4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. ~ Galatians 4:4-5
God didn’t wait until the last minute to send His Son into the world. He didn’t wait until it was almost too late. It was at the fullness of time that God gave the entire world hope. And we celebrate God’s gift of hope every Christmas.
Imagine if God waited. Imagine the lives that could’ve been lost. Imagine the people that wouldn’t’ve heard the good news. We all have a call on our lives, but if we aren’t awake and alert, paying attention to the times and to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we could miss our opportunity to share that hope with someone. The hope of eternal life. The hope of salvation. The hope of Jesus.
Don’t let all the bright shiny lights of the world null you to sleep. Wake up and pay attention to the subtle nudge of the Holy Spirit. He’s our guide, and if He could lead the wise men and the shepherds to be in the right place at the right time, then He can nudge and lead you.
6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. ~ Proverbs 22:6
In today’s world, so many young people are growing up without true role models. Their role models are celebrities, athletes, and other people who are far off and don’t know their names. I challenge you this Christmas to take the time out and mentor someone as God took the time to mentor you.
God could’ve left us on our own. He could’ve left us in our own filth and ignorance, but out of His own love for us, He set aside everything and became man. He took the form of an innocent baby, and every year at Christmas, we take the time to remember and celebrate His first sacrifice. We celebrate Him becoming our greatest mentor.
None of us were born knowing Christ; we all had to learn. We all had to be taught. We all had to be mentored.
Statics say that:
55% of young adults with a mentor are less likely than their peers to skip a day of school
78% – more likely to volunteer regularly
90% – are interested in becoming a mentor themselves
130% – are more likely to hold leadership positions
So many of us have become spiritually lazy and spiritually asleep that we don’t even see the impact that we could make in our own community. This Christmas, think about becoming a mentor. Don’t just give a physical gift and call it a day. Give something that is priceless, your time and knowledge of Christ. Let the tradition of self-sacrificing for the sake of another continue.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Follow in God’s Footsteps.
17 I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not pay attention.’ ~ Jeremiah 6:17
Those who will not pay attention will meet a dreadful end. The trumpet has sounded. The clarion call is announced. Repent and believe. Jesus is coming back real soon. We must keep watching and praying. We must have our house in order that when Jesus comes back, He will find us doing what we are supposed to be doing.
7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. ~ 1 Peter 4:7
We must be vigilant. We are to keep our eyes open. We are commanded to watch and pray for the end of all things is at hand. We are living in a time of darkness. Christianity, Christians, and Jesus are under attack. Our beliefs are rendered antiquated and politically incorrect at best. If you notice, Christianity is the only religion whose beliefs and practices are belittled and whose deity is blasphemed daily.
It is a time of darkness with the whole world battling an unseen elusive enemy. Shutdowns and shut-ups. Shortages and scarcities. Lack and needs are going unfulfilled. Panic everywhere. We have to wake up. We can’t stay asleep any longer, the night is coming to an end, and the Son will soon break the Eastern sky to carry His bride away. When He comes, we can’t be asleep with the rest of the world, numb to the trials and tribulations surrounding His people. He’s coming soon; watchman, do you know what time of night it is?
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Pay Attention To The Times.
4b …lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. ~ 2 Timothy 3:4b
Paul said that the people of his time had their minds only set on earthly things, and nothing has changed 2,000 years later. They are so caught up in pleasure and satisfying the flesh they don’t even see evil being repackaged. They wrap it up in nice, beautiful wrapping paper and tie it off with gorgeous bows and people don’t see past it.
People are so caught up in their own self-pleasure and entertainment, that they fall for the same old tricks in the book. They refuse to look past the deceitful packaging and bows to see the sin inside. Don’t let them deceive you with charming words and tasty treats that lead to death. God has written in His word what is right and what is wrong, don’t let them deceive you into believing something has suddenly changed.
Throughout history, the Devil has set the same trap for us over and over again, only changing his bait to fit the times, and we keep falling for it. He hides the evil in plain sight, knowing that we will overlook it if it is seemingly innocent enough, but Paul tells us that we are not unaware of the Devil’s schemes. He has made the Spirit of Discernment available to us; we need only ask. Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he sets us on the path to discernment in his message, Deception Pt. 2: The Devil’s in the Details.
11 And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Ephesians 4:11-16
As a Christian, we aren’t meant to be deceived by the deceitful schemes of the Devil. This is why we are meant to build our faith so that we can see through the lies of the enemy and all of his deception.
Spirit of Discernment
8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
1 Corinthians 12:8-10
The Spirit of Discernment gives us the ability to see through the deceitful schemes of the devil and his followers. We can see through his bait and traps by the Holy Spirit. This helps us to distinguish between the spirits of good and evil.
24 When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first. ~ Luke 11:24–26
Evil spirits are real. The demonic is real. Possession is real. Do not be fooled into believing that it is all fun and games. Do not let the prettiness of evil all dressed up fool you.
Snow White was fooled by the pretty red delicious apple, but one bite sent her into a deep sleep that she could not wake up from. So, the Church is being fooled by programming labeled as family or children’s entertainment, but it is not.
The Christian Church must wake up. We must raise our standards. There is a war going on—a spiritual war for our very souls. We can’t bury our heads in the sand like an ostrich. We have to wake up and start to fight for not only ourselves but for our families as well. We don’t have much longer on this earth. In the blink of an eye, it can all come to an end, so make today the day of change. The day of salvation. The day of awakening. The day of fighting.
12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. ~ Proverbs 14:12
If you have spiritually fallen asleep, you will not recognize that you are on the wrong path because the thing that is presented to you might feel good. It might even seem good, but the end of that road is death. Snow White had no clue the apple was poisoned. Otherwise, she would not have partaken.
You see, sometimes we get so caught up in the disguise that we don’t see the evil inside until we have taken a bite, and it’s much too late because the poison has already entered our body.
This is how evil is presented to us. Nice and beautiful. Delicious and sweet. Like a red shiny delicious apple and we take a bite, and we don’t even know that we have fallen asleep.
It is not presented as evil by the most wicked person we can think of. Neither does it come from a man with horns and a pointy tail, dressed in a red suit waving a pitchfork. But rather, it comes like an innocent old lady—a grandmother type with a basket of beautiful red delicious apples.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Stop Eating Their Apple.
14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16a What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; ~ 2 Corinthians 6:14–18
When movies, television shows, children programs begin to invoke demons, cast spells, and conjure up the supernatural, and practice the magical arts, it is time for you to exit stage left. Do not pass Go and do not collect $200.
Please listen to me, do not be deceived into staying in the water because it feels fine. It’s still comfortable, but before you know it, it will be too late, the water will be too hot for you and for your children to jump out.
Just like Snow White was unaware of what was in the bright shiny red delicious apple until it was too late, so it will be with each one who takes the occult into his or her home.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Beware of Poisoned Apples.
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. ~ Hebrews 13:8
Some things for us, Christians, do not change. We are held to a higher standard, and no matter how they try to blur the lines, mix the religions, turn evil into good and wickedness harmless, we must keep ourselves separate from the evil and wickedness. It doesn’t matter how innocent it is presented to us and to our children; we have to discern the difference between good and evil according to the Scripture, not culture.
I would venture to say that more children have read the Harry Potter book series than they have read the Bible. The very words of life.
Remember this one thing. You can open spiritual doors. When you bring the accursed into your homes either through images, books, or television, you can open spiritual doors. You can invite spirits into your homes and into your lives.
Be careful of the occult. Be careful of falling asleep. The time is short. The time is now.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be Careful of the Boiling Water.
