The Captain of My Ship

God is, you are NotCaptain of my ship

                We go through life with choices.  Who do I hang out with?  What do I wear?  What church do I go to?  What career do I seek after?  Who do I marry?  What sport do I play?  Where do I live?  What do I do in my spare time?  The list of choices is like a deep dark well of indecision.

We are an intelligent race capable of doing the impossible by the world’s standards.  Some humans are so smart it is inconceivable to the layman but as smart as the most intelligent person could ever be or achieve, they can’t figure out the mysteries of God.

Never has any human breathed life into someone or something that previously did not have life.  Never has someone just gone to heaven or hell without the permission from God.  No one, even in their most genius minds has been able to figure out how to get into heaven without God’s permission.  There are those things that only God in His infinite wisdom can do which makes even the brightest seem dim in comparison.

1st Corinthians 3:19  “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. “

We try and figure out how not to sin.  CAN’T DO IT!  We try and figure out how to not fight or argue with our spouse, CAN’T DO IT!  We try and get our children to be obedient, CAN’T DO IT!  We try and act more Christ-like, CAN’T DO IT!  There are so many “we tried” that maybe we should try and not try yo do it anymore without the help of our wonderful Savior. The Bible says in:

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

God has sent His Son to this earth to save us from our sins, to lead us and guide us.  He is our Captain, who will steer our ship into calm, still waters.

You see we live on this broken and shattered earth where Satan is allowed to roam and seek who he wishes to destroy.  It says in:

2 Corinthians 4:4  Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

Let me explain it like this, there are many kinds of boats as well as components on a boat that will help us navigate through the waters of life, if we attempt life’s waters without a captain, without a navigation system or without a rudder we could be on an endless journey seeking contentment, joy, peace and we…will not find it.  Imagine taking a wooden raft into the ocean and trying to get out across the waves, well you would most likely be capsized and your raft would be ruined.  This is the example of the lost, the person who doesn’t believe in God, they seemingly will be always fighting the current always getting smashed by the waves, never getting anywhere.  This is because Satan has them, he knows if you’re on that rickety raft with no captain, navigation or rudder that you aren’t going anywhere.  He has you right where he wants you and that is separated from God.

Now imagine you’re in a canoe.  You will have a better chance because you have a paddle, although at times you will be able to be pushed back, sometimes swayed and at times turned over there will be a lot of battles and it may be difficult.  This is a representation of the new believer.  Satan will come at you and sometimes he can push you back, sometimes steer you in the wrong direction, and maybe get you to turn back.

Then there is the Navy Battleship, this ship is made of steel plate, has a multitude of people, with a captain and a crew, it glides right through the waves, crashing and smashing anything in its path.  It has a state of the art navigation system, powerful rudders, powerful engines and its armed with many weapons able to protect itself from enemy attack.  This is a representation of a seasoned Christian who realizes the need for Jesus to be the captain of your ship and for the Holy Spirit to be your rudder.  He will navigate you through the murky, stormy waters, and lead you to the calm.  He will always get you through and when the devil sees this ship coming, oh man he turns and runs!  Because he knows that this ship is armored up and can defeat any shots the devil may take.  This is the ship you need to be on!  This is the ship that when trouble arises when there are rough storms when there are storms with crashing waves.  This ship is the one that glides through unscathed because Jesus promises us in His Word in:

Isaiah 54:17 “That no weapon formed against me shall prosper.”

He also says in Psalm 119:105  “Your Word is a lamp to guide my feet, and a light to my path.”  And in Psalm 32:8 The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”

Matthew 6:33 “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

So you see with keeping Jesus as the Captain of our ship, we are assured to successfully be navigated through these dry and weary lands.

When The Storm Is Raging Around You, Remember Who Your Rock Is.

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What storms are in your life right now?  Is it financial?  Is it relationships?  Is it Marriage or family?  Is it your workplace?  Where it is or what it is can, and will, be calmed by Jesus if you allow Him Into your life.  Jesus promises in His word to calm our storm.  Let’s go to the word of God and DIVE DEEP.  Turn with me to Mark 4:35-41.

Jesus Calms the Storm

Mark 4:35-41  35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Okay, you see the disciples here, are on a boat with Jesus.  These guys are with our Savior and don’t even know it.  They are cruising along and bam, out of nowhere, they run into a storm.  Just when they think all is well, they find themselves in a situation they can’t deal with.  They are scared and fearful, they panic.

Do you sometimes find yourself here where the disciples are?  Yes, of course, we do.  We have all been there.  We have no money to pay the bills, we are in a battle with our spouse, we get divorced, we lose our job or our home, our car breaks down.  Whatever the situation, there are probably thousands of storms that can come into our lives, right?  Well, I am here to tell you, there is hope, there is a lighthouse with its light shining so bright, that will guide us back to shore.  Come here and listen, his name is Jesus.

Come back with me if you would, to the scriptures here in Mark 4:38, it says Jesus is sleeping on a cushion, (lol) He is asleep on a cushion people!  That is how bad your problems are.  There is a storm about to crush the boat and Jesus is sleeping.  Let’s think about that and put that into perspective.  When the storms come into our lives, we have to remember Jesus is at the stern of your boat, sleeping on a cushion.  He knows and is aware of the situation, so much that He shows us how concerned He is by sleeping.  So if He is sleeping through the storm, He must know everything is going to work out, right?  Right!  The verse goes on to say the disciples woke up Jesus saying, “Jesus, don’t you care if we drown?”  These guys must be scared out of their minds.  They truly do not know the power of Jesus and trust Him enough to believe that they are safe in His hands and honestly that’s us.  Our storm comes and we know we should put it in His hands and lean on the scriptures.  Here are some references for why we should not fear.

Psalms 27:1

A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? 2When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.

Exodus 15:2

“The LORD is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

Psalm 18:28
You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.

Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 28:8
The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.

Psalm 38:22
Come quickly to help me, my Lord and my Savior.

Psalm 46:2
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

Psalm 49:5
Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me—

Exodus 14:14

The Lord will fight your battles and you only need to be silent.

If we are taught in the word, that God cares for us and will protect us, then storms should look like rain showers with a glimpse of the sun on a nice spring day.  We should see Jesus asleep on a cushion at the stern of our boat and if we get too overwhelmed we go sit next to Him and ask him to comfort us, because He is our comfort, He is the God of all comfort.  The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 1:3-5:

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.…

Let’s go back to the word in Mark 4:39:

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

You see, Jesus just simply gets up and commands the waves and the wind to be calm.  One day we might have a storm, but through Christ and the word of God, in a split second, He will show up and the storm will be calm.  Listen, the waves and winds would have never done anything to the boat or the disciples.  What they showed Jesus is that they have no faith.  He even says it in the next verse, let’s read:

Mark 4:40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

We are called to have the faith of a mustard seed in Matthew 17:20:

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, 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.”

So if the disciples had faith just as small as a mustard seed, they could have believed they would be ok as they go through the storm or even told the waves and winds to be calm.  We do have the power through our faith to believe Jesus will take care of our storms.

Mark 4:40 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

We have to remember that Jesus is the son of almighty God and if we truly believe that, with all our heart then we know, He knows, what’s best for us and will protect us.  In the Bible, Jesus is referred to as the Good Shepherd.

Jesus the Good Shepherd
John 10:10-12  10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. 11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.  12 “He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.

You see Jesus’ love is unconditional, it is perfect, it’s forgiving and compassionate.  He loves and cares for us so much.  We all need to get to that point that we trust Him so much, that no matter what the storm may bring, we can lean on His promises and show others that surround us that we can rely on Jesus and He will be there for us, in all circumstances.

1 Peter 5:10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

Now that my friends is the best news tonight!  After we suffer a little while, God will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.  He loves you so much it’s time to completely trust in Him.

Jesus cares greatly for us and wants us to have the faith of a mustard seed.  He wants us to come to Him so He can comfort us and wrap His loving arms around us.  He wants us to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He is there to help us, protect us, and comfort us.  He has the power to stop the storm, so when the storm comes, keep hold of the Hem of His Garment, have Faith, Pray and stay in His word.

We Are In The World, But Are Not To Be Of It!

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Philippians 3:20

“But our citizenship is in Heaven, and we early await our Savior
there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Philippians 1:27

Paul tells us: that whatever happens to him, we must live in a
manner pleasing to Him and worthy of the Good News about Christ, as a Citizen
of Heaven.

As Citizens of Heaven, we must work together as one body working against one
common enemy.

Our common enemy is the ruler of this world, so living here on this earth, in this
world, we are in a war. The enemy knows we are here and is completely aware of
our moves. He is here to keep the human race from turning to God and to try and
tempt God’s chosen with sinful desires. He also is here to attack the called and
prevent them from ever answering the call. He does this through in and
throughout the world we live in.

As citizens of heaven being on a planet, earth, this world, we must realize we are
not to be concerned with earthly matters for these things are temporal. These
temporal things such as material, money, gain, and self, are all the things the world
seeks after and have no eternal value. So we, the chosen citizens of heaven, must
seek things of eternal value and most importantly do the will of our Father in
Heaven.

Let’s start off with the understanding what the word of God says about the world:

Romans 12:2

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform
you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn
to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

1 John 5:19

“We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is
under the control of the evil one.”
James 4:4

“You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you
an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you
make yourself an enemy of God.”

1 John 2:15-17

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of
the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the
Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but
whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

So by the words of our Father in heaven, we are not to conform to the lusts of the
flesh. So what is He talking about? What is a lust of the flesh? What does the
flesh want? Sin…yes the flesh desires sin. It has an appetite for rebellion against
God, His rules, and His Word. The flesh wants impurity, sex, money, and
materials. New and shiny, expensive things, it wants control, it wants pleasure,
not pain, it wants to feel good, all the time, with no consequences. The flesh is
completely worldly, its desires are all temporal, anything we do that does not
have eternal value is done by the flesh. Our flesh wants to be rebellious against
God and His will for our lives. The flesh is the earthly shell we live in while we are
inhabitants of this world. That is why we must die to its desires and lusts, for this
is what the Word of God tells us to do, to die to our flesh.

“For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit
you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.”

Let’s move on to the lusts of the eyes. We are also told by God that this is a way
of the world. Let’s break that down, to lust with your eyes. Our eyes see, they
see and they want. They see and lust over beauty, expensive items, luxury,
materials, and they covet. They cause you to commit adultery, to want, the very
thing we are told not to do, thou shall not want. The eyes are our viewports and
must be controlled. We go to the mall and our eyes get our brains all sorts of
stimulation with 100s of desires and wants.
The devil has millions upon millions of his minions on TV, in commercials, in
movies, in school, in the mall, in music videos, everywhere we go we see
advertisements for new and updated materials, so it’s no wonder why our eyes
would be a port to lust and that is why God says the world lusts with its eyes. The
world and its lusts are temporal and not of God. We must keep our eyes on Jesus
and His will for His chosen.

In Matthew 18:9

the Bible says “And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out
and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have
two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.”

Now we move on to the next way of the world, which is the pride of life, look at
me, I did this, I am AWESOME! This is my accomplishment. Actors, movie stars,
sports players, musicians, and YouTubers are all self-seekers looking for all the
praise and glory for their prideful accomplishments, successfulness,
entrepreneurship, millionaires, billionaires, and investors, all want the praise and
glory. We must be careful because without God we can do nothing.
The world looks at this sin as awesome, the pride of life. Think with me here, you
are born into this world and your ultimate goal is to grow up, get educated, and
climb to success as quickly as possible. We push our children into sports so they
can rise to stardom, which equals dollar signs. There are few people pushing to
climb the ladder of selflessness or servanthood. That’s because we can watch
the world’s success on TV, the internet, at the movies, in and around where we
live, people wear their success. I’m guilty of this myself, we want to look
successful to the world, but we do not have to be part of it that’s for sure, so be in
the world, but not part of it.
Bottom line is, if the world is doing it, we should not. If it’s in the category of lust
whether it be with the eyes or flesh or pride, we have no business partaking.
We need to wake up, you citizen of heaven and open up your eyes before you just
jump in and do what the world does. We are better than that. We are God’s
chosen, so act like it and take off your former self.
Step out of your fleshly shell and into your new spiritual coat, wear it proud, wear
it loud, become that lighthouse in a dark area. Become a favorable salt for people
to taste. Become spiritual farmers, planting seeds, watering other seeds that
already have been planted, break chains of bondage, spread the good news, cast
out demons, pray, fast, be the hands and feet of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Here is a list of priorities for a citizen of Heaven, things we should be doing
continually:
 Loving and leading people to Christ
 Praying and Fasting
 Meditating in God’s Word and living according to it.
 Become Heavenly Minded
 Serving and pleasing God
 Not sinning and asking for forgiveness
 Singing spiritual songs, hymns, and Psalms
 Healing, performing miracles, teaching, and rebuking
 Obeying Jesus and being guided by the Holy Spirit
 Planting seeds, being the salt and light for Christ
 Don’t conform to the ways of this world, especially the ungodly practices of
the world

Do your homework and see where these things of the world stem from
before you partake. Remember that it is obedience that matters like it says in John 3:36

And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”

My prayer is for you to draw close to our Savior and establish a loving, lasting, intimate relationship with Him so you can experience all the wonderful things He has for you.

Illuminated Flavor

                                           Are we to the world?

saltlight2

We are called to be the salt to this world.  We are also called to be the light as well.  Let’s dive right in and see what the scripture says.

Matthew 5:13-16  

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Let’s look at some uses of salt by the world’s standards as a mineral.  It gives flavor, it preserves, and it binds wounds.

So Jesus tells us to be the salt of the earth.  He wants us to be that seasoning, because if salt has no flavor, it is thrown out, useless.  How can we be of any use if we are flavorless salt?  We as Christians need to stop just blending in with the world and let our flavor, our seasoning effect the people around us, just as salt flavors what it is on.

Salt also preserves.  If we go around planting seeds, leading people into a relationship with Christ, then we, like salt, can preserve their eternal lives.  If we introduce people to the living Word of God, then we too, like salt, can preserve their eternal lives.

Salt binds wounds.  If we are as salt, we can show people that no matter what spiritual wounds they may have in their lives, like in marriage, relationships, with family, there are many kinds of wounds we can have in a spiritual sense and salt/flavor of Jesus Christ can heal all wounds.  Jeremiah 30:17  I will give you back your health and heal your wounds,” says the Lord…

If we go out in the name of Jesus, equipped with the Holy Spirit and with the living Word of God, we will be the salt.  We will flavor people with the sweet aroma of God.  Our salt can help bring peace into peoples’ lives.  It can change their lives, heal them, save them, bind wounds, break chains of bondage, provide freedom and help to combat the evil that comes at them.

We are called to be the salt, flavorful salt.  So make sure you are of use to God.  Don’t become flavorless.  Don’t just blend in.  We are not called to do that!

Light, let’s look at how the world uses light.  We use it to light up dark spaces, we use it for warmth, we use it to generate power, it can burn, close wounds, remove stains, produce growth,and  it’s so powerful that when condensed it can become a powerful laser.  Light has the ability to create power and energy and God gives us His light for power in this dark world.

We are the light of the world, the world is dark.  It is in a constant spiritual battle.  Satan blankets the earth with sin and darkness.  Satan creates an illusion of fear and sickness, false problems.

We, as Christians, are overcomers.  We are supposed to be shining bright.  We have to go out into that darkness and let our light shine brighter than ever.  For what good are we if we are hiding our light under a basket, or under a blanket.  We need to allow our light to expose the darkness, learn to plant seeds when the opportunity presents itself.  Be aware of your surroundings when you’re out and about because we walk among a spiritual battlefield and Satan is prowling around like a roaring lion.  So your light could be the only Jesus, the only Bible people will ever see.  So make sure it’s shining!  Make sure you’re salty.  Bright and salty that’s us.  Now go and make a difference.  Be that salt and flavor in someone’s life.  Be that light and provide light to the right path for someone’s trapped in darkness, for this is the will of God for us.

Where Two Ways Meet…What Path Will You Choose?

 

This is a decision not contemplated too often amongst the Christian community and this concerns me.  Let’s dive right in this morning.  We read in Matthew 7:13-14:

The Narrow Way

13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Wow!  That statement is very powerful and direct, let’s break that down.  We look at the first part and it says “for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.”  This first part is talking about the world and its ways which we are not supposed to be conformed to, we see here in 1 John 2:15-16:

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

Revelation 12:9

9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

3 You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

So we read that we are not supposed to be conformed to these patterns that we see in the world.  We see that Satan has been cast down here by God and the devil will be the great deceiver.  The world around us only cares about self and money, all kinds of lusts and pleasures which we are not supposed to be conformed to.  We are citizens of Heaven and according to God we better act like it or we will be doomed to a life of destruction.

Why would God warn us about this broad path?  Why should this be of concern to us?  Because we live in a broken world ruled by Satan and we have been given free will to choose to follow the world and its patterns or follow after Christ.  And you know this breaks my heart to know that a very large population of the Christian community will not be going to Heaven because they will have chosen the broad path.  The path that made them feel good.  The path that the crowd was traveling.  This my friends is the exact reason we need to take getting to know our Savior so seriously.  We must be able to differentiate between the world’s ways, the broad way, and God’s way, or the narrow way because according to God Himself there will only be a few who find it.  Too many of us are too attached to our life, to our secular friends, and to our old ways to let go and start afresh, but the Word of God says it like this in 2 Corinthians 5:17:

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

This is what the second part of our scripture means “because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

We also see in Matthew 22:14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”  There is a narrow path, a road less traveled, a very unpopular road in the world.  This is a life of ministry.  This is a life after Christ.  We are called to be imitators of Christ.  God is pleading to us to start living in the Light.

We see in Ephesians 5:1-20  1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Don’t participate in the things these people do. 8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! 9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,

“Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”Living by the Spirit’s Power

15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We as Christians are responsible for our own life.  We must make a conscious decision to follow after Christ.  Jesus gives us the living Word of God that is life changing.  He gives us the Holy Spirit to help us and guide us, but we must be living right in order for that to happen.  We must live a life that is pleasing to Him.  A life spent pleasing the Lord is the most gratifying life one could hope for because He promises us a life filled with Peace, Love, and Contentment.  If we trust in Him and travel the Narrow Path we will be on a path not traveled by many, but we will be on a path that leads to eternal life.

Christians I plead with you today to chose your path wisely and if you have been traveling down that broad path then jump off and run as fast as you can over to the narrow one because when you hit the end of the narrow path you will find Jesus and it doesn’t get any better than that!

So will it be The Broad or the Narrow…What Path Will You Choose?  For your life depends on it

The Christian Lifestyle…Am I Giving It My All?

Let’s Dive In!

 

The true authentic Christian lifestyle is all laid out for us in the Bible.  The Word of God was written so that we could fully understand how God requires us to live and what we are to be doing as His children.  Here is the problem in this world, the devil is distracting people from doing it.  The devil’s main job is to do just that, to prevent you from living up to God’s expectations and making you feel that sin is okay.  He does this by having millions upon millions of his demons controlling the masses that we see on a daily basis that make us look on and say, “That’s normal.”

As a Christian Youth and Family Pastor you hear too many excuses of why they don’t have time to read their Word, not enough time for daily prayer and studies, why they can’t go to bible study, why they can’t go to church, that their plates are so full, our schedule doesn’t permit it, my wife this, my husband that, and our kids blah blah blah.

Let me bring some truth to the light here.  You actually can make changes for good in your Christian walk, you can do better, you can work things out in your marriage, your kids can have a better attitude, you can be more patient, humble, kind and loving.  Would you like to know how?

Okay, okay, hold on a minute, let’s talk about this.  When we are seeking a career what do we do?  We usually go to school, we study like crazy, we want to learn so bad we sometimes get into massive debt in student loans just to fill our minds with knowledge so in hopes of one day landing a career job that will bring us in the money, so that we can have a certain lifestyle and future.  We want to perfect our abilities so we can be the very best at what we do, and we do it right otherwise we are just wasting our time.

How about if we are playing a sport, we go to practice over and over and over, we want to be the best and why?  So we win, so we get a scholarship, so we get recognized by scouts, so we can make money, but we do it to the best of our ability because that’s what you do when you want to be the best you train, and practice,

Why is it that all the secular activities that we as a generation can do, we do amazingly.  We can do it so well.  We have all the time in the world to devote to, but when it comes to perfecting our Christian walk, “Eehh I’ll get to it”, is normally the attitude.  You see there is no immediate return on the investment, so it seems, and that’s why it’s on the back burner.  But a life filled with peace, humility, and love is the life we all seek after.  People don’t think it’s attainable because they do not put the time in to learn.

Here is the secret to a life filled with Hope, Joy, Peace, and Love….

Reading the Word of God, build your relationship with the Lord, meditate on His Word day and night, and keep a scripture on your tongue.  Sing praises to your Savior and start putting the kind of effort you put into non-eternal things like career, job, sports, hobbies and you will see a newly found reward start to form in your life.  Imagine if your life was as good as your job, business, or favorite sports team, imagine that!  Now go and start devoting the kind of time that you have been putting into the temporal and start putting it into your eternal, because that my friend is what’s most important.

The Hem of His Garment, “Is It in Your Reach?”

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You may be asking, “Mark!  What does that mean?  Let me share.  Let’s go deep and see what our Living Word says.

Matthew 9:19-22  19 So Jesus and his disciples got up and went with him. 20 Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe, 21 for she thought, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” 22 Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.

Imagine that, just the touching of His garment can heal us…that is an incredible power that one must have and that my friends is available for all who believe and follow after Jesus.

Can you just imagine that just one touch, one touch of the hem of His garment can bring us healing?  Just let me touch it, that’s the kind faith that Jesus is talking about, the kind of faith that moves mountains, we see in:

Matthew 17:20 “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”

That’s the kind of awesome incredible power that comes when you have a relationship with Jesus Christ.  I saw this post by TobyMac, this is what it said, “When you’re hanging on by a thread, make sure it’s the Hem of His Garment.”  Do you know how powerful that statement is?  Life can be cruel, life can be stressful, life throws us all sorts of curveballs, but if we just hang on to the hem of his garment, everything‘s gonna be okay. Sing it with me…”So don’t worry, ’bout a thing…’cause every little thing is gonna be alright”… and you want to know why?  Because today you’re going to cast all your fears and worries to the side and you are going to take hold of the Hem of His garment and believe in whatever it is you need to believe in and Jesus will fix, He will heal, He will bring comfort, He will bring peace, and bottom line is, He will when we can’t.

First things first, get to know Jesus, far too often we say we believe, but do we really believe?  Do we really understand why Jesus came to this earth?  He came so we would be saved.  Let’s look at this scripture, in

John 10:1-17  Jesus tells us about

The Good Shepherd and His Sheep

10 “I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! 2 But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. 5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”

6 Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, 7 so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me[a] were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. 9 Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved.[b] They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. 10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. 12 A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. 13 The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me,15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.

17 “The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. 18 No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”

We see here in the scriptures that Jesus loves us, Jesus is our protector, our shield, our comforter, our sustainer of life, our joy bringer, our redeemer, our happiness, our Shepherd, our hope, our Salvation, Jesus is our Gate our bridge to God, so if He is all these things why wouldn’t you want to grab a hold of His garment.

I’d like to take us to one more scripture so show us the power that radiates from Jesus and when you realize it, change is imminent.

Luke 5:17-20

In 17 On one of the days, while Jesus was teaching, some proud religious law-keepers and teachers of the Law were sitting by Him. They had come from every town in the countries of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was there to heal them. 18 Some men took a man who was not able to move his body to Jesus. He was carried on a bed. They looked for a way to take the man into the house where Jesus was. 19 But they could not find a way to take him in because of so many people. They made a hole in the roof over where Jesus stood. Then they let the bed with the sick man on it down before Jesus. 20 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the man, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

These friends just knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus was who He proclaimed to be…they knew if they could just get their friend in front of Him, he would be healed.  Do you feel that way about any of your friends?  Do you have that kind of passion for the hurt, for the lost?

So let today be the day that you make that decision to grab hold of the hem of His garment and start to realize that Jesus came for you.  He came to be your good shepherd, to lead you home, to help you through anything you need help with.  If you already are a Christian, then be a true friend like these guys did in Luke 5.  They realized that there are people that need Christ, they need healing and get your friends in front of Him, so they too can grab hold of his garment

Below is a list of scriptures for all the things that Jesus is to us. So take hold of His Garment because He is like no other! And no other is like He is!

*Advocate – 1 John 2:1
Alpha and Omega – Revelation 1:8; 22:13
The Almighty – Revelation 1:8
Amen – Revelation 3:14
Apostle and High Priest of our Confession – Hebrews 3:1
Author and Finisher of our Faith – Hebrews 12:2
Beloved – Matthew 12:18
Beloved Son – Colossians 1:13
Bread of God – John 6:33; 50
Bread of life – John 6:35
Living Bread – John 6:51
Bridegroom – John 3:29
Brother – Matthew 12:50
Captain of our Salvation – Hebrews 2:10
Carpenter – Mark 6:3
Carpenter’s Son – Matthew 13:55
Chief Shepherd – 1 Peter 5:4
Chosen One – Luke 23:35
Christ – Matthew 16:20
Christ Jesus – 1 Timothy 1:15; Colossians 1:1
Christ of God – Luke 9:20
Christ the Lord – Luke 2:11
Christ who is above all – Romans 9:5
Consolation of Israel – Luke 2:25
Chief Cornerstone – Ephesians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:6
Dayspring – Luke 1:78
Deliverer – Romans 11:26
Deliverer from the wrath to come – 1 Thessalonians 1:10
Eldest of many brothers – Romans 8:29
Emmanuel – Matthew 1:23
Faithful and True Witness – Revelation 1:5; 3:14
Father Forever – Isaiah 9:6
First and Last – Revelation 1:17; 2:8
Firstborn among many brothers – Romans 8:29
First born from the dead – Revelation 1:5
Firstborn of all creation – Colossians 1:15
First Fruits – 1 Corinthians 15:20
Friend of tax collectors and sinners – Matthew 11:19
Gate of the sheepfold – John 10:7
Glory – Luke 2:32
Good Shepherd – John 10:11; 14
Grain of Wheat – John 12:24
Great Shepherd of the sheep – Hebrews 13:20
Head – Ephesians 4:15
Head of the Church – Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 1:22
Hidden Manna – Revelation 2:17
High Priest – Hebrews 3:1; 4:14; 7:26
He Who Holds of the Keys of David – Revelation 3:7
He who is coming amid the clouds – Revelation 1:7
Holy One – Acts 2:27
Holy One of God – Mark 1:24
Holy Servant  – Acts 4:27
Hope – 1 Timothy 1:1
Horn of Salvation – Luke 1:69
I Am – John 8:58
Image of God – 2 Corithinians 4:4; Colossians 1:15
Indescribable Gift – 2 Corinthians 9:15
Intercessor – Hebrews 7:25
Jesus – Matthew 1:21
Jesus the Nazarene – John 18:5
Judge of the World – 2 Timothy 4:1; Acts 10:42
Just One – Acts 7:52
Just Judge – 2 Timothy 4:8
King – Matthew 21:5
King of Israel – John 1:49
King of Kings – Revelation 17:14; 19:16; 1 Timothy 6:15
King of Nations – Revelation 15:3
King of the Jews – Matthew 2:2
Lamb of God – John 1:29
Last Adam – 1 Corinthians 15:45
Leader – Matthew 2:6; Hebrews 2:10
Leader and Perfecter of Faith – Hebrews 12:2
Leader and Savior – Acts 5:31
Life – John 14:6; Colossians 3:4
Light – John 1:9; John 12:35
Light of all – Luke 2:32; John 1:4
Light of the world – John 8:12
Lion of the tribe of Judah – Revelation 5:5
Lord – Luke 1:25
One Lord – Ephesians 4:5
My Lord my God – John 20:28
Lord both of the dead and the living – Romans 14:9
Lord God Almighty – Revelation 15:3
Lord Jesus – Acts 7:59
Jesus is Lord – 1 Corinthians 12:3
Lord Jesus Christ – Acts 15:11
Lord of all – Acts 10:36
Lord of Glory – 1 Corinthians 2:8
Lord of lords – 1 Timothy 6:15
Lord of Peace – 2 Thessalonians 3:16
The Man – John 19:5
Master – Luke 5:5
Mediator – 1 Timothy 2:5
Messiah – John 1:41; 4:25
Mighty God – Isaiah 9:6
Morning Star – 2 Peter 1:19; Revelation 2:28; Revelation 22:16
Nazarene – Matthew 2:23
Passover – 1 Corinthians 5:7
Power and wisdom of God – 1 Corinthians 1:24
Power for salvation – Luke 1:69
Priest forever – Hebrews 5:6
Prince of Life – Acts 3:15
Prince of Peace – Isaiah 9:6
Rabboni – John 20:16
Ransom – 1 Timothy 2:6
Redeemer – Isaiah 59:20
Rescuer from this Present Evil Age – Galatians 1:4
Radiance of God’s Glory – Hebrews 1:3
Resurrection and Life – John 11:25
Rising Sun – Luke 1:78
Root of David – Revelation 5:5
Root of David’s line – Revelation 22:16
Root of Jesse – Isaiah 11:10
Ruler – Matthew 2:6
Ruler of the kings of the earth – Revelation 1:5
Ruler and Savior – Acts 5:31
Savior – 2 Peter 2:20; 3:18
Savior of the world – 1 John 4:14; John 4:42
Second Adam – Romans 5:14
Servant of the Jews – Romans 15:8
Shepherd and Guardian of our souls – 1 Peter 2:25
Slave – Philippians 2:7
Son – Galatians 4:4
Beloved Son – Colossians 1:13
Firstborn Son – Luke 2:7
Son of Abraham – Matthew 1:1
Son of David – Matthew 1:1
Son of God – Luke 1:35
Son of Joseph – John 1:45
Son of Man – John 5:27
Son of Mary – Mark 6:3
Son of the Blessed One – Mark 14:61
Son of the Father – 2 John 1:3
Son of the Living God – Matthew 16:16
Son of the Most High – Luke 1:32
Son of the Most High God – Mark 5:7
Only Son of the Father – John 1:14
Source of God’s creation – Revelation 3:14
Spiritual Rock – 1 Corinthians 10:4
Living Stone – 1 Peter 2:4
Stone rejected by the builders – Matthew 21:42; 1 Peter 2:8
Stumbling Stone – 1 Peter 2:8
Teacher – Matthew 8:19; Matthew 23:10
Testator of the New Covenant – Hebrews 9:16
True God – 1 John 5:20
True Vine – John 15:1
The Way the Truth and the Life – John 14:6
The One who is, is was, and who is to come – Revelation 3:7
Wisdom of God – 1 Corinthians 1:24
Wonderful Counselor – Isaiah 9:6
Word – John 1:1; 14
Word of God – Revelation 19:13
Word of Life – 1 John 1:1

(* http://blog.adw.org/2012/05/150-titles-of-christ-from-the-scriptures/)

The Mighty Oak Along the River

Are You?

The Bible says to be a tree planted alongside a river, we read in Jeremiah 17:7-8:

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit”  

Blessed are those, it says.  We don’t have to fear when the heat is turned up in our lives and that can come through many avenues, like in our marriage or finances, with our children or at work, there are many ways the heat can be turned up in our lives, but we are to what?  Put our trust and confidence in Him and if we do that, we will become a tree planted next to a stream where our roots can tap into, not just any water, but the Living Water, who is Jesus by the way.  If we do this, the scripture says our leaves will always be green, full of life and thriving.  Think about being the opposite of that; a tree planted in the desert, with no water it can’t survive and it shrivels up and dies.  We have to stay connected to the one true source of living water, so we too can be like a mighty oak, standing strong, with confidence that our source is the source who gives life and takes life.  There is no better place to be, especially in a drought.

We also can read in Psalms 1:3:

1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,

or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers.

2 But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season,

whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.

4 Not so the wicked! For they are like chaff driven off by the wind.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

 nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the LORD guards the path of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Right off the bat, the psalmist is telling us to not walk in the council of the wicked or to set our feet on the path of sinners.  He goes on to tell us to meditate in the Word of God day and night.  You see, the word of God is alive and living.  It has some serious power, just read in Hebrews 4:12-13:

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

So by spending time in it multiple times a day we are filled, like the psalmist is explaining to us.  We will be filled like a tree planted alongside a stream and we too will bear much fruit in season and out of season.  Like it says in Jeremiah our leaves will not wither, but well will prosper.  Now it does go on to tell us that the wicked, those not connected to the Living Water, those who do not meditate in the Word, those who are not producing much fruit will blow away like dry chaff in the wind and so the wicked will perish .

We read in Isaiah 61:3 :

To grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

And in Jeremiah 17:8 :

He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

So here is the message for you today.  We can be a tree that has dry chaff that blows away in the wind or we can be a mighty oak planted next to a stream and have our roots tapped into that living water of God, which will empower us with all the blessings that the Lord has to offer, where we will be able to produce much fruit for Him until Christ returns.  The choice is ours because it is free will we were given.  The Lord will not force Himself on anyone, He is a gentleman.  My prayer is this, if you are not planted near a stream or river, then get yourself uprooted and move to a new location where you will be.  Get yourself replanted so your roots will have a water source to tap into because none of us want to be that dry chaff that just blows away, total separation from our Creator.

I would like to leave you with an image of the water I speak of when referring to the streams and rivers in the Word and it comes from Revelation 22:1: 

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb”

And that’s the image to rest on, one that reminds us of that Living Water power at our fingertips.

Love You All

The Battle For Souls Is Real

Do you truly believe this?

images

Ephesians 6:12  For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

1 Peter 5:8  Be alert and of sober mind.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Just from these two scriptures, we can see that the devil is very much alive and prowling around seeking whom he wants to destroy…..

How does the devil  do this? How can he destroy us? Well for one, he makes sure we stay separated from God, he entices us to indulge in sin, he temps us, he needles our minds with doubt and stress, and he whispers to us “that’s ok God won’t mind.”  Satan is subtle, he has no timeline and is no rush. Satan will take a sin and he will inject it into our society and bring it around very slowly so one day it will just be accepted. Right now we can see Satan at work in our society with all the sexual impurity being pushed on our children. Satan is the great deceiver, he lies to us and seeks out the vulnerable who are looking for comfort.  He especially has an eye on those who are considering following Christ.  When you are contemplating, or if you have decided to follow Jesus, you can count on this: Satan and his demons are right at your side, just waiting for an open door.

Here’s the thing, and this is a certainty, the devil wants your soul to come to hell with him and he is doing and will do everything in his power to get you there,  Have you ever had a mosquito buzzing around your face?  Yeah, me too!  You ever notice that they can find you immediately wherever you are?  They’re blood seekers.  Now imagine 2000 of them are swarming you and following you.  Now make them invisible and that’s Satan and his legion of hell-bent demons on your tail.  They are real and here on this earth to keep you from Jesus Christ, our loving Savior.  If you are one who is living in sin, if you have not accepted Christ as your Savior, then yes, God’s hands are off of you and you more than likely have that swarm of demons, not just following you, but attached to you.

First things first, you must accept Christ as your Savior and be reborn.

Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 Romans 10:9  If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

John 3:3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

If you do these things, that is the start of a new life for you and a start in preparing for the battle.  Now you need to get in war mode and put your combat gear on. The closer we get to God, the easier it is to defeat satan, the easier it is to hear God speaking to us, the easier it is to find God’s destiny plan for our lives.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Ephesians 6:10-18  10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle, you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Victory in this battle comes through repentance.  We all sin as Christians, but a true Christian does not live in sin.

1 John 3:8-10 8 But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. 10 So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.

Friends, I can assure you the battle is real.  Seek God and His righteousness FIRST and all things shall be added to you.  Matthew 6:33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.  

HE WILL GIVE YOU VICTORY!

Friends with the World or Enemy with God.

Which one are you?

 

This is is what God says about it.  In James 4:4 we read:

“You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.” 

And in 2 Corinthians 6:14 it says this:

“Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?”

These verses should be scary, I mean I wouldn’t want to be an enemy of God, that’s for sure. Here is the thing with these verses, you do know God is speaking to His children here,  not the non Christians? These scriptures are for His followers, the elect, the chosen and believe you me He is not kidding around. I know many people try to come up with so many excuses for being friends with the world but the only reason we would entertain hanging out with non christian or being part of something secular would be to inject Jesus into them or it and or be there to plant seeds, too many think its ok because those relationship are life long but after accepting Jesus as our Savior we signed a contract and became bond servant to Christ and it is now we must become obedient and learn His ways.

Let’s look at the word “world” in the context it’s used.  It’s not talking about the earth or the planet itself.  What God is saying is “carnality, evil, lustful cravings, sin, false beliefs, false gods, worldly activities, lusts, wants, rebellion, basically all the things the world has to offer.  We see in Romans 12:2

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” 

And in 1 John 2:15-16

“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.  For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.”

God has given us plenty of Scripture that makes it abundantly clear to not be part of this sinful worldly way of life, or be friends with it.  We must remember that

 “We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.” 1 John 5:19

We are the light brought to expose the dark and as a Christian we have to accept that.  This is all part of becoming a seasoned Christian, understanding God’s word.  Let’s go over one last scripture that will put the world in perspective.

“You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money.  They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful.  They will consider nothing sacred.  They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good.  They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God.  They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.  Stay away from people like that!”  2 Timothy 3:1-5

Christian, you have to understand this, that we are foreigners, we are residents of Heaven, and we are here not to follow what the world follows after.  We are here to lead people to Christ, love people where they are, help one another, love our neighbors as ourselves, share the love of God through acts of kindness, be selfless, become part of the body of Christ and serve, be a servant for our Lord, be the farmer, and plant seeds.  Because friend, let me tell you, the work of God is so vast and the laborers are so few.

So friends with the world – no, but love the world – yes!  Care for people’s souls, plant seeds, lead them to Christ, and do it through authentic unconditional love the kind of love that can only come through Christ.

Don’t be a friend of the world,

be a soul winner

for Christ in the world!