"EXIT" a way out!!!

Have you ever felt like you just can't take it anymore? Have you ever felt like there is no way out to the temptation that you face? Many Christians feel this way at times. Being a Christian is no easy task. It it probably one of the hardest decisions you will ever make. It's been said that being a Christian is, "Committing yourself to Christ, and than walking in that commitment." It is a daily choice and a daily decision that you and I have to make. When Paul was writing to the Corinthians he said, "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." 1 Cor 10:13 Temptation is normal. Being tempted on a daily basis is part of the life that we live. However, there is a way out. God has provided us with an exit, or a way of escape. Obedience takes choice. God has given us free will and its up to us to choose to do the right thing. If we truly love God than we will make the choice to walk in obedience rather than disobedience. God help us to be a people who take the exit that He has provided!

The Friendship Factor

What does it take to cultivate a friendship? Because of the rapid growth of social networking such as Twitter, My Space, and Facebook it seems like honest one on one relationships are deteriorating. Many Christians have traded in a genuine face to face relationship for artificial friendships. Perhaps it is just the evidence that we are quickly becoming a more self serving culture. We don't want to take the time to build a relationship because that might require time which we do not have. One of the titles that was given of Jesus was, "friend of sinners." Jesus was friendly to the men and women that were around him. He took the time to invest in them. He loved them, he taught them, and he wasn't afraid to correct them. the bible says that faithful are the wounds of a friend. Proverbs 18:24 says, "A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." The friendship Factor is the mindset of consistently building strong friendships. Anyone could build acquaintances, but it takes hard work and the Holy Spirit to be a real friend.

Unbreakable

When I was younger I really enjoyed comic books. There was something that was adventurous about reading a comic. Perhaps it was the fairytale, make believe quality that drew me into the story. One thing that I loved was the indestructible, or unbreakable ability of the super hero. There was absolutely nothing that could destroy the super hero. As a Christian, I wonder if many of us have that same attitude when it comes to our Christianity. It becomes more of a temptation when you have been a believer for a number of years. When Paul was writing to the Corinthians he said, "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." 1 Cor 10:12 The writer of Proverbs says, "Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?" Prov 6:27 As a Christian we must always remember that we are not a super hero. We are not indestructible, or unbreakable. As soon as we think we are, we stumble. We have to stay connected to Christ, continue you in his word, and be accountable to our fellow Christians. If we do this, we will definitely overcome our greatest villain Satan.

Staying Ready

A friend of mine made the comment the other day, "I don't get ready, I stay ready." I began to think about what he said and it hit me like a ton of bricks. Are most Christians ready to share their faith at all times? Are most Christians prepared to meet the Lord and anytime? I think a lot of Christians spend much of their life un-prepared and un-ready. When Paul was writing to Timothy a young Pastor he said, "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season" 2 Timothy 4:2 This idea of being ready speaks of someone coming upon you suddenly and being prepared for their arrival. It also speaks of standing. A person decides the outcome of the day in the morning. We have to be in a ready stance because we never know what the day will hold. The enemy Satan roams around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He is always looking for a time when our guard is down. This is why we have to be ready. God help us to be Christians who stay ready not get ready.

Are you living the life?

As I wake up in the morning and take my first breath of air, I thank God that I have another day of life. Life is a precious thing. We could either live the life that He has called us to live, or we can refuse the life that He has offered and in return die in our sin. John describing Jesus in John 1: 4, 5 tells us, "In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood [overcome] it" (NIV) There are four things that we see in this passage of scripture that we can learn from. First of all, we see that "In Him is life." Jesus came to this earth to give us life. He has come to give us eternal life, and He has come to give us abundant life. Eternal life is the result of repenting and confessing our sin to Him, and believing in Him as our Lord and Savior. Abundant life is the joy of knowing that we are no longer going to hell, and we now have a personal relationship with God. Secondly, we see that, "Jesus was the light." When He stepped into His earthly ministry He was a light to humanity. He didn't hide that light, but He was literally the light of the world doing what the father had commanded Him to do. Thirdly, we see that, "The light shined in the darkness." Jesus exposed darkness. He called sin, sin and He did not compromise His agenda. He wasn't attempting to win a popularity contest with a dim light, but rather shined as a bright light for all to see. Fourthly, we see that, "The darkness did not overcome." The word used for understand in the Greek could also mean, to understand, to comprehend, or to overcome. Death could not hold Him down. He was victorious rising on the third day! I end with a series of questions. Are you living the life? Is your life a light to the world? Does your light expose darkness? Are you overcoming darkness with the light of Jesus?