What Is Last, Should Be First

Why do we wait until it is too late in many instances to act in a situation? Procrastination causes more issues than if we were to at least attempt to take care of matters ahead of time. I don't mean to portray a sense of being an overly controlling person. I do mean to picture the many of us who miss the opportunities to ward off or as the Western movies say, "Meet 'em at the pass" concerning potential problems in our lives.

As Christians, prayers to the Lord should not be a choice or option but the first and forever go-to in any situation. Why do you think the Lord and the Holy Spirit have the title/name Wonderful Counselor if they don't hear and answer our prayers. I certainly can testify to my Savior as my Wonderful Counselor.

The spear of the Roman soldier is the weapon that is alluded to in Ephesians 6:18-20 as pertaining to prayer. With all the other pieces of the Roman soldier's gear named and paired with a spiritual application, there was one piece not mentioned - the Roman spear - that by the process of elimination and common sense pairs perfectly with prayer.

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should."

Notice five times prayer is emphasized here. This spear of prayer and supplication must be hurled at the enemy or circumstances as far in advance as possible before the problem reaches close quarters combat range.

For example, when we can foresee a layoff in our organization on the horizon, begin praying for the future. When you notice an increase in sickness in your area, immediately start praying for protection for you and healing for those that need it. Anything you can foresee or project that would be problematic, throw that long-distance spear of prayer and supplication for God to act on our behalf.

I have witnessed prayer often used as an emergency measure or after the damage as already been done, up close and personal - type measure. I encourage my fellow believers in Christ to be more proactive and jump ahead of life and the spiritual forces desiring to disturb God's favor in our's.

Matthew 6:33 records Jesus instructing us to "seek first the kingdom and His righteousness" and where there is a kingdom, there is a King to be inquired. David inquired of the Lord often as a great example of this and the Lord answered him. What a loving, caring and personal God!

Prayer is not only a heavenly, respectful language or communication to God - prayers are our bold call to action in faith to our all-powerful, all-knowing and ever-present God, to do what only He can do. So, throw that "spear". Don't save your prayers for last, begin with prayer. What Is Last, Should Be First.

Be Excellent Emulations

There is nothing quite like having the perfect example supplied for a concept or instruction or lifestyle that is being presented for consideration. I have always been a pretty good copy-cat, so when I saw someone play sports or taught me - if they played or taught well then I did well. Same with many other facets of my life. The idea of needing better examples in our lives and being excellent emulations in the lives of others should come as no surprise.

First Impressions and the subsequent display of our lives become all the more important. The challenge and encouragement this brings comes via some familiar phrases. Ever heard - "If you don't stand for something or someone, you will fall for anything"? A purpose driven life will be a rewarded and fulfilled life, but also many times a blessing to others, so look to stand for something or someone or both.

When those that surround you, whether familiar or strangers, notice that you - "Practice what you preach or believe." - then your life begins to stand out and take on this purpose or meaning. This meaning is meted out through actions, because "actions speak louder than words". Just as someone's faith is displayed in their deeds or good works, so the pairing of words and actions. The words and concept - "I love you", as an example - is cheap to say, but show me "love" with a hug or quality time spent with me and the words have taken life.

This does not mean we can say anything we like and get away with it, thinking our words have no impact or influence. The saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." - is a lie. If you are a Christian, every thought should be screened through the Holy Spirit before it becomes speech in our mouths.

Jesus, Paul and Peter provide some great daily action steps for Christians to make part of their lifestyle in order to display God's grace in their lives. In Matthew 5, Jesus speaks about His disciples being like salt and light. Salt being used for flavor and healing properties. Light being used to illuminate for direction and revelation.

Paul challenges the believer to observe what Love is in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, realizing God is every single one of those characteristics and desires us to copy those qualities also.

Paul really breaks things down for the believer in Ephesians 5 and provides some practical handles to apply. A great Christian would emulate someone of no sexual immorality, any kind of impurity, or greed. No obscene, foolish talk or coarse joking. They would also not be drunk on wine. Notice Scripture does not say you cannot drink wine, it states not to be drunk on wine. In fact, if you are going to be filled with anything, be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:1-33).

Paul writes two times to his apprentice, Timothy, and encourages him on how to be a great example or what to emulate for the Lord. 1 Timothy 4:12 - "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." 2 Timothy 2:15 - "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth."

Paul instructs Titus in the same way - Titus 2:7 - "In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness"

Then in Paul's letter to the believers in Colossae, he stated twice to work at everything as if working for the Lord. Colossians 3:17, 23-24 says, "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

Peter tells us how to be an excellent example of a disciple of Christ by being prepared to share our testimony at a moments notice, but with gentleness and respect.

"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." - 1 Peter 3:15-16

Why not just believe? Why not let others be the example? I am sure there are those in the body of Christ that are this way. Christ's next instruction after coming to belief in Him is to go into all the world and make disciples of them. Because He first loved us our immediate response should be to begin returning that love. Because His ways are infinitely superior, we should begin trusting in His direction daily. And ultimately our deeds will be judged (2 Cor. 5:10). 

The word emulate means imitate with effort to the degree of equal. The word example means a pattern or model pertaining to something to be imitated. Examples are given for us to Emulate. Christ was and is our ultimate example. Christ SAID So That we can SAY. Jesus DID So That we can DO.

"I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." (John 13:15, 17)

Be Excellent Emulations.

Our Hope

Have you ever heard the phrase - "Don't get your hopes up." This negative vibe surrounding one's future expectations can be found many places and one place is the movies. In the movie "Shawshank Redemption", the character named Red says, "Hope is a dangerous thing, my friend, it can kill a man...". Red's friend Andy replies, "Hope is a good thing, maybe even the best of things. And good things never die."

The dictionary defines hope as the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best. So hope here is pictured as a feeling of relying on chance for a certain outcome. However, hope as more than a feeling has been brought to the world and given to the world, as a gift, through Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit. All the work of securing humanity's salvation and multitude of promises has been completed through Jesus Christ. 

Jesus sealed everyone's spiritual, physical and mental salvation, empowerment and glorification after He rose from the dead and sent His Holy Spirit to dwell within believers. If Christ would have visited us the first time and done everything He did but only died and not not rise from death, Hades and the grave - then Jesus would merely be a great prophet or teacher and still be in the ground dead. 

However, Jesus did not just live an exemplary life for us and die a martyr's death. If He had done only this we would be living for just a good cause and not The Good Shepherd. The Good News is not complete without sharing Christ Jesus rose from death and the grave after the third day from purchasing everyone's relationship gap with Father God through His death on The Cross. The Lord of all Glory has risen and is everyone's "living hope".

Peter said it nicely when he stated -"In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," (1 Peter 1:3)

Many times a hope-filled spark in one's life is needed to establish a different perspective worth holding onto. Jesus did that for all humanity over two thousand years ago. Father God has loved the world so much that He gave His only Son - Jesus Christ - that whosoever would believe in Him would be saved. (John 3:16) I have chosen to accept and believe in His compassionate gift of grace. 

Hope, for the believer in Christ then is not just some wish or whim on some haphazard expectation. This hope is not fleeting or temporary. As the song proclaims, "My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' blood and righteousness" (On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand). The Christian's Hope is based on a solid track record of a plethora of biblical prophecies that have been fulfilled especially those concerning The Savior - Christ Jesus. Christians have a track record of faithfulness by God to the great witnesses of our faith and all other believers willing to die for their testimony. Nobody would suffer and die like so many Christians have over the years if they thought their faith was a lie or even a half-truth. So, since Scripture is accurate on Christ's first visitation then we can have great hope about His next coming. Peter says it like this -

"Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming." (1 Peter 1:13)

Paul wrote to Titus and called the next appearing of Christ - "the blessed hope" (Titus 2:13).

When our last breath escapes our lungs and we no longer are part of this world, The Gavel falls in judgment on - What have you done with Jesus in your life? For those who have rejected the free gift of Salvation through Christ for their lives there is no hope, only damnation to eternal separation from God. 

Paul mentions those who do not have Christ in their lives, have no hope at all. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 he stated, "...so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope -".  I have seen stickers that portray peace this way that could easily display hope the same way - "No Jesus, no hope. Know Jesus, know hope." Isaiah is another that describes the finality of the lost - "...those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your [God's] faithfulness." Isaiah 38:18

For those that have chosen Christ and His lifestyle - eternity blesses them with ruling and reigning with Christ, being married to Christ, having a new name, living in a new body, in a new city, on a new Earth, in a new Heaven without any sin, curse or pain. The decision for either of these locations and experiences is now - "I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation." (2 Cor. 6:2) 

My Faith is wrapped up in a person. My Hope is consumed by a person. My Love is eternally secure through a person. My Faith, my Hope, my Love is all absorbed into one person - The Word of God made flesh, my Savior and Friend, Christ Jesus. I encourage you to set your hope upon His promises, set your great expectation upon Him, Christ Jesus - Our Hope.

Forget Not God

There is the occasional forgetting of something. There are those people who are battling with memory loss naturally with the advancement of age. Then there are those who struggle with Alzheimer Disease - a whole other level of memory retrieval challenge.

However, while I think and believe that I have the majority of my facilities in tact - I pray that my forgetting or ability to remember does not fall in the line of Israel. Passages such as Deuteronomy 6:12, 8:11, 32:18; Psalms 103:2; Judges 3:7; 1 Samuel 12:9; Isaiah 17:10; Jeremiah 3:21, 13:25, 18:15, 23:27; Ezekiel 22:12, 23:35 and Hosea 8:14 attest to not only Israel forgetting God but a down-right purposeful shunning of God and His ways for lesser, substitute gods and their ways.

What befuddles me is not only the grandeur of Yahweh's deeds for Israel as He led them out of slavery toward the Promised Land, but the quality connected with His deeds. God loved and cared so much for a million plus people that He parted a sea deep enough to later kill a following, Egyptian army. He tried to speak with His people from an awesome cloud of fire, thunder and lightening on the mountaintop but they assigned Moses to be The Mediator. God fed them in the wilderness but they grumbled. He showed His presence in the form of a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. There were many other examples of God's display of Himself, His power and His provision throughout Israel's history. Yet, with all this Divine display and care, Israel eventually and possibly with contempt forgot The Lord their God and His ways. They even entered into a vicious cycle of seeing their mistake, repenting and returning to God, only to later forget or shun God once more.

In Scripture, the concept of the importance of remembering was not limited to the Old Testament. Here are a couple of New Testament verses that portray the aggravation of Jesus and Paul toward forgetfulness. 

• "Do you still not understand? Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?" - Matthew 16:9
• "Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?" - 2 Thessalonians 2:5

So, what are some things we need to remember about remembering? Our memory or recollection could and should be used for - 

1. Future reference
2. Appreciation
3. Prayer requests (for others and self)
4. Certain individuals
5. Reflection
6. Lessons and Blessings

Use remembering as a future source of gaining direction. In John 16:4 Jesus tells us that remembering is key for His Plan later on in our life. "I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you."

Utilize your recall ability to retrieve the memories of people who have helped and supported you and be appreciative of them. Paul describes remembering as a pleasant enough experience to thank God for someone. "I thank my God every time I remember you." - Philippians 1:3

Practice remembering as a mechanism to enter into prayer for someone and to call to prayer for your needs. Paul describes remembering as a tool for prayer in Colossians 4:18. "I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you."

There are even certain people to remember. Paul emphasizes remembering your Christian leaders and imitating their faith in Hebrews 13:7. "Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith." 

Then John touches on remembering in Revelation. He views remembering as a retrospective measure to appreciate how much you have lost and gained. "Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first." (Revelation 2:5)

John also uses remember as a first step that then spurs one on to action. "Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent." (Revelation 3:3)

So, I encourage you - when engaged in dialogue - make eye contact, pay attention, soak up what people are saying and remember. Why? Because remembering confirms to somebody they make a difference or influence in your life. It ministers to the heart deeply. In the effort of loving God, by loving others and serving God, by serving others, Christians should try remembering more. And while we are practicing remembering more, certainly Forget Not God.