her about it. After another long 24 hours, it was brought to my
attention in a letter she wrote that, "I just want to be friends." One
minute she liked me, the next......friends. Being someone's friend was
always a great thing to me, but hearing those words from her sent my world
crashing down.

Being able to write, I started to compose a masterpiece of my thoughts.
Not only was I hurt about what happened, I also wanted to let her know how
she made me feel. Half way through the letter, I just looked down and
frowned. What was I doing? Even though I wanted so desperately to put my
feelings on paper, even though I wanted to say so many times what my
feelings were, I had to bite my lip, put the paper and pencil away, and
tame my tongue.


Friends, our mouths can be sharper than a two-edged sword. Where wounds
will someday heal, a wrong word will scar a person for life. I'm sure most
of us have even dealt with a situation like mine. Maybe it was a best
friend who went behind your back, or a parent who wouldn't let you go out
for any apparent reason. No matter what happened, I knew there was only
one place for me to go with my problem, only one thing to do, and it all
started by getting on my knees. When all leave us and forsake us, there
will always be One with us. When a date is broken, a punch thrown, or a
temper lost, He has time and time again shown me that when all else fails,
the Love of the Lord always shines through. So the next time you face a
situation like the one I faced or just wrote about, open up your Bible to
1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your cares on the Lord, for He cares for you,"
because there isn't a thing in the world that God loves more than you.
May peace be with you.

[Soldier4Christ]

  "The Pickle Jar"


I hope that you were blessed as much as I was with this story.

Eph. 6:1-2
Proverbs 31

    The pickle jar as far back as I can remember sat on the floor beside
the dresser in my parents' bedroom.  When he got ready for bed, Dad would
empty his pockets and toss his coins into the jar.
    As a small boy I was always fascinated at the sounds the coins made
as they were dropped into the jar.  They landed with a merry jingle when
the jar was almost empty. Then the tones gradually muted to a dull thud as
the jar was filled.  I used to squat on the floor in front of the jar and
admire the copper and silver circles that glinted like a pirate's treasure
when the sun poured through the bedroom window.
    When the jar was filled, Dad would sit at the kitchen table and
roll the coins before taking them to the bank.  Taking the coins to the
bank was always a big production.  Stacked neatly in a small cardboard box,
the coins were placed between Dad and me on the seat of his old truck. 
Each and every time, as we drove to the bank, Dad would look at me
hopefully.  "Those coins are going to keep you out of the textile mill,
son.  You're going to do better than me.  This old mill town's not going to hold you back."  Also, each and every
time, as he slid the box of rolled coins across the counter at the bank toward the
cashier, he would grin proudly.
    "These are for my son's college fund.  He'll never work at the mill
all his life like me."  We would always celebrate each deposit by stopping
for an ice cream cone.  I always got chocolate.  Dad always got vanilla. 
When the clerk at the ice cream parlor handed Dad his change, he would show
me the few coins nestled in his palm.  "When we get home, we'll start
filling the jar again."  He always let me drop the first coins into the
empty jar.  As they rattled around with a brief, happy jingle, we grinned
at each other.  "You'll get to college on pennies, nickels, dimes and
quarters," he said.  "But you'll get there. I'll see to that."
    The years passed, and I finished college and took a job in another
town.  Once, while visiting my parents, I used the phone in their bedroom,
and noticed that the pickle jar was gone.  It had served its purpose and
had been removed.  A lump rose in my throat as I stared at the spot beside
the dresser where the jar had always stood.  My dad was a man of few words,
and never lectured me on the values of determination, perseverance, and
faith.   The pickle jar had taught me all these virtues for more eloquently
than the most flowery of words could have done.  When I married, I told my
wife Susan about the significant part the lowly pickle jar had played in my
life as a boy.  In my mind, it defined, more than anything else, how much
my dad had loved me.  No matter how rough things got at home, Dad continued
to doggedly drop his coins into the jar.  Even the summer when Dad got
laid off from the mill, and Mama had to serve dried beans several times a
week, not a single dime was taken from the jar.
    To the contrary, as Dad looked across the table at me, pouring catsup
over my beans to make them more palatable, he became more determined than
ever to make a way out for me.   "When you finish college, Son," he told me,
his eyes glistening, "You'll never have to eat beans again...unless you
want to."
    The first Christmas after our daughter Jessica was born, we spent the
holiday with my parents.  After dinner, Mom and Dad sat next to each other
on the sofa, taking turns cuddling their first grandchild.  Jessica began to
whimper softly, and Susan took her from Dad's arms.  "She probably needs to be
changed," she said, carrying the baby into my parents' bedroom to diaper her.
When Susan came back into the living room, there was a strange mist in her eyes. 
She handed Jessica back to Dad before taking my hand and leading me into
the room.
    "Look," she said softly, her eyes directing me to a spot on the floor
beside the dresser. To my amazement, there, as if it had never been removed,
stood the old pickle jar, the bottom already covered with coins.  I walked
over to the pickle jar, dug down into my pocket, and pulled out a fistful
of coins.
    With a gamut of emotions choking me, I dropped the coins into the jar.
I looked up and saw that Dad, carrying Jessica, had slipped quietly in the
room.  Our eyes locked, and I knew he was feeling the same emotions I felt.
Neither one of us could speak.

[Soldier4Christ]

  "Bearing One Another's Burdens"


What does the bible say about "bearing another's burdens"? What is the
difference between a friend sharing "problems" and a friend needing
counseling? How can we know the difference?

Thanks!

Galatians 6:2  “Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of
Christ.”


All of us have friends and family in our lives that have come to us with a
problem that they shared with us.  When that problem comes, the question
that we all have to face is whether or not just to listen or whether to
offer counseling from either your own ambition, or the counsel of a pastor
or a trusted adult.   It is a case by case situation whether or not you
proceed to purse an answer with the person or you are just a listening ear
the best thing to do is always to pray for wisdom.

But, then there brings another problem because Scripture tells us to “Bear
one another’s burdens.”   What does this mean?

When you look at the word “bear” in the Greek dictionary it means,  “to
carry or to take up.”  Better translated it would say, “Carry one another’s
burdens…”   “One another” is one of the key phrases we should find in all
of our vocabulary.  The Bible says “one another” more times then we think.   “Love one another“,  “Share one another’s“,  “Pray for one another“,  “Edify one another“, .   When we look at the passage that this verse is woven into you are looking at Paul talking about the temptations and concerns of other believers, and how we as other Christians ought to restore one another back to Christ, and help carry the loads.

Friends, that is exactly what we need to do when another person has a
problem.  When it comes to bearing one another’s burdens, I think that we
need to problem in the situation, and begin to restore the person back to
Christ.  Sure, not all problems involve sin or temptatins, but we
ultimately need to help our brothers and sisters care for their problems
and bring them back to Christ.  As I said earlier, we will know what to do
in the situation as to whether or not we need to just be a listening ear,
or we need to take it further. God will give us the wisdom to discern what
we need to do, if we just ask.  May we all be challenged to carry one
anothers burdens during all phases of life.  May God Be With You as you
bear one another’s burdens.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Why Did Jesus Have To Die



“Why did Jesus have to die?  Couldn’t He just come to earth and preach to us
about how to live the proper life and then die peacefully, without
suffering?  Why was arising from the dead so important?”


John 2:19 Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in
three days I will raise it up."


What a great question, and one that really has been thought about in all of
our lives, and needs to be addressed.  Why did Jesus have to die? Why
couldn’t He have just come to tell us about living a Christian life and then
go back to heaven to be with the Father forever.

Well, first of all the plan for Jesus to come and die on the cross, be
buried, and raise again on the third day was there from the very beginning. 
We can see in Scripture that He was predicted to come for that very purpose.
(Isaiah 53)   Jesus had to come because God hates sin, and a price has to be
paid in order for man to have restitution with God for that sin.  Therefore,
God himself came to be the propitiation for man and to pay the price for
that sin, and we can see God’s hand and love in it because of the blood that
was shed for you and I.

Arising from the dead was very important as well in the process.  Jesus
predicted His raising from the dead many times throughout the Scripture. 
(Matt. 16:21; 20:19; 26:32; Mark 9:9; 14:28: John 2:19)  The reason that it
was so important was because of the fact that if He had not raised from the
dead He would not be alive today, and would not be the Advocate nor the
Intercessor that He is for us today.  He also rose from the dead in order
that He may beat death, and that we too can beat death as well.  Paul said,
“If Christ had not raised from the dead then our faith is in vain, and we
are still in our sins.”  (I Cor. 15:17)  If we are believers and believe in
the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, had Christ not raised from
the dead, all of what we believe is false.

Friends, that Scripture always has me upon my face before God.  Especially
being in full time ministry.  If Christ had not raised from the dead, then
what I believe is false, what I do for a living is false.  If He had not
raised from the dead there would be no reason to go to church, there would
be no reason to tell others about Christ, and there would be no reason in my
opinion for us to live, because we would all be destined to Hell.  Christ
beat death, and had victory over the grave because of the resurrection. 
Just as the old song says, “Victory in Jesus, my Savior forever, He sought
me and He bought me with His cleansing blood,  He loved ever before I knew
Him, and all my love is due to Him, He plunged me to victory beneath the
cleansing flood.” (Eugene M. Bartlett)  Because of the resurrection, there
is victory, won’t you join me in that victory today?  May God’s Grace Abound
In You.

[Soldier4Christ]

  The Big Bully


Today's devotion comes from Isaiah 52:3

...You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed.

When I read this verse I can't help but think of this analogy. I picture a little kid who is forced by the school bully to give him his lunch money, but by an act of love the kids older bigger brother goes and gets it back from the bully who is actually not that tough but is just full of hot air.

Well a long time ago Adam and Eve played the role of the little kids who got suckered by the school bully, Satan.  Ever since then we have all had to hand over our lunch money because of them. That is until big brother, Jesus came down from high school (heaven) and gave the bully the biggest noogie this world has ever seen.  He died on the cross, but then he rose again. That was the blow that knocked the hot air out of Satan and redeemed us our lunch money...salvation.

For the Lord Gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. (Proverbs 2:6)

[Soldier4Christ]

  Difficult Times

“Rueben further said to them, ‘Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay hands on him’ – that he might rescue him out of their hands to restore him to his father….and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, without any water in it.” Gen 37: 22, 24

Sometimes, there are times in our lives when things seem to be going well and out of nowhere we end up in a pit. Living as a part of this world, we cannot escape the difficult times. We must learn to deal with them. I am sure we can all think back or even think currently about a pit we have been or are in. It is not always just a single pit we might be in. We might be in several different pits at once. It could be our relationship with parents, finances, or friends. During these times, we must learn how to have the proper attitude in order to get out of them.

Joseph did nothing to prompt his brothers into throwing him into the pit, other than his attitude of pride. Joseph received many gifts from his father but became proud and began boasting about them. As this took place, his gifts began to get stripped. Realize this, it was not Joseph’s dad who took the gifts away, but it was through Joseph’s own actions that the gifts were stripped. However, if you look ahead to the end of the story, once Joseph realized the lesson God was trying to teach him, he received something more important than any of the gifts his earthly father gave him. He received the throne.

As you go through the difficult times, the pits in life, you are sure to hear some of the lies Satan tells you. He will often throw out that you are evidently not good enough or else you would not be in this pit. He will also start creating false evidence to support the lies. Recognize this as part of his scheme! God would never tell you that you are not good enough and that it is too late. It is never too late. Sometimes our prayer is too much complaining rather than crying out to God in humility. We need to be asking God to do a work in our heart. When Joseph did this, his situation began to change. He was sold to some slaves. It may not seem that our way of getting out of the pit is the best but it’s better than death as in Joseph’s case. When we humble ourselves and cry out to God, He will deliver us out of every pit. He will promote us beyond the pit and will exalt us so that we might walk in the destiny He has planned.