Developing a Life Skill

During this past April, our Youth Hour—a teaching time when my wife and I meet with our church teens—was dedicated to a series entitled “Life Lessons.” For these meetings, I invited several men in our church who are proficient in their fields to speak about their personal and professional lives. I was greatly encouraged by the response of many of our teenagers; even at a young age, they realized the benefit of these practical lessons.
The more that I considered what we were seeking to have accomplished by the end of the month, the more I felt compelled to study the lives of people in the Bible who also possessed certain skills or abilities which God at times used for specific tasks. Noah was a builder, Joseph a governor, David a shepherd, Nehemiah a cupbearer, Luke a physician, Paul a tentmaker, and Peter a fisherman. Cooks, doorkeepers, gardeners, harpists, hunters, instructors, judges, merchants, messengers, musicians, philosophers, scribes, soldiers, tax collectors—all of these occupations and scores of other trades dot Bible passages. And from time to time, the Lord used the skill set of an individual, for a particular task or as a point of illustration.
As I thought of America’s youth—the next generation of Christian leaders—I wondered, “What skills or trades are they learning?” There was a time when it was not unusual for a young person to serve as an apprentice (an “intern,” in modern-day vernacular) under a master of a field or trade until he himself became an expert. Regrettably, it seems as if we have become consumers, not producers—spectators, not leaders. One report estimates that 60% of teenagers spend 20 hours a week in front of a television or computer screen; these statistics exclude talking on the cell phone, texting, or other activities. This certainly does not mean that teenagers are lazy; on the contrary, their fund of energy seems without limit, fueling activity after activity. But with their extra time, young men and ladies would be wise to develop skills to use to their benefit and, more importantly, for the Lord’s work in the coming years.
Teenager, perhaps you have not considered what skill you might develop. Here are a few suggestions to point you in the right direction:

1. Find a skill that interests you.
   What can you become passionate and excited about doing?
   
   • Accounting and Finances
   • Agriculture
   • Architecture
   • Business
   • Carpentry
   • Childcare
   • Communication
   • Computer and Software Proficiency
   • Construction and Electrical Wiring
   • Culinary Arts
   • Education
   • Fine Arts and Music
   • Graphic and Web Design
   • Health and Fitness
   • Landscaping
   • Law
   • Maintenance
   • Marketing and Sales
   • Mechanics
   • Organization
   • Painting
   • Photography and Video (Media)
   • Writing
2. Focus on the purpose of that skill.
   The purpose for developing our abilities and talents is to further our productivity for the cause of Christ. Think with me how the listed skills above and others can be used for the ministry. The goal of our learning is not so that we can make money or become rich, but that we can use these skills to help and further the work of our Lord. “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (I Corinthians 10:31).
3. Finish and don’t quit.
   As you begin to develop your ability or skill, don’t quit or give up! Stay at it, and continue to improve. Once you have attained some level of success, you will be glad that you did not throw in the towel. When I was a boy, I took piano lessons. Like most boys, I would rather have been outside running around and playing. Needless to say, I did not continue my lessons for very long. Had I continued with my lessons and learned that skill, I could be using that today for the Lord. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goes” (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

Although, at times, you may become discouraged with your progress or perhaps with the results, the Bible offers a word of encouragement: “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9).

Keep it Right

Keep Right

We have all seen the sign while driving down the road that simply says—keep right. Summer is right around the corner, and in my opinion, it is the most wonderful time of year. Backyard barbecues, family vacations, warm weather, Youth Conference and teen camps are all events that I look forward to during this time of year. However, as a youth pastor, I do realize the impending danger that comes along with summer. Teenagers now find themselves free from school and their usual responsibilities, which many times can lead to nothing but trouble. It has often been said that, “Idle hands are the devils workshop.” Many people look back to the summers of their teen years when rebellion and backsliding began with regret. To help avoid this from taking place in your life, let me offer a few simple thoughts on what to keep right this summer.

1. Keep a right relationship with God.
   Summer is a time when your schedule may be a little laid back from the normal day-to-day grind of school and projects. However, with all this free time, it seems that many young people fail to keep their relationship with God paramount. To keep right this summer you must have a daily walk with God. Do not let a day go by without spending time with the One who loves you and created you.
2. Keep a right relationship with your parents.
   If your relationship with your parents is not right then your relationship with God will not be right. Last time I checked “children obey,” and “honour thy father and thy mother” are still in the Bible.
3. Keep holiness and Godliness right.
   The child of God should never take a vacation from Godliness. Just because you may be on summer break, does not mean that you now have the freedom to live how you want to live. Our music, dress, television programming, online usage and relationships must still be kept holy and right.
4. Keep church attendance and church activities right.
   Sunday school, Sunday morning, Sunday evening, mid-week service, teen meeting and activities are vitally important to your success this summer. Do not miss out on one of these events that your church offers. The Bible commands us to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together (Hebrews 10:25).

A Teen of Power

A Teen of Power - Tim Trieber

A few years ago, I took several of our teens down to Southern California to spend the day at Six Flags Amusement Park. Because of the lengthy trip before us, we started out early in the morning, about 5:00 A.M. The sun had not yet risen, and I turned on my headlights in order to see the highway. Not long after we had departed, the teens got comfortable and began sleeping, drooling, and snoring. I spent the next few hours in a van with nobody to talk to and nothing to see. Needless to say, it wasn’t the most exciting couple of hours of my life.
Several hours later, we finally pulled into the parking lot and were ready to conquer every ride the park offered. Amidst all the excitement and in our haste to get into the park, I forgot to turn off the headlights. We spent the next few hours riding the rides, eating junk food, wasting our money on impossible games that are rigged, and laughing together. As we loaded the van, we were exhausted and ready to get home for a good night’s rest. I put the key into the ignition and turned it, but to my amazement, nothing happened. After trying that several times, I came to the realization that our van had no power; and we were not going home any time soon. The vehicle that took us to where we needed to go was now unable to get us home!
What an example of the average Christian teen! God has given us the potential to be used of Him in a mighty way and to accomplish something for Him that is beyond our own comprehending, but we fail because we simply have no power. I believe that in the day and age in which we live, a teenager CAN have power from God. We see many examples in the Scriptures of teens like David, Daniel, Joseph, and Josiah who were greatly used because of the power that rested upon their lives. I ask you today,
“Do you have power from God upon your life?”
As we look at being a teen of power, allow me to draw your attention to three important items.

1. The purpose for power – David summed it up best when he said in I Samuel 17:46b, “That all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” The desire of every teen should be to have God’s power on his life so that God gets glory through his life. The purpose of God’s power is not promotion or praise for yourself, but so that His name, which is above every name, can be exalted and promoted.
2. The pattern for power – If God wants us to have His power, how do we get it? First, we get power from the Scriptures. The Bible tells us, that “the word of God is quick and powerful.” If a teen gets power from reading, meditating on, and memorizing of the Word of God, how much power would he have? We fail to have power because we fail to read the Word of God. Secondly, we get power through sincere prayer. Let me ask you, do you pray for God’s power to be upon you? If you don’t, chances are you are trying to do the work of God without the power of God. If we are strangers to prayer, then we will be strangers to power.
3. The price for power – Nothing great has ever been accomplished without a price being paid. Our freedom was purchased with a price. Our salvation was purchased with a price. Men of God who have been greatly used have paid the price. A man God greatly used in the New Testament was the Apostle Paul. In II Corinthians 11, Paul tells us that being used of God came at a great price as he describes to us all that transpired in his life. Paul was beaten, scourged, mocked, robbed, starved, shipwrecked, and stoned; but he still gloried in his infirmities so that the POWER of Christ would rest upon him. Yes, there is a price for this power; but the prosperity that comes as a result is well worth it.

Stop and think with me of all the lives that potentially could be changed if a teenager simply had God’s power on his life. If you are a saved child of God, the potential is there. The Holy Spirit lives inside you to lead, guide, comfort, and empower. Follow the pattern so that you, too, can be a teen of power.

Fishermen Must Fish

     The story is told about a group called themselves fishermen. There were many fish in the water all around this group. In fact, the whole area was surrounded by streams and lakes filled with fish. And the fish were hungry.Week after week, month after month, and year after year, these who called themselves fishermen met in meetings and talked about their call to fish, the abundance of fish, and how they might go about fishing. Year after year they carefully defined what fishing means, defended fishing as an occupation, and declared that fishing is always to be a primary task of fishermen.Continually, they searched for new and better methods of fishing and for new and better definitions of fishing. Further they said, “The fishing industry exists by fishing as fire exists by burning.” They loved slogans such as “Fishing Is the Task of Every Fisherman.” They sponsored special meetings called “Fishermen’s Campaigns” and “The Month for Fishermen to Fish.” They sponsored costly nationwide and world-wide congresses to discuss fishing and to promote fishing and hear about all the ways of fishing such as the new fishing equipment, fish calls, and whether any new bait had been discovered. These fishermen built large, beautiful buildings called “Fishing Headquarters.” The plea was that everyone should be a fisherman and every fisherman should fish. There was one thing they didn’t do, however—they didn’t fish. In addition to meeting regularly, they organized a board to send out fishermen to other places where there were many fish. The board hired staff and appointed committees and held many meetings to define fishing, to defend fishing, and to decide what new streams should be thought about. But the staff and committee members did not fish. Large, elaborate, and expensive training centers were built to teach fishermen how to fish. Over the years courses were offered on the needs of fish, the nature of fish, where to find fish, the psychological reactions of fish, and how to approach and feed fish. Those who taught had doctorates in fishology, but the teachers did not fish. They only taught fishing. Year after year, after tedious training, many were graduated and were given fishing licenses. They were sent to do full-time fishing, some to distant waters which were filled with fish. Many who felt the call to be fishermen responded. They were commissioned and sent to fish. But like the fishermen back home, they never fished. Like the fishermen back home, they engaged in all kinds of other occupations. They built power plants to pump water for fish and tractors to plow new waterways. They made all kinds of equipment to travel here and there to look at fish hatcheries. Some also said that they wanted to be part of the fishing party, but they felt called to furnish fishing equipment. Others felt their job was to relate to the fish in a good way so the fish would know the difference between good and bad fishermen. Others felt that simply letting the fish know they were nice, land-loving neighbors and how loving and kind they were was enough. After one stirring meeting on the necessity of fishing, one young fellow left the meeting and went fishing. The next day he reported that he had caught two outstanding fish. He was honored for his excellent catch and scheduled to visit all the big meetings possible to tell how he did it. So he quit fishing in order to have time to tell the other fishermen about his experience. He was also placed on the Fishermen’s General Board as a person having considerable experience. Now it’s true that many of the fishermen sacrificed and put up with all kinds of difficulties. Some lived near the water and bore the smell of dead fish every day. They received the ridicule of some who made fun of their fishermen’s clubs and the fact that they claimed to be fishermen yet never fished. They wondered about those who felt it was of little use to attend the weekly meetings to talk about fishing. Imagine how hurt some were when one day a person suggested that those who don’t go fishing are not really fishermen, no matter how much they claimed to be. Yet it did sound correct. Is a person a fisherman if, year after year, he never goes fishing?

     Matthew 4:19 says And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. It is so sad that many Christian teenagers and many Christians in general say that they follow Christ, but do not do that which Christ has commissioned them to do. Our job as Christians is to win people to Christ. We are supposed to share the glorious Gospel of Christ to a lost a dying world. The sad thing though is that many Christians are like the fishermen from the story above; they call themselves fishermen but do very little fishing. May God help us not to fall victim of the same problem.

I See Jesus In You

     Earlier this week, I was told that I would be speaking in our Christian school chapel service. I immediately began thinking about what to preach. I spent time in prayer later that evening and asked God to direct me to what He would want for me to preach. Later that evening, I went to my bedroom and began working on my sermon. Before I began studying, I went online and noticed that Pastor Chappell posted another video in his "Growing Points" web series (these have been a blessing to me). What captured my attention was the title of the video - "Keeping It Real." He spoke briefly on how important it is for us to be REAL and Genuine Christians. I then also read the article, but my mind could not get away from the truth from God's Word.

Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus

     If there is anything this world needs most today, they need to be able to see true, genuine, and real Christianity. The world does not need a cheap imitation of itself. It needs to see the power of Christ flowing from a Christian. It needs to see what Christ can do for a person. It needs to see in a Christian what is lacking in their own life. The question I asked myself and the question I ask you, "Can the world look at me and say, 'I See Jesus in You'?" 

     For these religious people in Acts 4 to say of Peter and John that they had been with Jesus, there must have been some outward demonstration in their lives of what Jesus did in His life. They must have practiced in their lives what Jesus practiced in His. What are these actions Peter and John took that caused others to make this statement about them? These actions must be placed in our lives if we want the lost world to say to us "I See Jesus in YOU."

1. They fervently brought people to Christ (Acts 2:31, 4:4)

2. They possessed a filling of the Holy Spirit of God (Acts 1:8, 4:8, Ephesians 5:18) - A lost person can preach a message, a lost person can give in an offering, a lost person can work a bus route, a lost person can clean a church, a lost person can say Amen, a lost person can teach a Sunday school class, a lost person can share the Gospel; however a lost person can never be filled with the Holy Spirit of God. May God help us Christians tap into the source of power and strength to live the Christian life and make a difference

3. They reached out and helped other people (Acts 3:1-11, 4:9, 

Galatians 6:20) - they did this with no thought of what they could get in return

4. They proclaimed Christ and not themselves (Acts 4:10-12, 

Galatians 2:20, Philippians 3:8)

5. They were bold for their Saviour (Acts 4:13)

    a. Bold to proclaim God's Word (Acts 4:31)

    b. Bold to have an outward testimony of Christ (Philippians 1:20)

    c. Bold to pray (Hebrews 10:19)

6. They did not use their weaknesses or faults as excuses on why they could not be used of God (Acts 4:13, 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, 

Amos 7:14-15) - where God calls, God enables

     May God help us all implement these truths in His Word to our lives so we can hear people say about us, "I See Jesus In You."

I Love My Church!

     This time of the year is a very exciting time of the year. It is the time of the year where many people go out and spend time, money, and effort to shower the one the love with gifts and dinner and flowers and chocolates. It is the time of the year where Love is in the air. Cupid shoots his proverbial arrow and hits several people. I love this time of the year because I get to do a little extra to show my wife how much I love and appreciate her. The sad thing about the Valentine season is that there is Someone Who always get forgotten about. Several people do not go to His house during this season. Several people do not tell this Person, "I Love You." People are guilty of robbing this Person by not giving to Him what they are commanded to give. I am speaking about a lack of demonstrating to God how much we love Him. One of the biggest ways you can show love to someone is by being around them or being with them. Of course God is everywhere; but there is a special place we can go to meet with God face-to-face. It is a place where we can go to get our burdens lifted, our hearts encouraged, our spirits edified, and our life right. This Valentine season, may we not forget about the house of God. 

"I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord." (Psalm 122:1)

"How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God." (Psalm 84:1-2)

     These two verses are powerful parts of Scripture because they show what our attitude and mindset should be about going to the house of God. I believe one of the reasons why people do not love church as much as people used to love church is because we have watered-down church so much today. Churches today are pushing the "come as you are and leave as you came philosophy." They are getting rid of the old hymns of Zion. They are casting away the Bible and they are casting away TRUE Bible preaching. Music videos have replaced the invitation; expository sermons have been replaced with Bible nuggets; follow the bouncing ball has replaced the hymnbook, contemporary "Christian" music have replaced the good ol' hymns of Zion; coming to church half-naked and immodest has replaced looking your best when coming to church; and any version of the Bible has replaced the true Word of God in the King James Version. A genuine love and longing for the house of God is becoming more and more hard to find. Church is not a place where you go to feel good even though there are times you feel good in church. Church is not a place to just come sit in a pew and leave unchanged. Church is not a place to come watch Bible films. Church is not a place to catch up on the latest gossip in the world. Church is a place where we go to meet with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords; it is where we come in dirty from the world and come out clean by the power of the Word of God; it is a place where we gather with God's people and gather around the preaching of the Word of God. If we change the way our churches operate or we change the way church is "becoming," I believe we can recapture a love for the house of God.

     The question remains, "How can I show God I love His church?"
1. Get to the house of God
2. Go to a church that teaches and preaches the Bible from a KJV Bible
3. Sit up front in church
4. Listen with open ears and an open heart during the preaching of the Bible
5. Don't talk during church
6. Sing your best to the Lord in church
7. Spend time alone with God before church and ask Him to prepare your heart for the church service
8. Go to a church that teaches Biblical holiness and godly living.
9. Have a notebook to write down sermon notes or areas God speaks to your heart about
10. Say AMEN during church
11. Bring your KJV Bible to church and follow the speaker
12. Look your very best for church

Don't Feed the Bears

Text: II Kings 2:23-25

     Can you imagine reading this story from II Kings in the newspaper? How tragic it must have been for those families, friends, and neighbors to hear about 42 children being torn apart by 2 bears! That community was never the same after what took place on the road from Jericho to Bethel. This calamity was no coincidence. Instead, it was God’s judgment upon these children who chose to ridicule the man of God.

     In the past 10 years, there have been fewer than 30 fatal bear attacks in North America. Some bear attacks are completely random and unexpected. Others, however, could have been avoided. Such is the case of a couple in Pennsylvania who tried to keep a black bear as a pet in their backyard. One day while cleaning the cage (with the bear in the cage), the woman was killed by her pet black bear. A woman in Colorado had been feeding black bears from her back porch for ten years. Eventually, one of the bears ripped through the screened-in porch, dragged this woman away, and killed her. Bears have been responsible for the deaths of campers, hunters, fishermen, joggers, hikers, etc. These victims have ranged in age from 5 months to 93 years old.

     “Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly” (Proverbs 17:12). As terrible as it would seem to face a wild bear, that is not as destructive as the sin and wickedness that the devil puts in our paths.

     In the Christian life, we are seeing many casualties. The devil is using many “bears” to attempt to destroy God’s people. Here are a few bears that will eat you if you insist on feeding them.

1.) Rebellion
2.) Bitterness
3.) Disobedience
4.) Worldly friends
5.) Critical spirit
6.) Immorality
7.) Misuse of cell phone
8.) Ungodly music
9.) Wicked television programs & DVDs
10.) Misuse of internet
11.) Alcohol
12.) Drugs

We must be on guard against these bears. We must be “sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (I Peter 5:8).

     In our text, there are many lessons that we can learn, but these four lessons below are vital to the success of a Christian young person.

1) No restraint for the children

     Have you ever wondered why 42 children were allowed to roam freely? According to the Bible, it appears that these children were outside of the city and away from supervision. These children had no restraints placed upon them. “A child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame” (Proverbs 29:15). The Bible tells us that Eli’s sons were out of control because he “restrained them not” (I Samuel 3:13).

     If you have parents, teachers, and authorities who place restraints on your life, you ought to thank the Lord every day. Those restraints are for your protection. You may not enjoy wearing your seatbelt, but when you are in an accident, you will be so thankful that the seatbelt restrained you from going through the windshield!

2) No respect for the man of God.

     Where did these children get this attitude of disrespect? Perhaps they picked up this attitude from their parents. Maybe they got it from their friends. In today’s society, an attitude of disrespect and disregard for authority is prevalent in music, television, and internet. If you don’t want to be eaten by these bears, don’t feed the flesh with a disrespectful attitude towards authority.

Young people ought to love, honor, and respect their parents, pastor, youth pastor, teachers, etc. Don’t become a statistic. These 42 children had no idea that this attitude would eventually destroy their lives.

3) No return to the parents

     Unfortunately, these children never had an opportunity to see their parents again. They never again got to say, “I love you” or “thank you” to Mom and Dad. The Prodigal Son came back and made things right with his father, but there is no guarantee that your story will have a happy ending. If you don’t get things right with the Lord and with your parents, your story could end with suicide, prison, divorce, or some other awful tragedy.

4) No reason for us to do the same

     When we see the consequences that others have faced, there is no reason for us to do the same. There is no reason for us to feed the bears when we see what the bears have done to others.

     A young man by the name of Timothy came from a middle class family in Long Island, New York. After high school, he got messed up in drugs. He moved to the Katmai Coast of Alaska where he lived among the grizzly bears for 13 years. He claimed that he had found his true purpose in life. It was reported that Timothy would sing to the bears. He would crawl on all fours with the bears, and on at least one occasion, he kissed a bear’s nose. For 85 years, no one had been seriously mauled or killed by a bear in this particular area. Treadwell did not carry a gun and was determined that he would not use repellant on these creatures. It was a tragic day on October 6, 2003, when Timothy Treadwell and a friend were killed by a bear. When rescue personnel arrived at the scene, they discovered that the last six minutes of Timothy Treadwell’s life had been captured on an audio recording. This recording is a sobering lesson of the dangers associated with feeding the bears.

     When we look around and see those who have fallen into sin, those who have ruined their testimonies, and those who live with regrets, we would be foolish to follow in their footsteps. On the other hand, we would be wise to learn from their example and not make the same mistakes.

     As a young shepherd boy, David was able to overcome the bear and the lion that attacked him and his flock. As we strive to please the Lord, may we defeat rather than feed the bears in our lives that are seeking to devour us.