Dear Christian, has the Master selected and sent you to your town, your workplace, your home? Did you know He sent you because He intends to be there? Well, He did and He does. Think about it.

We, humans, are often looking for "greener pastures" for our lives here on earth. Many choose Christianity because they believe their lives are a mess (which they may be) and they want a clean start. Others' lives, until now, have been hard, maybe even ruinous, so they opt for Christianity because they believe it'll be easier and/or they won't suffer the consequences of poor decisions. Wherever we are on the path of life, Jesus Christ will meet us; and, if we, by faith choose to become His companions and followers, He will take us on. But, Jesus Himself told us, His disciples, that faith in Him was no "walk in the park." He said we would have "tribulation;" that the world would hate us; that even our family members would turn us over to be killed. However, He did promise us that He would be "with us," to help and guide us through it all. He promised that in the end, if we persevered in the faith, we would receive far more than we ever lost. He wore the crown of thorns so we would receive a crown of glory. He was bruised and broken, so we could enjoy wholeness. He took chastisement so we could have peace. I could go on and on, but the bottom line is, we will suffer while we live here on earth but life on earth is a puff of smoke compared to the life we will enjoy with our Heavenly Father for all eternity. Think about it.

Someone at your workplace finds out your're a Christian and begins to persecute you. It hurts. It may even anger you but you've chosen to "turn the other cheek." It only gets worse. The persecutor attacks Jesus' name with ridicule and lies, and, he's now gotten others to join him. What do you do now? Do you get angry with God because He won't defend Himself? Do you feel so all alone and scared that you retreat? You're no different than the original disciples. That didn't change His love for them; and, it doesn't change His love for you. It didn't alter His purpose and calling for them; and, it won't for you. It did make them realize that without the power of God given to them, they, in and of themselves, could do nothing. So must you , dear Christian. They were told to wait for "another Comforter." They gathered, they prayed, they waited--and, they received the power to be witnesses of Jesus Christ. Think about it.

Have you ever made "great" boasts of trust in God? Like the apostle Peter when he said, "Oh, Lord, I will even die for You." How vain! So many times, it will only take the slightest opposition or test to prove us untrustworthy in fulfilling that vow. No wonder Jesus warned His disciples to just say, "yes" or "no," and not exagerate what they would do. No wonder He didn't entrust Himself to man. We are so wishy-washy. We serve the Lord and then, patting ourselves on the back for a job well-done, forget Him, even steal His glory. It's not what we do for the Lord, but what He does for, and in, us that is to be proclaimed. Foolishly, we can go about "serving the Lord," bragging about our exploits for God, making ourselves out to be more than we are. All God asks of us is that we be who we are, His children--loving Him, looking to Him, trusting Him, depending on Him, following Him. Yes, our boast is to make Him known, in simple ways, in the way of life, in the Way of Jesus Christ. We must allow Christ to be formed in us; and, let the Holy Spirit of God be God in us. That is our hope of glory. Think about it.

Don't allow youself to be provoked, by those who hurt you, into thinking that you are "going to teach them a lesson." The attitude that can accompany such a boast is usually judgmental and retaliatory, rather than desirous of instructing and reproving. Jesus addressed that kind of attitude in Matthew 7:1, "Do not judge lest you be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged, and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own?" We are going to judge. But if the measure of our judgment is filled with arrogance, bitterness, unforgiveness and/or condemnation, we shall find ourselves condemned (Luke 6:37ff). It is not that we shouldn't teach but it is more about "the way" we teach. The way we do anything springs from the contents of our hearts (Matthew 12:34).

A teacher also has authority and so his/her speech carries a certain power with that authority. But that authority and power may have been usurped from God rather than granted by Him. If one desires to be a teacher, then that person must first "give it to God" and allow God to direct its course. One who desires to teach must realize that, with the authority and power to teach, there is a greater responsibility and accountability for the what, when, where, how and why of the lesson. So, before we presume to be teachers, we had better understand that God will judge us for our words and the motive behind our teaching. Think about it.

We can be deceived, if we are unwilling to take responsibility for our throughts and actions. We will naturally seek a scapegoat to "blame" for our sinning. And Satan is more than ready to align himself with us, if we decide to "blame" God. It's easy to blame God. He is invisible so we think He is absent. It's so much easier to blame an absent someone for our transgressions or failures because they don't seem to be there to contradict us or prove us wrong. God did not make you a sinner, that came naturally. It wasn't Mom's or Dad's behavior toward you that caused you to do something destructive. No, you decided to respond with anger, bitterness and unforgiveness yourself. It is "your own lust" that tempted you to sin; and, you gave into it. The resulting evil is your own doing, not God's. God has continually labored to separate you from evil and sin. He removed Adam and Eve, your forefathers, from the garden so they wouldn't give evil "eternal" existance and death the victory. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem you from your sin and reconcile you to Himself so you would be blessed with life. If there is any good in your life, it is a gift from God. Be thankful and show it by honoring God, not blaming Him. Do not be decieved into believing that God has any part in evil or any fellowship with sin. He does not! Think about it.

Perseverance is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Once a person has received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, God the Father plants the seed of His Holy Spirit in him/her, the same Spirit which was in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit then cultivates and produces the fruit of perseverance (long-suffering, patience)in the heart and soul of the compliant child of God. God "approves" the one who believes in and loves Him; who by trusting in the Lord, follows the Lord's ways in persevering "under trial." And, God rewards the one who has sought Him when he has "encountered many trials." He/She receives the "crown of life." With that crown of life, comes honor, privilege, recognition and blessings. Think about it.

Can one ever comprehend the depth of God's love, through Jesus Christ, if at first he/she doesn't comprehend the extent of his/her depravity? It has been my observation, through the years, that some of those who have been "raised" in a modern Christian environment and have become sure of their righteousness through their religious activities, find it hard to get passionate about God's love for them. Is it because, as the old saying goes, "Familiarity breeds contempt?" Or, is it because they have grown accustomed to "duty" at the expense of a vital relationship with the Living God? I have also observed that those, who have come to understand their desperate conditon without God, their extreme poverty of spirit and life, take hold of Jesus Christ with a deep, abiding fervor. If you consider yourself rich, what need have you for the favor of God? If you consider yourself healthy, what need have you of the Healer, Jesus Christ? If you consider yourself to be "the master of your fate and the captain of your destiny," will you look for a Savior? What is it that keeps you from being a passionate follower of the Lord God Almighty? Think about it.

Many Christians believe that praying is about asking God for the things one needs or desires and that's all. Some have learned that God is a living God and still speaks to His people today, so they add listening to their times of prayer. But there is another very important facet to a vital prayer life--forgiveness. To remain at odds with another person through unforgiveness, hatred, anger or bitterness is an unrighteous attitude and act. In Proverbs, the Scriptures are clear, God does not hear the prayers of the unrighteous. When we repent and recieve Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, Jesus' righteousness is imputed to us, but that does not give us permission to practice unrighteousness. Our own forgiveness is of no greater importance to God than the forgiveness of another person by us. Think about it.

Jesus' disciples were quibbling about not having enough food for their meal; and, they had just witnessed the feeding of 4,000 people. They were quarreling about who was greatest among them; and, in the next breath, Peter declares Jesus "The Christ, the Messiah." The disciples just didn't get it. They did not understand "how God works." Neither do we, His modern disciples. Some of us, much like the religious leaders of Jesus' day, want more and more "miraculous guarantees" that He is the Son of God, the Christ, so we can stick with "the faith." Some of us, want to skip the suffering and get right to the glory part of Christian living, so try to "lead" God instead of "following" Him. Many of Jesus' modern disciples desire and vie for "greatness" among their peers, ignoring Jesus' command to love and to serve each other. Is Jesus correct? We really don't get it. We don't really understand what faith requires of us? He is the greatest; He is capable of caring for His loved ones; and, He does have requirements for those "who intend to come with " Him. Think about it.

After He quotes Isaiah, Jesus goes on to pointedly say that what is in the heart is what pollutes a person, not dirty hands or what they eat. That which contaminates the human spirit and soul are attitudes like hatred, greed, covetousness, lust, pride and unforgiveness which lead to actions like murders, deceptive dealings, carounsing, mean looks, adulteries, slanders, etc. We all are scizophrenic to some degree. We put on a mask to please man, to hide our true selves. People can be fooled, but God cannot. He sees straight through our fabricated facades to our hearts. He pierces the false pretense with His Truth, not to harm us (though it may feel like it at times) but to set us free. To set us free from those things that are deadly, free to live as His children, His beloved, holy ones. He sets us free to enjoy "every good and perfect gift" from Him. He sets us free to worhsip Him, to follow Him to life--life without end. Think about it.

Our "deeds" are the works of our souls. Our thoughts, perceptions and decisions are expressed through our souls. It is with our souls we write poetry and lyrics; we create works of art and music; we volunteer to help the needy; we interact with our families and neighbors. But, it is also our souls which express our thoughts of hatred and prejudice, adultery and greed, murder and thievery. The soul is the communicator of the condition of one's spirit and the contents of one's heart. "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart" (Luke 6:45). The mouth, the hands and the feet are the instruments the soul uses for its expression, the heart is the governor of the soul. How important, then, is the soul to the purposes of God? Think about it.

Many a person believes his/her soul to be his or her own; and, those many will find out in the end that the ownership is God's. Think about it.

The soul, though meant to fellowship with God in the setting of earth, by Sin has entered the dominion of the world of darkness. The result--the spiritual has taken on the "natural." The soul of the "natural" man has been captivated by lust and pride. The "natural" man loves this world, which is under the dominion of Satan, and has chosen not to honor God but to exchange God's incorruptible glory for that of earthly creatures and corrupt man (Romans 1:21-23). In so doing, the natural man has become "futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened" (Romans 1:21). Man's once clear conscience has become clouded with satanically induced confusion. His sight has become darkened and narrowed with "the lust of the eyes." His flesh crawls with the itching eruptions of "the lust of the flesh." His soul is driven by "the boastful pride of life." Shame and guilt entangle his soul and he finds himself no longer free, no longer able to enjoy the fellowship with God for whom he was created. By his own choice the "natural" person has given him self to the tormentors of Satan--anxiety, hatred, immoratlity, etc. To the "natural" man, his condition and future seems hopeless, so he resigns his soul to "make the best of it" while here on earth. He grasps after what he can get, anyway he can get it, from anyone he can get it and hordes it for himself, thinking the consolation of his soul and its future lies with his earthly possessions. But, the soul is meant for more than that. It is meant to be "rich toward God," treasuring the kingdom of God. In this is the soul's true consolation. Think about it.

The human soul is the sentient part of man by which he/she perceives, desires interprets and feels his/her surroundings. Because of this the soul has become very precious to man. It is in the soul that the activity of the sin nature is exercised. In the soul of the redeemed holiness is effectual. The soul is the battleground of the flesh (sin nature) and Spirit. One is said to be "soulish" when he/she is driven by his/her lusts and appetites. One is said to be "spiritual" when one follows the guidance and instruction of the Holy Spirit of God.

The heart is the center, or core, of a person. It is the seat of the intellect, emotions and will. But it is the soul that gathers information, acts upon a decision and emotes the response to stimulation. The heart may govern the soul but the soul is the heart's informant and agent.

The body of each individual is animated by the soul and the spirit. The body is the material organism which is used by the soul and spirit to interact with its earthly environment.

The body is neither moral nor immoral. The soul can be either moral or immoral. The spirit is the imprint of God in man and is that feature of man that relates to God morally. The soul of a person "conducts" his/her individual life. If the sin principle is dominant and active in the soul, wickedness and every kind of evil is possible and death is emminant. However, if the soul is "born again" of the Spirit by faith, then the person is said to be "dead to sin and alive to God." In this case, the conduct of the soul would line up with God's standards and practices. The soul will conduct itself by what the heart believes.

In trying to define the heart, body, soul and spirit and their activities, let us remember there is no clear demarkation line between them. They are intimately entertwined and inter-dependent of each other for the living of the life that God has given each of us. Think about it.

The very "being" of humankind rests on the fact that God has enlivened His creation. No where else and no other creatures, only humans, are said to have been created "in the image of God." Though God created all the universe and all it contains, yet He reserved the most intimate aspect of fellowship for humans alone. He created mankind, male and female, in His image and "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life." In this act alone God demonstrated the deep, personal value He holds for each human soul. Think about it.

The Israel of Jesus' time was looking for one like David who would lead armies of men to conquer their oppressors and re-establish Israel as a "free" nation. But they were never "free" from the greatest oppressor of mankind, Sin.

Jesus came as both "legal" Prince and Annointed Savior to Israel and all mankind. The gifts He would give the people were " a changed life and sins forgiven." However, they preferred their "old way" of life,i.e., turn to God; God sends a man to raise an army and push back the oppressor, as a blessing to His people; His people enjoy freedom and prosperity; they forget God and worhsip idols; God allows an oppressor to come and conquer His people; they begin to cry out for a savior; and, on and on, around and around the cycle went (see the book of Judges). Jesus Christ came to break the cycle once and for all. Some would believe and receive, others would not.

We, who are Jesus' disciples, are not here on earth to fight oppressors but to bring the good news of a changed life and forgiveness of sins. We must remember that our message is "Christ crucified, Christ risen." Think about it.

Those who oppose Christianity, hate Christians or hate "the Christians' God," do so out of their lack of knowledge about God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. They know a "little" about Him,i.e., His name; He was a teacher, prophet or "good man;" He claimed to be God's Son; the people who believe in Him are all hypocrites, therefore, He is not good; etc. These who reject Jesus Christ have not sought knowledge through the study of the Bible or even their own personal pursuit of Him. For the most part, they have let social opinion, cultural tradition, worldly wisdom and/or personal, hurtful experiences define Him and determine His value. Some have stumbled but have kept pursuing to know Him and He has met them and lifted them up and revealed Himself to them. Others are perfectly satisfied with what little they know and have no desire to investigate further for fear that knowing more of Him will require something from them. Still others have stumbled over what little they know of Him and have "gone sprawling"--sprawling into darkness and further sin--without a hand to lift them up. Many of these people have gotten stuck in the rut of ignorance and unbelief and can't, or won't, go any further than their own incomplete knowledge of Him. And their rut is becoming their grave. Think about it.