 A number of years ago, upon returning from a few years in the U.S. Air Force, I found that a lot of things had changed since I was home last. I remarked to God, in a somewhat complaining fashion, "God, everything is changing?" He told me, "Rich, if something is not changing ... it's probably dead."
Today's message is about the choices we face in our existence here in the Earth, the way we choose to go, the direction, the path that we choose. Call it what you will. We are a result of our choices in life.
In the Bible, God made an announcement to the World! It is recorded in Deuteronomy chapter 30, verse 19,
"I call Heaven and Earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live ..."
God put it before all of mankind, that we are to "choose LIFE"!
In my story beginning, I was complaining to God that everything that I had known before I left seemed to have changed. Life, all around me, was changing! God's response to me was that "life" is all about
change! If something is not changing, it is probably
dead.
This Spring, we have several movies that are coming out in the theaters ... some are already out! These are meant not only to spread the Word of God, but to encourage Believer's as well!
One such movie is "Son of God", the story of Jesus. This one, though not really that accurate as the Bible goes, keeps the heart of the Bible's teaching and is a very, very good movie to watch! You come away with a new way of seeing Jesus that makes it worth the watch! He is compassionate, and shows his friendship with his disciples. And, like many others, you also see what Jesus went through to provide not just salvation from Hell to us, but healing, for our mortal bodies! This is a "must see" for all!
Another one out is "Heaven is Real"! This movie tells of a young boy who went to Heaven, while he was on the operating table. He saw and experienced a great deal! And when he got back, and begins to tell these stories, he finds that the very people around him who "claim" to be Christians, who "claim" to be followers of God, who believe in God and say they believe in the resurrection, turn out to be the very ones who are trying to shut him up! It exposes the falseness of their faith! Even the pastors wife turns on him, as their home, their lifestyle and their income, is threatened! But he continues to believe! I won't spoil it for you, but you really "HAVE TO" see this one!
The movie "God is Dead!" is a powerful movie, exposing those who so readily are willing to compromise their beliefs without so much as an afterthought, for convenience' sake! But one young man, who has a real relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, refuses to budge, and is forced to defend his beliefs before his entire class of over 80 students! This one is heated, passionate, and full of surprises! You have to go see this one!
And while not yet in the theaters, "Noah" is on it's way and promises to be an awesome production and telling of the story of Noah, a man who trusted the "still small voice" inside, and prepared for a journey that he never could have imagined!
These stories and these movies, are all geared to stir up your faith, and to awaken your belief in God! Often we fall into our daily routines, and plop ourselves onto the couch after a long day of work, never taking into account the countless others in the world that have no couch, and have no TV to watch, much less the job to earn those things, and the food that comes with it!
Many of us see organizations in our area that plead and encourage the body of Christ to rise up, and to train, to be well prepared for disasters that often befall us, that we could be the "hand of God" to those in need, during these times. But we don't see the need, or lack the motivation, and we sit ourselves back into our own routines.
There are those organizations that are working long hours to bring the churches in the Body of Christ together, that they may work to help with food pantries, and with clothing resources, to feed and to clothe the homeless and those who have befallen to bad times, and to be ready in the event of disasters that come, often with little or no warning!
These are the one's who are called "Christians", a nickname given by the Church of Antioch long ago, to the disciples of Christ, because they went about acting like Jesus in healing the sick, raising the dead, and preaching the gospel across the countryside! And these folks spend their evenings and their weekends in trainings to be prepared, and in groups to organize and to store up resources, that they might be a "Good Samaritan" in a time of need, when a disaster comes, or a need arises, in the lives of their neighbors and their friends!
I think back to that day long ago, when I complained to God about the changes that were going on around me, and how He told me that "things that were not changing were either dying or already dead." Could this term be used for those of us who are too busy to get involved?
What happens when a home burns down in our neighborhood, or a tornado drops down out of the sky, and devastates everything in it's path? Will be be prepared to help? Do we know the first thing about counseling someone after a disaster? Are we trained to know what to do to rescue our neighbors child from a burning home, or to revive them after recovery from a smoke-filled inferno? Or are we prepared to share the gospel with someone who's life will expire in the next 5 minutes or so, as we snatch them from the clutches of Hell itself before they go?
Recently, I've become involved with a group that gathers and organizes the various churches around the city, all working together to train and to prepare, so if disaster strikes in their city, they are "well-prepared" to meet the needs. And like the "Good Samaritan" in the Bible, they already have places to take the homeless, and clothing and food to give to those who have lost everything, in a moment of time! These are the folks who put together trainings, and organize the volunteers, to make ready ... for anything! They "live" their Christianity in that they work to remain well-prepared and ready, should Jesus come in the form of a homeless family or disaster victim. I see that "they" will be ready when He comes, and their voice will be heard, as they stand up and are counted as those who "heard the call" and answered!
But what of those of us who don't want to get involved? What of those of us who just don't have the time ... to change? And what is Jesus going to say, one day, when He asks you about your neighbor who's house burned down, or the folks in your town who lost everything to a tornado, a flood, or some sudden tragedy? And how are you going to answer when He asks "you" what you did to help?
Folks, the Holy Spirit is working really really hard in these last days, to fight past the opposition, and to get movies and stories and songs "out there" ... to get your attention! It's "wake up" time! We have GOT to get busy! Jesus is coming soon, and there are those who are NOT going to make it if we aren't there to help with the effort. We can choose to "change", and get involved with our neighbors, or we can choose "not to change", and be counted among the "dead or dying".
The gospel of Jesus Christ is about preaching that message! It's about sharing with someone who is hurting, or serving them a cup of coffee and lending a listening ear. It's about going to trainings and learning what to do when a fire or other disaster breaks out in your neighborhood or your city! It's about "growing" in your knowledge, of the Word of God, in knowing what to do when a need arises. If you see a man drop to the ground choking, or maybe dying of a heart attack, you just might be the one chance he has to "live" and get that chance to hear about Jesus. Are you ready?
I leave you with this closing thought ...
Are you "alive"? Remember that "living" is growing, learning and changing. And "dead or dying" is not growing, learning or changing. Where do you fall in these? And what is Jesus going to say to "you" when one day, someone comes to your door, across your path, or in your city ... and needs your help?
[Luke 10:30 ... "The Good Samaritan" parable]
Make me proud!
-pastor rich-
Get ON-TRACK with HIS Plan ...
1. Be holy - the Bible calls us a "Holy Temple", where the Spirit of GOD lives. the Spirit of GOD lives in your heart! And to keep it holy, we must confess our sin when we sin (1 John 1:9). "
If we confess our sins, HE is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleans us from all unrighteousness." In order to remain holy and clean, before GOD, we must avoid sin, and when we do sin, we must confess those sins before GOD, so that we can be made clean again.2. Study the Word - Jesus said in John 8:31-32, "If you continue in My word, then are you truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." Folks, rare is the time you will ever see someone skip eating for the day, let alone days upon end. But we do that all the time spiritually. The Word of GOD is food for our spiritual bodies! We need that spiritual food, for spiritual energy, and for the faith that we need ... to live the life that GOD has called us to live, here in the Earth. When we study and meditate the Word of God, our spirit man grows strong, in much the same way as a battery is charged! (Romans 10:17) But when we do NOT study the Word, our spiritual battery begins to run down, and the natural man begins to surface. We act more like our "old self" than like the renewed man that GOD created us to be. In other words, the "flesh" wins out. 3. Pray in the Holy Spirit - Paul teaches us that we are to pray in the Holy Spirit. "But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the spirit." [Jude 1:20 - AMP] Our supernatural energy, our faith, is charged and built up when we spend time in the presence of GOD, and when we "pray in the Holy Spirit". We are told in Ephesians 6 to "be strong in the Lord, and in the power of HIS might", putting on the whole armor of GOD. We cannot be strong if we do not spend time in GOD's presence, and in supernatural prayer! ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS:
"This is YOUR day ... YOU control it, how it goes, how you deal with the obstacles that come, and how you finish it! Master it! And don't let the day, or the little bumps that come with it determine how "YOUR DAY" is going to be. This is "YOUR" day!" Master it! Conquer it! MAKE IT ... what your Father wants it to be!-pastor rich-
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WORD CHURCH is a church, a ministry, and a fellowship, even an outreach, where like in the days of the Apostles and Acts, the people joined together! 
