Be ready

Are you ready at a moments notice to defend your faith? Do you know how to share the gospel? If someone asks you about your faith, it is important that you be ready to give them an answer. 1 Peter 3:15 says, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear." We never know when we will have the opportunity to help change a person's eternal address. This is why we should plan for success by being students of the Word and men and women of prayer. If we do this, then we will be ready to shine as lights in this dark world.

Be wise

Do you desire wisdom? Do you need wisdom in order to make a tough decision? Everyone at some point in their life desires wisdom. This is why people seek help from others in order to attain knowledge. Some people will go to a psychologist, some will go to a therapist, some will go to a psychic, or some to a new age guru. Is that really the place to find wisdom? No way! James 1:5 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." If you need wisdom, why not go to the wisest of them all, God.

Be careful

1 Corinthians 10:12 reads, "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." Some people think that because they have been Christians for a number of years that they are untouchable. That is simply not true. If you are a Christian, mark my words, you definitely have the ability to fall flat on your face. The key is to make sure that you are standing firm on the Solid Rock of Jesus Christ. If you do this, you will have something strong to help you get back on your feet when you do fall.

Are you tempted?

Do you feel shameful because you are tempted? Temptation is something that every Christian faces. It is not a sin to be tempted. However, what you do with it could lead to sin. The Apostle Paul gives us great insight concerning this topic. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." Temptation is common, but God is faithful. He will not only provide us with a way of escape, but God will neither give us more then we can bear. Isn't that great news?

Are you holy?

Holiness has been described as being consecrated or being set apart for God. The real question that I should be asking you is: "Is your life set apart for God?" 1 Peter 1:15, 16 says, "but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.'" God, the creator of heaven and earth, has called you and I to lay our lives before His altar. When we do this in complete surrender, we will begin to live a holy life. If you and I give our lives to Him wholly, we will become more holy.

Are you merciful?

Being merciful has been defined as: showing a person compassion or being kindly affectionate toward someone. In Matthew 5:7, Jesus said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." Do you find it difficult to show people kindness? Are you struggling with compassion? Everyone needs compassion. When we show people love, compassion and kindness, we become more like Christ. God has shown us mercy. This is why we too should be merciful. If Christians aren't kind, then what kind of Christians are they?

Are you successful?

Many people today are seeking success. Some people are looking to self help books. Some are looking to certain programs. Some are attending money making seminars. What does it really mean to become successful? Joshua 1:8 reads: "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." Success should not be measured by the amount of money a person possesses. Real success should be measured by the amount of time a person spends with their Lord. If we would spend more time memorizing the Scriptures and doing what the Bible tells us to do, we would find the secret to success.

Are you afraid?

In the world that we live in today, fear is something that everyone experiences. People are afraid of speaking in public, losing their jobs, losing their homes, dying, or even the boogie man. But should Christian be filled with fear? Deuteronomy 31:6 tells us to "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God He is the one who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." If we as believer's could get in our mind that the God who created the heavens and the earth is with us, there would be nothing to fear.

A spiritual shower

Do you take showers frequently? Hopefully you do. Not just for you, but for the sake of others. In the world we live in, we are going to get dirty. As important as it is to clean up our physical bodies, it is even more important for us to get cleaned up spiritually. 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." We are not perfect just because we are Christians, and we are going to make mistakes. But the good news is that all we have to do is confess our sins to the Lord. He will forgive us, and clean us up. That is better than any shower!

A faithful friend

Do you have many friends that you can depend on? Do you have someone that won't let you down? It's been noted that, "A real friend stabs you in the face, not the back." Friendships are important. God has placed certain people in our lives to correct us, encourage us, and pray for us. 1 Samuel 20:17 tells this story: "Now Jonathan again caused David to vow, because he loved him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul." The example of Jonathan and David's friendship proves to be one rooted in love. Jonathan put his life on the line to make sure his friend David would be protected from Saul (his own father). True friendship is putting someone's life before your own.

Are you angry?

Do you ever get mad? Do you ever loose your cool? Have you ever blown up on someone? Ephesians 4:26 says, "Be angry, and do not sin." Everyone, at some point, gets upset or angry. There is nothing wrong with getting angry. In fact, getting angry is perfectly normal. God created this emotion and it is a part of life. Getting angry is not the problem. It is what you do with that anger that matters. We are to be slow to speak and quick to listen. We are also to remember that a soft word turns away wrath. If we could master this emotion (anger), then we would shine as lights in this dark world.

The good and bad (part 3)

Romans 6:23: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." The bad news is that the wages of our sin is death. Because we are sinners we are deserving of death and are separated from God because of our sin. We could not pay the penalty for our own sin. There is no good work we could do or amount of money that we could pay. However, the good news is that Jesus Christ gave us the greatest gift that anyone could give to any person. He willingly laid down his life so that you and I could have eternal life. That is definitely good news.

The good and bad (part 2)

John 10:10: "The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." The bad news is that Satan has come to totally invade our lives. He has come to steal, kill and destroy us. That seems pretty bad, but that doesn't compare to the good news. The good news is that Jesus also has come. Jesus has come to give us abundant life while we live here on the earth and eternal life once we leave this earth. Praise God!

The good and bad (part 1)

Isaiah 53:6: "All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, everyone, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." The bad news is that every single one of us, like sheep, have wandered and gone astray. The Bible goes on to tell us that there is no one that is righteous, and all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. However, the good news is that 2000 years ago God sent His one and only Son to this earth to die on the cross for us. Because the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all, we can now have eternal life.