Fear of God [Luke 12:4-5]

Luke 12:4 "And I say to you, My friends, don't fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more.
Luke 12:5 But I will show you the One to fear: Fear Him who has authority to throw people into hell after death. Yes, I say to you, this is the One to fear!

What is the fear of God? It seems that in churches today we have been caught up in the “lovey-dovey” God and the God who is “just so beautiful”. With that kind of a mindset, the fear of God is simply (as I have heard before) “God is just so wonderful” and “I just respect Him so much.” Seriously? Ok, let’s think about something for a minute. If I receive Christ as my personal Savior I get to spend eternity with Him. I no longer have to incur the judgment of God for the payment of my sin. Now let’s take a quick turn, if I don’t accept Christ what happens? I must pay for my own sin. How is that? I will have to endure God’s wrath which has the power to send me to hell.

Fear of God. Is part of it God being wonderful, yes. Is part of it respect, yes. Those are great, but it seems that true “fear of God” has more to do with what God can do with my soul if I do not turn my life over to Him. As martyr Bishop Hooper said, “life is sweet, and death bitter; but eternal life is more sweet, and eternal death more bitter.” Yes, I say to you, this is the One to fear!

(if you need more information on how to escape eternity hell and spend eternity with Christ, email me at adtaylor2@liberty.edu)

Aaron Taylor

Malachi 4:2 [Selected Scriptures]

Today I am going to take a little different approach to this. Jason (Youth Pastor at First Baptist) came across some interesting information that I would like to share with you. He noted that there are a lot of things in the Bible that we overlook because we do not understand the Jewish meanings. Here is one of them:

If we turn over to Numbers 15:38 we read, “"Speak to the Israelites and tell them that throughout their generations they are to make tassels for the corners of their garments, and put a blue cord on the tassel at each corner.” In the Jewish culture, these “tassels” or “fringe” (as translated elsewhere) on a cloak were often referred to as “wings”.

Now let’s read Malachi 4:2 with that in mind, “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and playfully jump like calves from the stall.” Could the sun of righteousness be referring to Jesus? Let’s continue to read.

Matthew 9:20 says, “Just then, a woman who had suffered from bleeding for 12 years approached from behind and touched the tassel on His robe.” This woman came and touched the tassel (wing) of Jesus’ robe and if we continue to read we find out she was completely healed. Does this sound like Malachi 4:2? Let’s look at one more verse.

Mark 6:56 says, “Wherever He would go, into villages, towns, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him that they might touch just the tassel of His robe. And everyone who touched it was made well.” People would just touch the tassel (wing) on Jesus’ robe and be healed. Again, does this sound like Malachi 4:2?

As Jason told me, it is interesting how many times we overlook verses because we “think” we know what they mean or we simply do not understand them and do not want to put the time in to study the verse out. A simple study of Malachi 4:2 revealed that this was a prophecy of Jesus, something I had never seen before. I encourage you to take the time to understand verses that are difficult. You never know what things you might uncover!

Aaron Taylor

Shamed for His name [Acts 5:38-42]

Act 5:38 And now I say to you, Withdraw from these men and let them alone. For if this counsel or this work is of men, it will come to nothing.
Act 5:39 But if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it, lest perhaps you be found even to fight against God.
Act 5:40 And they obeyed him. And calling the apostles, beating them, they commanded not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
Act 5:41 Then indeed they departed from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be shamed for His name.
Act 5:42 And every day in the temple, and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching the gospel: Jesus Christ.

We see here part of the story of the apostles teaching the message of Jesus Christ. The apostles were preaching the message of Jesus without reservation and proclaiming His name in the streets. Well, the high priests were not happy about this. They had the apostles arrested and put into prison. We all know how the apostles were, like prison would stop them! Yeah right! That same night an angel of the Lord came and opened the doors to the prison and told the apostles to “Go! Stand and speak all the words of this Life to the people in the temple.” (Acts 5:20).

When the high priests came to the prison the next morning they found the cells empty. The high priests then had the apostles brought to them and asked them “Did we not strictly command you that you not teach in this name? And behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring this man's blood on us.” (Acts 5:28). We see God speaking directly through Peter with his response, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” God told the apostles to preach the message and men were not going to stand in their way. With this response the high priests determined to have the apostles killed, until Gamaliel stood up and spoke.
Gamaliel told them that they needed to let the apostles go. Why was this? He knew that if the apostle’s message was not from God that it would eventually fade away, but if it was from God they could not fight it.

Well, the apostles were beaten by the high priests and then they were ordered not to preach the gospel anymore. Now, this is where we see faith exercised by what is said about the apostles after being beaten, “Then indeed they departed from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be shamed for His name.” They were excited because they were found worthy to be beaten for Christ.

I know many times when I am faced with opposition in my faith, I get down and discouraged. Why am I being opposed? What did I do? This verse is very refreshing to see knowing that we need to count opposition as a joy. God counted us worthy to shamed for His name.

Aaron Taylor

Contentment. [Philipians 4:11-13]

Php 4:11 I don't say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.
Php 4:12 I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content--whether well-fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need.
Php 4:13 I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.

I do not think that we fully understand how awesome our God really is! Yesterday, I found out that the job that I formerly held no longer needed me. As some of you know, I work an internship at my home church, but do not get paid for the position. So, loosing this other job meant that I had no money to live off of except what was in my accounts. My world somewhat came crashing down upon me yesterday. So, what do we do when this happens? PRAY! When I was praying I told God that I knew the internship I was in was under His blessing, I knew that He had opened the doors in January for me to do it and I knew that He would continue to provide.

I was trying my best to live out what Paul discusses her in Philippians. He says that in whatever situation we are in we need to be content. Whether we have a lot or a little, we need to understand that God has blessed us with that much. Whether I had a job or did not have a job, God was blessing my life either way. It was when I realized that and truly believed it that God opened another door for me.

God gave me an old position back at my previous employers that will not hinder my internship. I will still be able to work at the church the same hours that I currently am. It will not cut into any of the study time that I have commited to college. I will not have to give up any of the classes that I currently teach in the youth ministry. God will provide. I will actually be making almost double what I previously was and be in an environment where I can boldly share my faith. Is God good? Oh yes He is! Oh yes He is!

I would encourage you today to look at your life and the situations that God has brought your way. Why not try living out what Paul discusses in these verses above? It is truly possible to be content in all your circumstances and eventually God will show you what He has in store for you next.

And remember: If God brings you to it, He will definitely bring you through it!

Christ’s Slave,
Aaron Taylor

Sexual Temptations [Proverbs 23:26-27]

Pro 23:26 My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.
Pro 23:27 For a prostitute is a deep pit, and a forbidden woman is a narrow well.

It is safe to say that the common driving force behind media today is sexuality. From alcohol ads to reality shows to even what is considered to be “family time” on the major television stations. They are all plagued with sex temptations. What message does that send to people? “It’s your body, do what you want with it.” Are we serious? 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 tell us that our bodies do not belong to us, but they are the Lord’s. Christians house the Holy Spirit! But it’s my body, I can do what I want with it…

Let’s take a moment and observe what Solomon tells us about the sexual temptations we are faced with:

Let me first begin with a story. Recently, I attended a graduation party for a friend of mine. In the house where this party was held there was a twenty foot deep well, about 16 feet of it was filled with water and leaves. There was a bunch of boys playing in this backyard all around the age of 11. Time and time again these kids would run by the well, stop, look in and move on. As time passed, they became more and more intrigued by what was inside. Eventually, one of the boys pressed down too hard on the sheet of wood that was covering the top and he fell in head first! A twenty foot well, sixteen feet of murky water and leaves now trapped this helpless child. In his own strength he could not escape. It was only when his grandfather came over in a panic and pulled him out by the arm.

The analogy that Solomon gives is comparable to the story of the well. He calls these sexual temptations a narrow well when they are followed through with. It starts with just a look down the well, then we get more curious, and more until eventually we are trapped in sin. Just as the child was held by the murky water, so too can this sin entrap us.

There is hope though! The child’s grandfather pulled him out. Guess what? Jesus can pull us out if was ask. He is more than willing to forgive and restore. Remember 1 John 1:9?

Are you trapped right now? Does it seem like you can not get out? Ask God, He’s waiting right by the well, ready to take you out and clean you up!

Master Sin [Genesis 4:6-7]

Gen 4:6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you furious? And why are you downcast?
Gen 4:7 If you do right, won't you be accepted? But if you do not do right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must master it."

We read in the verses that precede this about Cain and Abel’s offerings to the Lord. Cain was a farmer and he presented the Lord with some of the land’s produce. Abel was a shepherd and he presented the Lord with the firstborn of his flock and its fat portions. As we continue to read, we see that the Lord did not accept Cain’s offering. Why was that? There are a few different interpretations of why God did not accept his offering, but the most widely recognized is that it was not a blood sacrifice. Abel offered a God a blood sacrifice, Cain did not. This caused Cain to become very angry with God; anger so deep that the Bible says he was “furious”. Cain was beginning to meditate on the idea of killing Abel. God confronted him with this and told him he had the option to do right or to let sin take control of him.

As I was studying this week on what it means to be “Ninja for God” (Romans 12:1-2), I came across this verse in Genesis dealing with sin. The first step in being “Ninja for God” is to put away sin in your life, eliminate it. I have come to realize that many times we come to accept the sins in our lives. We brainwash ourselves into believing that it is just another part of our day and we can not get rid of it. Well, I’m here to tell you that is a lie straight from Hell. Sin is a choice; every time we sin, we choose to. God was telling this same thing to Cain. He had the choice to allowing sin to have him, or to master sin. That’s right, master sin. Master it meaning not allowing it to control you, but getting rid of it.

Our Christian walk demands of us to be a living sacrifice for God (Ninja for God). As I said before, to do this we have to make a choice: am I going to master sin or is it going to master me? Pose yourself with that question and remember this verse next time you are faced with sin. Master it.

Aaron Taylor

Take up your cross [Luke 9:23]

Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, "If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

This is the first mention of the word “cross” that Jesus speaks to His disciples. What did the cross represent to them? It was a violent torture device used by the Romans for execution. It caused excruciating pain in the hands and feet. The nerve endings in both we overloaded by the bodies weight on the nails; the signals sent to the brain would be unbearable and cause one to wish for death. The diaphragm was stretched out, making breathing nearly impossible. The only hope for a breath was to push up on the nails in the feet. It was a sign of a violent death. A degrading death. A death that no one would want to experience.

What was Jesus asking of His disciples? Total commitment. Jesus wanted a willingness from them to die for Him. Total commitment.

Did we see that from them? There were areas in their walks where they stumbled, but got back up. As we look at church history, we see that the only one of the disciples that did not die a martyrs death was John, but he was willing to give his life by following Jesus all the way to the cross. All the others were crucified (some upside down), beheaded, or skinned alive. Total commitment was not just a word for them, it was their life.

Are we willing to give that type of devotion to Jesus? I don’t believe that this is a “when I get to that point in my walk with Christ, then I commit to that” type of promise. Jesus does not say “when you ready to do this let me know.” His command is, “if you want to follow me, you give me total commitment.” Anything less is not enough.

Total commitment. Are you willing?

Think about it... [Hebrews 13:2]

Heb 13:2 Don't neglect to show hospitality, for by doing this some have welcomed angels as guests without knowing it.

Yesterday, I heard someone make this statement, “Maybe that was an angel God put into my life and I didn’t even know it.” Have you ever thought about that? I sat here and looked back on my life briefly, trying to remember different people I have encountered only once. How did I treat them? As I thought about it I think I have failed more in showing hospitality more that I have succeeded. Until yesterday, it never really hit me that it could have been an angel from God sent to minister to me. How many times did I brush off the man at the gas station? How many times did I overlook someone needing help carrying groceries? How many times? We never know if who we are neglecting was sent by God; could it be a test? Think about it.

Aaron Taylor

Don't Worry [Luke 12:29-31]

Luk 12:29 Don't keep striving for what you should eat and what you should drink, and don't be anxious.
Luk 12:30 For the Gentile world eagerly seeks all these things, and your Father knows that you need them.
Luk 12:31 "But seek His kingdom, and these things will be provided for you.

Recently my family has been struggling with the whole concept of “worry”. My dad has been on the chopping block at work for sometime now. They tell him that he needs to “shape up” and “do better”. There is one problem with that: it is not justified. He is currently running the best numbers in his district in customer satisfaction and in sales. How can you shape up out of that? He is doing all that he can to do his best. When this situation escalates and falls, the thought always creeps into your mind “What if we don’t have food? What about clothes?” I know that my family knows that we will not run out of food, we will have a place to stay and everything will be ok. Though, the thought is still there. What are we to do when this “worry” of what comes next plagues our mind? Let’s look at what Jesus has to say:

Jesus initially poses us with the illustration of the ravens. They do not go out and plant seed, in order to come back later and harvest that seed for food. Nor do they store up food to come back to it later for a meal. They just do not operate like that. What do they do? When meal time comes, they find food and eat it. God takes care of them. They do not worry about their next meal. What do you think?

Jesus also poses the illustration of the grass and the flowers. The flowers have no worry of what they will be clothed with. All they do is what they were designed to do and that is grow. Look at a field: the flowers are clothed with umatched beauty, clothed in beauty greater than that of Solomon. What do you think?

Jesus asks us a question about worry, “Can any of you add a cubit to his height by worrying?” What will worrying about anything accomplish? It is not going to make you taller, nor will it add years to your life. So, why do it? What do you think?

God knows all that we need to survive in this life and He promises us that He will provide for all of our needs. What are we to do? Let’s take a look at verse 31, “But seek His kingdom, and these things will be provided for you.” We need to serve God and not worry about ourselves. Whether that be witnessing to the neighbor, helping with VBS, or teaching a Sunday school class. God has kingdom work for each one of us to do. That should be our focus. What is going to matter more in the scheme of eternity: what you did to worry about you? Or what you did for God? What do you think?

Aaron Taylor

What happens to me when I am saved? [Ephesians 4:22-24]

Eph 4:22 you took off your former way of life, the old man that is corrupted by deceitful desires;
Eph 4:23 you are being renewed in the spirit of your minds;
Eph 4:24 you put on the new man, the one created according to God's likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.

What happens to me when I am saved?

When we are saved we take off our former way of life. Imagine walking down the road and doing a 180 degree turn and walking the opposite direction. We leave the old life behind, in the dust, and live in a way that is totally opposite than before.

When we are saved we take of the old man, the old man that is corrupted by deceitful desires. When we going shopping and buy new clothes, an entire new wardrobe, what do we do with the old clothes? Get rid of them! Throw them out! We read in Romans 6:6 that our old man was crucified with Christ so that sins dominion over the body is no more. Our old man is out the door and no longer has control over us.

When we are saved we are renewed in the spirit of our minds. The very make up of my being is changed. What makes be tick is renovated. My heart, my attitude, my thoughts, my desires, my everything, is renewed. Made clean.

When we are saved we put on a new man. My former way of life is gone; the old nature I possessed is out the door; my very being is being transformed; all for the regeneration of what I was created to be. I was created to be like Christ. Genesis 1:27 tells us that God created man in His own image. I was created in God’s image. I was created to be a center piece for my maker. One who gives praise and lives in such a way as to express praise. I was created to be like Christ.

For many people this is a very simple subject. Then why can’t we get it right?

For those of us that are saved, why are we holding on to those sinful desires of the past? Christ tells us in Luke 5:36-39 about this. No one who has tasted new wine wants the old. That’s crazy! Why do we do this? We are not fully dependent on God. If we can just hold on to that shred of the past, we still have control. Turn that control over to God. He won’t let you down and you definitely will not want the old man ever again.

For those of you that are not saved, what’s holding you back? God is waiting and willing to let you let Him be the master of your life. As you read above, even Christians struggle with fully submitting to God. We are not perfect. The difference is once you are saved, God is on your side.

Think about it. Feel free to contact any of the administrators of the Christian- Ninja Alliance for more information.

Doesn’t it feel good to be a child of God?

Aaron Taylor

Taming the Tongue [James 3:7-10]

Jas 3:7 For every creature--animal or bird, reptile or fish--is tamed and has been tamed by man,
Jas 3:8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
Jas 3:9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who are made in God's likeness.
Jas 3:10 Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things should not be this way.

I was reading an article a few days ago by a man who is an atheist. For those of you who are unfamiliar with that term, it is someone who does not believe in God. His article talked about how many Christians are hypocrites. We say one thing and act one way when we are in “church” mode and then the moment that turns off we are just like everyone else. We talk like everyone else; we act like everyone else; what difference is there? Upon reading it I became very disturbed; not because I disagreed, but because I agreed with this man. In my life, I don’t see this occurring to the extent that he was portraying, but I can only speak for myself.

We read in James about being a hypocrite. This portion dealing with our tongue. The most powerful muscle in our body, small in size, but capable of a lifetime of scarring. James tells us that no man can tame the tongue and it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. Our tongue has the capabilities to do some serious damage. We have the ability to say things that can burn someone to the core. What is interesting is while our tongue has the ability to hurt and the ability to praise, it is not limited to one or the other. Hypocrite?

With the same mouth that we praise God, we can also tear down our brother. With the same mouth that compliments a friend, we can disgrace our enemy. With the same mouth that expresses thanksgiving, we can tell a lie. Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. James tells us very clearly this is not acceptable. We are new creations in Christ, created for good works which God prepared ahead of time (Eph. 2:10). So, why do we continue to live as before?

Here’s the challenge. We know the capabilities of our tongues. We know what we can do and what we should do as Christians. Let’s take the first step today and give our tongues to God. Let Him take control of our speech. We read in Ephesians 5:19, that our speech to each other should always be a praise to God. With God’s help, it is possible. If we go it alone, we will continue to be hypocrites.

Make sure you keep each other accountable. For those of you that know me and see me weekly, keep me accountable. God tells us in Proverbs 27:17, we can sharpen each other. We can help strengthen each other. It is possible, we just have to be willing.

Aaron Taylor