Ezekiel 22:30  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.

To those who study the sorry state of Christianity in this land, these verses are painfully appropriate.   The news in Christian circles is constantly full of leaders who have fallen.  Almost daily I read the sad news of some fellow-soldier who has weakened, to say nothing of the hundreds who never make the news, or the thousands of Christians who daily lay down their arms and retreat from the fight.  As a fellow soldier of the Cross, I feel compelled to ask you to stay in the fight for these reasons.

We are in a war. To most Christians, spiritual battle is about as real as the war in Afghanistan.  We read about it, but have never truly experienced it.  But to those who will surrender their wills and fully enlist in God’s service, the battle is intense and constant.  Hebrews 12:4  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. We are in a bloody battle, don’t forget it. The only way out is surrender or victory!

War requires sacrifice. I am reminded of the battle recorded in 1Sam 14, where there Jonathan attacks the Philistines on his own.  But there were also 600 men doing nothing(v.2 Lazy), Hebrews fighting on the Philistine’s side (v.21 Traitors),  and men hiding in the mountain (v.22 Cowards).  Out of thousands of men, only Jonathan and his armour-bearer were willing to sacrifice their lives to win.  It is much the same today.  There are many who claim Christ, but few who bear His cross.  There are many who will sing, but few who will serve.  And there are many who have surrendered to the enemy, but almost no one who will sacrifice for Christ.  Christian, what class are you in? Traitor, coward, lazy, or Sacrificial Servant? If you are not the latter, repent and join in the fight!

War’s require reinforcement. Casualties are a fact of war, and in the spiritual war, there are always soldiers who go AWOL, have self-inflicted wounds, or are ambushed by Satan.  And as the ranks thin, the pressure on those remaining increases.  There is an ever present and always increasing need for skilled, sacrificing servants of God to join the battle.  I beg you; let nothing deter you from putting on the whole armour of God.  Let nothing stop your service for Christ.  Decide right now that you will be a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 2:3-4  Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

Christian, the gap is widening.  Will you step into the fight?

Pastor Charles Hollingsworth

Do you know what “junk for Jesus” is?  I’m not talking about “Jesus Junk,” like the thousands of religious-themed items marketed at the less discerning.  I mean junk given for God’s work by well-meaning people.  You know what I mean: toasters from 1950, chairs from the ’70s, etc.  Every pastor knows what I am talking about.  It seems that junk that we don’t want, and the local thrift store won’t accept, is somehow valuable to God.  Now, I understand that many give out poverty and a good heart.  I also know that many times we give God our “leftovers” to salve our conscience.  Let me give you a few examples.

1. Time: This is the big one.  I mean, it is easy to squeeze in a few hours to play hockey, or go shopping, or visit a relative.  But somehow Bible time and church attendance get the leftover “junk” time we don’t already have scheduled.  We don’t think of rescheduling the doctor’s appointment, why do we not make plans to spend time with the Great Physician?  How we spend our time is a great indicator of our priorities.  Did you spend any time with Jesus today, or are you hoping there will be time to give Him some “leftovers?”  Friend, the Creator of the Universe, and the Redeemer of your soul wants to talk with you!  Don’t you think He deserves priority?

2. Finances: I was privileged to have a father who taught me the importance of giving to God.  Through the years I have endeavored to faithfully give my tithes and offerings, and have learned the truth of God’s care for me when I put Him first. Yet why is it so easy for some to invest thousands in stocks and RRSP’s, yet so hard to invest serious money into God’s work.  Do we not believe that eternal things are worth investing in, or do we think this world gives a better return on investment?  Perhaps we simply reflect Jesus’ statement in Matthew 6:21, For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

3. Our heart: If the truth were told, many would be ashamed to admit just how much of their lives were given to Christ.  If we had to prove that we were truly devoted to God, could we do it?  Would there be enough evidence to prove that we loved Jesus with all our heart?  Would we shine like Daniel as faithful followers, or would we fade from view like Demas, “having loved this present world.”(2Tim 4:10)

Friend, let us not be guilty of giving Jesus our junk time, our junk finances, and the leftover pieces of our heart.  Let’s give him the best of our lives.

frozenpreacher