Soul Protectant

In the summer we wear sun screen. In the winter we wear extra clothing. These are just a few measures we take in order to protect ourselves from the elements of our environment. Thinking about how we make sure we protect the outside of our bodies, makes me think about how we MUST protect our spirit man as well. So many times we see people working out or exercising in order to better their outer body, yet they will eat fatty foods or indulge in too many sweet treats and remain unhealthy in inwardly. That being said what are you doing to insure that your soul is protected from eternal dangers? Some would say, “Hey I go to church every Sunday.” I present to you the question, “Is that enough?” Is it enough just to be a “church-goer,” but never exercise your faith outside church? Better yet, is it enough to just say you are a Christian but no one can see the evidence in your lifestyle? Why should someone believe we are a Christian, which means “Christ-Like” if we quote scriptures and curse in the same breath…or POST? What is the evidence of your relationship with Christ if you look like a healthy upstanding Christian on the outside but fill your inside is filled with vile items such; as drugs, alcohol, or evil thoughts and pleasures? You may say, “It doesn’t matter to me what people think I am…I know what I am!” Great, then let me add this…so does GOD! He knows the inner workings of your heart, mind and soul. He knows if we are keeping Him first or just calling on him like sunscreen in the summer…applying only when we feel we need to! So the next time you see rain and grab an umbrella, the next time you feel a chilly wind and grab a jacket to protect your outer body, take a pause and make sure that your soul is also protected. Think about it Scripture References Romans 10:13NKJV- For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 2 Tim 2:22 KJV- Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Mark 12:30 NKJV- And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. If someone told you they were a professional football player but looked like this Would you believe them?

Fear Vs. Faith

Have you ever been caught up in the midst of some trouble you were not expecting and didn’t know how to get yourself out? Have you ever been toiling with a particular situation or circumstance and just needed peace? If you have experienced anything like either question above my final question for you is, did you walk in faith or in fear? In Matthew 8:5-10, Jesus was visiting Capernaum when a Centurion officer approached. The officer told Jesus that one of his faithful servants was lying at his home dying, paralyzed and tormented. Can you imagine this well respected wealthy man, caring so much for his servant that he sets out seeking the help of someone he had never met? That sounds like faith to me. I believe he could have hired the best doctors in the land, and paid endless amounts of money to have them work on his servant, but he was not walking in his own knowledge or power, he was walking in faith. He sought out Jesus. When he told Jesus of his plight, Jesus quickly offered to go to his house and heal his servant. In verses 8 the Centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.” Not only did he have the faith to seek out a stranger, but he had the faith to take that stranger at His word and believe for a miracle. Let us keep this story in mind when unexpected things come our way. When sickness grips your body out of nowhere and even the doctors scratch their heads. When your car decides to go “ka-put” and your money in the bank is “funny.” Stop a moment and ask yourself… “Am I going to react/walk in fear or in faith?” What are the benefits of walking in faith you might ask? Let’s look at the end of the Centurion’s story. Verses 10 & 13 say, 10When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour. I don’t know about you but I could use a same hour blessing! So the next time calamity comes our way, let’s walk in faith and not fear believing God for a same hour blessing in the mist of it all! Think about it!

This should go viral!

The Urban Dictionary defines to “go viral” as - used in reference to Internet content which can be passed through electronic mail and social networking sites. An article on Jeff Bullas.com states: “Viral used to mean a catching a bad disease that spread quickly and brought sickness or death. Now it means “fame and fortune” via a social media. Here’s how things have changed. The art of going viral has moved far beyond one time flukes to a formula and a process.” I must say I completely agree. Just think about how many 15 second videos you watch per day just for a laugh. It is so easy these days to receive entertainment, as well as, information, whether valid or not, from social media with the flick of your thumb or the click of your finger. Millions or even billions of people around the world participate in, view and post videos, pictures and comments in hopes of them “going viral.” I’m sure you have heard of “Sweet Brown,” “Antoine Dodson” and others that have become famous, even if just for a moment, due to something they did or said “going viral.” If you have been living under a rock and not heard anyone say, “ain’t nobody got time for that,” or “hide yo kids, hide yo wife,” then I know you have heard of the fire, wall and even ice challenges that spread like wildfire through the cyber-sphere! All of this awakens a thought in me. That thought is, what if we spend half the time sharing the gospel of Christ as we do “liking” silly videos and posting comments on the latest injustices of the world. Stop for a moment and think about that. Compare the number of comments you have posted on social media, the number of texts you have forwarded, and the number of pictures you have uploaded…to the number of times you have shared the good news of Christ…WOW that hurts don’t it, (don’t worry I’m guilty as well.) But we can all do better. As Christian it behooves us not only to aimlessly surf the social media world, but to be a light and example in that world. Consider how you may be friends with someone on Facebook or Instagram that you have never met face to face, and most likely never will, yet you communicate with them practically every day even if it’s just to “like” their latest picture, now ask yourself how many times you have said anything to them about Christ. I think I have made my point. Now, guess what: JESUS LOVES YOU! CHRIST SAVES! PRAYER WORKS! Now that should go viral! Think about it! Matthew 5:16 - Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

FOLLOW CLOSE

Personal space is very important to most people. Don’t you hate when you’re driving along, minding your own business and someone tailgates you? Does it bother you when you are in a crowded room and no one makes the effort to space out, or when a co-worker gets right in your face talking with coffee breath? How about when you’re walking on a dark street and hear footsteps behind you…do you like being followed by the unknown? Even though many hate to be followed closely literally, FOLLOWING has become very popular with this generation. You can follow your friends every move from sun up until sun down on social media. Mega stars want to be known by the number of followers they have. Not only are we following famous people some of us even follow foolishness such as VINE video featuring things like sneezing babies and screaming cats. Whether we like it or not we are all followers of someone/something in one way or another. We follow the laws of the land, follow rules at school or work, some even follow personal rules. Many of us spend hours each day following something that has no significance at all for example, how many hours a day do you spend scrolling on FACEBOOK not to mention Instagram and TWITTER. Before you ask, yes, I am a follower and I have people following me. Now I don’t know the statistics on how many people hate to be followed weather on social media or literally followed, however, I do know someone who loves to be followed and closely at that….Jesus Christ. My question then is this how are you “following” Christ? Mark 15:54 NKJV says, “But Peter followed Him at a distance…” Jesus walked the Earth preaching and performing miracles, Peter was there to witness much of that yet when the going got tough, PETER GOT GOING! Can the same be said of you? Are you so busy following friends, trends and social media that you don’t have time to closely follow Jesus? Do you spend so much time worrying about your life you’re yourself that you neglect becoming a follower of the only person who is really deserving? When I speak of following Christ I’m talking about more than just posting a daily scripture on your timeline or saying you’re a Christian out of your mouth. I’m talking daily self-denial, truly trusting Him and living for Jesus ON PURPOSE…no matter who’s watching. Don’t be like Peter. If you are following Christ follow closely so that others can see and know who you really live for and who you really FOLLOW. Think about it.

Let's take a Selfie!"

You would have to be living under a rock in this day and time to have never heard of a “selfie”. According to research millions are shared each and every day across all the major social media platforms. It is a phenomenon of our generation. I take selfies and I’m sure most of you reading this article do as well. When it comes to social media, I consider my pages on FACEBOOK and TWITTER to be we…a reflection of me. I mean it bears my name therefore; it should bear my character, right? Without being too deep…shouldn’t we be careful concerning the things we post, type, tag and “like?” Recently my Pastor brought the message, “The connection between the heart and the mouth.” It was a simple yet profound word on how the things in our heart, will eventually come out of our mouths and affect us in many ways, spiritually as well as naturally and even physically. Don’t believe me? Have you ever seen a news report of someone who had hate in their heart for someone else, and when that hate come out of their mouths tragic things took place? He explained to us how the heart is really the place we make our decisions. When people take and post selfies in my opinion they just want to share something about themselves or how they are feeling, with others they are connected to. Like it or not, there is a big connection between the heart and one’s FACEBOOK page. So…what about doing a “spiritual selfie?” Often times we go about our daily lives without taking self-evaluations. A selfie is just a picture of someone, a depiction or reflection of them in other words. Ask yourself questions like what am I reflecting or depicting today? What are people seeing when they look at me? Some may say these things are not important but I beg to differ. As Christians the way we carry ourselves, the things we say and even the things we post or “like” can tell others quite a different story about us that we intend. Not only that but we must be concerned with what God sees when He checks out the “selfie of our hearts.” I Samuel 16:7 says in part, “For the Lord does not see as man see; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” The thoughts looming in our hearts matter a great deal to God. Psalms 51:10 says Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” So let us all take the time to take a “spiritual selfie”. Look deep inside your heart and evaluate what God sees when you post that picture into the atmosphere. Think about it.

Don't take the mercy for granted!

I recently read a very interesting article on the internet. It talked about how a murderer was released from prison as a free man after two failed attempts to execute him for his crimes. The article stated that a man who had murdered his family was sentenced to die by lethal injection. It went on to say that the drug used in the first stage of the injection which should render a person unconscious or brain dead, did not affect his system. After this failed attempt the judge ruled that he must still be put to death and gave him the option of a second injection attempt or to be electrocuted. According to the article he chose to die by electrocution. However they reported that when the switch was thrown the chair failed to operate. In instead of trying again, the article said they removed the man from the chair and threw the switch again. When the chair operated perfectly they decided it had all been an act of God’s mercy and they released him out into the world a free man. Now I later found out that of course this article was bogus, but it did of course get me to thinking about God’s mercy, which is poured out on us so many times, undeserving. Psalms 103:11-12 reads, “For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy towards those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalms 103:17, in part says, “But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him.” I don’t know about you but I know several people who say they appreciate God’s grace and mercy on a daily basis but they take it for granted because refuse to submit to His will and live totally for Him. These scriptures are telling us that we can be the recipients of God’s mercy if we fear or reverence and respect Him. In order to do that we must love Him and in order to love Him we must keep Him first in our lives. I’m not perfect by any means, but I do make it my business to walk, talk, live in integrity and please God on not only a daily but hourly basis. In this day and time so many have turned away from the faith, but remember God’s mercy is from everlasting to everlasting. This means that it is never too late to take advantage of His mercy, repent and live for Him only as long as you have breath in your body. Mercy has to do with “not getting what you deserve.” It is the compassion of one upon another. If it were not for God’s mercy, take a moment and reflect upon what you deserve or where you deserve to be right this moment as a result of your deeds. Now realize that God’s mercy never fails so don’t take it for granted. Think about it.

Begin with the end in mind!

Pretty much everyone on the planet has a calendar. Why is that? Because we live our daily lives in anticipation of “what’s next.” Those of us who set goals do so because it’s easier to reach a destination when you know where you are going. I recently attended a youth conference where the speaker was very simple, yet profound. She made a statement along the lines of, “begin with the end in mind.” She went on to describe how we do this from day to day and most times without even thinking twice. For example, if as a student, you set the goal of graduating…that’s the end. Then you must begin with preparation and study in the beginning, in order to see that end goal come to past. This of course made me think deeper about our spiritual lives. Do we begin each day with our eternal end in mind? Many of us proclaim that we are “children of God,” and with God being our father our goal should be to live with Him in heaven eternally upon our earthly demise…that is the end. Just like with any “end goal,” in order to see it happen we must begin with preparation. With that being said what are we doing daily to prepare for our eternal end? We don’t have a problem preparing for tests in order to get a passing grade; preparing for a wedding in order to have a marriage or even putting together cribs and buying clothes in preparation for a new babies arrival. Then we should not have a problem living a “Christ-like” life in preparation for our eternal end. Everyone’s life is coming to an end and no one knows exactly when that will occur for them. Therefore it behooves us to live every single day like it is our last. We should start our day out acknowledging God and keeping Him first throughout that day. On a daily basis do you live it in the realization that it could be your very last opportunity to show someone love who really needs it, or apologize to someone you have wronged? Do you carry yourself in a manner that proves you know any given moment could be your last chance to lead someone to Christ? So the next time you are setting goals for your life, don’t forget, set your eternal “end goal” and begin each and every day with the end in mind! Think about it!