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WE ARE FIREPROOF!!! -Pillar
1. Feeding on the Word -- DAILY Nutrition
A healthy baby has a healthy appetite. If you have truly been "born"
of the Spirit of God, you will have a healthy appetite. The Bible says,
"As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may
grow thereby," (1 Peter 2:2). Feed yourself every day without fail.
Job said, "I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary
food," (Job 23:12). The more you eat, the quicker you will grow,
and the less bruising you will have. Speed up the process and save yourself
some pain -- vow to read God's Word every day, without fail. Say to yourself,
"No Bible, no breakfast. No read, no feed." Be like Job, and
put your Bible before your belly. If you do that, God promises that you
will be like a fruitful, strong and healthy tree (see Psalm 1). Each day,
find somewhere quiet, and thoroughly soak your soul in the Word of God.
There may be times when you read through its pages with great enthusiasm,
and there may be other times when it seems dry and even boring. But food
profits your body whether you enjoy it or not. As a child, you no doubt
ate desserts with great enthusiasm. Perhaps vegetables weren't so exciting.
If you were a normal child, you probably had to be encouraged to eat them
at first. Then, as you matured in life you were taught to discipline yourself
to eat vegetables. This is because they would physically benefit you,
even though they may not have at the time, brought pleasure to your taste
buds.
2. Faith -- Elevators Can Let You Down
When a young man once looked at me and said, "I find it hard to believe
some of the things in the Bible," I smiled and asked, "What's
your name?" When he said, "Paul," I casually answered,
"I don't believe you." He looked at me questioningly. I repeated,
"What's your name?" Again he said, "Paul," and again
I answered, "I don't believe you." Then I asked, "Where
do you live?" When he told me, I said, "I don't believe that
either." You should have seen his reaction. He was angry. I said,
"You look a little upset. Do you know why? You're upset because I
didn't believe what you told me. If you tell me that your name is Paul,
and I say, 'I don't believe you,' it means that I think you are a liar.
You are trying to deceive me by telling me your name is Paul, when it's
not." Then I told him that if he, a mere man, felt insulted by my
lack of faith in his word, how much more does he insult Almighty God by
refusing to believe His Word. In doing so, he was saying that God isn't
worth trusting -- that He is a liar and a deceiver. The Bible says, "He
who does not believe God has made Him a liar," (1 John 5:10). It
also says, "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil
heart of unbelief. . ." (Hebrews 3:12). Martin Luther said, "What
greater insult . . . can there be to God, than not to believe His promises."
I have heard people say, "But I just find it hard to have faith in
God," not realizing the implications of their words. These are the
same people who often believe the weather forecast, believe the newspapers,
and trust their lives to a pilot they have never seen whenever they fly
in a plane. We exercise faith every day. We trust our car's brakes. We
trust our history books, our medical books, and we trust elevators. Yet
elevators can let us down. History books can be wrong. Planes can crash.
How much more then should we trust the sure and true promises of Almighty
God. He will never let us down . . . if we trust Him.
I have often heard cynics say, "The Bible is full of mistakes."
It is. The first mistake was when man rejected God, and the Scriptures
show men and women making the same tragic mistake again and again. It's
also full of what seem to be contradictions. For example, the Scriptures
tell us "with God, nothing shall be impossible" (Luke 1:37).
We are told that there is nothing Almighty God can't do. Yet we are also
told that it is "impossible for God to lie" (Hebrews 6:18).
So there is something God cannot do! There's an obvious "mistake"
in the Bible. The answer to this dilemma is to be found in the lowly worm.
Do you know that it would be impossible for me to eat worms, although
I have seen it done. I once saw a man on TV butter his toast, then pour
on a can of live, fat, wriggling, blood-filled worms. He carefully took
a knife and fork, cut into his moving meal, and ate it. It made me feel
sick. It was disgusting. The thought of chewing cold, live worms is so
repulsive, so distasteful, I can candidly say it would be impossible for
me to eat them, even though I have seen it done. It is so abhorrent, I
draw on the strength of the word "impossible" to substantiate
my claim.
Lying, deception, bearing false witness, etc., is so repulsive to God,
so disgusting to Him, so against His holy character, that the Scriptures
draw on the strength of the word "impossible" to substantiate
the claim. He cannot, could not, and would not lie.
That means that in a world where we are continually let down, we can totally
rely on, trust in, and count on His promises. They are sure, certain,
indisputable, true, trustworthy, reliable, faithful, unfailing, dependable,
steadfast, and an anchor for the soul. In other words, you can truly believe
them, and because of that, you can throw yourself blindfolded and without
reserve, into His mighty hands. He will never, ever, let you down. Do
you believe that?
3. Evangelism -- Our Most Sobering Task
It was late in December, 1996. A large family gathered in Los Angeles
for the joyous occasion of wrapping Christmas presents. It was a big family
because it was the product of two marriages. There were so many gathered
that night, five of the children slept in the garage. It was a converted
structure, kept warm during the cold night by an electric heater which
sat by the door.
During the early hours of the morning, the heater suddenly burst into
flames, blocking the doorway. In seconds the room became a blazing inferno.
The frantic 911 call revealed the unspeakable terror of the moment. One
of the children could be heard screaming, "I'm on fire!" The
distraught father vainly rushed into the flames to try and save his beloved
children. He received burns to 50% of his body. Tragically, all five of
the children burned to death. They died because steel bars on the windows
of the garage thwarted their escape. There was only one door, and that
was stopped by the flames.
You are back in time. It's minutes before the heater burst into flames.
You peer through the darkness at the peaceful sight of five sleeping youngsters.
You know that at any moment the room is going to erupt into an inferno
and burn the flesh of horrified children. Can you in good conscience walk
away? No! You must awaken them, and warn them to run from that death trap!
The world sleeps peacefully in the darkness of ignorance. There is only
one Door by which they may escape death. The steel bars of sin prevent
their salvation, and at the same time call for the flames of Eternal Justice.
What a fearful thing Judgment Day will be! The fires of the wrath of Almighty
God will burn for eternity. The Church has been entrusted with the task
of awakening them before it's too late. We cannot turn our backs and walk
away in complacency. Think of how the father ran into the flames. His
love knew no bounds, and our devotion to the sober task that God has given
us will be in direct proportion to our love for the lost. There are only
a few who run headlong into the flames to warn them to flee (Luke 10:2).
Please be one of them. We really have no choice. The Apostle Paul said,
"Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!" (1 Corinthians 9:16).
It was the "Prince of Preachers," Charles Spurgeon, who said
the words, "Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are
not saved yourself. Be sure of that." A Christian cannot be apathetic
about the salvation of the world. The love of God in him will motivate
him to seek and save that which is lost.
You probably have a limited amount of time after your conversion to impact
your unsaved friends and family with the Gospel. After the initial shock
of your conversion, they will put you in a neat little ribbon-tied box,
and keep you at arm's length. So it's important that you take advantage
of the short time you have while you still have their ears.
Here's some advice that will save you a great deal of grief. As a new
Christian, a friend of mine did almost irreparable damage by acting like
a wild bull in a crystal showroom. He bullied his mom, his dad, and many
of his friends into making a "decision for Christ". He was sincere,
zealous, loving, kind, and stupid. He didn't understand that salvation
doesn't come through making a "decision," but through repentance,
and repentance is God-given (see 2 Timothy 2:25). The Bible teaches that
no one can come to the Son unless God "draws" him. If you are
able to get a decision but they have no conviction of sin, you will almost
certainly end up with a still-born on your hands.
In his"zeal without knowledge" he actually inoculated the very
ones he was so desperately trying to reach. There is nothing more important
to you than the salvation of your loved ones, and you don't want to blow
it. If you do, you may find that you don't have a second chance. Fervently
pray for them, thanking God for their salvation. Let them see your faith.
Let them feel your kindness, your genuine love, and your gentleness. Buy
gifts for no reason. Do chores when you are not asked to. Go the extra
mile. Put yourself in their position. You know that you have found everlasting
life. Death has lost its sting! Your joy is unspeakable -- but as far
as they are concerned, you have been brain-washed. You have become part
of a weird sect. So your loving actions will speak more loudly than ten
thousand eloquent sermons.
It is because of these thoughts that you should hold back from verbal
confrontation until you have knowledge that will guide your zeal. Pray
for wisdom and for a sensitivity to God's timing. You may have only one
shot, so make it count. Keep your cool. If you don't, you may end up with
a lifetime of regret. Believe me. It is better to hear a loved one or
a close friend say, "Tell me about your faith in Jesus Christ,"
rather than you saying, "Sit down. I want to talk to you."
It is important to realize that we should share our faith with others
whenever we can. The Bible says that there are only two times we should
do this -- "in season and out of season" (2 Timothy 4:2). The
Apostle Paul pleaded for prayer for his own personal witness. He said,
". . . that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth
boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador
in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak," (Ephesians
6:19-20).
Remember that you have the sobering responsibility of speaking to other
peoples' loved ones. Many times when you open your mouth for the Gospel,
you may be the answer to the earnest prayer of another Christian. Perhaps
he has cried out to God that He would use a faithful witness to speak
to his beloved mom or dad, and you are that answer to prayer. You are
that true and faithful witness that God wants to use.
Never lose sight of the world and all its pains. Keep the fate of the
ungodly before your eyes. Too many of us settle down on a padded pew and
become introverted. Our world becomes a monastery without walls. Our friends
are confined solely to those within the Church, when Jesus was the "friend
of sinners." So take the time to deliberately befriend them for the
sake of their salvation. Remember that each and every person who dies
in their sins has an appointment with the Judge of the Universe. Hell
opens wide its terrible jaws. There is no more sobering task than to be
entrusted with the Gospel of Salvation -- working with God for the eternal
well-being of dying humanity.
4. Prayer -- "Wait For A Minute."
It has been well said that God always answers prayer. Sometimes He says,
"Yes." sometimes He says, "NO." Sometimes He says,
"Wait for a minute," and a day to the Lord is a thousand years
to us (2 Peter 3:8). That means that a ten year wait for us, is 14 minutes
and 24 seconds to God, so ask in faith, but rest in peace-filled patience.
Surveys show that more than 90% of America prays daily. No doubt they
pray for health, wealth, happiness, etc. They also pray when grandma gets
sick, and when grandma doesn't get better (or dies), many end up disillusioned,
and some end up bitter. This is because they don't understand what the
Bible says about prayer. It teaches that sin will stop God even hearing
your prayer (Psalm 66:18). It teaches, among other things, that if we
pray with doubt, we will not get an answer (James 1:6-7).
Here's how to be heard....
1.) Pray with faith (Hebrews 11:6).
2.) Pray with clean hands and a pure heart (Psalm 24:3-4).
3.) Pray genuine heart-felt prayers, rather than vain repetitions (Matthew
6:7).
4.) Make sure that you are praying to the God revealed in the Holy Scriptures
(Exodus 20:3-6).
How do you "pray with faith?" If someone says to you, "You're
a man of great faith in God," they may think that they are paying
you a compliment. But they aren't -- the compliment is to God. For example
if I said to you, "I'm a man of great faith in my doctor," it's
actually the doctor I'm complimenting. If I have great faith in him, it
means that I see him as being a man of integrity, a man of great ability
-- that he is trustworthy. I give "glory" to the man through
my faith in him. The Bible says that Abraham "He did not waver at
the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving
glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was
also able to perform." (Romans 4:20-21). Abraham was a man of great
faith in God. Remember, that is not a compliment to Abraham. He merely
caught a glimpse of God's incredible ability, His impeccable integrity,
and His wonderful faithfulness to keep every promise He makes. His faith
gave "glory" to a faithful God.
As far as God is concerned, if you belong to Jesus, you are a VIP. You
can boldly come before the throne of Grace (Hebrews 4:16). You have access
to the king, because you are the son or daughter of the king. When you
were a child, did you have to grovel to get your needs met by your mom
or dad? I hope not.
So, when you pray, don't say, "Oh God, I hope you will supply my
needs." Instead say something like, "Father, thank you that
you keep every promise You make. Your Word says that you will supply all
my needs according to Your riches in glory, by Christ Jesus (Philippians
4:19). Therefore, I thank you that you will do this thing for my family.
I ask this in the wonderful name of Jesus. Amen"
It was the great missionary, Hudson Taylor, who said, "The prayer
power has never been tried to its full capacity. If we want to see Divine
power wrought in the place of weakness, failure, and disappointment, let
us answer God's standing challenge, 'Call unto me, and I will answer thee,
and shew thee great and mighty things of which thou knowest not of.'"
How do you get "clean hands and a pure heart?" Simply by confessing
your sins to God, through Jesus Christ. His blood cleanses from all sin
(1 John 1:7-9). When you confess them to God through Jesus, God will not
only forgive your every sin, He promises to forget that sin (Hebrew 8:12).
He will even justify you, on the grounds of the sacrifice of the Savior.
That means He will count it as though you have never sinned in the first
place. He will make you pure in His sight -- sinless. he will even "purge"
your conscience, so that you will no longer have that sense of guilt that
you sinned in the first place. That's what I mean "to be justified
by faith." That's why you need to soak yourself in Holy Scripture
-- to read the letters to the churches and see the wonderful things that
God has done for us through the Cross of Calvary. If you don't bother
to read the will, you won't have any idea of what has been left for you.
How do you pray "genuine heart-felt prayers?" Simply by keeping
yourself in the love of God. If they love of God is in you, you will never
pray hypocritical, or selfish prayers. In fact, you won't have to pray
selfish prayers, if you have a heart of love. When your prayer-life is
pleasing to God, the Bible says that He will reward you openly (Matthew
6:6).
How do you know that you are praying to "the God revealed in Holy
Scripture?" Study the Word. Don't accept the image of God portrayed
by the world, even though it appeals to the natural mind. A loving, kind
fatherly-figure, with no sense of justice or truth appeals to guilty sinners.
Look to the thunderings and lightnings of Mount Sinai. Gaze at Jesus on
the cross of Calvary -- hanging in unspeakable agony because of the Justice
of a holy God. Such thoughts tend to banish idolatry.
5. Warfare -- Praise The Lord and Pass the Ammunition
When you became a Christian, you stepped right into the heat of an age-old
battle. You have a three-fold enemy--the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Before you became a Christian, you floated down stream with the other
dead fish. But now, God has put His life within you, and you will find
yourself swimming against a three-fold current. Let's look at these three
resistant enemies.
First, the world. When the Bible speaks of the "world" in this
context, it is referring to the sinful, rebellious, world system. This
is the world that loves the darkness and hates the light (John 3:20),
governed by the "god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4)( --
the "prince power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2). The Bible says
the Christian has escaped the corruption that is in the world through
lust. "Lust" is unlawful desire, and is the life's blood of
the world --whether it be the lust for sexual sin, for power, for money,
for material things. Lust is a monster that will never be gratified, so
don't feed it. It will grow bigger and bigger, until it weighs heavy upon
your back, and will be the death of you -- see James 1:15.
There is nothing wrong with sex, power, money, or material things, but
when these become predominant in God's sight, the Bible calls this "inordinate
affection" (Colossians 3:5). We are told, "Do not love the world
or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the
Father is not in him." "Whoever therefore wants to be a friend
of the world makes himself an enemy of God." (1 John 2:15, James
4:4).
The second enemy is the devil. As we have seen, he is known as the "god
of this world." He was your spiritual father before you joined the
family of God (John 8:44, Ephesians 2:2. Jesus called the devil a thief,
who came to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10).
The way to overcome him and his demons is to make sure you are outfitted
with the spiritual armor of God listed in Ephesians 6:10-20. Become intimately
familiar with it. Sleep in it. Never take it off. Bind the two-edged sword
to your hand so that you never lose its grip. The reason for this brings
us to the third enemy.
The third enemy is what the Bible calls the "flesh." This is
your sinful nature. The domain for the battle, is your mind.
If you have a mind to, you will be attracted to the world and all its
sin. The mind is the data-processing control panel for the eyes and the
ears. It is the center of your appetites. All sin begins in the "heart"
(Proverbs 4:23, Matthew 15:19). We think before we sin. This happens because
we don't think before we sin. The Bible warns that lust brings forth sin,
and sin when it's conceived brings forth death. Every day we have life,
we have a choice. To sin or not to sin -- that is the question. The answer
to the question of sin, is the fear of God. If you don't fear God, you
will sin to your sinful heart's delight.
Did you know that God kills people? He killed a man because he didn't
like what he did sexually (Genesis 38:10). He killed a husband and wife
because they told just one lie (Acts 5:1-11). Knowledge of God's goodness
-- His righteous judgments against evil, should put the fear of God in
us, and help us not to indulge in sin.
If we know that the eye of the Lord is in every place beholding the evil
land the good, and that He will bring every work to judgment, we will
live accordingly. Such weighty thoughts are valuable, for "by the
fear of the LORD one departs from evil" (Proverbs 16:6). Jesus said,
"And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill
the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show
you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power
to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!" (Luke 12:4-5).
6. Fellowship -- Flutter by Butterfly
Pray about where you should fellowship. Make sure the place you are going
to call your church home calls sin what it is -- sin. Do they believe
the promises of God? Are they loving? Does the pastor treat his wife with
respect? Is he a man of the Word? Does he have a humble heart, and a gentle
spirit? Listen closely to his teaching. It should glorify God, magnify
Jesus, and edify the believer. One evidence that you have been truly saved
is that you will have a love for other Christians (1 John 3:14). You will
want to fellowship with them. The old saying that "birds of a feather
flock together" is true of Christians. You gather together for the
breaking of bread (communion), for teaching from the Word, and for fellowship.
You share the same inspirations, illuminations, inclinations, temptations,
aspirations, motivations, and perspirations -- you are working together
for the same thing, for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God on earth.
This is why you attend church -- not because you have to, but because
you want to.
Don't become a "spiritual butterfly." Send your roots down.
If you are moving from church to church, how will your pastor know what
type of food you are digesting? The Bible says that your shepherd will
have to give an account to Him that has entrusted you to him (Hebrews
13:17), so make yourself known to your pastor. Pray for him regularly.
Pray also for his wife, his family, and the elders. Being a pastor is
no easy task. Most people don't realize how many hours it takes to gather
a fresh sermon each week. They don't appreciate the time spent in prayer
and in the study of the Word. If the pastor makes the same joke twice,
or shares something he has shared before, remember, he's human. So give
him a great deal of grace, and double honor. Never murmur about him. If
you don't like something he has said, pray about it, then leave the issue
with God. If that doesn't satisfy you, leave the church, rather than divide
it through murmuring and complaining.
A woman once spread some hot gossip about a local pastor. What he had
supposedly done became common knowledge around town. Then she found that
what she had heard wasn't true. She gallantly went to the pastor, and
asked for his forgiveness. The pastor forgave her, but then told her to
take a pillow full of tiny feathers to a corner of the town, and in high
winds, shake the feather out. Then he told her to try and pick up every
feather. He explained that the damage had already been done. She had destroyed
his good reputation, and trying to repair the damage was like trying to
pick up feathers in high winds.
The Bible says that there is life and death in the power of the tongue.
We can kill or make something alive with our words. The Scriptures also
reveal that God hates those who cause division among the brethren (Proverbs
6:16). Pray with the psalmist, "Set a guard O Lord, over my mouth;
keep the door of my lips."
Remember the old saying, "He that gossips to you, will gossip about
you."
7. Thanksgiving -- Do the Right Thing
For the Christian, every day should be Thanksgiving Day. We should even
be thankful in the midst of problems. The Apostle Paul said, "I am
exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation" (2 Corinthians 7:4). He
knew that God was working all things together for his good, even though
he was going through trials (Romans 8:28).
Problems will come your way. God will see to it personally that you grow
as a Christian. He will allow the storms, to send your roots deep into
the soil of His Word. We pray more in the midst of problems, but it's
been well said that you will see more from your knees, than you will on
your tip toes.
A man once watched a butterfly struggling to get out of its cocoon. In
an effort to help it, he took a razor blade, and carefully slit the edge
of the cocoon. The butterfly escaped form its problem . . . and immediately
died.
It is God's way to have the butterfly struggle. It is the struggle that
causes its tiny heart to beat fast, and send the life's blood into its
wings.
Trials have their purpose. They make us struggle -- they bring us to our
knees. They are the cocoon in which we often find ourselves. It is there
that the life's blood of faith in God helps us spread our wings.
Faith and thanksgiving are close friends. If you have faith in God, you
will be thankful because you know His loving hand is upon you, even though
you are in a lion's den. That will give you a deep sense of joy, and joy
is the barometer of the depth of faith you have in God. Let me give you
an example. Imagine if I said I would give you one million dollars if
you sent me an email. Of course, you don't believe that I would do that.
But imagine if you did. Imagine if you had knowledge of more than 1,000
people who had sent me an email, and every one received their million
dollars -- no strings attached. More than that. You had actually called
me, and I had assured you personally that I would keep my word. If you
believed me, wouldn't you have joy? If you didn't believe me -- no joy.
The amount of joy you have would be a barometer as to how much you believed
my promise.
We have so much to be thankful for. God has given us "exceeding great
and precious promises" that are "more to be desired than gold."
Do yourself a big favor -- believe those promises, thank God continually
for them, and "let your joy be full."
An old farmer once had an ungodly relative visit him. After the farmer
had bowed his head and thanked God for the food they were about to eat,
the relative rudely said, "What did you do that for? There's no God.
We live in an age of enlightenment." The old farmer smiled and said,
"There is one on the farm who doesn't thank God before he eats."
The relative sat up and said, "Who is this enlightened one?"
To which the farmer quietly replied, "My pig."
8. Water Baptism -- Sprinkle or Immerse?
The Bible Says , "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the
name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. . ." (Acts 2:38).
There is therefore no question as to whether or not you should be baptized.
The questions are how, when, and by whom?
It would also seem clear from scripture that those who were baptized,
were fully immersed in water. Here's one reason why:
"And John was also baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there
was much water there..." (John 3:23).
If John was merely sprinkling believers, he would have only needed a cup
full of water.
The Philippian jailer and his family were baptized at midnight, as soon
as they believed. So what are you waiting for?
Who should baptize you? It is clear from Scripture that other believers
had the privilege, but check with your pastor, he may want the honor himself.
9. Tithing, the Last Frontier
It was once said that the wallet is the "last frontier." It
is the final area to be conquered -- the last thing that comes to God
in surrender. Jesus spoke much about money. He said that we cannot serve
God and mammon (Matthew 6:24). The word "mammon" was the common
Aramaic word for riches, which is akin to a Hebrew word signifying "that
which is to be trusted." In other words, we cannot trust God and
money. Either money is our source of life, our great love, our joy, our
sense of security, the supplier of our needs -- or God is.
When you open your purse or wallet, give generously and regularly to your
local church. A guide as to how much you should give can be found in the
"tithe" of the Old Testament -- 10% of your income. Whether
you give this amount or not, make sure you do give something to the work
of God (see Malachi 3:8-10). Give because you want to, not because you
have to. God loves a cheerful giver (2Corinthians 9:7), so learn to hold
your money with a loose hand.
10. Troubleshooting Cults, Atheists, Skeptics
If you know the Lord, nothing will shake your faith. It is true that the
man with an experience is not at the mercy of a man with an argument.
Take for example a little boy who is looking at a heater. His father warns
him that it's hot. The child says, "O.K. I believe it's hot."
At that point, he has an intellectual belief that the heater is hot. When
his Dad leaves the room, he says, "I wonder if it really is hot?"
He then reaches out his little hand and grabs the heater bar with his
fingers. The second his flesh burns he stops believing the heater is hot.
He now knows it's hot! He has moved out of the realm of "faith"
into the realm of "experience."
In comes a heater expert and says, "Son, I have a B.A. in the study
of heat. The heater is definitely not hot. I can prove it to you."
The child would probably say, "Mr Expert, I don't care how many B.A.'s
you have. I know that heater is hot -- I touched it! I'm not in the realm
of belief, I'm in the realm of experience. Goodbye."
If you have touched the heater bar of God's love and forgiveness, if the
Holy Spirit has "born witness" that you are a child of God (Romans
8:16), if you have received the Gospel with "power, the Holy Ghost
and much assurance" (1 Thessalonians 1:5), you will never be shaken
by a skeptic.
When cults tell you that you must acknowledge God's name to be saved,
that you must worship on a certain day that you must be baptized by an
elder of their church, don't panic. Merely go back to the Instruction
Manual. The Bible has all the answers, and searching them out, will make
you grow.
If you feel intimidated by atheists -- if you think they are "intellectuals,"
read the book, God Doesn't Believe in Atheists. It will show you that
they are the opposite. It will also instruct you on how you can prove
God's existence, and also prove that the "atheist" doesn't exist.
Finally, the way to prevent sporting injury and pain, is to keep yourself
fit. Exercise. The Apostle Paul kept fit through exercise. He said, "Herein
do I exercise myself, to always have a conscience void of offense toward
God, and toward men" (Acts 24:16). Do the same. Listen to the voice
of conscience. It's your friend, not your enemy. Remember the words of
Solomon:
"Fear God and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of
man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing,
whether it be good, or whether it be evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
Keep the Day of Judgment before your eyes. On that Day, you will be glad
for the cultivations of a tender conscience.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope the principles expounded
have been helpful, and that any knowledge you have gained from it, will
some day save you some pain.
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