A Simple Act of Caring

   Have you ever heard or seen a story that makes you feel something? Maybe you heard a story of injustice that made you angry. Maybe you heard a story that was so sad you cried. I have found that the stories that touch people the most are ones they don't expect.

   In this day and age it is hard to find people who are generous and have integrity years ago a YouTube video came out called An act of caring creates an endless ripple. Check out the video down below.

   One act of kindness creates a difference. Many times we hesitate to give to others or do what we feel called to do because we think it will not make a major difference. However, it can make a big difference. It may only make a difference to the one person we help, or it could make a difference to many others. We never know who is watching or who will be told about what we do in kindness.
   I'm not saying we should do nice things to be recognized; I'm not saying we should do kind things to be recognized. We should do kind things because that's what we are called to do. Jesus did many kind things but he gave God all the glory (he is God).
   When we do kind things we should give God the glory. We should do what we are called to do because that is furthering the kingdom of God. That's why we are still on earth even after we accept Christ. You never know what one act of kindness will do.
   So, what kind things have you been called to do lately? Will you give God the glory if you are called to do something kind? What can you do today to create an endless ripple of kindness?

   Philippians 2:4 and John 13:34-35

The Spotlight of Recognition

   Have you ever done something really well? We are talking you poured your heart and soul into this thing. You spent time, sweat, tears, and money on this thing. You would think that you would get some recognition for all that you did, right? No, instead the person who is in charge of whatever you were doing gets the recognition. Or, people don't know you were involved. Or, worse yet, people knew you were involved but you never get thanked!
   What are we to do when we don't get thanked for what we do? Some people may say we should throw a fit, not help again, or leave whatever we were helping with.
   Let me tell you a story that may help you decide what we should do. Once there was a beautiful lighthouse. It was strong, served its purpose, and people said it was the most beautiful lighthouse they had ever seen. One day the light at the top of the lighthouse looked out at all it could see and said, "This is an amazing view." The brick at the bottom of the lighthouse said, "may I take a look?" The light said, "no you must stay in your place otherwise how will others be able to see my light shining in the darkness."
   Later on, in the night, the light shone brightly. The light said, "it is a good thing I am so bright otherwise the ships would crash on the rocks." The brick at the bottom replied, "may I see the ships?" The light laughed, “no you must stay in your place otherwise how will others be able to see my light shining in the darkness."
   The brick on the bottom sighed angrily, "I am tired of staying in my place while you get all of the glory." With those words the brick pulled himself from the lighthouse and went away. The light glanced down and thought, "only one brick is gone I shall still be the most beautiful lighthouse." Then the light felt shaking beneath her. She looked down and saw other bricks had begun to leave. Suddenly, the lighthouse tower began to crack and the light fell to the ground.
   When the dust settled the light realized that she was broken too. No longer was she beautiful and revered but instead she was a pile of rubble. Suddenly, the light heard a noise of a ship's horn. She realized that she could no longer guide those ships away from the sharp rocks that would destroy them. What would happen now that the lighthouse was destroyed?
   So, what is the meaning behind this story? Will you realize that it is vital to appreciate those under your charge? How can you lift up your boss? Will you choose to do your job in order to help others, no matter the personal cost to you?

   Colossians 3:23, Acts 20:35, Matthew 25:21

   Image from here. 

The Armor of God Series Conclusion

   How do we put on the armor of God then? Throughout this series I have told you ways that you can put on each individual piece of armor. But how do we put on the whole armor? It is no easy feat, especially since we have to do so much to put on each individual piece.
   We cannot put on the armor on our own. After all, it is called the armor of GOD. We are sinners and we fail, but through Jesus all things are possible. Jesus made it possible for us to be cleansed. He is the one who makes it possible for us to put on the armor. He is the truth. He is the righteous one. He is always ready. He is faithful, gives us salvation, and taught us how to pray.
   Without God we cannot do anything. With him we can do everything. That is how we put on the armor. We trust in Jesus as our Savior. We pray and follow him and then we will always be ready for battle.
   So, will you trust in Jesus as your personal savior? Will you follow him and put on the armor of God? Are you prepared for battle?

   Ephesians 6:10-18
   Image from here. 

Covering Your Armor in Prayer: The Armor of God Series

   “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing” (Martin Luther).

   Once upon a time when I was young I used to only go to God in prayer when I needed help. If I was being bullied, I would pray for the bullying to stop. If I wanted a dog, I would pray for a dog. If I was tired at soccer, I would pray for strength. But, during the good times, I didn't pray. I never really thanked God for all he had given me. I fell into the trap of treating God like a Genie.
   Prayer is one part of the armor that we don't talk about much. I think it is because the Roman soldiers did not have a metaphor connection to prayer. Paul puts prayer at the end like this: "praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints" (Eph.6.18). 
   Prayer is like a protective coating of the armor. If the armor is not taken care of then it will not be able to do its job. We must pray to God. I'm not talking about praying to him like he is a Genie. I am saying we talk to him throughout the day. We thank him for our blessings, whether they are good or bad. We tell him about our day like a friend. We question him like a father.
   Prayer is our link. It is like the chain that keeps the armor together. It keeps us connected with God. That's why prayer is so important. We could pray just to talk to God. Or we can pray for something as major as healing from cancer. It just takes some faith and a little bit of time for us to talk with our maker. 
   So, will you stop treating God like a Genie? Will you choose to pray to God at all times and in all things?

   Philippians 4:6, Romans 8:26, Ephesians 6:10-18
   Image from here. 

Going on the Offense: The Armor of God Series

   “We need to encourage new believers to feed on God’s Word—it is nourishment for the soul” (Billy Graham).

   When I was in my sophomore year of college I decided to go to Homecoming with a few of my friends. We were getting ready and talking. One of the girls said that my friend was a rebel. They were talking about how my friend dresses (she wears leather jackets, jeans, and Nike shoes. That's a style you don't see too much at LBC. But, she pulled it off awesomely I must say).
   Anyhow, the other girls asked me if I thought this friend was a rebel. I said "She is a rebel, but in a good way. She doesn't always believe what people tell her about God. She does more digging to find the answers for herself. She does that to make sure that she finds the truth. That's how she is a rebel."
   Sometimes Christians accept what others say without question. We hear a pastor tell us about the word of God and just accept what he says. What if the pastor is wrong? We are told that there will be false prophets out there. The only way we can be sure not to fall into the trap of false prophets is by knowing the word.
   The sword is the only offensive weapon that Paul mentions in the armor of God. The sword is how a Roman soldier was able to take on the enemy. But, it was also for defense.
   In the same way a Christian uses the word to attack and defend. Who better to prove this than the one that we try to emulate: Jesus. In Matthew 4:1-11 Jesus is tempted by Satan. He uses the word to defend himself as well as attack the devil. Each time Satan uses scripture to tempt Jesus blocks the blow and comes back with scripture. The way Jesus was able to defeat Satan was because he knew the Word.
   As Christians it is vital for us to know the Word that way we can defend and attack when the devil comes. The way to do that is to get into the Word. We need to memorize scripture and read it every day.
   So, will you choose to question your teachers to make them accountable to the Word? Will you get into the Word and memorize it? Will you use the Word as defense and offense against the devil?
   2 Timothy 3:16-17, Joshua 1:8, Ephesians 6:10-18
   Image from here. 

Our Salvation is Protection: The Armor of God Series

   "No man is excluded from calling upon God, the gate of salvation is set open unto all men: neither is there any other thing which keepeth us back from entering in, save only our own unbelief" (John Calvin).

   I grew up in the church my whole life. When I was in second grade my Sunday school teacher asked us if anyone wanted to pray "the prayer" to accept Christ. I thought I understood what that meant so I prayed the prayer, but I wasn't sure. When I was going into 4th grade I was at Camp YoliJwa and I prayed to redirect my life to Christ again.

   When I grew up in went to camp YoliJwa again the year before 11th grade. My counselor told me that she used to do drugs. She had other issues too. She got so low that she took pills to kill herself. But, the overdose didn't work. She sat in her room and saw a Bible. She was really mad at God so she threw the Bible. The Bible hit the wall and fell to the ground. My counselor went over and picked it up. A specific verse jumped off the page at her Romans 8:38-39 " For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." She had thought she would never be worthy of anyone, let alone God. She prayed the same prayer I did.

   The helmet was another vital piece of a soldiers armor because it protected the head. Many enemies would go for the head because it was a quick way to defeat the enemy, thus why the helmet was needed.

   In the life of a Christian the helmet of salvation is our knowledge of salvation. We know we are saved but our job isn't done. We are called to go save others by sharing our testimonies. Both my counselor and I prayed the prayer of salvation but our testimonies are not the same. Some people may relate to my testimony more than hers and vise versa. But we both share our testimonies to reach others nonetheless.

   Christians have our story as a tool to help us spread the Gospel. Our testimony is also a defense like the helmet. There are times when we all get really low. But if we know what we believe and why we believe it we can say "Jesus is my lord and he has saved me." That is the knowledge we can rest in and share with others.

   So, will you put on the helmet of salvation if you have not already? Do you find rest in the fact that Jesus has saved you? Will you spread that good news with others? 

   Romans 10:9-10, Matthew 19:25-26, Ephesians 6:10-18
   Image from here. 

Do You Trust me? The Armor of God Series

   "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase" (Martin Luther King Jr.).

   Do you trust me? That's the question I asked some children that I was teaching. I had only known these children for 3-4 days. The first child said, "yes I trust you." Children are very trusting, which can be good or bad depending on the situation. 

   I had this child sit down on a chair then explained my experiment to the rest of the children. I had a pack of Jellybelly Beans Boozled. In this pack of jellybeans there were beans that tasted good like juicy pear, peach, or chocolate pudding. But, there were also bad flavors that looked exactly the same as the good flavors. Some of these bad flavors tasted like booger, barf, or centipede. 

   Thus, after I asked "do you trust me?" The child would get a bean. I didn't know if it was good or bad. Therefore, the child actually couldn't trust me. This helped the children have fun while also realizing that people are going to let them down; no matter how much that person doesn't want to let them down. There is only one person who we can have faith in and know that he won't let us down: God.

   The shield was a vital tool to the Roman soldiers. It was their only defense from flaming arrows. The shield was so tall that the soldier could crouch behind it when he saw those arrows coming.

   For the Christian, we need to crouch behind our faith. We don't have arrows flying at us, but we do have other things thrown at us. We have lies, guilt, and many more things thrown at us by the devil. When these are thrown at us we must have faith. 

   Faith is the only thing that may keep us going at times. When many bad things happen at once we must cling to our faith. If we don't cling then we have a danger of losing the only thing that truly matters in life: our relationship with God. Sure, people also matter to us but, as stated in other blogs, we need to take care of our faith first before we can take care of others.

   How can we have faith? We need to dig deeper into our relationship with God. When you first accepted Christ you were on fire for God and you wanted to know more about him. Like in any relationship, that fire fades. In order to keep our faith we must dig deeper. We need to find out more about God. We need to pray and talk with God. That is what will help our shield of faith grow.

   So, will you dig deeper into your faith? Will you get to know God more as you grow? Will you continue to keep your shield of faith up?

   Hebrews 11:1, Romans 10:17, Ephesians 6:10-18