Category: Just for Youth

by: Jonathan Painter

1 Kings 18:21, “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.” Everyone who reads this article falls into one of three circles. You might be one, who is standing with Elijah, willing to stand alone for God. It is possible that you are standing with Ahab, Jezebel, the prophets of Baal, and all their worldliness. If you do not fall into one of the already mentioned categories, then you are probably standing with the masses of Israel who were unable or unwilling to make a decision either way. How long halt ye between two opinions?

I read an article on the internet written by a young man who very obviously had stood with the crowd, unable to decide, and then decided to stand with this world and the prophets of Baal. He talked about how he used to be a fundamentalist, and how he grew up in a Christian home, but now he doesn’t even believe that God created the Earth. He considers himself a “free thinker,” but in reality he is bound by chains of ignorance inherited by the willful decision to join the prophets of Baal and work against the work of God. Christian young person, never feel you are above falling prey to the humanistic ideologies that Satan has to offer. You must continually walk in prayer, and in the Word of God.

In 1 Kings, we find that the children of Israel must decide who they would serve. At the point on Mount Carmel, they were very much reliving the charge Joshua had given them when they took the land on which they stood, “Choose you this day whom ye will serve…” Joshua had challenged, and now Elijah stood before the people who once had served Jehovah God and asked, “How long halt ye between two opinions?” but the people declined to answer. The people were not ready to make a decision. This is the problem with our nation’s youth today. So many teenagers in our churches stand on that middle ground where the children of Israel stood, and they refuse to make a decision. They hear the Elijah’s get up and preach God’s Word with zeal and fire, but they sit in the pew and do not make a decision. They know they should not stand with the world, but they do not make a decision to stand for God.

Time is running out. America does not have time to waste while her Christian young people sit on the sidelines watching, not wanting to make a decision, lest anyone should feel bad. We don’t have time young person, for you to try to please your preacher and your worldly friends. If we want to see a revival once again, if we want to see God move in a mighty way, then it is going to take some young people who are willing to stand on the side of righteousness with Elijah and call down the fire of God through prayer. The question you have to answer is, “How long halt ye between two opinions?”

Jonathan Painter
Youth Pastor
Lincoln Baptist Church
Lincoln, NE

by: Rick Walter

Matthew 13:47-48, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.”

Jesus is teaching the disciples and He once again uses the illustration of fishing. In this illustration we can picture a fishing boat out on the sea and with its nets in the water. At the close of the fishing day, the fishermen draw their nets into the boat and head to shore. Once they get to shore, they begin the process of sorting the fish that they caught. Some were good and some were bad. They kept the good fish and cast the bad fish away.

Many times we go “fishing” for the Lord and we want to decide which fish should get in the net and which ones shouldn’t. We try to decide whether someone will listen to the Gospel or not. We try to decide whether someone will get saved or not. We try to decide if someone was sincere or not. That is not our job. Our job is to go fishing.

I love fishing for trout. Sometimes when I fish for trout I catch one that isn’t the legal size and I have to throw it back. Sometimes while I am trying to catch trout, I catch a bass. I am not after bass so I throw it back. Sometimes I catch a perch but I am not after perch, so I throw it back.

The fun of fishing is the fishing. I don’t care that I caught a bass. I just care that I caught a fish. I don’t want to keep the perch, but at least I caught a fish. If I could, I would make sure that all that ever bit my hook were trout, but that would cut down on the number of fish I catch and then fishing wouldn’t be as fun as it could be.

Sure, we would like to catch “real” fish. We would like to get the ones that we can keep. We would like to catch the ones that we could use for the future. If those were the only fish we caught, we wouldn’t catch very many. Our job is to simply go out and enjoy fishing.

You may catch some that end up getting thrown back, but at least you had the experience of catching one. You may catch some that aren’t the right size, but at least you got to reel one in. Our job is to simply go fishing and enjoy it and let God do the sorting. I’m not saying that those who profess Christ out soul winning are not saved, all I’m saying is that you just need to enjoy fishing for the souls of men and not get wrapped up in whether they really meant it.

I get excited every time I get a nibble on the hook. I do not care what it is that is nibbling on the bait, I just want to catch it. I know that it is probably a bluegill that I will throw back, but you won’t hear me complaining because I caught the wrong fish.

Let’s go out and have a good day fishing and hopefully at the end of the day we will have some to bring home with us. Just enjoy the fishing. It really is fun.

Rick Walter
Pastor
Victory Baptist Church
Winthrop, ME

by: Jonathan Painter

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1

It is one thing to say that they read their Bible and prayed every day, but it is another thing to truly have a walk with God. When I was in my teen years, I struggled with this. It was not something that I developed over night. Sometimes it really was a struggle to walk with God; however, I promise you that you will be able to take your Christian life to a new level when you get to the point where you are having a steady walk with God. If one is to accomplish this it takes sincerity, determination and discipline.

If you do not truly have a desire to live for God, then you will not be interested in having a walk with God. If an individual does not have an interest in having a walk with God, they will not have a walk with God. The average Christian does exactly what I did for most of my teen years, this would be to select a portion of Scripture and skim over it, pray for two minutes over the same ten things you prayed for yesterday, and then walk away saying that you have a walk with God. Straighten your halo, you have done it too. This, my friend, cannot truly be called a walk with God; maybe a sprint with God, but not a walk with God. Let me challenge you, my friend, to seek to embark upon a true walk with God.

In my own life I was reared in church, and my father was a preacher and still is. I was taught at a young age the importance of having a walk with God. Sadly, the majority of my quiet times through my teen years were just as I have described above. When I was sixteen, God smote my heart and made me ashamed. Here I was, claiming to be called to the ministry, but unable to truly have a walk with God. It was not like magic, it took time, but that was when I began to understand what it meant to walk with God. I took the time to read my Bible and actually get something out of it that I could apply to my life. Learning how to have a consistent prayer life was something I struggled with all the way into Bible college. In Bible college, I finally began to understand what it meant to pray without ceasing. As a matter of fact, one of my college professors once said, “Never end your morning prayer with a period, but with a comma, then come back to it often during the day.” This was a tremendous help to me.

One thing I have come to understand over those years of my life was that if I am going to be a servant of God, I need to KNOW God. A steady digestion of the Word of God coupled with a constant prayer life is what enables you to get to know God better. When you make it a priority, it becomes a way of living, and you begin to unlock many of the promises found in God’s Word because you walk with Him in the secret place!

Jonathan Painter
Youth Pastor
Lincoln Baptist Church
Lincoln, NE

by: Jonathan Painter

Daniel 1:8  “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.”

As we read Daniel chapter one, it is ever apparent that Daniel was a man who, even in captivity, was blessed of God. Continue reading the whole book and you will see that not only was Daniel blessed, but he lived a life of greatness; a life rich in the fullness of blessings from his Heavenly Father. Why was Daniel’s life so blessed? We see his formula here in chapter one.

Purpose + Completion = Blessings

In Daniel 1:8, we see that Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king’s meat that had been sacrificed to idols and in verses twelve and thirteen we see that he and his friends keep their commitment. “Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.” So, in verse eight, we see the purpose, in verses twelve and thirteen we see the follow-through or completion, and then from verse fifteen to the end of the chapter we see the blessing.

Purpose + Completion = Blessing

You may be thinking, “So what is the point?” The point of application is this. Far too often we purpose to do something for God; we fail to complete the commitment: yet we expect the blessings. It doesn’t work that way. God does not bless a person for merely purposing in their heart. He blesses them for the completion of the purpose.

It is much easier to attend a youth rally or a teen conference and make a decision to do something or give something up than it is to actually keep that commitment and follow through with it. I don’t believe for one-second that God is thrilled simply with purpose, or a commitment. I believe what impresses God is when the teenager who purposes in their heart actually begins to do that which they have committed to do. At that point God looks down and says, “Now there is a young lady I can bless!” or “There is a young man I can bless!”

The challenge is this, be like Daniel and not only purpose to do right in your heart, but follow through with it and actually do what you have promised to do. Please do not misunderstand me, I do know that the completion must begin with a purpose, so do purpose; however, don’t let the purpose end in your heart, carry it out and complete it.

Daniel 1:21 “ And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.”

Jonathan Painter
Youth Pastor
Lincoln Baptist Church
Lincoln, Nebraska

by: Abdel Judeh

Hopefully the title of the article intrigues you a little bit. There are many powerful words that would fit wonderfully into the title of the article. I think of the words “I’m sorry.” Think of the number of conflicts that would be resolved and avoided if people would simply learn to say, “I’m sorry.” The words “you’re forgiven” are very powerful words. I’ve met many people who torment themselves every day of their lives as they relive past hurts and disappointments. It’s like a record that is skipping and just playing over and over again in their minds. They could live in freedom, they could move on if they would learn the power of the words “you’re forgiven.” The words “Thank you” are powerful words. The Bible says, “in everything give thanks.” We should express gratitude to God and to others. Expressing gratitude warms our own hearts and the person whom we are thanking. Very powerful words indeed. As great as some of these words are, I believe there are two words more powerful in our lives than all of them.

I want to direct your attention to Mark 7:24-30. In this passage of Scripture we find the two greatest words a person can say. In this story Jesus Christ had traveled into the borders of Tyre and Sidon and sought rest in a home there. He was trying to get away, trying to steal a few private moments of relaxation, but the Bible says, “He could not be hid.” (vs. 24) Jesus was bigger than the house! I just want to remind you for a moment that Jesus Christ is Sovereign and that He’s bigger than whatever circumstance we find ourselves in. He’s bigger than our plans, He’s bigger than our dreams – it’s not all about us! Verses 25-26 introduce two new characters to this story. First we read about a ‘certain woman’ and then about her daughter who was demon possessed. We know that this ‘certain woman’ was a Greek. The Bible makes a point to let us know that she was Syrophenician by nation. This lady found Jesus because she was in desperate need of His help. Her precious girl had been overtaken by the forces of darkness. Could you imagine the grief? Could you imagine watching your daughter be brutalized and terrorized by supernatural demons? Perhaps this little girl would cut herself like the maniac of Gadara. Perhaps she would be up at night crying and screaming. This Greek lady was dealing with a very difficult situation.

When she finally finds Jesus, the Bible paints a very vivid picture of her at His feet begging him to heal her daughter (vs. 26) What Jesus says next is shocking. In verse 27 he says, “Let the children first be filled.” This is in reference to the children of Israel. The Lords ministry on Earth was primarily to the Jewish people. Jesus goes on to say, “It is not meet to take the childrens bread and to cast it unto the dogs.” (vs 27) Jesus looks at this lady, who is at His feet begging, and basically says, “Why would I waste a miracle on a Gentile dog while there are still Jewish children who are in need of a miracle?” I don’t know how you would react to hearing this, but I think I know how I would react. I would not be happy. This desperate lady reacts in a most noble way. She says what I believe to be the two greatest words that a person can say. She says “Yes, Lord.” (vs 28)

There are many great truths that can be gleaned from this passage. I like the fact that Jesus could not be hid in the house (vs.24). I like the fact that He could not be hid because someone was looking for Him (vs. 25) In today’s world there are still people looking for Jesus Christ! Lets not hide Jesus on the inside of our house, He should be clearly seen on the outside so that He can be found! I have learned that this lady was an individual to Jesus Christ…a ‘certain’ woman (vs. 25). There are many great truths, but none greater than the fact that she said, “Yes, Lord.” What are you saying to Jesus today? I have no idea how He is speaking to you, but I know that you are either saying, “Yes, Lord” or “No, Lord.” Have you ever wrestled with God over something, only to finally submit and say to yourself, “Why didn’t I do that sooner?” This Greek lady was at the feet of Jesus begging and saying, “Yes, Lord.” Many Christians expect the exact opposite; they almost expect Jesus to beg at their feet and to say, “Yes” to their plans and desires! The greatest words that will ever escape your lips are the words, “Yes, Lord!” I want to give you three truths concerning the words “Yes, Lord.”

1. She said, “Yes, Lord” when she did not know the outcome.

She had no idea if Jesus was going to heal her daughter or not, and she still said, “Yes, Lord.” She had accepted that whatever He was going to do was right. Have you accepted that God is going to do what is right in your life? I deal with many teenagers who want God to lay out His plans for them. They want the blueprints, they want to inspect each step along the way and approve God’s plans before they say, ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to Him. That’s not the way it works! The plan is revealed after we say, ‘yes!’ The Bible says, “We walk by faith, not by sight.” (2Cor. 5:7) We should just say, “Yes, Lord” and trust Him with the outcome. I know of people who do not see how tithing will work out for them, and so they ultimately say, “No” to God. I know people who are afraid to be a soul winner. They are just nervous and fearful of the unknown, and so they say, “No” to God. There are teenagers who say, “No” to God because they do not know where the will of God will take them. Let me encourage you to say, “Yes, Lord” when you do not know what the outcome will be.

2. She said, “Yes, Lord” when she had reason to be offended.

This lady was called a dog. On the surface, she was told that she wasn’t as important as other people. She had every right and reason to be offended and she still said. “Yes, Lord.” I’ve met many people who have become offended at a pastor or youth pastor. They’ve become offended at a Christian school or a teacher. They have been treated unfairly or spoken to in a less than kind manner. I’ve met many people who have been hurt or wronged and their answer to all of that is to say, “NO” to God. I’ll never forget sitting across the desk from a young man who was brought in by his parents. They were convinced that he had some pretty deep problems. He was failing in school, not interested in church and his parents had no idea why. After a few minutes of talking to him I simply asked, “Why do you act the way you do?” His face became red, tears welled up in his eyes and he said in a bitter fashion, “I hate my parents, they are not what everyone thinks they are!” His parents weren’t perfect and they had obviously made some mistakes. However the boys attitude towards it was, “I’ll say, ‘No’ to God, and that will hurt them!” I asked him, “What did Jesus ever do to you?” He dropped his head, but refused to get right. We get offended at the smallest things and say, “NO” to God. Perhaps the greatest lesson I have ever learned is the fact that life is not fair. Offenses will come and in some cases people will give us a good reason to be offended. Have you ever been offended and felt the urge to walk away from it all? Let me encourage you to keep your eyes on Jesus and to say, “Yes, Lord” when you have reason to be offended.

3. She said, “Yes, Lord” for the sake of others.

Let’s not forget that somewhere there was a little girl who needed this miracle. This lady went home that evening and for the first time in a long time she saw a peace on her daughters face. She knew right then and there that Jesus had dismissed the demon from her daughters body. I bet she was thrilled that she said, “Yes, Lord.” I bet her daughter was thrilled that she said, “Yes, Lord.” I want to say to every reader that someone, somewhere needs you to say, “Yes” to Jesus Christ. When you’re standing at a crossroad and you cannot see the outcome, someone needs you to say, “Yes, Lord” and follow on. When people or institutions have failed you and you are offended, somewhere off in the distance there is somebody who is bound by sin who needs you to say, “Yes, Lord.” There are always others at stake – what are you saying to Jesus today?

Abdel Judeh
Youth Pastor
Landmark Baptist Church
Parkersburg, WV

by: Jonathan Painter

Very few people want to take responsibility! It has become a major problem in the last three decades, and we are living in a society that has been immersed in its grasp, and we are suffering for it. Unfortunately, unless our society undergoes a major change, we are not going to see a difference in this area for quite some time.

The other day I attended a lecture presented by two psychologist on child behavior. It was stunning to see how these people made every excuse in the world as to why a child’s misbehavior was a medical issue, or attention deficiency problem. In other words, it either could not be helped, or it was the authorities fault because they were not showing them enough attention. It was in no way the child’s fault. They also claimed that “if we want to have a positive connection with the child, we do not want to give negative commands.” In other words, never use the words “no” or “don’t do” because it will just make them want to do it.

I sat and listened to the lecture for nearly an hour and a half, and the conclusion I came to was this is the reason many in our country don’t want to take responsibility for their actions. Our children are being educated in such a way as to avoid ever having to take responsibility for what they do. As they grow older, they maintain the mindset of, “It’s somebody else’s fault.” It is a mindset that lasts through adulthood, and has given us a generation of adults who don’t want to take responsibility.

There is a very valuable lesson to be learned for teenagers in this generation. “Learn to take responsibility!” Our nation was founded by men who were not afraid to take responsibility, and we desperately need a generation of young people who are willing to step up and take responsibility for their actions.

We have come to the point in our nation where every sin committed is a medical or mental disorder, but this simply is not so. It is called REBELLION! We try to fly homosexuality under the banner of some kind of disorder, but it truly is sin. Sodomites are not that way because they were born with a disorder, but because they are rebellious against nature; however, if they were to admit this, it would mean that they would have to take responsibility for their actions, and they are not willing to do that, so it is a “sickness”.

Let me just plead with you, young America, TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS! If you lie to your parents, admit it, apologize, take the punishment and move on. If you cheat on a test, don’t try to shift the blame, fess up to it, take the punishment and move on. We need to see young people who break the trend of excuses as to why they couldn’t, and take responsibility for what they do.

Jonathan Painter
Youth Pastor
Lincoln Baptist Church
Lincoln, NE

by: Robert Ullo

1 Timothy 4:7-8

I am not much of a health nut as one could easily see by my physique. Every once in a while I will get inclined to walk for a few weeks, but it is not really something I do on a regular basis. I have an elliptical machine at my house. I have tried it before, but once again it is just not something for me. I used to lift weights with some guys in Texas. We used to gather together on Tuesday nights, but really it was more of a good time of fellowship than a time of exercise. I pulled a muscle one night and while it was in the process of healing, we moved away. It was no fun doing it by myself, so I used that as an excuse not to be motivated to exercise anymore. I am sure at sometime in the future I will get some sort of a short time epiphany and start to exercise again, but honestly, I do not expect it to last that long considering my history.

What is exercise anyway? The typical definition is just what you heard a few minutes ago. It is generally considered physical activity done over and over to make one stronger. A more basic definition would be a little more broad in its scope. It is regular or repeated use of a faculty or something that is done to develop a particular skill. For instance, a friend of mine, Bro. Matney can honestly say he exercises. Why? Because I know that he regularly practices the piano in order to continue to be a fit player. I have given you an excuse to use now for the rest of your life. Wow! That means that I exercise too. I put a lot of repetitive time in on purpose – you could call it training – in order to study the Word of God so that I can bring messages. I continually exercise my mind by mulling over and over the same thoughts in sort of a mental push-up or pull-up. As I was performing one of those exercises, I came up with this article about exercise. But what about you? How can the average Christian exercise? Yes, you can do it as well. As a matter of fact, we can all do it. We can exercise our Christianity on a daily basis. In short there are some things we should do repetitively and habitually in order to strengthen what God has given us. I am not talking about push-ups, but I am talking about spiritual exercise and it is in the Bible.

We must exercise godliness.

1 Timothy 4:7 says, “But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.” Now before I give this example, I want to put to bed the previous type of exercise biblically. Here it is in the very next verse: (1 Tim 4:8) “For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” I know it agrees with my statement, but in all reality I want you to look at the verse in reference to the article. The reason this verse is in the Bible is not to tell you not to keep yourself healthy, but the context is really in the last part of the verse. It says, “having the promise of life that now is…” Exercise has proven benefits to increase length of life. But at the end of the verse the Bible says “and of that which is to come.” We are to put more emphasis on exercising godliness because in the life to come we will not have to worry about our bodies. We need to spend more time on exercising for the eternal than for the temporal. That is true godliness. I am not telling you not to take care of yourself, but I am telling you if you want a greater benefit for life that will truly last, then exercise godliness on purpose. Exercise it regularly. Make it a repetitive movement like jumping jacks or sit-ups. Do it over and over until you have the greatest spiritual abs around.

We must exercise humility and maturity as a Christian. (Psalm 131:1-2)

Here in one of the shortest chapters in the Bible, we find an exercise of humility. We find out what David thinks is really important. He gives a an exercise program here. The first exercise on the list is not to be haughty. After you have taken a rest and gotten something to drink then let’s move on to the other humility station. Just like haughtiness, loftiness is a problem with people who hang around in gyms. They are constantly standing in front of the mirrors flexing their muscles. They are not really looking at anything. They want you to look at themselves. That is exactly what David is saying here. Our spiritual maturity level should be such that we should not have to flex our muscles in front of everybody. People should walk by and say, “Wow!! Did you see that guy? He must be a Christian. I mean look at the way he acts in public. What an example he is!” Then comes that station every weightlifter likes to go to. You know the one where he can pick up the most weight. That is not what David said. David said we do not need to worry about the great matters or high things. Look at the next verse. It is low weight and lots of reps. That is the best way to tone. That is the truth of Christian maturity. (Psalm 131:2) “Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.”

We must exercise our hearts.

Ecclesiastes 1:13 says, “And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.” We can also go back to the book of Proverbs for a lesson in this. People who are in exercise competitions like big belts and shiny awards. Proverbs 4:7-8 says, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.”  Exercising wisdom is one of the greatest exercises of the heart. It shows what condition your heart is really in. Every time you go to the doctor, what is the first thing he does? He checks your pulse, your blood pressure, and then uses a stethoscope to hear your heart. A Christian who uses godly wisdom to make choices in life is spiritually fit for the work of God. This is an exercise that we must all get good at.

We must exercise a good conscience

Acts 24:16 says, “And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.” A spiritually strong Christian has a good moral compass. They are concerned about what other people think. Sometimes we exercise pride, but unfortunately that does nothing more that break down the muscles. A Christian should never have the attitude – I don’t care what other people think. That is the wrong attitude if you want to be a witness to them. That is the wrong attitude if you want to be a good example. That is the wrong attitude if you want to have a good testimony and a good reputation. It is an important part of your exercise regimen. That exercise not only affects your conscience in not offending others, but as the verse says, it is an exercise in your relationship with the Lord.

You should exercise your ability to discern good and evil.

This is why the repetitive, consistent, faithful attitude of a Christian is so important. The Bible says in Hebrews 5:14, “But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Every good Christian needs a diet of fresh meat that will keep them healthy. You need that time of mental exercise in the Word of God. You need that time of spiritual exercise in prayer. You need that regular or repeated use of purposely staying away from those things which are bad for your spiritual health and eating more of that which is good for your spiritual health.

I may not like a lot of physical exercise, but this stuff is right up my alley. I may never have big muscles or flat abs, but I can look good in front of that spiritual mirror. That is really the important thing. I am the man I have to look at in the mirror every day and that is what I want to see.

Robert Ullo
Pastor
Bible Baptist Church
Spanish Fork, AL

by: Doug Marco

“Click, click, click…” from the old wooden roller coaster was the most frightening thing I had ever heard that summer day in 1996. There is not a more exciting day to an adolescent than a day at an amusement park. For me, on that day, there wasn’t much amusement. I had dodged all of the attempts of my sisters to get me on a roller coaster; although my winning streak was about to come to an abrupt end. “Come on son, you’re getting on this one”, was the last thing I heard before my heart dropped into my Goodwill sneakers. I could hardly find the line through the watering of my eyes, but Dad guided me to where we needed to go. “Hail Mary full of grace… Our father who art in Heaven…bless this food. Amen.” and every other prayer I could muster came out of my mouth as this extremely short line was getting ever shorter. By this point, I felt like a dog being led to the euthanasia chamber. I even think there might have been a puddle at my feet. When I thought all hope was lost, I sighed one final prayer. It went something like this, “Oh gracious and Heavenly Father, you know I can’t do this! Please, please, please do something, I beg of you!!!” Just moments after whispering those words, God did something completely amazing. See, the sun is super-hot in Texas and my poor, little, 5 foot 85 lb., 15 year old sister didn’t stand a chance. She caught a sudden attack of heat exhaustion and fainted, hitting her head on the concrete walk way. My winning streak continued!

As we rushed her to shade, I knew God had answered my prayer in some awkward way. I had always heard that God works in mysterious ways, but I didn’t know how mysterious till then. After that, the deafening roar and the creaking wood of that giant roller coaster didn’t seem so bad after all, until about three years later when I found myself in the same predicament. Although some of the characters had changed, my paralyzing fear had not. This time, I was with my youth group, and I knew if I chickened out I would be the laughing stock of that activity. It didn’t help that I was a tad nerdy anyway. I prayed for another miracle. I even went as far as to have a bottle of water on hand and one of those carnival stuffed animals to soften the fall of my sister, but to no avail. It wasn’t long before I was strapped into that death trap with my sunburned knuckles turning snow white. I was screaming at the top of my lungs, when I was reminded by the old lady next to me that the ride hadn’t started yet.

“Click, click, click…” and we were on our way. As we reached the top of the first hill, everything got fuzzy, and I’m pretty sure I blacked out for a moment before being slapped in the face with my stomach! The ride roared, swerved, screeched and clacked, I could barely breathe. It seemed that no hope was in sight. The fear I felt, was nothing like I could imagine. I wanted it all to stop!! As I exited the most frightening experience of my life, I began to run as fast as my little legs could take me back to the front of the line to experience it all over again. The fear was still there, but it was suppressed by the joy that I was still alive and I wanted to do it again.

Now you might be saying, “What does this goofy story have to do with the title of this article?” Well, allow me to share my thoughts. This month marks my fifth year living in the ministry completely by faith. I was called to be a missionary at a young age, and I always dreamed of the day I could start my ministry. Well, little did I know that my first experience on a roller coaster would become the rest of my life. I had always heard there was a fine line between faith and foolishness, but after these few years serving God, I can honestly say that line doesn’t exist. I prefer to look at it as I am just foolish enough to live by faith.

When I started deputation, I didn’t take the advice of some who said to wait until I had 10% of my support coming in before going full speed ahead. With less than half of a percent of support coming in, we packed up our little Chevy Malibu and with hardly any room in the back seat for our little boy, we hit the road. Times were seriously rough and full of fear. Our life began to take swerves and spins, and it seemed too hard at times to hold on. There were days I didn’t know how I was going to feed my family or even afford diapers for our baby. Those days came far too often. One day we would be at the very top, and then like a meteor, it seemed we would plummet to the bottom once again. In the midst of all of this fear and woe, God delivered again and again! Although the fear of living by faith seemed overwhelming, the joy of seeing God come through kept us getting in line over and over again. At times I felt I couldn’t breathe and I saw no hope in sight, then my God delivered again! In those five years, our family has been used to help start two independent, nationally pastored, Baptist churches along with sending a portion of God’s Word into twenty-five countries, and seeing over 18,000 people come to Christ. Currently, we are serving in the city of Talisay, on the island of Negros in the Philippines. Here are some things I have learned along the way.

1. You will never live by faith if you can’t hold on. 

The darkest hour means dawn is just in sight. Remember, Heaven doesn’t run off our time zone. Be patient and let God build your faith. Your knuckles might turn white, but hold on! You might be breathless, but hold on! My missions’ teacher and hero taught me that true faith is Forsaking All I Trust Him. Forsake the fears and hold on. Forsake the urge to jump and hold on. Faith is a scary ride, and it is not for the faint of heart. If you have a weak heart, hold on!! God will come through, and soon the joy of answered prayer will have you running to the front of the line for more.

2. Remember that the One Who called you, goes with you. 

Hey Jack, you’re not on this ride alone!! You may have never seen the curve that is up ahead, but thank God, He has. Although it might have been my first trip down the tracks of that roller coaster, it sure wasn’t the cart’s first trip. That sure made it much more comforting and the ride easier to handle. The cart knows when to turn to the left or to the right, just let it do its job and you do yours. Sit still and let God move.

3. Always remember God can do again what He has done before. 

Far too many of us fret and fear even after God has provided. It is almost as if we have forgotten all together that God has been on time, every time! We are making our lives much harder because we lose sight of the blessings God has already provided. Jonah is a perfect example of this type of lifestyle. Jonah had it made, all he had to do was just simply go and do what God had asked him to do. I have no doubt that Jonah had seen the mighty hand of God move in his favor, but Jonah forgot and quickly found his fear through forgetfulness. This brought him a whale of hurt. Jonah was the cause of his whale, and you will be the cause of yours if you exchange those memories of God’s goodness with doubts of his ability to provide your every need.

4. Prayer is the best fear suppressant. 

In all my years of riding roller coasters the fear has never truly faded. In this life of faith, the fear never truly fades either, but it can be suppressed by praying and fasting. While preparing for this article, my family had a need and I did not know how it would be met. I felt that all avenues had been explored to find an answer. As I spent the past few days in prayer, my fear gave way to faith, and like before, God, in some miraculous way that is unfathomable to me, provided yet again! Let God know those things that are causing you to have sleepless nights. Bundle all your burdens and fears and take them to the throne room of Jesus and let Him worry about them.

5. Go through every door God opens for you. 

Our support has never been as high as was suggested, and at times our statement looks as anemic as a starving child somewhere in Africa, but I can honestly say we have walked through every door that God has opened for our ministry. I am a firm believer that at the moment you walk through those doors, God is obligated to take care of you. The moment you hesitate and don’t take that step in faith, His obligation to care for you will also stop. I cannot do for my family what God can do, so I’m better off moving forward as He clears the way.

Some of you like Jonah, are in the belly of the beast and wonder why God has forsaken you. Have you ever considered that it was you that forsook Him? It took Jonah three days too many to come to that conclusion. Next time you read the book of Jonah, you might realize that it is two chapters too long. It should have gone from Jonah chapter 1 verse 1 to Jonah chapter 3 and verse 3. Two chapters of self-inflicted hardship, stress and grief. When it is all said and done, how many extra chapters will be in your book? The rest of the world might think you’re crazy to live by faith. I don’t think I’m crazy; I’m just a fool forsaking all, trusting Him!

Doug Marco
Missionary to Philippines
http://marcofamilytotheworld.com

by: Jonathan Painter

“And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.” Ezekiel 22:30

It is a sad state our nation is in today. Alcohol that was once outlawed in the United States now flows like water. I heard in a news bulletin that two stores just outside the town of Whitely, Nebraska, were selling an average of 500 cases of alcohol a day. This comes to the grand total 182,500 cases of alcohol sold a year in the town of Whitely, which has a total population of 2,000. This means that on average, an individual consumes approximately 91 cases of alcohol a year, which comes to a low estimate of 1,092 cans of alcohol a year. These numbers are outrageous!

Marijuana, once considered to be an illegal substance, now has been legalized in 18 states and the District of Columbia for medical use, and in three states it is legal for people over twenty-one to use it for any purpose they desire. This is aside from the fact that several states are having a tremendous amount of pressure put on them to legalize the drug. Unfortunately, we are crumbling as a nation.

Further evidence of our oncoming demise as a nation is the legalization of same-sex marriage. I heard a story just the other day of how a preacher was preaching on the street corner and said that homosexuality was straight out of Hell. He was arrested, fingerprinted, booked, and interrogated for several hours. Thirteen states have declared the legalization of same-sex marriage. Mark it down young person, marriage is between one man and one woman for one lifetime. Yet, our nation is on the verge of changing this definition on the grounds of love and acceptance, yet the Bible does not change it’s definition.

I could continue going down the list; however, in pin-pointing these three I feel we have enough evidence to say that our country is on a fast-track to destruction. What are we to do? Are we to lay down and play dead while the world amps up its wickedness? Are we just to submit to the idea that our country is finished? I dare say, “No!” This country can be changed, and a great revival can be had again. America’s revival will not spark from her President in the Oval Office, but from her preachers who stand in her pulpits. It will not be sprung upon us on her Senate floor, but by her soul winners on her streets. It will not be found in her conservative values, but in her concrete morals found in the Word of God! America can see a revival if her pulpits are aflame!

Sadly, her pulpits cannot be aflame while they are vacant. God is looking for men, men who will fill America’s pulpits and bring revival once again. He is not looking for a lily-livered orator with soft hands and tones, but he’s looking for the man who will fight through sticks and stones. He is looking for a man ready, determined and strong in the God’s Word, a man who has zeal and a passion to do a work for God! The question must be raised to you, young man. Will you be that man? Will you be the man for whom God is looking? Will you make up the hedge and fill in the gap for your country? God is searching, he is searching for you!

Jonathan Painter
Youth Pastor
Lincoln Baptist Church
Lincoln, Nebraska

by: Rick Walter

Genesis 20:18

“For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.”

Abraham and Sarah traveled to a place called Gerar. We know the story. Abraham tells Sarah to lie about their relationship. He wanted her to say that she was his sister instead of his wife. Because of what he was told, Abimelech took Sarah and was going to make her his wife; however, God intervened and did not let him touch her. Although, God did cause all of the women in the house to become barren by closing up their wombs.

My question is this, are you a barren soul winner? Are you struggling as a soul winner? When was the last time you were able to show someone how to be saved? Honestly, we all have gone through barren times. Why is that, and how do we get out of that rut?

1. Soul winning is like giving birth spiritually.

How many times did the Apostle Paul call someone “My son?” He said it about several people. Was he really their father? No, but he had won them to Christ.

2. God wants us to bear “children.”

Psalm 127:3 says, “the fruit of the womb is his reward.”

John 4:38 says, “I sent you to reap…”

God wants and expects us to “give birth.”

3. God opens and closes the womb.

In verse 18, the Bible makes it clear that God is the One Who made them barren. He had a reason for making them barren. If I am a barren soul winner, then I must try to find out why.

4. Barrenness distressed those affected by it.

Abimelech was distressed. Later on Hannah was distressed. Rachel was distressed. If I am not seeing people saved and have become barren in my soul winning, it should distress me. I should not be content with barrenness when I know that God wants me to “have children.”

5. Barrenness was overcome by prayer.

Abraham prayed for Abimelech. Hannah prayed. Those affected by barrenness should do what Hannah did. Fall on your knees with a broken heart, pour out your soul to God and beg Him to open your spiritual womb once again. Psalm 126:5-6 says, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”

Rick Walter
Pastor
Victory Baptist Church
Winthrop, ME