Devotions for Teens

[Soldier4Christ]

Help is on the Way



    Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. (Luke 22:31,32)

Unfortunately, just like in the days of Simon Peter and Jesus, Satan is alive and well on planet earth. Guess what? Just like he desired to sift Peter like wheat, he longs to rip us to shreds. You might say his plan is to make Christians into 'shredded wheat'! Fortunately for us, in the same way Jesus prayed for Simon Peter, He is also praying for all believers.

According to I John 2:1, we have One who speaks to the Father in our defense, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. When we sin, Jesus is praying for us. When we stumble, He is upholding us before the Father. When the devil shoots his fiery arrows or accuses us of wrongdoing, Christ is right there to defend us.

Do you think the prayers of the Son of God go unanswered? I don't think so! The Father hears the prayers of His Son on our behalf.

Think about that for a moment. There are times in all of our lives when we struggle. Like Peter, we stumble and fall in our relationship with Christ. Yet He will never leave us or forsake us! In fact, when we are at our worst, Christ is at His best. He is constantly pleading grace before our heavenly Father to help us.

Perhaps today you are going through a tough time. It could be the consequences of sin, a family struggle or a broken relationship. Possibly you're catching flak because of your witness for Christ on campus, or it might be that you're just plain discouraged.

Take courage in one awesome truth. Someone is praying for you. Someone is passionately upholding you before the throne of the King. Someone knows your struggle and is articulating it before the Father better than you ever could. Someone cares. That someone is Jesus: the Author and Finisher of our faith.So now you can pray with confidence and witness with passion, because you know that you are not fighting the battle alone. You are standing side-by-side with your Champion and Eternal Savior, Jesus Christ. He is petitioning the God of heaven and earth on your behalf.

As you bring worry, discouragement, and failures before God, remember that:

    "We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have
    one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin. Let us then approach
     the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our
     time of need" Hebrews 4:15,16

Satan may desire to make us into 'shredded wheat', but Jesus is conforming us into solid rocks!

[Soldier4Christ]

Got Prophecy?



    We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. (II Peter 1:16)

There are well over 300 fulfilled prophecies concerning Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. According to author Lee Strobel, the statistical probabilities of just 49 of these prophecies to be actually fulfilled is 1 x 10157. That's one out of 10 with one hundred fifty seven zeroes! That is the same statistical chance of a blind man randomly picking a pre-marked molecule after wandering a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion billion universes!

When you do the math on the prophecies that have already been fulfilled, it's impossible to honestly walk away from the Scriptures believing that it was random chance. In fact, I believe it takes more faith to deny Jesus Christ than to accept Him and His claims. Why? Check this out: Unlike ancient foretellers and modern "psychics", God's standard for fulfilled prophecy is 100%.

    "You may say to yourselves, 'How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?' If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take please or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken." Deuteronomy 18:21-22

If you missed even one prediction, you were a false prophet. If you were a false prophet, you were put to death. Think about that for a moment. If the "forecasters" on the psychic phone networks out there lived in Old Testament times, they would have had a very short career span (as well as life span). Yet some people today put more stock in those freakshows than they do the Word of God!

As for Christians, we have people like Daniel on our "psychic hotline"- remember the story of Daniel and the bad kitties? Anyway, he did much more than avoid being Lion Chow. For example, five hundred years before Christ even lived; Daniel predicted the demise of the Babylonian Kingdom, the rise of the Persian, Grecian and Roman kingdoms. He also predicted accurately the rise and fall of Alexander the Great and the four generals that would take over after his death.

Kinda sends a chill down my spine!

Daniel even foretold precisely the time of Christ's death in Daniel 9:25-26. We could on and on, but the point is that your faith in the Bible being God's Word is no leap in the dark. In fact, the Bible backs up its claims far better than any other religious text.

So don't be intimidated by those around you who chatter against God's Word. They have no idea what they are talking about, and truth is on your side. When you do the math, it is crystal clear that the Word of God stands head and shoulders above every other book ever written. It is, without a doubt, the book of books.

Also, don't be afraid to completely trust the words of Scripture. It is God's message to the world, and following its truth is the only hope of life in the universe.

[Soldier4Christ]

Touched by an Angel



    "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels." (Hebrews 13:2)

If we could pull back the curtains of this earthly realm and peer into the unseen sphere of the spiritual world, we would be amazed at the sight. Armies of God's beautiful angels would be moving across the landscape to do His bidding. Yet not only would we be amazed, we would be shocked as well at the ferocity and sheer wickedness of the demonic legions of the Evil One. We would be overjoyed at the sight of the holiness and power of the angels of God, and terrified to the core with a just a glimpse of the wickedness and foul purpose of the servants of Satan. The spiritual activity that surrounds us each moment is ever-present, yet invisible.

In our culture of spiritual skepticism the whole concept of angels is popular. From TV shows like "Touched By An Angel" to cards and figurines, angels are big business in America. Yet there are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to these heavenly beings, so let's try to clear things up.

The word angel means messenger. Angels are the messengers of God. They obey God's commands in heaven and earth. Throughout the Old and New Testament they appear out of nowhere to communicate messages from God, minister to discouraged saints, pour out God's judgment on the wicked, and battle with demons in the spiritual realms.

Angels in this millennium serve the same way. They don't sit on clouds all day and wait for something to do. They stand ready to carry out God's commands with precision and perfection. Even now, God's messengers are striving to preserve, prepare, and protect you in your walk with Christ. They weep at your failures and applaud your successes. These powerful emissaries of God are focused on absolute obedience to His will. They carry out His commands with lightning speed and willing hearts. When God calls them to uphold one of His struggling children, they do so immediately.

At the same time, Satan's army is seeking to deceive, distract and destroy you. They fill your mind with disobedient thoughts and rebellious attitudes. They are most concerned that you simply keep your mouth shut when it comes to telling others about their arch-enemy: Jesus Christ.

Perhaps you are going through a difficult time in your life right now. Your family may be breaking apart or your youth group is struggling. Although life can seem impossibly difficult, take courage in the simple fact that you are not alone. As you wage war against the unseen enemy you also have unseen allies. They surround you in the darkness and uphold you in the storm.

As you lie in bed at night or walk the halls of your school, remember that you are not alone. Your supposed isolation is an illusion, for the powerful, invisible, holy messengers of the King are all around you.

[Soldier4Christ]

Mirror Mirror on the Wall



    "...we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." (Romans 8:37)

We just can't help it- everyday at some point we look in the mirror. To some it is an exercise in self-esteem: we see ourselves and say, "wow, I have a face that others could love!" But for most of us, it is more like an experience in reality: we see ourselves and think, "wow, I have a face that only a mother could love!"
Either way, we all face questions like, "Why did God make me like this? Who am I? Does my life really matter? What do others think of the way I look and act?"

The problem is that we try and answer these questions from Hollywood's perspective- you know- Tinsel town? In Tinsel town everyone is beautiful and life is oh so much better than mine. Hollywood has created a monster called the "world mirror"... (run for your lives!)

As a result, most teenagers suffer from what some call a poor self-image. They don't like the way they look. They think that they are being continually watched and criticized by others. After time and enough glances in the "world mirror"... , the poison of self-doubt, frustration, and discouragement creeps into their thinking.

The real question, though, is not what we see when we look at our reflection in the "world mirror"... . Rather the true issue is what God sees when He looks at us - and that is a whole different story!

The Bible tells us several truths about what He sees when He looks at us, because He is using the "God Mirror"- so let's take a look -

First of all, He sees us as specially created and uniquely made individuals. David put it this way in Psalm 139:13,14:

    "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;"

Just like David, you have been personally designed by God as a customized creation. From the color of your eyes to your thumbprint to your personality - the Master Himself has specially crafted you. Just remember the old saying: "God don't make no junk!"

Secondly, He sees us as saints. All throughout the New Testament Christians are called "saints." Essentially what this means is that the self-image of worthlessness and guilt are not the true reflection of you. God's Mirror was designed through the lenses of the cross. He sees you as forgiven, pure, and holy.
When God sees you, He sees the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Wow!

Finally, He sees you as His very own child. You are a child of the King: a royal member of the highest Kingdom in the universe. According to Galatians 1:7

    "you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir."

This means that you are a family member who is entitled to all of God's blessings.

So the next time you look in the mirror, don't focus on the size of your nose or the shape of your body or the number of your zits. Forget the "world mirror", it's as warped as the ones at the amusement park. Instead, look in God's Mirror and think to yourself, "I am a unique creation, a holy saint, a child of the King." Over time, the true reflection of yourself will become clear, and you will know what it's like to be more than a "conqueror".

[Soldier4Christ]

Consume



    "One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple." (Psalm 27:4 esv)

Each and every single one of us has a choice laid out before us. Whom or what we will choose to follow. It could be anything; a car, job, material possessions, a boyfriend or a girlfriend, maybe even a title or an honor. We could have the best job, the coolest car, and the hottest boyfriend/girlfriend, but there will still be a void. Many times we consume our lives and our thoughts with getting ahead, making more money, buying bigger and better possessions, but strangely enough, the void grows larger. The emptiness we fill inside can only find satisfaction when we seek the One who can offer a truly fulfilled life. ("But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in Him..." Philippians 7-9 NIV) Jesus Christ must be our top priority, our number one. He must be the One and only in our lives, our all in all. Jesus is constantly drawing us closer to Himself. He desperately desires an intimate, love relationship with us. However, it takes effort on our part to maintain that relationship. We must put forth all our time, energy and love into seeking Him, therefore nothing or no one else can rival Him. Isaiah 46:9 says,

    "...I am GOD, the only God you've had or ever will have--incomparable, irreplaceable. (MSG)

Here I will venture to ask you a deeply personal question: What is your passion and desire? What consumes your thoughts and actions? Is it Christ or something else? Consider this poem I found in Beth Moore's book, Further Still. It can be a sincere prayer each and every one of us can pray to make Him our everything, our uncontested love and joy in life.

    Consume Me, O Lord

    Consume me, O Lord, flood my soul with Your Son. Leave nothing uncovered, leave nothing undone.
    Set me on fire, consume all my dross. Make beauty form my ashes and gain from my loss.
    Consume me, O Lord, be the life in my bones. Put your head in my marrow till Jesus alone.
    Can set me aflame with Your holy fire, unquenchable passion, exquisite desire.
    Thrill all my senses with sacred romance; consume me, O Lord, come bid me to dance.
    Down streets paved in gold a pure virgin bride, nothing to run from, nothing to hide
    Consume me, O Lord.

Now that most of you are on summer break, this is the perfect opportunity to be swept away in His love and become enraptured in a sacred romance, with the love of your life. I pray that you can find time to spend with Him, reading His Word, and talking with Him. I also pray you can find time to walk around in His creation and admire all the wonderful things He has done for you.

I know it is difficult to find time for Him, with all the great things summer has to offer. The sun, the beach, the mountains, hikes, the pool, vacations, and so on, but I want to challenge you. I would ask that right here and right now you would make a commitment to know Him better. I challenge you to set a reasonable goal in which you will spend time with Him each day, and set a pattern of discipline that you can follow throughout the summer, into next year and the years to come. You will create a habit that will benefit you and your relationship with God forever!

What is more, you will find yourself worrying less about the things this world has to offer, and seeking out the things of God more and more. Jobs, cars, and possessions will loose their luster in comparison to Jesus Christ, who encompasses all that is good. Our perspectives on life will change as we strive to help those who have less than ourselves and reach out to a hurting world with the hope of the gospel message. However, we will never make an impact on this earth until we make Christ our unsurpassing joy, laughter, hope, desire, breath, and life. When He consumes our deepest depths, then and only then, will people see God more valuably than all the power and success the world has to offer. They too will want to choose Him above all else, because they see you living it out daily!

    Let this be the cry of our hearts; In the path of your judgments, O LORD, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul." (Isaiah 26:8 ESV)

[Soldier4Christ]

The Way of the Cross



    "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me." (Matthew 16:24, NASB)

...follow Me

In 331 B.C. Alexander the Great marched towards India with his armies. Alexander had already conquered much of the known world, and he would stop at nothing to have it all. Alexander was a strong leader, and every soldier was willing to follow him, no matter what the cost.

Alexander the Great had a strong campaign to take over the world, yet encountered some difficulty upon the arrival at a certain walled city. As Alexander approached the great city, he peered up towards the King who stood firm upon the stone wall and shouted: "My name is Alexander the Great, and I demand you surrender immediately!" Laughing, the King asked, "Why should we surrender to you?" He then proceeded to explain how they outnumbered Alexander's troops, and they were more than prepared to defend the city.

In response, Alexander turned to his 100 choice troops and commanded them to line up in perfect order facing the cliff. Each did so obediently in respect for their leader. Alexander then ordered them to start moving. One by one they began marching toward the edge of the cliff. The first soldier stepped off the cliff and pummeled to his death, as did the second, third, fourth , all the way until the eleventh man.

When Alexander finally yelled, "HALT!", he gazed back at the King who was completely astonished by the obedience of the men-and the utter respect they had for Alexander. He surrendered immediately, and Alexander went on to conquer the civilized world.

This King surrendered because of the power of obedience!

Wow! Can you even imagine what would happen to the world if all of us who claim to be true followers of Christ would display the same obedience in our own lives? What if we were as passionate for the cause of Christ as the followers of Alexander the Great were for conquering the world? What a difference we could make! What an example we could be!

In Matthew 16:24 Jesus says,

    "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me."

The question is: are you willing? Are you willing to surrender your own plans to follow Him? Are you willing to lay down your life every day and be set apart from this world for the sake of the Gospel?

One man challenged his small group by saying: "The world has yet to see what God could do through one man fully surrendered to the cause of Christ." Another man replied by saying, "By God's grace I will be that man!" He was William Booth, some of you may know that William went on to become the founder of the Salvation Army! He was just an ordinary man, that gave God full control of his life, and he did something extraordinary!

Absolute obedience to God is the hardest thing you will ever do, because it requires you to be radically different than everything the world says. You must be separate from it in the way you think, act and talk. In involves boldly sharing a message others may reject and being 100% sold out for Christ, even when others may look down upon you.

God is calling us to take our faith to the next level, and become more serious about our commitment to follow hard after him. It's time to pick up that cross and go for it! This is a serious commitment that should not be taken lightly, so once you claim yourself as a Christian, be on your guard and do nothing that will ruin your witness. Read your Bible, pray, go to church, and be absolutely obedient to His call on your life! Then wait and watch and God does amazing things through the power of your obedience. You may never conquer a city like Alexander the Great, but remember, you are a soldier in God's army, and He desire's your obedience so He can begin changing the world through you!

Lord, I know the commitment to follow you could cost me everything, but Lord, I understand the importance. Help me to obey your commands and lead me in the direction you would have me go. Jesus, "teach me to die, that You might live and reign inside this heart of mine (words by Telecast)."

[Soldier4Christ]

Dream On



    "You'll be on your way up!
    You'll be seeing great sights!
    You'll join the high fliers
    Who soar to high heights."

    -Dr. Seuss, Oh the Places You'll Go!

Where are you going?
What are you waiting for?
Do you believe that you will soar to great heights?

Too often we find ourselves believing Satan's lies; lies that say you will never amount to anything; lies that you aren't special enough or that God can't use you until you are more mature, older, or more educated.

God is in the business of making our dreams come true. He puts many of our desires and dreams in hearts. Then He equips you with the right tools and gifts to accomplish them. We know from scripture that God has a extraordinary plan for your life, yet all He desires is a life of obedience and faith. Faith and obedience is what the "high fliers" or the great people who have gone before us, had in common.

Take David for instance. He was a teen aged guy with lots of older, bigger brothers. His job during the fighting was to bring food to his brothers. That was not a very glamorous task during a battle. But when he arrived a the battlefield, he found no battle. Just petrified soldiers. So he sprung into action. Why? He had faith, not in himself, his size or his ability, but in God. You remember the story. God wins and he used a teenager to win the battle.

No matter who we are or what we become, God wants to use us in big and small ways each day. Some may become famous, others may find themselves in a more ordinary kind of life, but with God it is always possible to do extraordinary things! When we surrender our lives with the intent to glorify God in all things, I can guarantee God will do more than we can fathom. "Oh the Places You'll Go!"

    * Into distant lands with the message of Jesus Christ to people who have never heard!
    * Into your junior high and high schools where the things of this world have replaced Jesus and prayer
    * Into office buildings where many who get by only because it is routine
    * Into burning buildings where you will rescue people
    * Into hospitals where people are dying of illnesses
    * Into restaurants where people are hungry, and searching for food of substance; The Bread of Life
    * Into science labs where others search for the meaning of life
    * Into the sports career where athletes search for a reason to be great besides money

You hold the key to life. In every place you will go, you have the answer that could potentially change the course of someone's life forever. My question to you is, are you willing to share? Are you willing to surrender and let go of your plans for your life and allow God to use you to go places you never imagined you could go? With a small amount of faith all things are possible.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 17:20,

    "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, You can say to this mountain, Move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Dream big, surrender, and wait.

    "So...Be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
    Or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
    You're off to Great Places!
    Today is your day!
    Your mountain is waiting.
    So... get on your way!"

    -Dr. Seuss Oh the Places You'll Go

[Soldier4Christ]

A Quarter For Jesus?

I recently read about a pastor who moved to Houston, Texas. Some weeks after he arrived, he had occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change.

As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, 'you better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it'. Then he thought, 'Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Besides, the bus company already gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a gift from God and keep quiet.'

When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, and then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, "Here, you gave me too much change."

The driver with a smile, replied, "Aren't you the new pastor in town? I have been thinking lately about going to worship somewhere. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change."

As soon as he stepped off the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole with a tight grip and said, "O God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter."

It's the little things, isn't it? I know we're always on the lookout to make sure that we don't commit the "big" sins- otherwise we might be a poor testimony to those outside the faith. So we go to the right social events, see R rated movies on the other side of town, and keep all of our fingers on the wheel when someone cuts us off in traffic.

So why is Christianity so quickly becoming a non-factor in its influence on culture? Because we've sold the Son for a quarter- that's why! We're so focused on the external appearance of our 'testimony' that we've forgotten the most important thing: people don't care what you know until they know that you care. In order to show people that compassion of Christ, we must first start by letting the Holy Spirit change us from the inside out.

There were people in Jesus' day who loved to show everyone what a great testimony they had. They prayed long prayers in public, never missed church, recited Scripture, wore religious symbols, and generally gave the impression that they had 'super-sized' their spirituality.

Jesus despised them.

The strongest things Jesus ever said were never directed at the "sinful" people- but He sure opened up a can on the pretentious pietistic people of the day. Here is one example of Christ's feelings towards them:

    "You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You burnish the surface of your cups and bowls so they sparkle in the sun, while the insides are maggoty with your greed and gluttony. Stupid Pharisee! Scour the insides, and then the gleaming surface will mean something. "You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You're like manicured grave plots, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down it's all rotting bones and worm-eaten flesh. People look at you and think you're saints, but beneath the skin you're total frauds." (Matthew 23:25-28)

Don't mince words, Jesus- how do you really feel?

These folks suffered from an extreme case of what I would call "outward-itis"...only what people could see mattered to them.

God has a different plan. He wants us to start by looking at what is wrong in our hearts before we start coming off 'religious' to others. The world definitely does not need more Bible thumping bobble head figures who can simultaneously say "God Bless" to a cashier while at the same time pocketing the extra change they receive. Unbelievers need to believe that we believe- which requires us to be real, admit mistakes, and take care of the little things.

Bottom line: before you fasten the WWJD bracelet on your wrist- make sure it is emblazoned on your heart!

It starts with the basics. Smile. Say 'please' and 'thank you'. Open doors. Let folks with fewer items ahead of you in line. Give back change- and on and on...

This week, watch and pray for opportunities. Most importantly, listen to the instruction from the One who can keep you from selling Him for a quarter:

    Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you'll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you're content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty. (Matthew 23:11-12)

[Soldier4Christ]

See Ya!

Think you're having a bad day? I read this last week that thousands of commuters were left stranded in New York after a man got his hand stuck down a train toilet trying to retrieve his cell phone.

The man spent 90 minutes with his arm wedged in the u-bend trying to reach the phone he had dropped. The 6:19 pm train had just left New York 's Grand Central Station when a passenger alerted the crew to the man's plight.

A supervisor boarded the train and, as it traveled about 50 blocks north, the crew tried desperately to free the man's arm from the stainless steel toilet. After another 20 minutes of struggling, police and firefighters were called.

The train was brought to a halt at the city's Fordham station, where it blocked the line while the rescue operation went on. Other trains were unable to pass, which meant thousands of commuters were delayed.

After trying a number of different methods to free the arm, firefighters had to dismantle the entire toilet.

The humiliated man was treated at a local hospital but soon released. He never found his cell phone.

Forgive the possible reach here, but this story reminds me of a Biblical principle of which many of us need to be reminded. The principle is not: 'cell phones and bathrooms do not mix'. It goes a little deeper than that- something like this:

There are some things in life that once dropped, are better off left behind.

In this case it was a cell phone that obviously was gone, departed, vanished, no more. There was no earthly reason and certainly no sanitary reason for this man to try and retrieve something that would never be the same again (would YOU want to use a phone that had been on a journey like that???).

In our case it is something else that is meant to be gone. Like a bad relationship. We hung on to it for a while, but pretty soon it became apparent that this person is quickly pulling us away from our Savior. Or maybe it was a bad attitude that got flushed. You used to enjoy showing people how angry you could get. Made you feel real good when you could shout people down or intimidate them with your protruding blood vessels. But now that's gone, because you realized that you're killing yourself and your relationship with God and others. Or possibly it's a habit- a lifestyle- a destructive future goal- anything that used to be in your life, but for whatever reason it's gone.

Then comes that one moment of decision: should I go back for it or not? The man on the subway could have turned around and walked away. Believe me, he and thousands of others wish that he would have. Instead, something inside convinced him that jamming his arm down a public toilet somehow made sense in the grand scheme of things.

We are sometimes in the same spot, folks. There's that moment when we think 'things we're better when I was with that person', 'I miss being angry all the time', etc. - and we wonder if we should go back. It is during those moments that we need to remember this: some things are better off left behind.

This is something that the Apostle Paul went through- and here's what he had to say about it:

    Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant--dog dung. I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him (Philippians 3:8-9 The Message).

In Paul's mind, once things were gone- they stayed that way. In fact, looking back and reminiscing about the past was like picking through the trash... or reaching down a toilet I guess.

[Soldier4Christ]

A Message You Can't Afford to Miss

I have to admit that sometimes following God puts me in the middle of some very strange circumstances. Today for example, I had several different options going as far as this devotion- but every time I started writing, my thoughts got stuck as fast as a warm tongue on a subzero metal pole.

So what to do? For some reason, I kept being drawn back to an e-mail I received last week. I came to the conclusion that its message is what you need to read today.

But before you do, I want to ask you to do something.

Pray.

I mean really pray. Quiet your heart, remove all distractions, and ask the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of your heart...because what you are about to read may be the most important thing you see all week.

My prayer for you? Treat this letter like it is real, and written for you.

    A LETTER TO YOU FROM SATAN

    I saw you yesterday as you began your daily chores. You awoke without kneeling to pray. As a matter of fact, you didn't even bless your meals, or pray before going to bed last night. You are so unthankful, I like that about you.

    I cannot tell you how glad I am that you have not changed your way of living, Fool, you are mine.

    Remember, you and I have been going steady for years. and I still don't love you yet. As a matter of fact, I hate you, because I hate God. I am only using you to get even with God. He kicked me out of heaven, and I'm going to use you as long as possible to pay him back.

    You see, Fool, GOD LOVES YOU and HE has great plans in store for you. But you have yielded your life to me, and I'm going to make your life a living hell. That way, we'll be together twice. This will really hurt God.

    Thanks to you, I'm really showing Him who's boss in your life with all of the good times we've had. We have been watching dirty movies, cursing people out, stealing, lying, being hypocritical, fornicating, overeating, telling dirty jokes, gossiping, being judgmental, back stabbing people, disrespecting adults, and those in leadership positions, no respect for the Church, bad attitudes.

    SURELY you don't want to give all this up. Come on, Fool, let's burn together forever. I've got some hot plans for us. This is just a letter of appreciation from me to you. I'd like to say "THANKS" for letting me use you for most of your foolish life. You are so gullible, I laugh at you.

    When you are tempted to sin, you give in HA HA HA, you make me sick. Sin is beginning to take its toll on your life.
    You look 20 years older, and now, I need new blood. So go ahead and teach some children how to sin. All you have to do is smoke, get drunk or drink while under-aged, cheat, gamble, gossip, fornicate, and live being as selfish as possible. Do all of this in the presence of children and they will do it too. Kids are like that.

    Well, Fool, I have to let you go for now. I'll be back in a couple of seconds to tempt you again. If you were smart, you would run somewhere, confess you sins, and live for God with what little bit of life that you have left. It's not my nature to warn anyone, but to be your age and still sinning; it's becoming a bit ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, I still hate you. IT'S JUST THAT YOU'D MAKE A BETTER FOOL FOR CHRIST.

    Your Enime,
    Satan

    Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. (I Peter 5:

[Soldier4Christ]

His Light Shone Bright

He described himself as a 'happy pagan'...which to me means that he really never had an 'extreme' conversion experience. No reoccurring nightmares of hellfire and brimstone, no near-death experiences. Essentially he was a self-contented businessman who put his trust in Christ. But God had different plans.

Not long after his conversion, he felt a call on his life to fulfill the Great Commission by sharing the gospel with those around him- basically the same call that God gives every Christian, except here was a man who really listened.

In obedience to his call, he started a modest organization designed to reach college students with the gospel on the UCLA campus. This one time salesman left a successful business to go about his Father's business.

That was 50 years ago. So what did God do with one person's obedience?

Well in this case, I would say quite a bit. This man's name was Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ International. He died on July 19th at 81 years old- and I would like to mention a few things about the legacy he left.

He authored a gospel tract that has been translated into 200 languages, and has been distributed to over 2.5 billion people.

He commissioned a movie about Jesus that has been seen by more than 5.1 billion people in 234 countries and has been translated into 786 languages.

Essentially, God honored his dedication to spreading the good news to the tune of 75% of planet earth being exposed to opportunities to trust Christ.

None of us will probably have that kind of impact, but isn't that the whole point? There are many believers who think that God only uses people like Bill Bright to help fulfill the Great Commission, so they sit back comfortably with a 'get out hell free' card tucked safely in their pockets while those around them head towards a godless eternity.

Let Bill Bright's death be a reminder that you have been given the message of life to share with everyone around you. Here's the way the Apostle Paul put it:

It started when God said, "Light up the darkness!" and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful. If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That's to prevent anyone from confusing God's incomparable power with us. (2 Corinthians 4:6-7)

Here was one man who understood a basic fact about his world: God placed him in his particular time and circumstances to be Jesus to everyone around him. May we all honor the legacy of Bill Bright by starting each day with the readiness to share the gospel with anyone and everyone who will listen.


    Quote from Bill Bright:
    "I have enjoyed this life beyond measure. Business success I once knew. Worldly ambitions and possessions I once had. But they seem so hollow and vain, so pitiful compared to the exciting adventure of walking in harmony with our risen Lord. He who spun more than one hundred billion galaxies in space and reached down to touch little ol' me. What a Savior! I love him more than life."

[Soldier4Christ]

Someone is Watching You

It starts with that really creepy feeling. A strange tingle on the back of your neck that eventually evolves into a full on chill that travels down your spine. Suddenly everything you were thinking about goes away, and all of your senses are tuned into the surrounding environment. Even though you are completely alone, you still cannot convince yourself of that apparent truth.

What I'm talking about is the sometimes occurring sensation that you are being watched, which can really be quite upsetting. The really odd thing is that over half the time that I get that feeling, I am actually proven right. It may be my kids hiding behind a couch, or a co-worker playing a practical joke.

Isn't it funny that once you persuade yourself that someone has an eye (or two) on you, your behavior immediately changes? Suddenly you tend to get very self-conscious, and self-awareness jumps 100%.

Then there are other times when you are being watched, and you don't even have a clue. This can be a really good or really bad thing, depending on who has you under surveillance.

When I was a sophomore in High School, I had a surprise encounter with a notoriously violent senior who was nearly twice my size. Little to my knowledge, he had been watching me anytime I was near his girlfriend. His jealous eye covered my every action, and though I was just being sociable- he misinterpreted my innocent friendliness as trespassing on his 'territory'. So one morning before school, I was sitting in the hallway doing my homework- when I feel myself being picked up by my collar.

    "Let's step outside" says he. "Oh, no thanks, I'm fine in here..." says I.

    "No, you don't understand- we're going outside so I can teach you to stay away from Kelly"

Just when I was experiencing a prayer revival and also thinking about how dentures would look on a 15 year old, I heard a familiar voice.

    "What's going on?" says Brian (Brian my friend from youth group. Brian the starting offensive lineman).

    "Just stay out of this Brian, this has nothing to do with you!" says my would be assassin.

    "It does now. See, Lane is my Christian brother. We're family- so if you have a problem with him, you have a problem with me. So I'll ask again...what's going on?"

    "Nothing...just forget it- I need to get to class."

And off he goes- never to give me even a sideways glance again.

See what I mean? It's all a question of what the motive is behind the folks watching you.

You may or may not know this, but you are being watched all the time. And just like me, there are good and bad forces afoot. Let me lay out the scenario for you, because I think it will have an amazing impact on your behavior from this day forward.

We'll start with the bad. Much like the guy in my life with the anger management problem, we all are being watched by a being with a million times the destructive force of any human who ever lived. His name is Satan, and here is how the Bible describes his motives:

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (I Peter 5:8- NIV)

The evil one and his army of darkness are ever watching and waiting for you to voluntarily put your guard down. The minute you do, they are more than happy to take you outside and teach you a lesson. He's behind your computer when you start surfing, trying to direct your mouse to some very bad clicks. He's behind the conversations of your friends who start taking a trip down the gossip trail. He's underneath the chair at church/youth group, waiting for your mind to wander so he can get you away from the worship and teaching. He's even behind the table where your Bible sits, trying to get you to pick up the phone or remote control instead of the Word of God.

I'm not trying to scare you, but you should be scared. You are being watched, and there is nowhere safe from the hounds of hell.

But that's only half the story, because just like my friend Brian, you have a Defender so strong that the Devil wouldn't even think about taking Him on. Here's how the Bible portrays Him:

    GOD is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him. (II Chronicles 16:9- The Message)

    Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? to be out of your sight? If I climb to the sky, you're there! If I go underground, you're there! If I flew on morning's wings to the far western horizon, You'd find me in a minute-- you're already there waiting! Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night I'm immersed in the light!" It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you. (Psalm 139:7-12- The Message)

Faster than a speeding demon, more powerful than your sin nature, and able to crush Satan with a single thought. God is within you, and watches your every move. However, He will rarely interfere if you get in the cage and stick your head in the mouth of the lion.

Am I trying to comfort you? You should be comforted. Jesus always has His eye on you, and He is more than willing and able to deliver you from all evil- but you must guard your thoughts, words, and actions. That's why you must stay in an attitude of prayer, memorize God's Word, and avoid the wrong types of situations.

So the next time you get the feeling that you're being watched, remember that you are- and you have the choice of being taken outside and pummeled, or drawing near to God and being protected. Which will it be for you?

[Soldier4Christ]

You Won the Lottery



    Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)

So this guy buys a ticket and wins the lottery. He then goes to claim it where the man verifies his ticket number.

    The man says "I want my $20 million."

    To which the lottery official replies, "Sorry, sir. It doesn't work that way. We give you a million today, and then you'll get the rest spread out for the next 19 years."

    The man then says, "Oh, no. I want all my money RIGHT now! I won it, and I want it."

    Again the official patiently explains that he would only get a million that day and the rest during the next 19 years.

    The man, furious with the official, screams out, "Look, I WANT MY MONEY!! If you're not going to give me my $20 million "right now," THEN I WANT MY DOLLAR BACK!!"

Have you been asking Jesus for your dollar back lately? What I mean is, like that lottery winner- we sometimes just don't get it.

In many ways, getting saved is like winning the lottery. Through no effort of our own, we suddenly become spiritually wealthy beyond our wildest imagination. We have been delivered from the destiny of hell, and we have a restored relationship with the God who made us. All sin- past present and future have been forgiven. We have been made a part of a new family, and we have Someone to divide our sorrows and double our joys.

If you even contemplate these truths for half a moment, you realize that no earthly lottery even compares to what believers have been given because of Christ's death and resurrection.

But we have to remember that even though we are entitled to all these blessings, God delivers them to us one day at a time- not all at once. We received eternal life when we trusted Christ- now we have to be patient and allow God to do His perfect work by giving us the daily bread of meeting our needs.

I guess that's not good enough for some people. They want God to be the cosmic Mr. Fix It...so when winning the spiritual lottery fails to clean up all the life size messes they made, they come screaming back to God that they want their investment back.

Now hear me well- I don't support buying lottery tickets. I also know that God will never take back what we were given at salvation. My point is that we miss out on so many things that God wants to give us simply because we do not have the patience. We get in such a hurry to enjoy all the benefits of salvation because we are too self-absorbed to see the big picture.

Here's the big picture: for some reason, God designed life to be lived one day at a time. He will complete the work He began in you, but you need to slow down and quit demanding everything at once.

Is your life a mess? Give it to God- He may not make overnight changes, but He will do exactly what needs to be done in His time. Are you discouraged? Hold on- because your encouragement check is in God's postal system.

This week, consider if you have been guilty of the same lack of wisdom and abundance of impatience as the lottery winner in the story. Let go of that little dollar you call anxiety, and start watching for the blessings to roll in!

[Soldier4Christ]

Crab Grabbing



    The serpent was clever, more clever than any wild animal GOD had made. He spoke to the Woman: "Do I understand that God told you not to eat from any tree in the garden?" (Genesis 3:1)

This may sound a little fishy to you, but I guarantee it is absolutely true. If you go to an area where live crabs are sold, you will notice that they are sold out of an open barrel. Now if you're the crab, don't you think you would see the light and make a run for the ocean before you ended up on someone's plate? All the same, there is no need for a lid- and do you know why? As soon as a crustacean acts on the urge to escape by climbing out, the others will immediately grab him and yank him back into the barrel. No wonder they are so crabby!

There's a definite lesson to be learned here. Have you ever thought about people being like the crabs in the barrel? Not that we are armor plated pincer wielding creatures- rather that we behave like them.

What I mean is this- some of you reading this right now are trapped in a tub of temptation, and you know that it's only a matter of time before you are eaten alive by the consequences of your actions. You desperately want to get out, but every time you try there are a few 'friends' who ensnare you from behind and pull you back down. It's what's popularly known as peer pressure, but now you can also picture it as 'crab-grabbing'.

Crab-grabbing starts when you decide that the Christian way just doesn't quite offer enough with regards to fun, fulfillment, and the future. You remember, kinda like Eve in the Garden of Eden? Temptation comes to you in the form of friends, circumstances, or even from your own sinful mind. The next step is when you get caught in the snare of sin and thrown into the barrel. Then you wake up one day and realize that the waters you were swimming in were being watched by skillful spiritual beings who had their nets primed and ready for you. Pretty soon you find yourself wanting to get out, but the struggle just doesn't seem worth it.

Let me ask you something...would it be worth it for the crab? Of course! He has a choice between being freed and being fricasseed! If you could speak crab-tongue (or whatever they use to communicate), you would yell "fight little pincher dude! Crawl like the wind!" Or maybe you would just reach down and thump the other ones off and throw him back in the water yourself.

Anyway, the point is simple...as I mentioned before, I know there are some of you out there in the barrel- and you need to fight. Believe me, it is worth the all the rejection you will face from your so-called 'friends'.

So what are some anti-crab-grabbing steps? First, break the grasp of whomever or whatever keeps pulling you back down. This could be getting into a whole new set of relationships, getting rid of cable, moving the computer to a public place in your house, changing your reading habits, offering someone forgiveness etc. Next, get out of your shell. What I mean is- get into some kind of accountability scenario. For example, I have people in my life who ask me very personal and pointed questions about my attitudes and actions. Is it fun? Are you kidding? I hate when I'm caught red handed with sin in my life- but then Jesus reminds me that He died to set me free. Speaking of which- the final step is to focus on Freedom Himself- Christ.

Here are a few verses that may help you get a jump on jumping out of the barrel:

    No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it. (I Corinthians 10:13)

    In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. (Hebrews 12:4)

    Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" (Matthew 14:31)

[Soldier4Christ]

Are You in the Lord's Army?



    I may never march in the infantry,
    Ride in the cavalry,
    Shoot the artillery.
    I may never zoom o'er the enemy,
    But I'm in the Lord's army. Yes, sir! I'm in the Lord's army. Yes, sir!
    I'm in the Lord's army. Yes, sir!

    I may never march in the infantry,
    Ride in the cavalry,
    Shoot the artillery.
    I may never zoom o'er the enemy,
    But I'm in the Lord's army. Yes, sir!

Remember that one? It was always one of my favorites. In fact, I wish the 'grown-up' church service would have it as a worship song occasionally - just to remind us of something very important:

We are in the Lord's Army

Sure, it's a kids' song- but it has an adult message that is too easily neglected and too often forgotten. When you're a child, it's fun to think about being in the service of the Captain of our salvation...oh but then at some point we get 'mature', which often translates into 'chicken'.

So the issue at hand is: are you involved in the fight? Or perhaps at some point you were taken prisoner by the enemy. If you are a captive, you might not even know it- so let me give you a few characteristics of spiritual P.O.W.'s.

    * They think that many Christians are just too 'radical' for Jesus. After all, they should settle down and try not to 'offend' people too much or too often.
    * They have been led to believe that the early fire they had for Christ was just a temporary spiritual high, but that kind of feeling will probably never come back.
    * They are trapped in the rut of going through the motions of church, Bible reading, and prayer...almost as if they are doing it out of duty instead of desire.
    * They try to witness to others through actions only, thinking that people will understand the gospel without ever being told.

If any of these describe you, the great news is that you hold a 'get out of jail free' card right in your hands! Satan only has as much authority as you give him, so take it back, recommit your life, and go to battle!

Perhaps the old song mentioned above isn't quite enough to get you motivated anymore. If so, allow me to share a somewhat updated version that describes your position more specifically:

    I am a Soldier
    Author Unknown

    I am a soldier, a prayer warrior, of the army of my God.
    The Lord Jesus Christ is my Commanding Officer.
    The Holy Bible is my code of conduct.
    Faith, Prayer and the Word are my weapons of warfare.

    I have been taught by the Holy Spirit, trained by experience,
    tried by adversity, and tested by fire.

    I am a volunteer in this army, and I am enlisted for eternity.
    I will either retire in this army at the Rapture or die in this Army;
    but I will not get out, sell out, be talked out.
    I am faithful, capable, and dependable.

    If my God needs me, I am there.

    I am a soldier, a prayer warrior. I am not a baby.
    I do not need to be pampered, petted, primed up, pumped up, picked up, or pepped up.

    I am a soldier, a prayer warrior.
    No one has to call me, remind me, write me, visit me, entice me, or lure me.

    I am a solider, a prayer warrior. I am not a wimp.
    I am in place, saluting my King, obeying His orders, praising His name
    and building His Kingdom!

    I am a soldier, a prayer warrior.
    No one has to send me flowers, gifts, food, cards, candy, or give me handouts.
    I do not need to be cuddled, cradled, cared for, or catered to.

    I am committed.
    I cannot have my feelings hurt bad enough to turn me around.
    I cannot be discouraged enough to turn me aside.
    I cannot lose enough to cause me to quit.