God wants us to be committed to Him. In other words, we are to be wholeheartedly dedicated or completely loyal to serving God. In order to be truly committed to God, we must first accept His Son Jesus into our lives. Now, some may ask, “Why do we HAVE to accept Jesus? Why can’t we just bypass that part of the process?” According to the book of Genesis, once Adam and Even disobeyed God, sin, which is defined as wickedness, wrongdoing, or transgression, was then allowed to run rampant. As a result, man became spiritually disconnected from God.
5 For there is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave His life to purchase freedom for everyone.
Imagine you are in court to prove your innocence. Jesus is your mediator or defense attorney because you have chosen to repent of your sins and confess Him as your Lord and Savior. He stands before God the Judge, on your behalf, declaring that you are innocent of all charges!
DO YOU HAVE TO BE A PREACHER TO TELL OTHERS ABOUT JESUS?
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
I know what you’re thinking! You’re not like the men who walked with Jesus. You’re not a preacher, pastor, or prophet. You’re just a regular church-goer. That’s perfectly okay! You don’t have to hold any of those clergical positions. You may not have a church, a television ministry, a radio ministry, or an outreach ministry, but what you do have is a STORY! That’s right! God wants you to tell YOUR STORY!
For instance, perhaps you were once addicted to alcohol, drugs, or both, until Jesus saved you and set you free. Maybe you endured abuse while growing up, but Jesus came into your life and healed you mentally and emotionally. There might have been a time in your life when you struggled with suicidal thoughts, like so many people today. Fortunately, by the grace of God, you have been delivered from those ugly thoughts of death and now see yourself through God’s eyes. Perhaps, like me, you used to feel lonely and insecure, but when you put all your trust in Jesus, He turned your life around and gave you a newfound purpose for living!
WHOM DO YOU TELL ABOUT JESUS?
Whatever your story is, God wants you to share it! With whom do you share your story? You share your story with those around you, like family members, friends, neighbors, co-workers, classmates, the person you’re sitting next to in the waiting room at the doctor’s office, and SOCIAL MEDIA! Although some use social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter in a negative light, the internet is a perfect tool for spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ! In fact, I personally believe that we, as believers, should focus more on posting the positive, rather than the negative, simply because we should always represent Jesus. Non-believers should be able to recognize that we are Christians by our conversations, behavior, and treatment of others.
I came to realize that those moments of loneliness and feelings of rejection were all worth it, if it meant being an example or role model to someone. I am grateful for my experiences and wouldn’t go back and change a thing!
My aunt, my mother’s eldest sister, Pearlie I. Ealey-Forrest, a.k.a. Aunt Inez, has dedicated her life to telling others about Jesus. She is the author of several books, including Are All of the Children Inside?, a biography of their father Jeremiah Ealey, and God Knows The Way That I Take, a book about her own personal journey. Both books can currently be purchased on amazon.com.
Most recently she has written another book, which I had the pleasure of helping to edit. In the book, she shares her many experiences of leading people to Jesus Christ. Once the book is published, I will encourage everyone to buy it, as well. It provides much needed spiritual enlightenment and inspiration!
WHY WAS I BORN IN SIN?
The little girl in that story was me! On this particular day, at 7 or 8 years of age, I made the best decision of my life when I accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior.
Why are all born in sin? According to the third chapter of Genesis, the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God. When God created Adam, he instructed him not to eat fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. He could eat from all the other trees in the Garden of Eden, but he and Eve were to leave that particular tree alone. If they chose to eat from that tree, they would surely die (Genesis 2:17)! Does that mean they would drop dead the moment they took a bite of the fruit? No, rather they would immediately experience a spiritual death and, in time, a physical one. Without God’s grace and mercy, the final result would be eternal destruction or hell. Unfortunately, they allowed Satan, who was speaking through the serpent, to convince them to disobey the voice of God, opening the door for sin to run rampant.
Prior to making this foolish and detrimental choice, Adam and Eve were created as perfect beings. For instance, they were immortal, and with that came perfect health, weight, skin, and hair, along with constant energy. They had no need for clothing because they were unashamed. Moreover, they were the most intelligent creatures alive because God intentionally created them in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26). Sadly, they gave all that up for a piece of fruit!
WHAT HAPPENED WHEN GOD CONFRONTED ADAM AND EVE?
What happened when God confronted Adam and Eve about their disobedience? When they ate the forbidden fruit, they immediately felt guilty and used fig leaves to try to cover up the parts of their bodies that gave them the most shame.
What the first couple failed to realize is God doesn’t want to hear our excuses for why we sin and continue to sin. He only wants our confession and repentance.
Although Adam and Eve messed up, God had another plan! He gave His only begotten Son Jesus (John 3:16) as a living sacrifice to die on our behalf, and three days later He rose again.
So, when we receive Jesus, we are made righteous before God and are guaranteed eternal life once we leave this earth, the way God originally intended.
To begin this brand new year of 2019 on a positive note, I encourage you to repent of your sins and accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord. If you already received Jesus, but are not where you used to be spiritually, I encourage you to rededicate your life to Him. Furthermore, don’t just ask Jesus to save you from eternal damnation, but allow Him to be Lord of your life, in control of your life, again the way God originally intended!
WHY DO BELIEVERS IN CHRIST NEED TO BE STRONG?
Today, most specifically here in the United States, we, as believers, are not threatened with physical persecution, like the apostle Paul. Nevertheless, we are persecuted. For instance, perhaps you have endured lies, ridicule, and, even, rejection for believing in Jesus. Whatever the case may be, through it all, you must be strong!
HOW DO BELIEVERS WITHSTAND OPPOSING VIEWS?
Jesus isn’t the Son of God!
Jesus was only a prophet!
Jesus didn’t die for our sins!
Jesus didn’t rise from the dead!
If you’re not strong in your faith, you can be easily led astray by those who don’t follow Christ. Therefore, you have to be strengthened daily through prayer, worship, and God’s Word. You will then know how to “[cast] down imaginations, and every high thing that [exalts] itself against the knowledge of God, and [bring] into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ,” (II Corinthians 10:5, King James Version). In other words, in time we learn how to dismiss words of doubt from naysayers with God’s Word, just as Jesus did when He was tempted by the devil in the wilderness (Matthew 4, Mark 1, Luke 4).
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT FOR BELIEVERS?
Once we invite Jesus Christ to live in our hearts, through our faith in Him—believing He died for our sins and rose from the dead—we should also invite the Holy Spirit to fill us. At our church Power and Faith Ministries in Fairifield, Ohio, while we believe in accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior, we also believe in being filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues, as the believers did on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2.
Each time we pray in our heavenly language (as we also like to call it since it comes from God), our spirits are strengthened.
Overtime, we recognize more and more just how great God’s love is, and His love becomes strong in us.
WHY IS LOVE SO IMPORTANT IN THE BODY OF CHRIST?
If we’re full of GOD, then we’re full of LOVE; if we’re full of LOVE, then we’re full of GOD, thereby being strengthened.
When we’re full of love—GOD—we won’t do anything to hurt God and each other.
Once we are saved, do we possess unconditional love automatically? No, not necessarily. Thus, we must follow the example of Jesus which is displayed so vividly in the Bible. What was His biggest demonstration of love? Absolutely! His crucifixion, burial, and resurrection! Naturally, we are not expected to follow in His footsteps and sacrifice our lives for all mankind on a rugged cross. Nevertheless, we can show the love of God in other ways. Just as Jesus exemplified, while He lived as a man here on Earth, we can love through our kindness, encouragement, helping hand, generosity, and selfless prayers. In a nutshell, we must CHOOSE to love!
Again, how do we gain inner strength, so we may be able to stand up against persecution, the views of non-believers, and sin?
The above words are part of a prayer the apostle Paul prayed on behalf of the Gentiles in Ephesians 3:16 (New Living Translation). In the beginning of the chapter, Paul informed them that God had chosen him to minister to them.
Our Heavenly Father sent His beloved Son out of love for ALL humanity, not just a select few.
As Paul continued in the third chapter of Ephesians, he encouraged the Gentiles to not worry about him because of his sufferings. The apostle Paul endured much suffering and persecution for preaching about Jesus and, now, for preaching to the Gentiles.
Like Paul, what have YOU gone through or are going through now as a result of taking a stand for Christ? What type of persecution have you faced or are facing for telling others about Jesus?
What have you suffered or are yet suffering because you’ve chosen to live holy before God? What have you sacrificed by interceding for others? Whatever it is, don’t lose heart! Don’t give up! Instead, I pray you are strengthened!
Paul didn’t allow his suffering and persecution to deter him because he was INSIDE STRONG. In other words, he was strong mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Paul lived by faith in God. He knew he was called to be a servant of Jesus Christ, and he was, wholeheartedly, committed to his calling.
As you embark upon this new year, God says you must be INSIDE STRONG. God wants to do something new in your life. He wants to reveal more of His will to you. Although you may say you’re blessed now, God wants to bless you in an even greater way. More importantly, God wants to use you to reach more souls for His Kingdom. However, none of that will be accomplished if you’re not mentally, emotionally, and spiritually prepared.
HOW DO YOU BECOME INSIDE STRONG?
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” (Philippians 4:13, New King James Version).
He was letting every believer know that our strength comes from the Lord. Needless to say, in order to be made INSIDE STRONG we must first repent of our sins and accept Jesus as Savior and Lord. Jesus must be our LORD as much as He is our Savior. There are those who want Jesus to save their souls from eternal damnation, but don’t want Him to be Lord over their lives. However, it doesn’t work that way. Praying the prayer of salvation is only the beginning. We must build a strong relationship with God through worship, prayer, and His Word.
I challenge you, as I challenge myself, to stop focusing so much on the outer man, what the public can see. Do not concern yourself with what people think about you. Instead, be more concerned about God’s view. Take this time to focus on the inner man—your mind, your emotions, and your spirit. As you are strengthened on the inside, the outside will fall in line.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE INSIDE STRONG?
“…..I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in Heaven and on Earth. I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit,” (Ephesians 3:14b-16, New Living Translation).
Sounds good, doesn’t it? Sounds pretty inspiring, don’t you think? Sounds easy, right? NOT! I’ve come to realize during this journey called LIFE that living out my personal motto or declaration can only be achieved if I am INSIDE STRONG!
What does it mean for an individual to be INSIDE STRONG?
As followers of Christ, it’s necessary to be strong within our hearts, minds, and spirits.
WHAT DETERMINES THE COURSE OF YOUR LIFE?
Wow! That’s a very powerful statement, isn’t it? As the scripture states, we are to guard or “protect, nourish, and care for” our hearts. I believe “heart” in this verse has two meanings. For one, we must take care of the heart or that organ that pumps blood throughout the body. We do so by eating right, exercising, sleeping, and relaxing.
Secondly, we must take care of ourselves mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Why is this so important? How well you protect your “heart” determines the person you will be and the life you will live. Imagine the life of a person whose heart is filled with anger, unforgiveness, hatred, or even depression. On the other hand, imagine the life of an individual who has allowed God to heal his or her heart and is, therefore, now filled with joy, peace, and love!
DO YOU NEGLECT THE INNER MAN?
Some, including Christians, unfortunately, neglect the inner man. I know because I’ve been guilty! Why, you ask? Our primary focus is the outer man. We spend more time on our outward appearance, like our clothes and hair. Now, don’t get me wrong! I like to look nice just as much as the next person, and I keep my regular hair appointments. Nevertheless, it becomes a problem when you’re willing to stay broke spending money in boutiques and Nike outlets and on cars and houses you really can’t afford just to keep up a particular persona.
In fact, the fashion industry alone is worth billions of dollars. Coresight Research, a research network of global retailers, brands, and innovators, estimates that the worldwide clothing market is worth approximately $278 billion thanks to those of us who use clothes and shoes to make up for what is lacking on the inside.
There are those who fail to protect their hearts because they’re too busy performing for others. What do I mean? Well, let’s consider social media. Personally, I believe that sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter can be very beneficial when it comes to connecting on both personal and professional levels. However, I find that one of the downsides to the internet is that some people use it to portray themselves to be something they aren’t. Although I don’t believe it’s necessary to display all your dirty laundry via the internet, I don’t think you need to lie either. For example, several months ago, an individual I know fairly well, announced their new marriage on social media. The announcement was news to me. I wasn’t even aware this individual was dating anyone. When I did further investigating into the matter, they revealed that they only made that particular post to impress their “friends” and followers. Initially, I laughed it off, but when I think about it now, I think it’s sad that a person feels the need to embellish the truth just for “likes” from people who don’t even know them, let alone care about them.
What people think about you is not important. I’m not talking about putting your best foot forward in a job interview or performing your duties at work to the best of your ability. Rather, you don’t need to go out of your way to make others accept and like you. This is a lesson I had to learn. If people like you, they like you. If they don’t, then they just don’t. What matters is that God loves you, and the Bible let’s us know that He, indeed, loves you and me! Therefore, He is the one we must focus on pleasing.
WHAT DOES MAN SEE VS. WHAT GOD SEES?
“….Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart,” (I Samuel 16:7b, NLT).
In fact, God said no to all seven of Jesse’s eldest sons. To everyone’s surprise, God chose the youngest son David to be the next king of Israel and instructed Samuel to anoint him while his father and brothers looked on (I Samuel 16).
Again, as children of God, let’s not be concerned about impressing people. Rather, let’s be most concerned about impressing God. How do we impress God? We impress Him by first repenting of our sins, accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and building a relationship with Him through worship, prayer, and obeying His Word. When we focus on pleasing God, that’s when we become INSIDE STRONG!
WHAT IS A TRUE SOLDIER?
On April 5, 2003, at the age of 34, Army Staff Sergeant Stevon A. Booker was killed by enemy fire in Iraq during a raid into Baghdad. Although I had heard and read about other casualties of war, this particular incident hit close to home because he was family! To the world he was Staff Sergeant Booker, but to those close to him, he was Stevie.
I was in shock the night I received the news that he was dead. My heart especially ached for his mother, sister and nephew. Stevie was gone??? No! It couldn’t be right! Again, he was ONLY 34 years old!!! He had been in the service since he was 18 or 19 years old.
He still had so many more years to live. In fact, following his death, I was told that Stevie had made plans to bring home a special lady, also a member of the service, to meet his family, and in just a few more years, he would have been eligible to retire. However, none of that was going to happen now, and it just didn’t seem fair!
As I pondered over the tragic event, I found solace in knowing that Stevie was a true soldier! A soldier can be defined as an enlisted man or woman. However, just because one survives boot camp doesn’t necessarily mean he or she is a TRUE soldier! A true soldier is willing to fight in order to defend his or her own. In battle or war, a true soldier risks being injured, maimed and even killed. Although we didn’t want to believe that Stevie was never coming back, we had to remember one thing! He was a true soldier who had made an allegiance to the army and to this country, even if it meant losing his life!
ARE YOU A TRUE SOLDIER?
Paul was informing them that as Christians they would face trouble. In other words, at times they would be persecuted, hungry and destitute, and in grave danger because they chose to follow Jesus Christ.
This truth still resonates today. As believers in Christ, we will face challenges, just as Jesus faced challenges while living on earth as a man. Because He was ridiculed, we will be ridiculed. Because He was mistreated, we can expect to be mistreated. Because He was attacked, we shouldn’t be surprised if we’re attacked. Therefore, we must learn to persevere.
Paul wrote a letter to his young Christian brother Timothy encouraging him to continue doing the work of the Lord and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, despite any suffering and hardship he would experience.
Like a true soldier, as believers in Christ, we’ve made a commitment to serve God. Consider the apostle Paul. He was totally committed to telling others about Jesus, even if it meant sacrificing his life. In II Corinthians 11, he acknowledged being a prisoner and facing death countless times, including being whipped and even stoned by Jews and Gentiles alike. Three times he was shipwrecked. There were nights he didn’t get any sleep and days he went without food, water or warm clothing. Nevertheless, because of his faith in Jesus and undying devotion, he continued to persevere. He kept praying, preaching and encouraging other believers.
ARE YOU FULFILLING YOUR COMMITMENT?
Just as the apostle Paul persevered, I encourage you to do the same! Don’t allow anything or anyone to stop you from fulfilling your commitment to God. Trust that even when you go through, that God is with you. Know that every struggle is worth it, because not only do you gain rewards on earth, but you will gain the reward of eternal life because you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and remained faithful to the end!