Do you know of any Christ followers who struggle to talk with others about their faith? The number is probably much higher than we can imagine, and that is very sad considering we have been “given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 13: 11). There are common reasons people cite as the cause of their struggle but mostly it is linked to the uncertainty about what to say. Most feel they must try to convince the listener of God’s existence and feel underqualified. When Jesus discussed sharing scripture, He quoted Isaiah saying, “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn“. This is a crucial statement because He told the disciples and us that God chooses who and when the truth will be revealed. If we forget this, we could have an issue, as we forget that it is God’s message we are sharing and not our own and that He must be involved in the sharing. The Isaiah quote ends with the words “and I would heal them,” reminding us that God alone will open eyes and ears to His truth. 
 
So, if God allows those around us to get the message, do we have any role? The answer, of course, is yes, as outlined in our great commission (Matthew 28:16-20). Jesus tells us to go out and say to the world, and He told us that the Holy Spirit would be given to us to help us explain the truth. God will create circumstances that will put us in a position to tell someone about our faith, and we should be prepared. We can share our story, starting with our life before becoming a follower, the event that led to becoming a follower of Jesus and our life after accepting Jesus. All believers should know their own story, which is what Jesus wants us to share. 
 
It need not be a struggle to talk about our faith if we approach it by remembering that God is preparing people to hear our story. Millions of people know about God because a handful of disciples obeyed the Holy Spirit’s nudge and shared the stories they knew about Jesus. We can be part of this tradition and should start by asking God to strengthen us and help us recognize our story. Our family, friends, neighbours, and colleagues see a difference in us, so we must be ready to tell them about it.  We should recall, recognize, and rehearse our story to recite it to those who Jesus prepared to listen. The only struggle we genuinely face is between us and the evil one. He wants us to keep the truth to ourselves because our story includes him as the defeated enemy of God. Galatians says, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). The Holy Spirit lives in followers and wants us to share God’s news. Let’s work with Him.

Praise God in his sanctuary; 
    praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power;
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
    praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with timbrel and dancing,
    praise him with the strings and pipe,
praise him with the clash of cymbals,
    praise him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. (Psalm 150:1-6 NIV)

This passage relates to events that took place in the Garden of Gethsemane. The sufferings of Christ begin to come to the fore at this point. Jesus is suffering according to the will of God but commits himself to his Father’s will, even if it turns unpleasant. Judas arrives at Gethsemane with a band of armed men to arrest Jesus, and Jesus submits to arrest. The disciples resist at first, but when they see Christ’s submission to arrest, they flee. The disciples rejected the idea of a suffering Messiah, and when they saw that Jesus was indeed committed to it, they abandoned him. 
 
How often have your prayers ended with words such as, “Your will, not mine”? What do you mean by this sentiment? Are you offering these words because you acknowledge God as omnipotent (all-powerful), Omnipresent (everywhere present), Omnibenevolent (all-loving), and He is omniscient (all-knowing)? Are you agreeing that the activities God has ordained for His creation since the beginning of time and for all eternity are righteous, wise and proper?
 
What happens when life’s rubber meets reality’s road? What happens when you are sitting in a hospital room, amongst the whirring and beeping of machine monitoring the vitals of a family member who is teetering between life and death? You pray, “God heal them”. You may add, “Not my will but yours,” but you want God’s will to align with yours. We pray, wishing to change God’s mind when forgetting we are invited to pray so, God can change ours. 
 
A large part of following Christ is allowing him to form our expectations. Failing to do so sets us up for disappointment and failure when His will goes in a direction we do not accept. We don’t want that ill family member to die. But if they do, we must not question whether we prayed enough, had weak faith, or whether God was listening. As hard as it is, we need to seek understanding from our prayers and experiences to continue pursuing and following God.  

“You are the light of the world”. Matthew 5:14 a

Today, many of us visit retail stores such as coffee, grocery, clothing, etc. Often, we are in a hurry and want to go in and out and sometimes our frustration spills over, and some innocent clerk feels the brunt of our attitude. Retail is not an easy line of work because staff often meet people unmasked, without the image they portray to their friends, work colleagues, or even brothers and sisters from church. They meet those who want something, and they become different when they do not get the service they expect. Although the staff will encounter many more nice people during their day, one grouch can ruin it and cause the staff’s emotions to spill over at home.  
 
Before you step out your door today, or any day this week, will you speak with God? Will you ask the Holy Spirit to go with you throughout your day and guard your unflattering emotions? Will you ask God to use you as a messenger of the Good News? When you arrive at the store you visit, will you choose not to be that impatient grouch? Most retail staff wear a name tag, so as you approach them, take the time to look at it and then address them by their name. Thank them for whatever kind of service you get. 
 
When your day is done, and you reflect on God’s grace, pray for the retail staff you encountered (you should know their names) that day. Ask God to reveal Himself to them so they can choose to be followers or that their lives as followers are blessed. 

“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you.
     Take this cup from me.
     Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Mark 14:36

This passage relates to events that took place in the Garden of Gethsemane. The sufferings of Christ begin to come to the fore at this point. Jesus is suffering according to the will of God but commits himself to his Father’s will, even if it turns unpleasant. Judas arrives at Gethsemane with a band of armed men to arrest Jesus, and Jesus submits to arrest. The disciples resist at first, but when they see Christ’s submission to arrest, they flee. The disciples rejected the idea of a suffering Messiah, and when they saw that Jesus was indeed committed to it, they abandoned him. 
 
How often have your prayers ended with words such as, “Your will, not mine”? What do you mean by this sentiment? Are you offering these words because you acknowledge God as omnipotent (all-powerful), Omnipresent (everywhere present), Omnibenevolent (all-loving), and He is omniscient (all-knowing)? Are you agreeing that the activities God has ordained for His creation since the beginning of time and for all eternity are righteous, wise and proper?
 
What happens when life’s rubber meets reality’s road? What happens when you are sitting in a hospital room, amongst the whirring and beeping of machine monitoring the vitals of a family member who is teetering between life and death? You pray, “God heal them”. You may add, “Not my will but yours,” but you want God’s will to align with yours. We pray, wishing to change God’s mind when forgetting we are invited to pray so, God can change ours. 
 
A large part of following Christ is allowing him to form our expectations. Failing to do so sets us up for disappointment and failure when His will goes in a direction we do not accept. We don’t want that ill family member to die. But if they do, we must not question whether we prayed enough, had weak faith, or whether God was listening. As hard as it is, we need to seek understanding from our prayers and experiences to continue pursuing and following God.  

I served in Lahr, Germany, as a Supply Technician with 4 Combat Engineering Squadron. Shortly after I arrived at this combat arms unit wearing an Air Force wedge, I was told we would soon deploy for Fall Exercises. My field experience included a couple of days “camping” during Basic Training and time in the Boys Scouts. I was taken to Supply Company to get issued my combat gear and equipment, including a nuke suit and gas mask.
 
Two weeks later, SNOWBALL was called, and we headed to the base to deploy. I was thrown into a vehicle with Dave and was told to listen to him. Dave followed a convoy into a field near a wood line approximately two hours into the drive. A siren screamed as we started to cam up (try to hide). Dave shouted get dressed and go to the CP. It seems someone forgot to tell me I was part of a Quick Reaction Team whose role was to protect our CP or be ready to be deployed to another area. Also, I was to do this and be dressed in my nuke suit with the mask. 
 
I was posted to Lahr knowing the mission of 4GMBG. I also knew we were in the midst of the Cold War. But like many of those serving now, I wanted to go to Europe and be part of something. During the 35 minutes it took me to figure out how to put a nuke suit on, I realized I was not prepared to serve in Germany, let alone crush, kill or destroy an enemy with my supply knowledge alone.
 
Followers of Christ should belong to a Spiritual Quick Reaction Force designed to face evil. Our relationship with Jesus sanctified membership into this force. The Holy Spirit empowers force members to resist, face, and even fight evil. Peter had us envision Satan prowling like a lion looking to destroy humans as Paul reminds us that our struggle is not with humanity itself but with Satan, the evil one. 
 
Paul shares that to face this foe, we “should” let the Lord make us strong. Depend on His mighty power. Put on all of God’s armour. Then, we can remain firm against the devil’s evil plans. Our fight is not against human beings. It is against this dark world’s rulers, authorities, and powers. It is against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly world. So, put on all of God’s armour. Evil days will come. But you will be able to stand up to anything. And after you have done everything you can, you will still stand. “Ephesians 6:10-14 NIRV. 
 
There are enough scripture passages to reveal we are living in dangerous times. We can’t wait to hear the lion roaring or hear a siren scream to warn us of danger. Satan and his minions are here now, so we must be alert. Also, when Judgement Day arrives, we will know. We will not get 35 minutes or even an additional second to dress in Paul’s recommended amour. At that moment, all will know it’s over.
 
FOR SOME, “Jesus will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death. And there will be no more sadness. There will be no more crying or pain. Things will no longer be the way they used to be.” 
FOR OTHERS, there will be no further opportunity for forgiveness, for repentance and no chance to change because time is up.
 
When push comes to shove, will evil push and shove you, or will you be the one standing strong? Get dressed now. 
 
Read Ephesians 6:10-18 today. 
Meditate on those words. 
Reflect and ask yourself these three questions: 
     1. Am I willing to put on ALL the armour? 
     2. Will I sincerely examine myself for missing or loose armour
     3. Am I ready to be part of God’s QRF, willing to address evil and remain prepared for Jesus’ return?

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address challenged every American to contribute to the public good. When he spoke the words, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country”, he was encouraging not only America but all who would listen to look close to home to see what can be fixed before trying to change the world. It was a bleak time in 1961 when Kennedy took office as the Cold War was ongoing and nuclear threat was looming. Kennedy was offering a way to experience a better future. However, here we are 63 years later, and humanity hasn’t changed. We have a new Cold War, and the threat of Nuclear war is looming. 

The prophet Micah served God during a bleak time in Israel’s history. The Assyrian empire had arisen against Israel and Judah and succeeded in destroying the northern tribes of Israel. The people of God were scared and afraid for the future. Had God abandoned them, and if so, what did they need to do for God to be happy with them?

Micah shares a simple truth. God had already revealed precisely what He does and does not want from His people. We cannot hope to appease God by working our way into righteousness or sacrificing others for our sins. Micah listed the three principles God asks of His people: to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with Him.

To do justice is not merely appreciating justice expressed in the laws of the land but for us to do justice individually. Our actions reflect our beliefs. God wants His people to reflect His character; He is a just God, so His people should want to bring justice to their communities. We are to seek out and support the broken, liberate the oppressed, and rescue the downtrodden.

Micah also reminds Israel that God desires people to love kindness. Kindness is not merely a brief concept we can add to our lives; it is something we are to love and cling to. Kindness demands that we live charitably, speak peaceably, and serve others passionately. 

Finally, Micah reminds us that God desires people to walk humbly with Him. Micah reminds us that God is in heaven, and we are on Earth. We do not live and exist solely for our own glory; instead, we live to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We must humbly understand that we are not the centre of the universe, but we have the tremendous opportunity to share about the One who is that centre.

Kennedy’s words were inspiring but relied on interaction with those who loved God and those who could care less. His concept of making inward changes was noble, but if our goal is to make life better, our inspiration must come from words spoken by a higher authority, the One that all will bow down before.  

When life gets so complex that we fear what will happen next, we must remind ourselves of the basics of faith. We should do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly before God. 

“We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands”                 1 John 2:3

The idea of a personal relationship with the God of the universe is difficult for many to grasp. God has created us to be in relationships with others. So much of our experience and knowledge of relationships comes from a lifetime of interactions with less-than-perfect people. It is hard to detach our experiences with our earthly family when considering our relationship with God. In families we have broken promises, and sometimes some have treated us poorly. When we are told to connect with our heavenly Father, we cannot get the image of our earthly Father, good or bad, out of our minds. So, how do we have that personal relationship? 
 
John shares that we will know God when we keep his commands. Commands are His guidelines for living a holy life that brings us closer to Him. Commands have a negative connotation as they suggest following something we usually would not like to do. However, if we look at them as behaviours that God would not do, then we can agree and say these are things we would not do. A good relationship is built on respect and a desire to get closer. When we want to get close to someone, we learn about the things that person likes and dislikes. We then try to do what they like and avoid getting caught doing what they dislike. This is no different when seeking a relationship with God, except that, if asked, the Holy Spirit will help us understand and accomplish those things. 
 
We are called to be holy as God is Holy. We need to be holy to be with Him. To understand what that truly means in our everyday lives, we must have a relationship with God. We need to know and follow His commands to see His life in ours. When we learn and follow His commands, we will come to know Him and have the relationship we need.