Be a Voice, Not an Echo

We received our monthly Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) magazine in the mail yesterday. My family has subscribed to this magazine for quite awhile now, but this time I decided to actually sit down and read it. This particular issue focused on China. I always knew China was a Communist nation but I didn't realize how much persecution goes on behind the Great Wall.

Christians in China have little access to Bibles and many times the Bibles they have are confiscated by the government and burned. Chinese Christians are laying it all out for their Savior but their voices are muffled by their oppressors.

While reading my Bible this morning God highlighted two verses inparticular:

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy."
-Proverbs 31:8-9

VOM's mission is to give a voice to the martyrs and the persecuted. Who would voice those cries if it weren't for VOM?

Those being persecuted don't have a voice. The unborn child doesn't have a voice. The homeless, the slave, the abused, the suffering.... who will be their voice? WE need to be the voice for the martyrs. WE need to be the voice for those who have none.

God has laid the persecuted church on my heart lately and I realize that I need to make time to pray for my brothers and sisters regularly. Who is God asking you to be the voice for?

Stop echoing the sound of this world. Be the voice of Christ. Stand for what's right. Proclaim the good news of Jesus. You have a voice- don't waste it!
Be the Voice, not the Echo!

Don't Hit the Snooze Button!

You know the sound. It's the loud "BEEP BEEP BEEP" that wakes us from our peaceful sleep every morning (often it comes much earlier than we would like). So what is our natural response to this disruption of our sleep? Typically we'll roll over in a groggy state and fumble around until a hand has managed to locate the most beloved part of the alarm clock- the snooze button.We think, "Just five more minutes and I'll get up." But after the five mintues pass and the alarm sounds again, we go through the same routine. This cycle can continue for as long as we allow it, but it's inevitable, eventually we will have to wake up.

How similar is that to our spirital lives? We say in our hearts, "Lord, just give me a few more minutes and then I'll do this or that". Before we know it we have spiritually hit the snooze button on God's will for our lives. We've made countless promises to Him to pick up our cross, deny ourselves, and follow Him, but when it comes down to actually doing it, we'd much rather hit the snooze button.

As I was growing up, my parents often told me that delayed obedience is disobedience. I wasn't a very obedient child so I heard those words a lot. That is also true when it comes to our Heavenly Dad. He commands us to love Him and lay down our lives for Him, but when we chose to put off what He's asked us to do we are living in disobedience. James says it best:

"Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins"

(James 4:17)

Jesus gave us the Great Commission and we are to live it out. We cannot be snoozing our lives away and ignoring the Holy Spirit's calling in our lives.

"Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die; save them as they stagger to their death. Don't excuse youreslf by saying, 'Look, we didn't know.' For God understands all hearts and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew. He will repay all peopel as their actions deserve." (Provers 24:11)

God has called us all to rescue those who are hurting and heading to Hell. We can't keep "playing dumb". There are real people out there with real needs. Jesus commands us to love and serve one another and He calls each of us to do it in different ways.When we stand before the King of Kings on Judment Day we won't be able to say "Lord, I didn't know" because we do know what He's called us to do. God's laid out the example clearly in the Bible through the life of Jesus Christ.

We live in a world that promotes leisure and laziness, but we must rise above it all and listen to what the Holy Spirit is telling us in each of our lives. We must wake up! There's work to be done.

No more excuses! And no more snooze buttons!

Back to the Basics

You and I were called to more. God calls us to live a life worthy of the calling we've received. (Ephesians 4:1). That calling is one of complete surrender, humility, and holiness. The world we live in promotes luxury, leisure, and self-satisfaction, but God calls us to more. If we don't step up and stand for our faith who will?? We can't use our parents generation as a crutch anymore. It's time to make our faith our own. But where do we start? I've been in the same spot as many of you. Wanting to make a difference but not knowing where to begin. Here are a few simple disciplines we can commit to in order to prepare us to lead our generation.

GOD'S WORD: it's still relevant
2 Timothy 3:16 "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness."
We have access to the written Word of God. Why don't we take advantage of it? If we want to know God better, read His word. Make time to read the Words of your Creator and Savior. So if you're reading this right now i give you total permission to close this window, log- off facebook, get off of twitter, turn of your cell phone, and pick up the Bible. The things God will show you just might blow you away!

PRAYER: talking with God
Prayer is more than using God as a vending machine. It's more than reading off your list of problems and then walking away. Prayer is a conversation with God. It's two-sided. Have alone time with God where you can pour your heart out to Him and listen to what He has to say. Unsure of where to start? Check out the example of prayer that Jesus gave in John 17.

SERVICE: it's not about me
Philippians 2: 3- 5 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus."
I know this might come as a shock, but life is not all about you. God created us to love and serve Him and we can do that by loving and serving others. There are countless people in the world that are hurting, hungry, and suffering. Who is going to help them if you don't? It's time to get up off the couch and reach out to those around you, and you don't have to look any farther than across the street or in the pew next to you to find them. Put on the attitude of Jesus and be willing to serve in any and every way. Little or big, God can use any bit of obedience to make a difference!

I know most of these things may seem like the typical Sunday School answer; however, we must go back to the basics. How many of you can honestly say you read your Bible, pray, or serve others consistently? We cannot make an impact on our generation if we cannot read our Bible daily or make time to pray for our friends. Lets get back to the basics and see where God takes us!

God of Justice

The song by Tim Hughes "God Of Justice" is what initially inspired Activate. I first heard this song at the Do Hard Things Tour last fall. It's very powerful and it sums up my goal for this ministry. I don't really know what the next step will be for this ministry, but I know that something needs to be done to reach my generation. We must step up and make our faith our own. We must rise above the self-saturated world and consciously live out our faith.

God Of Justice by: Tim Hughes

God of Justice, Saviour to all
Came to rescue the weak and the poor
Chose to serve and not be served

Jesus, You have called us
Freely we've received
Now freely we will give

We must go
live to feed the hungry
Stand beside the broken
We must go
Stepping forward
keep us from just singing
Move us into action
We must go

To act justly everyday
Loving mercy in everyway
Walking humbly before You God

You have shown us, what You require
Freely we've received
Now freely we will give

Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out Lord


Will you join me in prayer for the next generation and the future of the church? Pray that God will keep us from just singing and move us into action. WE MUST GO!