Too Caught Up in Today to Make a Difference for Tomorrow?

I recently stumbled across the following quote from Pablo Picasso: “Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.” In light of it, I began to consider eternity very seriously and the busyness so many get caught up in. In talking to fellow believers concerning their eternal responsibility to share Christ here and now, the normal response revolves around their lack of time right now because they are so busy.

I have discovered that many believers are too caught up in today to make a difference for tomorrow. The busyness of today has obstructed their vision of what tomorrow really holds. I will serve Christ tomorrow! I will do more for the Lord soon! I will share Jesus more as soon as I get the time.

Sad truth is, time is slipping away so quickly, most never get around to fulfilling their obligation as a follower of Jesus because tomorrow never comes. The tomorrow that does come is spoken of by Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:10, where he sends out this stern warning to all believers: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or bad” (HCSB).

How many will be standing before Him empty-handed? Will you? You won’t be taking your great riches, your fine auto, your nice home, your big boat or anything else you wasted your life away earning and pleasuring yourself with. All the great times you had enjoying your life will be worthless as you stand before Him to answer for what you did that really mattered.

What does matter? What will matter? What will make a difference? The only thing that matters on that day are the individual people that you shared the message of salvation with. Did you feed the hungry? Did you help the needy? Were you Jesus to others when you were on the earth? That’s it! It doesn’t matter what anyone else did on that day; only what you did will matter.

Many live with the idea that once they have made it in this world, then they can better focus upon the commands of the Lord to be witnesses. Abraham Lincoln said: “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”

Have you gotten too caught up in today to make a difference tomorrow? We all have a responsibility that will require an accounting. Paul clarifies what it will be like on that day in this way: “each one’s work will become obvious, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved; yet it will be like an escape through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:13-15 HCSB).

As you consider your future, consider the future that really matters, your eternal future! Don’t allow yourself to get so caught up in the urgency of your life here on this earth; rather, get caught up in the urgency of the mission of winning the lost while you still have time!

Struggling Through Life?

Do you find yourself struggling through every day of your life? Maybe feeling like you really didn’t sign-on for all the problems and difficulties you encounter daily? Perhaps thinking all this should’ve left me when I surrendered my life to Jesus as my personal LORD and Savior?

Perhaps you haven’t truly “surrendered” your life to Jesus? Perhaps you have never been taught what it means to be a true follower of Christ? Unfortunately, churches are full of individuals just like that; those who respond to an invitation call, pray a prayer of repentance and for forgiveness of sins and it ends there.

The fact is, your new life started there, but no one took you any further, no one showed you the next step. It’s not your fault, churches have been failing new converts in this way for a long time and for that I am very sorry. It grieves me to see the number of baby Christians running around churches today.

In Mark 8:34-36, Jesus summoned “the crowd along with His disciples, He said to them, If anyone wants to be My follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me and the gospel will save it. For what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world yet lose his life?” (HCSB).

Being a follower of Christ involves a maturing process. Too often, I see churches filled with baby Christians; those who have been saved for a very long time. However, due to a lack of proper training in the Word, their Christian maturity level remains childlike. Jesus summons new converts to become “followers” by denying self, taking up the cross and truly walking in His footsteps; becoming Christlike in all your ways.

Doing so seems like it would create more struggles for your life. But when you choose to follow the path of Christ, you learn to take your eyes off of this world, you set your sights on things with eternal value. You find the cares and problems of this world loose their blow as you begin to walk by faith and follow a path of righteous living; allowing Jesus to direct your steps along the way.

As you learn to walk by the Spirit you find yourself being led by the Spirit and discovering your life is producing the fruit of the Spirit rather than the works of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16-26). You will discover you are no longer struggling through life because Jesus has truly become LORD of your life.

As your life becomes more into tied into Him, you will find victory over the struggles and problems as you begin to proclaim: “Greater is He that is in you, than He that is in the world” (1 John 4:4) over your life.

Set My People Free to Worship Me!

As I was reading through Exodus recently, this verse popped out at me: “Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.’ Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go?’“ (Exodus 5:1-2 NIV).

I began considering people I know and hear about who are struggling with personal problems and issues, addictions, serious medical conditions, complications of all sorts. I began to consider the relationship of these problems to this encounter Moses had with Pharoah. For 400 years, GOD’s people had been in bondage to the Egyptians. Every facet of their lives was dictated by Pharoah. They were told what to do and when to do it.

I began to realize the correlation between this captivity and the captivities Satan uses to keep so many in bondage today; to prevent the freedom to worship GOD in Spirit and truth. I see how these problems dictate every facet of an individual’s life.

Recently, I received a call for help from a mom and dad whose daughter has been trapped in drugs for over 20 years; the bondage, the pain, the struggles. I can relate to the pain as I have family members trapped in much the same way and I see their struggles and pain as well.

Maybe that is you today? Maybe you are a mom or dad who has watched Satan destroy your child with addiction problems? Maybe you have addiction issues yourself? Pharoah asked Moses, “Who is the LORD?” Over the next number of days, Pharoah got a taste of the LORD and His awesome power. He witnessed the power of the LORD that brought deliver to His people; that set them free.

GOD Never Writes You Off!

As I was growing up, I remember seeing a friend receive a very nice gift from his parents for his birthday. He was so excited. But, when he disobeyed them a short time later, they took it away from him and sold it. It kind of irked me that they did that because he was really hurt and I saw over the years that he never really forgave them; rather, he began to follow a path of drugs and alcohol and I finally lost contact with him as he drifted further away.

As a believer in Christ, you may have had a time in your life or, you might be living through a time right now where you feel disconnected from GOD due to sin or disobedience. You may feel GOD will never forgive you or lift you back up to the place you would like to be in Him. The feelings of disconnectedness seem to be driving you even further from GOD. You may have even gotten to that place where you feel you have lost everything you ever had in GOD. Consider what Paul wrote in Romans 11:29: “God’s gracious gifts and calling are irrevocable.” (HCSB). 

GOD doesn’t give up on you. He doesn’t write you off because of your sin; rather, He desires to bring you back to Himself where He can once again pour His gifts and calling into your life. GOD doesn’t retract His gift of salvation just because you stray. His gift is yours. As Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-10: “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift-not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are His creation-created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.” (HCSB).

I have gone through times where I felt very distanced from GOD because of sin. I have even allowed myself to begin to believe GOD could never use me again. Yet, that word in Romans came back to me and I recognized that the gifts and calling of GOD are irrevocable. He didn’t write me off but waited for me to return with open arms. Paul assures us of our position in GOD when He wrote: “we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ-seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him” (Romans 8:16-17 HCSB).

As a child of the King, He will never write you off! No matter how far you have drifted; no matter how “BIG” you think your sin is. It simply doesn’t matter. GOD loves you and stands waiting to draw you back to Himself. Perhaps, you have kids who have drifted away from GOD. GOD doesn’t give up on them and neither should you. If you have hurt them by your words or actions, do everything you can to rebuild that broken relationship in order that they may recognize true love and forgiveness and know that GOD’s love and forgiveness are even greater.

Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace!

We are living in very volatile times. Marriages are collapsing. Homes are falling apart. Churches are closing their doors forever. Murderous acts beyond human comprehension occuring all around us.

The fate of our nation is hanging in the balance. We have given our approval to the murder of over 56 million babies as an act of convenience. We have accepted the LGBT lifestyle as a norm. Terrorist organizations are setting up on American soil and there is little we do about it. Our current government is selling us out to foreign governments and their foreign gods.

As a people of GOD, we have a responsibility to speak up and speak out about our concerns. We have a responsibility before GOD to choose those who represent us very carefully. When you vote for a party instead of voting your Christian beliefs, you stand in opposition to GOD and He will one day judge your actions. When you cast you vote for an individual that mocks GOD, that believes in abortion, that is shown to stand against the truths of GOD’s Word, you will be judged by GOD for your actions.

The time has come to rise up in unity as a people who uphold GOD’s truths. It is time to tell those opposed to GOD that we will not vote for them; we will not listen to them; we refuse to be bound to a party because our party is the Kingdom Party and as children of the living GOD we are obligated to follow His commands and His Word.

The Jews stood at a crossroad in their history. Their destruction was inevitable. But, GOD raised up an individual, Queen Esther, He placed her in the right position to speak out for her nation’s concerns. Her uncle reminded her of this when he said to her: “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14 HCSB).

Christian brothers and sisters, we must speak now or forever hold our peace. We must rise up as a people of GOD and take a stand against those who oppose our GOD and His Word. When you step into that voting booth, you are not alone. GOD is watching your actions and He will hold you accountable for the choices you make. GOD has positioned Christians in a place to make a difference in our world. We must determine what we will do. Speak now or forever hold your peace!

Walking Toward Eternity!

A great deal of our lives is spent setting goals and then attempting to achieve them. Whether it be in a sport, a job, a relationship, or a hobby–a great deal of our time and efforts go into succeeding or finishing on top. All for something temporal; an achievement that will one day pass away and be forgotten. Even those who have achieved what the world may consider as great will one day be forgotten.

As Paul was nearing the end of his life, he was writing to a church that he had an intense love for. He was reminiscing about his past. In the beginning of Chapter 3 of Philippians, he tells his readers about all his great worldly achievements from his early life. But then he concluded: “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ” (Philippians 3:7). In verse 8, he went even further by saying: “I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.”

You may have had a past of greatness or maybe just a simple past with nothing at all to reminisce about. As Paul said, it really doesn’t matter as it will all soon pass away. Life is a walk towards eternity. The choices we make, the things we carry out, every action of every day is one step closer to eternity. When it’s all said and done, all that will matter is the decision we have made to either follow or reject Christ.

And as followers of Christ, our every day should be consumed with building our eternity. Consider what Paul said: “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14 NIV).

We are headed to eternity. Every human will depart this earth one day by death or rapture. All will stand before the judgement seat of Christ to answer for the walk made towards eternity (Romans 14:10, 2 Corinthians 5:10). Paul strained ahead with eternity on his mind, always understanding his responsibility to live a life for Christ and to share Christ everywhere he went.

Today, you are walking toward your eternity. You may not think about it much, but you should. Life is short; eternity is forever! Do you know Christ as your Savior? If not, turn to Him today. Believers, is your eternity and its rewards forefront in your heart and mind. Is it the dominating force that directs your daily steps? Are you sharing the love of Christ and His free gift of salvation everywhere you go? The judgment seat of Christ sits on our horizon. Everyday is a closer walk to your eternity. What preparations are you making for your day in His court? Think about it!

Speak Life Into the Deadness!

As I look around at America today, my spirit grieves for what she has become. As I look at the condition of many churches today, it becomes easy to see why America has become as she is. The still deadness that exists among so many churches is frightening.

Certainly, on the outside, they have the appearance of being alive but on the inside they are filled with dead bones. The luxuries are flowing. Entertainment for everyone. Sugar-coated preaching creeping out of the mouths of false teachers and preachers making everyone feel real good about themselves even in the midst of their sinning.

Perhaps, I am talking to you today? Maybe you feel this same dryness and deadness? You are experiencing a hungering and thirsting for truth? You are leaving church every Sunday wandering why you waste your time going? The deadness around us is causing a stench to arise to heaven. Many are turning away from their churches, some to never return. People are sick and tired of the appearance of life that is obscuring the deadness that lies underneath.

GOD commanded Ezekiel to “SPEAK LIFE” into the dry, dead bones (Ezekiel 37). As he did, a rattling was heard and life came forth. I am often asked if there is any hope for America today. My response is always, the only hope for America is JESUS and the only hope for America to find JESUS is for the church to arise in truth; to become a house of truth, repentance, and a total re-dedication back to GOD’s truth no matter how offensive it may seem to be to our lives.

Israel stood at a crossroads, a defining moment in their history. As a nation, their future hung in the balance. But GOD, in His great love for her, sent Hosea with words of truth and revival. He said: “As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth” (Hosea 6:3). GOD has a desire to fall fresh on America in the same way. He desires to rain down His power and presence on us in a fresh way; if, we will turn away from our sinfulness, our wickedness, and the contentment that has been allowed to fall upon us.

1 Chronicles 16:11 tells us to: “Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.” I want to encourage you to look to the LORD, look to the strength of the LORD, and to seek His face while there remains an opportunity. Find your hope in Him. Today, I speak life into the deadness that is surrounding us. I speak life into your life today as you seek Him in spirit and in truth!

Call It Done!

Our lives can become consumed and overwhelmed with big problems and issues. Perhaps you have a financial problem, a problem with your marriage, issues with your kids? Or maybe your problem is much bigger; perhaps an addiction that is destroying your life, a sickness or disease that is claiming your life? Whatever it may be, thoughts of it consume every waking moment of your day.

Thoughts of your problem or issue have overwhelmed you to the point that this giant now controls your life. I’m reminded of little David. Just a shepherd boy. No experience in warfare of any kind. Simply a belief in GOD that all things are possible to him who believes (Mark 10:27). A single giant was controlling the entire Israeli army. His taunts and threats kept them living in fear.

David refused to allow the fear of this giant to control his people any longer and took matters into his own hands. He approached King Saul with these words: “Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God. Then David said, The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:37-37 HCSB).

David understood the power of Almighty GOD. He wasn’t relying upon his own abilities but the abilities of GOD. The one who has delivered me time and again will deliver me this time. And David went out, stared the giant in the fact, declared him defeated by the power of GOD and the giant came down with a single stone.

Your giants are destroying your life today. It is a tactic of Satan to keep us fearful, to hinder our progress, and to bring insult to the name of our GOD. The word tells us it is: “Not by might, nor by power but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts (Zechariah 4:6). David called it done in the name of the Lord before the giant ever fell. It is time for the people of GOD to understand the principle of the power of GOD and to utilize it. Call it done in the name of the Lord!

It is time to call down your giants in the name of Jesus Christ. It is time for you to take authority over whatever is gripping your life, holding you at bay, or hindering your progress. Claim your victory today and overcome that giant in Jesus’ name!

Break Free and Move On!

It’s very easy to get hung up in routine. Whether your routine is good, bad, positive, negative, you can easily become accustomed to it and thereby encumbered by it. Routine will prevent you from breaking free and stepping out into new horizons and new adventures.

The Israelites had a bad habit of living in the routine. They would get to a place in life where they were comfortable and then just sit there. The LORD scolded them for this in Deuteronomy 1:6 by saying: “You have stayed long enough at this mountain” (NASB). By Deuteronomy 2:3, they had once again settled in and got comfortable. Again, the LORD spoke to them and said: “You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north” (NASB).

You can easily find yourself in a comfortable place in life. Then, you just sit back and enjoy the ride. You can become lazy in the ministry work GOD has called you to be engaged in. You can find yourself sucking in from those around you and never giving back out. Routine can be a killer, if you are not careful.

I have also seen those who are in physically harmful relationships who have simply accepted the abuse and hurt as the norm. Some will even go so far as to accept the physical, mental and emotional abuse of their own children because of the bondage routine has put them in. Anytime you allow yourself to become entrapped in routine, whatever form it may take, you are in bondage to that routine. 

GOD is calling His people to break free and move on. I have a saying: “If you are not moving forward, you are slipping backward.” That is something to think about. Don’t get settled in. Don’t allow yourself to find a comfort zone and hang out there. GOD has so much more for all of us. Quit circling that mountain and move on out into the great adventure GOD has for you. Become a mover and shaker for the Kingdom of GOD by refusing to get stuck in any routine!

Discover His Strength In Your Weakness!

Living peaceful in today’s world as a believer in Christ is becoming increasingly difficult. The world is becoming harsher, more critical, even abusive at times toward us. We read about fellow believers in other countries and the intense hostilities they are undergoing and hope we never encounter such extremes in malicious behavior against us.

The Scripture tells us that we will undergo persecution in one way or another if we are true followers of Jesus Christ. Our Christian faith stands in opposition to the kingdoms of this world. Paul briefly shared his adventures in persecution and hardships with the Corinthian church in his second letter to them. He was readying them for the increasing hostilities he knew they would encounter. He spoke words of encouragement to them based upon what he had learned from his own experiences.