Living Free Comes at a Cost

I was working on a paper and wanted to share something that really hit me. As Christians we often forget what God has delivered us from.. You know when Paul was traveling on the Damascus road and Jesus called him by name to serve Him. Paul’s whole life changed. Just like yours and mine. He experienced a freedom that he had never before felt or experienced; he was no longer bound by the law and could do whatever he desired. He chose to do what would bring God glory.

19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people that by all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (ESV)

 Paul understood something that I think we often forget; he was not saved for his own benefit but to serve God. You see he was zealous for God before he met Jesus. When Jesus brought him to his knees he finally really understood what God had been preparing him for. All the years of training and serving in and around the temple learning all the scriptures, the zeal for god and the determination to serve him was all in preparation for the future. That is us today as Christians. God has brought us to this place with our wide variety of experiences so that when people we meet have a need we are prepared to witness to them about the difference a life in Christ can make. Paul never really forgot what he had been saved from or the purpose he had been given. He did learn though to reach the lost he would have to continue living and working among them. Yes he gathered with those who were saved and taught them but he never forgot those who were once just like him and needed to hear the good news. Verse 21 makes a statement that we must apply we are as born again believers no longer under the law of God but we are called to live under the law of Christ. Christ gave us to clear commandments that were to love God with all your heart and the second was to love your neighbor as yourself. How many of us are able to say we can live under those two laws? Paul lived a life loving people and he did it by becoming involved with them no matter what situation they were in. Can we as Christians today say that we love god and others enough to go were the needs are.  I pray you have a truly blessed day as you walk in the light of God’s Word.

Thank You

Do to an extremely heavy course load this summer I am having to take time away from my writing I appreciate all the wonderful responses I have recieved and I pray that something I have written has helped you along your walk. I hope to be able to return sometime in the future with the Lord's help it will be sooner than later. Have a Blessed day as you Walk in the Light of His Word each and everyday.

What's the Word?

I grew up hearing that question asked that; was how we greeted one another. Now that I look back on it there is a lot of meaning in that statement. What is the word means more than what’s going on or how you are to me now. To some people that is all it might ever mean but to us as Christians and believers we should recognize the Word as so much more. In John 1:14 scripture tells us what the Word is:

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14 (ESV)

The real Word is the character, power and majesty of the one and only sovereign God. The Word shows us who God is and how we are to live our lives. Because God allowed the Word to become flesh as an example for each of us to follow in His only begotten Son Jesus. In that one act God shows us His grace and mercy in His Word. The real question becomes do we read it and apply it to our lives each and every day or is it just a Sunday morning application. In my own life I can tell you time spent in God’s word is never wasted. Even if all it is five minutes a day God can do more in five minutes than we can do in several lifetimes. That is the power that is in the Word. I pray God puts a hunger in your life to partake in His word not just as casual reading but as a life altering prescription for a real change for your life and the lives of those around you. If you don’t desire to be renewed every day continue doing nothing; but we are told

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

Psalms 34:8 (ESV)

Try a little of the word for your problems and see if God is not more than enough to meet your every need. Have a blessed day as you walk in the light of His Word.

Are We Slaves

You know to some that title might be offensive and if you are one of those people please don’t stop reading this. It is simply a question that I personally had to answer and so does every other person who calls themselves a Christian. You see in reality we are all slaves to something and in that sense we can only serve one real master. In my case most of my life I was a slave to pornography it was such a strong addiction I would begin everyday with it and sneak to look at it all day long. It had so much control in my life that it affected my family and marriage. Jesus delivered me from this and in the place of my desire to look at pornography He has put an even stronger desire in my heart to be in His Word. I am no longer a slave to my addiction now I am if in servitude to Jesus Christ. I have chosen a different master to lead me through my life.

As I was studying this morning for the Junior High Class I teach I was reading in Matthew 25:14-30it is Jesus teaching about the talents and there is a verse in that section that is repeated twice that caught my attention it was verses 21, 23:

²¹ “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy!’ (HCSB)

²¹ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ (NKJV)

Most of your texts will read servant; in our politically charged world I understand why that word has changed. But I think it is important to the understanding of this passage to use the term slave you see there is a difference. As a slave your life is wrapped solely up in the care you receive from your master. Servants in many cases had some rights and could be hired and fired as needed but a slave was considered property and you could do as you pleased with them if you were the master. Not that any of this was right but that is the way the world worked. I live in the south and I have read story after story of families who owned slaves just part of the history of my state but there are numerous stories of families that at the end of the civil war and even before that the slaves of the household would overtime become more trusted than some of the family. As a Christian we are at that point we have been by God’s grace given talents for the glorification of His Kingdom the question is are you using them? So that one day you can hear this same words, “Well done my good and faithful servant,” You see on the day you accepted Jesus you were given a right to enter into the Joy that comes from a relationship with Him. All he requires from us is that we are faithful to His calling on our lives. We all serve something the question really is what are you a slave to? If It is not Jesus and then I can promise you are living an unfulfilled life.

I want to close by adding slavery as we think about it from the American understanding is a horrible thing. The sad part is that it still goes on every day in many parts of our country. Women, men and children are being held in slavery to supply the needs and desires of our sexual culture in America. They are brought here from all over the world and are exploited to meet every kind of sick and deprived idea our sin nature can come up with. I do not take this lightly. I do understand one thing though I alone cannot change it. It will require God intervening in our world to bring an end to this horrible practice please join me in prayer over this issue. May your life be blessed as you walk in the light of His Word.

Child of God

I grew up as a middle child some of you can relate to that. It’s not that you are not loved by your parents but often you find out you are not the favorite child for any one parent which is good and bad. In some ways it is almost a relief because there are fewer expectations placed on you that being the oldest carries with it. But in the same manner you can feel as if your parents love the youngest one the most. You know what I mean everyone loves the baby in the family and parents have dealt with others and have learned what works and what doesn’t so there is less trial and error of discipline as the youngest child grows up. That point of view comes from the experiences I have had as a parent. There are books written about this subject and how birth order effects the development of people if you really want to know more about it.

Today as I walk with God I have learned something about the parent child relationship that we all need to understand as we walk in obedience to God. That truth is found in John 1:10-13,

“10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (ESV)

Each and every one of us has been created in the image of God in that moment of conception we began a life based on the physical world. We required food, water, warmth and personal care but at that stage almost anyone or anything can provide it to us. So a child born in the flesh requires a relationship with some sort of caregiver. As a child you can be brought to endure many things people will desire to put there will into your life. Many parents live their dreams or attempt to live their dreams out through their children always pushing them to play a sport or learn an instrument often resulting in the child resenting what they have tried so hard to do to make mom and dad happy and sometimes resenting the parent who has pushed them so hard to perform in the flesh. Than you find that child who has been loved and cared for they have had all their needs meet and have learned to be content in the situation they are in. They strive to excel not because others require it but because they seek after their own goals their only desire is to prove they are able to do whatever they want no matter what others might think. I have personally dealt with all three areas in my life as I have grown and developed into who I am today and most of you have to. But 13 years ago there was a change in my life and instead of trying to be who everyone else thought I should be I accepted Jesus into my life and became a child of God. When I had felt unloved by parents He still loved me, if I was unable to live up to the expectations of my parents he still loved me, when I personally failed to achieve my goals we still loved me. I have learned something from this experience and I hope it is clear that God’s love is so different than the love of most parents. You see my children have let me down I have let my parents down and the cycle goes on. In this God accepts me for who and what I am. He knows every choice I will be making and has already prepared a way for me to move on through it. He has an advantage over us a parents He sees the whole picture and His love is never based on what I do or don’t do He still loves me. It is that unconditional love that calls to each and every one of us no matter who we are or what birth rank we have when we are a child of God we are loved as if we are the oldest child who cares the promise or the youngest one in whom we have the greatest hope for the future. Because God knows who we are and what He has called us to and when we believe on Him he believes in us and equips us to do what we were created for. Have a truly blessed day as you walk in the light of God’s Word.

The Light

I was remembering a story my dad once told me about his service in Vietnam. He served in in communications and worked as a radio operator. One of his duty stations was on top of a mountain and from that location they controlled all radio traffic in the area. The other job he had was there was a spotlight that was so big that they could shine it down on any of the bases within three or four miles and it would look like the sun had come up over that base. He said the light was so intense the big green lunar moths or something of that type would fly into it and evaporate.  I have never forgotten that story and my dad has been with the Lord going on 17 years.

I shared that to give you an idea of what I think about when we talk about the light that came to Earth when Jesus came in the form of a man. We see in John 1:9,

“9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.” (NLT)

In my simple mind I picture that story my dad shared. Here we have a source of light that is so powerful that even from a distance it penetrates the darkness of our lives; now we may from our current point of view only recognize that we have been covered by it. Yet as we learn to live in it and we travel closer to it the more hidden things begin to fall away or figuratively things begin to burn off. Some things just cannot live in the light. John was called to be a witness to His coming but we are witnesses to His presence. My dad would tell me there was no mistaking when that light came on. Those who it shown down on did not have to fear what might be in the dark; they now could see everything as if it was midday.  

When we allow Jesus into our lives it is much the same thing; we can live in the light at a distance feeling the safety that a relationship with Him brings or we can move closer and experience the power for the light to destroy the darkness we have in our lives. The Light has come into the world and His name is Jesus; will you ask him to shine down on you today? Have a blessed day as you walk in the Light of God’s Word.

The Witness

You know many times we as Christians forget our role in the world and then we begin to profess to be something we are not. In fact we begin to think we are more than God created us to be. Lucifer had those same thoughts before he was cast out of Heaven.

So what is our responsibility or calling? There is a radio spot I hear from time to time that goes into the fact that Jesus calls for us to follow Him; not all the others who profess His name. We read in John 1:6:8, “

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.” (ESV)

 I believe that is where we as a church; we really are making a mistake; we have the opinion that our way and understanding of God is the only right way. Let me make this very clear a belief and relationship in Jesus Christ is the only means of salvation. The problem lies in the struggle of theology and denominations. In many cases we base what we believe on the interruption of scripture by men and women.  They may have the best of intentions but many divisions within the church have come from those interruptions of what was recorded in scripture. It has amazed me as I have completed a study of the New Testament for school to realize that for the most part the Bible was unchallenged in authenticity until the 19^th century. Yes there were discrepancies and about what was to be included in the bible; but there was no doubt the majority of people believed that it was the inspired word of God. Somewhere along the way something changed; it was not the Word but our witness too it that has changed. The issue is so called Christians began to read scripture and turn or twist it to meet their personal needs; allowing them to live as they pleased, instead of being obedient to what the teachings and instructions of God are that we find in His Word. God sent John the Baptist to be a witness to the coming Messiah. Jesus sent His disciples out to be a witness to the glory of His Father and to be a witness to the truth of His sacrifice. Scripture is recorded to help those who confess Jesus as Lord better understand the calling on their lives. Somewhere along the way we began to debate what parts of scripture apply to our lives and in so we have reduced our witness to the truth of Jesus’ sacrifice for us. We as believers are first and foremost to be a witness to the life changing power found in Jesus Christ. We must always remember; we are first called to serve as a witness to Jesus Christ and the Glory of God as we walk in the light of His Word. Have a truly Blessed Day!

Out of Darkness

In my own life I have been in a few dark places. I once went to the Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. If you have ever been on that tour you know that they carry you down into a place that is a great big natural theater and after you have been there a few minutes they turn out the lights. That is probably the darkest place I have ever been. Now there is just something about being submerged in total darkness that the human mind when in its right attitude does not handle well. I have seen individuals as full grown adults that still have a fear of the dark and in some sense I will say that should be a Christian’s stance. We have often been taught that bad things come out in the dark and those things are going to hurt us and some of them might even kill us. So the fear that goes with darkness is something that maybe a natural response for our lives because God never intended that we live in darkness.

In John 1:4-5 we read this simple truth;

4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  (ESV) 

I know as many of you do that there is still life in darkness but what kind of life. You see life finds a way to survive in those caves and in the darkness that surrounds them. There are underground lakes that have fish in them there are insects and other creatures that live in these dark places. These animals may have eyes but they do not work; at least not in any fashion that is similar to that of a fish or creature that lives in the light. This is the same for us as human beings when we live in darkness we see and experience the world differently than someone who has the true light as part of their life. 

It is often easy to give way to the darkness that enters our life. The loss of a loved one, sickness that overtakes our bodies, desperation in a particular situation are all ways we as people are attacked by the darkness that permeates our world. But we have been given a promise that if we believe on Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior he will replace the darkness in our lives with a blessed light. I can share that with you from my own life experiences. Having Jesus as the center of my life has helped me to deal with the loss of my eldest son and I hold to the promise found in Psalm 119:105 that, “His word will be a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Today are you wondering around in the dark? If so let me introduce you to Jesus Christ; he is the one and only light you will ever need. In Him you will find strength to face the darkness that comes at us from the world. I pray God bless you as you walk in the light of His Word everyday.

The Creator

3 God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.

John 1:3 (NLT)

In our world today this is considered a very bold and almost unbelievable statement. Too many would be intelligent people no longer believe this to be a true statement. As a Christian I have to say that if I did not believe in it than everything else is pointless. I believe it is one of the basic facts we must understand and hold to if our faith is to be real. The good, the bad and the ugly in our world all had its start in the mind of God and through the power in his voice it was created. Sounds simple enough does it not, but what has happened is on the day that Adam fell into sin he allowed destruction and death to come upon the world and what God created as Good is now corrupted by the sin of mankind. It does not change the fact that God is the creator of everything.

You might wonder why this is something important to us today. Well I see the importance as knowing and understanding the difference between two views of the world. If God created us it means we have purpose; it also means he is intimately connected with us in our lives. If you have ever labored over something you have created you can relate; it becomes part of you and you have a desire to see it grow and spread to what its potential really is. If we are a product of random chance like people who deny God believe than what is the purpose of life? This is probably the number one question people ask themselves and others when they are struggling with the idea or concept of God. This is what truly divides us between belief and disbelief in the Creator. One sees us as having purpose and the other only sees us as expendable; what do you believe?

The second part to this and I believe is critical to understanding the difference is when you have created something. Say you built a piece of equipment to hold a golf ball so the logo can be painted on it. (Real story, friend of mine) who better to fix it when it’s broken; you see in our world today we have doctors who are working on cures for illness with very little hope for a cure. Christians who have faith in a creator have a place to go when no one else has answers we can turn to the one who created us and ask Him to make us whole. The real truth is though he does not always do it in this lifetime. Yet we have the promise that when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we will have life eternal with a new body in a place where there is no sickness. I want to leave you today with a Hope for the future. When we trust and believe in God as Creator we can have a hope and a promise for a life of purpose and direction. The question is what do you believe in today? Are you living a life that has no purpose or do you know and believe that God has a purpose for you? Everything is created with a purpose and I can promise you that includes you? Have a truly blessed day as you walk in the light of God’s Word.

The Word

The Word

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God

John 1:1-2 (ESV)

Does this confuse anyone? It’s alright if it does it has me confused a little too but let’s take it word by word and see if we cannot make it clear. As we look at this passage of scripture we need to understand that; in the beginning, means to be the first, power, principality or rule it applies to time place or rank of something. When we see it in this context it has to do with the ever present existence of God. God was first when we look at creation and the narrative we find in Genesis; God spoke everything into creation. That is the Word, in Greek it is the word logos it is used in the context of preaching or sharing the word of instruction. So if in the beginning the first power and rule gave instruction that all things be created we now have the beginning of understanding. Now the key word in this passage is not what you might think it is. The word; was, is actually the word with the most power it denotes an agreement it is an imperfect verb that in its placement in the passage denotes similarity between one thing and another it ties the two things the Word and God together. The Word being instruction and God being the supreme Divinity have always been and will always be together in one purpose and desire. We see in verse 2 the pronoun He that was a direct reference to Jesus who we are told was with God and the Word from the very beginning of time.

Now that I have confused you more let me share what my heart tells me. This is actually a quick explanation of the Trinity of God. In these 24 words John explains the trinity of God for us. We see God the Father who is eternal and has no beginning or end, we see the Holy Spirit that is the empowerment of God’s instruction in our lives and on creation and then we see Jesus who was with them in all things providing for us a bridge for you and me from us to God.  It really is that simple. I pray you have a blessed and prosperous day as you walk in the light of His Word.   

The Importance of Vision

18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

Proverb 29:18 (KJV)

2 And the Lord answered me:
“Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. 3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.

Habakkuk 2:2-3 (ESV)

For some reason this week God has really emphasized the vision of ministry to me and I desire to share with you something I believe is important for every person who calls on the name of Jesus for salvation. In 2 Timothy 1:9 God has not only saved us but called us to service. I know I may have touched on that before but I believe it is vital that we understand that salvation is not the end it is only the beginning for those of us who call Jesus Lord. Too often we are satisfied with our current situation and in this we fail to heed the rest of the call. You might ask what does that have to do with having a vision. Well to be honest everything. When God called you it was for a purpose; part of the purpose in a vision is to provide direction according to your calling. You see without vision there is only death; but that is only part of the reason for developing your life around a vision, in our walk with God often we get weary and begin to believe that it was the wrong vision. The truth is that is a lie of the devil; God has called you and will equip you to that calling. But sometimes being human we just have to reach back and pull out a reminder of what God has called us too. That includes each and every person that professes Jesus as Lord.  When you read the verse from Habakkuk you see the instruction to write it down and make it plain that is so you and others will understand it. But in verse three God tells him that he may have to wait on the fulfillment of it. In our world today we always want everything if not now we wanted it yesterday and in reality life for the most part does not work that way. The problem for us as Christians and people trapped in the flesh; is that when we don’t see the results we want we are often prone to quitting. We might try something else but most often we will give up completely. So much of what God has called people to never is finished.

I want you to take some time in the next few days no matter how long you have been walking with Jesus and ask yourself, am I fulfilling my calling? Do I know what my calling is? If you know what you are called to but you are not sure if you are fulfilling it take the time to write down the vision God has given you for your life. If you are responsible for ministering to others as a Sunday school teacher, small group leader, outreach, evangelism, youth, music or children’s pastor do you have a vision for what God wants in your ministry? If you do not you need to develop one. Have you written it down so those you lead can understand it? If not you need to put it out there so others understand what direction you are heading. Does it support the overall vision of the church or ministry you belong to? If not maybe you need to examine role and position in that ministry.  Take the time and ask yourself these questions. In the end it will change your life and bring direction to you and those around you. I pray that God blesses you as you walk in the light of His Word.

What is the Gospel

1 And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.

Acts 4:1-4 (ESV)

I was studying this morning and one of the Bibles I read has inserts from C. S. Lewis. If you do not recognize his name he is the author of the Narnia Series. He also wrote several other nonfiction books about being a Christian two of those books are called Mere Christianity and Miracles If you have never read any of His work I would recommend these two books that is if you desire a closer walk with God. You see C. S. Lewis was a devote atheist who became one of the most influential Christians in the early 1940’s.

I said all that because I wanted to share with you a truth that C.S. Lewis shares in Miracles that we often overlook and that is important to understanding the Christian walk. That truth is the Gospel is not what we read today in the bible those are the biographies of Jesus life. The gospel is what was preached by those who lived with and walked with Jesus those who were witnesses. Peter and John were not arrested for reading the bible they were arrested for, “proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.” The bible was written for those who had accepted Christ; so that the story could be known and bring encouragement to those who believed, but the real Gospel is about the Miracle of the Resurrection and the implications of it for those who were witnesses to it.  Had they never shared that part of the story no gospels would have ever been written. You see today we often pick and choose what we desire to share with people about Jesus and we have made him into whatever best suits our need at the time. Groups are always laying claim to some characteristic of His nature. Trying to use some singular verse of scripture to bring people into their group; in those cases they are missing the Gospel. The Gospel in the simplest of terms is Jesus’ Sacrifice on the cross; His death, burial and resurrection and the everlasting hope found in Him when we trust in Him because of the testimonies of those who were witnesses to it all. They had no Bible to read in the synagogue all they had was their testimony of the life change experience of Jesus Christ. That is the real Gospel the Bible just allows for a written evidence of the testimonies of those who walked with Him. Had they never told anyone what they saw and experienced the bible; might never have been written, because no one would have ever changed. You read that 5000 people were changed because of their testimonies. I want to challenge you today do you have a testimony of how Jesus changed your life if so don’t be afraid to share it. That is when Jesus has the most power before others; when we are a witness to Him. Have a blessed day as you walk in the light of His word.

Accountable to Who

11 He says in his heart, “God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it.” 12 Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted. 13 Why does the wicked renounce God and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”? 14 But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation, that you may take it into your hands; to you the helpless commits himself; you have been the helper of the fatherless.

Psalms 10:11-14 (ESV)

As I was reading this I was struck with the fact that many of those I meet who are lost have this very same opinion found in these passages of scripture. They have decided that if there is a God than He is very impersonal and does not care anything for what we do on a daily basis. Some of them even attend churches because they believe that is what is required of them. You know it’s either funny or sad when you think about it; this idea that I can do as I please does not only permeate our view of God but also every other area of our life. The idea that we can be held accountable by anyone else is just too abstract in our culture today. I would go as far as to say that is why in our society today we have such a great use of drugs, alcohol and sex in our homes. We believe that we are our own and can do as we please not answering to anyone. This comes from the idea that we are not created but evolved. When there is no purpose in something we can validate doing whatever we like with it. As an example the use of marijuana by teens is probably greater than it has ever been. There is no regard for the fact that it is illegal that does not even register on most of their minds when you try to make that point. You get that it’s the oppression of the government and if they would just legalize it. The other response is God made everything good; the truth is He did and then sin entered the world and corrupted the best parts of His creation. You see that is a lie of the devil he has taken God’s word and our limited understanding and twisted it just as he did in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve; if you believe the bible that is why we are in this mess to start with. For once instead of making excuses for why we do what we do; maybe we need to stop living by our own rules and really figure out what God has called us to do. Paul explained to us that to live a life glorifying God we must die to our fleshly desires and live by the spirit of faith. I pray God touches you today and reveals His truth to you in your life. May he bless you as you walk in the light of His Word.

We Are the Watcmen

16  And at the end of seven days, the word of the Lord came to me: 17  “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 18  If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. 20  Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. Because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds that he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hand. 21 But if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning, and you will have delivered your soul.”

Ezekiel 3:16-21 (ESV)

The scripture opens with the calling of Ezekiel to his role as a watchman. In this role it is your responsibility to give warning to all those who you around you and behind you of impending danger. The newer term for this is for a sentry someone assigned to give warning of an attack. If a sentry is not performing their job people will die unaware of what is happening to them. If that happens the watchman or sentry is held responsible for the failure to warn the others. I have heard stories of soldiers and service members who were court martialed for falling asleep at their post during war resulting in the loss of life to those they served with. We are all watchmen for Jesus.

Today as Christians we are often guilty of failing at this responsibility. Most of us though deny that it is actually our job. We will often say that is what the pastor is for or the evangelist does. Who am I to give warning that a life lived separate from God will lead you to hell? Let me try explain why this is also your job. In Jesus sacrifice He allowed you and me an opportunity to be forgiven. In that forgiveness we are made righteous not of our doing but because we are included in His righteousness. He has called us in Matthew 28:18 to go unto the entire world sharing the Gospel. We have received a commission as Christians to tell those around us the truth that there will come a day when all of us will be judged the righteous and the unrighteous. The dividing line is our belief and acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior; not just belief in Him, the devil knows Jesus is real; it requires we trust Jesus with our lives and put Him in the proper place in our lives. I want to close by telling you that you have been called to serve as a watchman were you are there are people all around you that need to be warned that without Jesus they are lost and dying. They need to be warned that the only way to avoid Hell is to accept Jesus as There Lord and Savior living a life that brings Honor to His name. There is a warning for us to those who refuse this role those who are lost are accounted to you; we are resposible for giving the warning. I challenge you today and I pray God gives you a spirit of boldness so that those who are stumbling can be given a new hope for their lives.  Remember when living in our dark world we have the only true source of light found in God’s word have a blessed day.