PROCRASTINATION

Are you a procrastinator? Webster defines procrastinate as: put off , delay, postpone, drag your feet, defer and dally. Many people have a problem with procrastination, but they do eventually get
around to taking care of business. Sometimes though, they don’t, and miss important deadlines as a result.

Different people procrastinate about different things. Some missed deadlines are opportunities gone forever, and no amount of regret can change that. If you drag your feet about a bill, you might
have to pay it later with an interest, and life will still go on.

However, there is one critical deadline that affects every individual, man or woman, young or old, and the Bible calls it the Day of Salvation (see 2 Corinthians 6:2). It is a critical deadline because the Bible also says, “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27 NIV)/

The Day of Salvation is a critical deadline because if missed, (unsaved before death) the destination after judgment is hell, a place originally prepared for the devil and his angels.
So you might say, “Which day is the Day of Salvation?” It is different for each person, but it is the day a person is confronted with the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ. So for you dear reader
today is your day. Don’t let the sun go down without you settling
this issue. Below is the gospel in a nutshell:

1. You are a sinner (you have a sin nature)  See Romans 3:23
2. The payment for your sin is death (hell). See Romans 6:23
3. Jesus is the Son of God, the only Savior appointed by
God. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no
other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12 NIV).
4. Jesus died in your place so you can be saved through Him (see 1 Tim 2:6).
5. What you need to do is:
• Repent and believe in Jesus
• Confess you sins to Him,
• Ask for forgiveness and He will forgive you (see 1 John 1:9).

You might have heard this before, but did nothing about it.
Head knowledge about the gospel does not save you; you need to
believe it by believing in the name of Jesus. By God’s grace you have
been given another opportunity. Please don’t put it off any longer;
you might not have this opportunity again. Make your decision
today, because tomorrow could be too late. “Now is the time of
God’s favor, now is the Day of Salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2 NIV).

WATCH AND PRAY

Before Jesus was arrested, He went to the Garden of Gethsemane with His disciples Peter, James, and John to pray. In the garden, Jesus asked the three disciples to watch while He went to pray by Himself (see Matthew 26:36-39). On his return, the disciples were asleep. He woke them up, and chided them for sleeping and not praying as commanded. “Keep watch and pray,” Jesus said to them, “so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak” (Matthew 26:41 NLT).

Today, that admonition hit me in an unexpected way. I was saddened by an article I’d just read: a very dear Christian friend had been charged with numerous counts of fraud. It broke my heart and brought tears to my eyes. Immediately, two verses came to mind: “Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation” (Matthew 26:41); “The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you” (Romans 2:24 NLT). How did this happen, Lord? I prayed.

God knows the dangers we face every day; He also knows our flesh is weak. Desiring to obey Him is not enough to win the fight against the devil, which is why we need to pay attention to His admonishments, commands, and instructions. God is not lording it over us through His commands. He wants us to live victorious lives; His commands are for our good! Christians, please let’s wake up, watch, and pray, because our enemy, the devil, like a roaring lion, is looking for someone to devour (see 1 Peter 5:8-11).

How could this tragic situation have possibly happened: a Christian charged with fraud? It made no sense! But this could happen to any Christian, regarding any sin you could think of. If we don’t read, meditate, and obey the Word, we could fall into similar situations. As a Christian, I find this fraud situation very frightening. How did it even start? May the Lord help us to take His Word seriously; may we have the hunger for His Word, and do all it takes for us to apply the Word to our everyday living! Let’s not play with sin, because sin grows if we don’t nip it in the bud. Like Dr. Paul White wrote years ago, in his book Jungle Doctor’s Fables, “Small leopards (sins) become big leopards (sins), and big leopards (sins) kill.” Greed and covetousness, for instance, if not checked, could lead to lying, stealing, cheating, and even murder. Lust, if not checked, could lead to all kinds of sexual misconduct: fornication, adultery, and possibly murder.

Prevention of such a tragedy requires that we put on and keep on the whole armor of God, because the Bible tells us we are in an on-going battle with principalities and powers (see Ephesians 6:10-18). Therefore, we need to be ready at all times and not allow ourselves to be overtaken by sin. The devil is looking for opportunities to trip us up; let’s watch and pray with the whole Armor of God on.

Dr. David Jeremiah of Turning Point encourages his audience this way, “Memorizing Bible verses isn’t hard; it’s a matter of learning one word at a time until a particular verse is installed in your mind. Nothing is more powerful, practical, and personality-changing. Nor is there a better weapon in spiritual warfare than the Sword of the Spirit.” When Satan tempts you to worry, quote Philippians 4:6: “Be anxious for nothing.” When tempted to speak rashly, remember James 1:19: “Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” When you awaken in the night with problems nagging at your mind, begin reciting Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

The Psalmist said it so well when he said, “Thy Word I have hid in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). It cannot be overstated: godly living is the only way to avoid tragedies of this nature. The Psalmist did what he believed would preserve his relationship with God: holding the Word of God in high esteem. In his prayer, he asked God, “Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression” (Psalm 19:13 NLT).

Fellow Christians, we need to hate sin with passion, and not allow it to fester! In addition to it interrupting our personal relationship with God, we blow our testimony, unbelievers see us as phonies, and they conclude we have nothing to attract them to our God, the gospel, or the Church. Church of God, please, please, let’s do better! We can’t afford to send people to hell by the way we live. Let’s watch and pray, so we’ll not enter into temptation!

CHRISTIANS ARE CALLED TO BE:

Among other things, Christians are called to be: 

1) CHILDREN OF GOD
‘To all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He
gave the right to become the children of God” (John 1:12 NIV).

“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” Galatians 3:26 NIV).

How then should we behave as children? We should LOVE, REVERE,
OBEY, and SERVE Him.

2) FAMILY OF GOD/ BODY OF CHRIST/ CHURCH/HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH
“So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member
belongs to all the others” (Romans 12:5 NIV).

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one is a part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27 NIV).

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:10 NIV).

3) AMBASSADORS (Representing Christ in all we do and say)
“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20 NIV).

4) LIGHT
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see
your good deeds, and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16 NIV).

5) SALT
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how
can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except
to be thrown out and trampled by men” (Matthew 5:13 NIV).

6) SOUL WINNERS
“Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men” (Mark 1:17 NIV).
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations . . .” (Matthew 28:19 NIV).

7) PRIESTS / INTERCESSORS
“With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints (Christians)” (Ephesians 6:18 NIV).
“Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each
other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” James 5:16 NIV).
“Brothers, pray for us” (1 Thessalonians 5:25 NIV).

MEMORY VERSE: “Brothers, pray for us” (1 Thessalonians 5;25 NIV).
Any time you say that verse, please pray for someone

GOOD FRIDAY-WHY IT'S GOOD

What will make you conclude a day is good? I’ll agree with you if your good day includes: good health, a full tummy, a roof over your head, good friends and family, children behaving well and doing well in school, and a not-too-demanding work environment. Which kind of day would you consider a horrible day? I bet it’ll include: poor health, financial challenges, a demanding job, unfriendly neighbors, unexpected emergencies, and the like.

Why then do we call a day of suffering good? There was a Friday in history when Jesus, the Son of God, suffered mercilessly at the hands of sinners. One of His friends betrayed Him, another denied Him, and the others deserted Him. He was falsely accused, convicted after a bogus trial, made fun of, beaten, spat upon, and made to wear a crown of thorns, His clothes were stolen, and He was made to carry His own cross for as long as He could.

Eventually, He was crucified, and on the cross when He asked for water, He was offered vinegar. Finally, He died! That Friday, the immortal died! I’d say that was a horrible, unforgettable Friday. So why do we refer to that day as good?

It was a Good Friday because Jesus’ death brought good news to mankind! The curse that was pronounced in the Garden of Eden was lifted. The separation between God and man that resulted from sin in the Garden was restored (see Genesis 3:14-19; Galatians 3:13; Romans 5:18-19). Definitely, for mankind, it was a very, very good day! Our sins have been atoned for; God was reconciling the world to Himself through the death of Jesus (Matthew 26:28; John 1:29; Acts 2:38, 10:43; Hebrews 9:15; Psalm 32:1; 2 Corinthians 5:19).

However, the benefits of Good Friday are not automatic. The only way to benefit from Good Friday is to repent from your sins and place your faith in Jesus! Call on Him today, and He will forgive your sins and come and live in your heart through His Spirit. Please do not ignore or postpone this decision: it is that important! Where you spend eternity depends on it! (See Acts 10:43; Isaiah 53:10-11).