No Corners Cut, No Pacifying, No Round-About Way

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Don’t you know that the ultimate—and severest—consequence of SIN is “DEATH “(Romans 6:23). “This not only refers to physical death, but to eternal separation from God in Hell” (Isaiah 59:2). Russian roulette is a gambling game. A potentially lethal game of chance. You need to know that you are walking a very dangerous path today. You are playing Russian roulette with a fully loaded gun and one day you are going to lose everything, because the Russian roulette you are playing is Spiritual and it is more dangerous, more tragic, more condemning, and more deadly than any kind of Russian roulette played with a man-made weapon. God has made it very clear that the Consequence of Sin is Death,” but “The Gift of God is Eternal Life in Christ Jesus.” The only reason you are not in Hell today is because of God’s grace and mercy. But don’t you know that at any moment, God could sever the golden thread of life and you would plunge into a Christ-less eternity, where you would be lost forever. So are you sure you want to play this deadly game?

“What is my point?” Let me make my point clear. While it is highly unlikely that anyone reading this article has ever or will ever be foolish enough to play Russian roulette with a revolver, I believe there are many who, this very moment, are “Playing Russian roulette with their Soul!” And when I refer to “Playing Russian roulette with your Soul,” I am referring to those who gamble on their eternal destiny by either being Ignorant of or ignoring what the Bible says about how to be saved from your Sins and go to Heaven. Paul made it abundantly clear that Sin has Consequences: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” (Galatians 6:7). The late great Tupac Shakur once said, “You live By the Gun, You die By the Gun.” What a tragedy when men play Russian roulette with God!

And you call yourself a Christian (Ministers included) but you play with “Sin” like a cat plays with a mouse. You go through life “Claiming” Christianity but living like the Devil. You “Toy” with God, not considering that your life is even a vapor that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. Playing Games with God is a very dangerous situation. Living in and Out of Sin is a very dangerous situation. Toying with other people’s salvation to justify your own rotten filthiness is a very dangerous situation. Don’t Play Games with the God of your Salvation! Don’t Play Games with Sin! Because God’s Law of Harvest cannot be broken,and you cannot neglect God’s law without consequences (Heb. 2: 2-3).

Although this message has been preached for 2,000 years. It has been ignored by most of those that have heard it. It is still being ignored in this day. It will be ignored during the dark days of the Tribulation, but as an Ambassador for Christ it is my duty to remind you of the “Final Proclamation” (Revelation Chapter 14). Many people will be saved, thank God for that, but many, many more will be lost. The people in the Tribulation will refuse to hear the 144,000 evangelists. They will refuse the preaching of the two witnesses – but here again the promise and the call of the Gospel is presented to you, John 3:16; John 7:37; John 11:28. –  Where will you be five seconds after death? Quit playing Russian roulette with Death! Quit playing Russian roulette with God!

 The consequence of suppressing the truth is that God gives the sinner over to “The Sinful Desires of Their Hearts,” “Shameful Lusts” and “A Depraved Mind” (Romans 1:24, 26, 28). I tell you, it is a fearful thing to be “Given Over” to your own destructive ways. God has made it clear that “The Soul Who Sins Will Die” (Ezekiel 18:4).  What shall you do?’” The answer, simple yet profound: “Repent!”

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

For many of you, this might be one of the hardest truths to accept…..there is absolutely no hope of going and changing the past. “What’s done is done!” Your future is suffering because you can’t seem to forgive yourself for what you’ve already done. As sorry as we are for the things that we have done, we cannot go back in time and undo them. And what good is it anyway to sit and beat yourself up over the things that you’ve done? If you are really sorry, then pick yourself up and do something different with your life. Stop worrying about things that you cannot change, and do what you can to change the things that are still within your power to do something about, because “What’s done is Done!”

In Luke 9:62 we find a story that vividly illustrates the danger of looking back. God has just pronounced judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah and they are about to be destroyed. In the meantime, God sends a message to Lot and his family. “Flee for your life; do not look back, or stop anywhere in the valley; flee to the hills, lest you be consumed.” Lot and his wife, and their two daughters left behind their home as fire and brimstone rain down on Sodom and Gomorrah. Then the unexpected happened. Lot’s wife looked back with a degree of longing to return to what she had left, and she became a pillar of salt.  Her life was literally on the line, and rather than being fully engaged in surviving, she placed a higher priority on life’s lesser matters than on the greater one of preserving her life through God’s gift of protection. She looked back, revealing her heart still to be in Sodom, a type of the world. You cannot serve God and mammon. Her action indicated regret for having left. Jesus says, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” We must not let the past determine our future.

Today, let us resolve that the past will be the power from which we move forward, because the past is just that –“Past.” Paul is an example of a healthy view of the past. He owned his past as blasphemer, persecutor, and aggressor. He knew and accepted his past; he accepted responsibility and did not blame others for his actions. But, because Paul knew that he was forgiven, and because he confidently trusted God’s forgiveness, he did not retain the guilt of what he had done. He retained the memory, but it was his power, his strength, his motivation, his hope, and his ever present evidence and reminder of God’s grace.

It serves no purpose to deny, ignore, or hide the past. The past is to be accepted and owned.  But with that acceptance comes responsibility for the present, the ability to make choices, to grow, and to change.“….Forget those things which are behind, and reach forth unto those things which are before, and press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus!” {Phil 3:13-14}…. “Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, I’m free at last!”

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

“I didn’t do it!”  “It’s not my fault!”… This is what you say when you blame other people for your problems. It’s a way of explaining why life hasn’t worked out the way you would like. You’ve been treated unfairly; you’ve ended up on the short end of the stick; you’ve been dealt a lousy hand of cards. You’re a victim. And that’s how you get through life—by blaming other people for the bad things that happen to you. If you lose your job, it’s because the boss was unreasonable; he didn’t understand you; he had it in for you; he hated you from the moment you walked into the office – “It’s not your fault!” Couldn’t be! Impossible! Unthinkable!

Sounds familiar?

These days it seem as if everyone has been exposed to the “Blame someone else Syndrome.” It’s your parents, brother, sister, pastor, deacons, preachers, church members, school teachers, classmates, boss, bus driver, friend, children, casino, and the co-workers fault that you have been contaminated with the “Blame someone else Syndrome.”

We are always “Passing the Buck.” In the beginning, Adam blamed Eve – and not only did he blame Eve, but he blamed God for giving her to him!  And he was not the only one playing the blame game. Eve blamed the serpent {Genesis 3: 1-14}. Neither accepted responsibility, both pointed the fault-finger away from them and somewhere else and entered into the victim-vortex where the swirl of “It’s not my fault,” kept them and will keep us locked out of truly living God’s unique call on our lives.

The truth is that whether it is physical, financial, or spiritual, whatever the issue, the response of some people will always be, “It’s not my fault!”  We live during a time when people are unwilling to take personal responsibility for their own lives, for their own welfare, for their own health, or for their own spiritual growth.  There is always a tendency to look for someone else to blame. But the fact is that when we stand before God and the judgment seat of Christ, we will answer for our own failures and the choices we have made.  “No Excuses will be Accepted!”

And what’s really sad, is that many in the church today have the “It’s not my fault,” mentality. They either make excuses or blame someone else for their own sins or shortcomings. It is time to take an honest look at ourselves by the standard of God’s Word, look at our sins for what they are, confess them, and ask God to forgive us. Then and only then, can we truly be fruitful in the Lord’s Kingdom.

So stop making excuses. Quit shifting the blame to others. Accept your circumstances and position, and instead of making excuses for your actions, change your behavior. We serve a great God.  Our limitations are God’s opportunities to show Himself mighty in our lives. Don’t play the blame game; own it by name and avoid the shame.

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Don’t you see what the enemy is doing in your life?  He has you so bound up that you think that the way it is, is the way it will always be. “To Hell with the Devil!”  Understand that the mission of the devil is to kill, steal and destroy. He doesn’t care anything about you, he just wants to try to abort God’s plan for you. He wants to keep you bound, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually because He knows that if you ever realize the potential God has placed in you, and if you ever wake up from your slumber,   you will turn this world upside down and he does not want that.

I stand up in front of people all the time and see different ones that are so bound that it is a wonder that they are even able to move and breathe, and the only reason that they are bound and are suffering is because they are “allowing it,” and thinking that they can’t do anything about it. They think that that’s just the way it is. That is a lie from the pit of Hell, and Satan is selling you a bunch of crap, and you are buying it hook, line, and sinker. “To Hell with the Devil!”

Satan is a liar and deceiver and uses deception as his weapon to gain advantage over those who are ignorant of the limitations of his power. When Jesus gave His life on the cross as the sacrifice for the sins of the world, He also redeemed us from Satan’s power and dominion over us. {Col. 2:15}.  Satan is already a defeated enemy! His legal authority was neutralized by the finished work of Christ on the cross. So take your stand and tell the Devil, “To Hell with You!”

As a believer, you need not fear Satan, but realize and exercise the authority which God has given you over him. You have the right to use the authority of the name of Jesus to repel and drive Satan out of your territory and to break his grip over spiritual strongholds {2 Cor. 10:4}. Just as Jesus and the early apostles did, command Satan to leave {Mark 16:17}. Slam the door in his face! Let him know that he has been given a pink slip and his termination date is on the calendar when he will once-and-for-all be cast down to the most intense of judgments.  Do not give place to the devil!

I want you to know that the devil can be brought into subjection and commanded to go when authority is taken over him using the name of Jesus Christ as a realm of authority. He has to obey!

Think on these things—look them up in the Bible…. Study them…. Believe them….and know that God is the victor! Decide today to deal the death blow to an enemy that has been plaguing your life, breathing down your neck, making your life miserable. Decide today to put something that has been over your head, under your feet. “To Hell with the Devil!”

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

“For I heard the Lord tell Jehoshaphat in 2 Chron. 20:17 “You shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD….”  In other words, the “solution” is already on the premises. God is on the scene, Hallelujah!

Many times we find ourselves in situations that we just don’t understand. In these times we often find ourselves asking, “WHY Lord?” Can I just tell you that it is in these times that we are called upon to exercise our faith and just TRUST in the LORD.  I know that it’s not always easy for us to give our cares to God and trust Him completely, but when life presents itself with ever-changing variables, we have to realize that we serve a God who is stationary in His Goodness.

So many times we look all over for folks to have our back, but during my sojourn on this Christian walk, I have discovered some things about folks, discovered some disheartening and discouraging news about folks, found out that folks will fade away when the fire gets too hot, and discovered that family and friends will forsake you when times get hard, but I heard the Lord say; “I will never leave you, nor forsake you…”  I tell you, it’s good to know that “God got your back!”

You may be in a situation that looks hopeless, it may look like the end is near and it’s time to give up. It may look like you’ve lost the battle, but I want you to know that it doesn’t matter what it looks like, “God got your back!” Don’t lean to your own understanding and think that just because it looks like it’s over, that it’s over. It’s not over until God says it’s over. So don’t throw in the towel, don’t pull the plug, don’t surrender, and don’t give up. Others may even count you out and the enemy may tell you you’ve lost and the chance for victory may look impossible, but know that God has everything under control, even when life seems to be out of control.

I want you to consider “The Source,” God. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, so what you are experiencing, “It too shall pass.” Trust in the LORD with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding, and by all means, don’t let the devil fool you into believing that you’re taking a step backwards in life or that you’ll never make it out of your situation because you will.  What you’re going through is temporary, so stop stressing yourself out,  losing sleep, being weary, anxious, worried, depressed and sad, “God got your back!”

Choose to trust God! He has brought you through and has done great things. He is forever faithful and true. Choose to walk by faith, believing that “With GOD ALL Things Are Possible.” Choose to believe for your miracle. Choose to believe for your breakthrough. Choose to walk by faith and not by fear.

The truth I want to give to you is simple but profound, “God has it all under control!“ It does not matter the situation, God has the solution. It does not matter the hurt, God can heal. It does not matter the desperation, God has the deliverance. It does not matter the sin, God is the soul-ution. It does not matter the Hell, God is the Help. Encourage yourself in the Lord daily, read His word, pray without ceasing and seek His face; and the next time you find yourself in a position where you are stressed and worried about what God is doing in your life remember to, “Consider the Source.”

Lou Coleman

“You cannot serve both God and riches.” {Mt. 6:24}.  You cannot live a double life and have a fulfilling spiritual life.  Have you forgotten that whatsoever a man sows, that shall he reap? Serve God and reap eternal glory, or serve the world and the devil and reap eternal death. The choice is yours, but “Don’t Fool Yourself!”

God says, “He know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. He wishes you were either one or the other! But, because you are lukewarm–neither hot nor cold—He is going to spit you out of His mouth.” {Rev. 3:14-16} There is no hiding or pretending before God. Open your eyes! Jesus asked the Laodicea’s to make a firm decision not to be lukewarm, and He is asking you the same thing today. Choose Whom This Day You Will Serve… God or the Devil, for there is no middle ground.

God is not satisfied with knowing you on a superficial level, but wants to become intimate with you. He doesn’t want your relationship to be lukewarm, because the nature of the relationship does not allow for that. “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Him will find it.”

Don’t you know that Jesus loves you and wants to give you true life, but in your heart, you are undecided concerning Him. You are not rejecting Him, but you are not committing your heart to Him either. Because of this, you are in danger of losing your salvation. It is not enough to be aware of God and acknowledge Him mentally. Real Christianity is not just an idea or set of moral principles to abide by. It is an intimate relationship with Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

Being a Christian is not something you can be complacent about. You cannot afford to fall into that pitfall.  The price is too high. The cost is your soul!  I ask you, was Jesus complacent?  Was He indifferent to our fate? No! He loved us so much that He paid for our sin with His own life. How then can we be lukewarm in our relationship with God? How can our hearts be undecided? Every man should wisely examine their life and determine what assumption they are living.  And by all means, consider the risk/reward of your choice!

Elijah told Israel to stop halting between two opinions and decide on the God they would serve (I Kings 18:21). Why would you choose the temporary and deceiving things of this world, which are here one day and gone the next, when God offers to give you the “Bread of Life?” The gift of God is incomparable to anything you can keep here on earth. It is definitely an offer you shouldn’t refuse. Don’t Fool Yourself!

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Consider the text God’s warning to anyone who’s “Playing Church!’ I ought to just finish right there with that one statement, for the text says it all. You can fool man, but you can’t fool God! Man is easy to fool because man’s assessment and evaluation of people is based on what man sees “outwardly,” but there is an “unseen eye” that sees all we do and an “unseen ear” that hears all we say. That unseen eye and that unseen ear belong to God, and God sees stuff and knows stuff about you that nobody else knows.

Tares are going to be found among the wheat. Goats will be found among the sheep, but the day will come when the Lord distinguishes between the wheat and tares, the goats and the sheep. In that day there will be no more hiding and masquerading as Christians. The question you must ask yourself is, “What will that day expose about me?” Are you playing Church?

People of God we need to “Stop Playing Church” and “Be the Church.” So many today put on their Sunday best, go to Sunday morning meetings, but have nothing; they are void inside of Christ. They are “Playing Church,” but “Aren’t the Church.” They look like good Church folks; they carry a Bible; they wear a cross, and sometimes they have on a robe, but they are not the real deal. It’s time that we realize that this is not a game, we must take Christ seriously. “Stop Playing Church!” Stop pretending to be living in obedience to God. Stop pretending to truly love God. “Stop Playing Church” the way little children play “house” or “doctor.” Stop Playing with God!

We have to wake up from our slumber and be about our Father’s business. {Galatians 6:7} “Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked) by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside.” “For whatever a man sows, that shall he reap.” {1 Peter 4:17-18} For the time has arrived for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the end of those who do not respect or believe or obey the good news, The Gospel of God?

I believe that Jesus is calling “His Church” to stand up, share the truth, and be a catalyst of change.  God made us for greatness, not pettiness.  God gave us the best and greatest gift of all, His son Jesus.  It’s time to “Stop Playing Church and Be the Church.”  It’s time to get serious about this thing because time is winding up. I don’t know when He’s coming, but this one thing I am sure of, it’s just a matter of time. “Stop Playing Church and Be the Church.”

Warnings are an act of grace. The clearer the warning, the more abounding in the grace of God. God acts graciously when he gives warnings, for by such warnings there is given the opportunity to repent and seek the grace of forgiveness and eternal life in the infinite loving act of God in giving His Only Son to be the propitiation for our sins. We need to take this to heart. If we do not listen and turn from our evil ways, and so suffer awful judgment, then it is not the grace and love of God that is lacking, but the fault of our unrepentant hearts which refuse to heed the revelation of God, and spurn His love. Let us believe God. Let us not deny the truth, but warn people to flee from the wrath to come. Let us make sure that we ourselves have repented and hidden ourselves in Christ alone, so availing ourselves of the one and only escape from God’s wrath, faith in Christ.

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

“Why don’t you practice what you preach?” Have you ever said those words? Maybe someone has said them to you. Hypocrites are people who pretend to be something they are not. They may say one thing and then do the opposite. They may act one way in a certain setting and then act another way in a different setting. It is very important that as Christians, we follow the example of Jesus Christ. It doesn’t matter where we are or who we are with. The words we speak and the things we do should always reflect our faith. Sometimes we are good at telling other people what they should do and how they should live, but we fail to follow our own instructions. We need to, as the saying goes, “walk the walk, not just talk the talk.”

Listen carefully to Jesus’ feelings that are boiling and roiling against the Pharisees in Matthew 23. “They preach but they do not practice.  They lay burdens on others shoulders but they do not lift a finger to help.  They do all their deeds to be seen by men.  They love the places of honor at feasts and greetings in the market places and being called rabbi.”

Then the gospel text switches from “they” to “you.” (Note that in both English and Greek, there is emphasis on the “you” in each of these statements.) Talk about being in your face. Talk about calling a spade a spade. Talk about boiling and roiling. A person can hear the “you” that drip with sarcastic indictment.  “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees for you shut the kingdom of heaven. You do not enter the kingdom and you prevent others from entering it. Woe to you Pharisees, you blind guides, you blind men.  Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you tithe on the trivia but you neglect the weightier issues of law, justice, mercy and faith. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for outwardly you appear beautiful but inwardly you are full of dead men’s bones.  You are the sons of those who have murdered the prophets. You serpents and brood of vipers how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?” 

If anyone was a religious fake, it was the Pharisees of Jesus’ day. They pretended to be genuinely religious but it was all a sham, a charade. It was a deceit, a deception. Like any good actor, they were all “make believe.” Jesus was deeply offended by the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. The Pharisees were a bunch of phonies who did not do what they preached. So it is with many people of faith: on the outside and the showy parts of their lives, they give a good performance of being a Christian, but it is all “a front.” Inside, their hearts are far from the love of God/Jesus and neighbor.  They talk the talk, but they don’t walk the walk.

Why is it important to practice what we preach? The most basic reason is the integrity of our faith; we are the body of Christ for the world. We are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. People should be attracted by the light of the way we live and the words we speak. Whether we like it or not, people are watching us and seeing how we respond to the ups and downs of everyday life. Children watch adults and then imitate what they see and repeat what they hear. Are our words and actions something we want repeated by our children? Our friends, neighbors, coworkers, family members, and classmates are watching us. What evidence do we offer of our profession of faith? Are our responses any different from those of persons who don’t profess to know Christ? Not only are nonbelievers watching us, but so are other Christians. Do our words and actions encourage and build up other Christians?

How do we practice what we preach? One way is to be careful about the words we speak. You can tell a lot about a person by the words they use. You can tell even more by the words they use when they are distressed, angry, or threatened. James tells us the tongue is very dangerous. It can set a great forest ablaze. We can tame all kinds of animals, but we cannot tame the tongue (James 3:3-6). People are listening to the words we speak. Do our words build people up or cut them down? Do our words bring peace and calm to a situation or do they add fuel to the fire? The words we speak should match the person we claim to be. If we profess that we are followers of Christ, then our words should be a reflection of that relationship.

We practice what we preach when we live our lives as reflections of the life of Christ. The way we act at work should be the same way we act at home, at church, around other Christians, in the supermarket, or waiting for a bus. When people see us, they should see a reflection of Christ. Can I tell you that, Jesus is pulling the masks off the hypocrites.  It is His job!   {Romans 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, that thou mightiest be justified in thy sayings, and mightiest overcome when thou art judged.} And can I just add that if you are sincere in your walk with Jesus, don’t let hypocrites keep you from being the real thing.

As Christians, all glory, honor, and praise belong to Christ. We must check ourselves because pride sneaks up when we least expect it to wag its ugly head in our lives. We are but His servants sent into the world as salt and light, and as ambassadors of His kingdom. May He find us to be faithful, humble servants.   Greatness is not found in being served, but in serving others. Walk the talk!

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

I want you to know that when you step out of the old {man} and into the new {man} God will take you places and do amazing things in your life. I recently returned from Dubai and Ghana Africa, and I must tell you that it was very refreshing! Everything about Dubai made me feel like I had stepped onto a new planet when I arrived for my first visit. One of the most beautiful places in the world, and a place in my opinion where all the billionaires live. And yes, I joined the billionaire club! Dubai, it was nothing like anything I had experienced in America. In fact, nothing in America remotely prepared me for what I saw. It was grand!

However, on the other hand, it was the first time I ever felt what it was like to be a “stranger,” or even a “foreigner.” You will never know what that is like until you visit a foreign country and there see people who don’t look like you, talk like you, think like you, or live like you. They have a set of values you don’t share, speak a language you can’t understand, and eat food that seems strange to you. You pick up the paper and you can’t read it. You turn on the television and it doesn’t make sense. You’re standing on the sidewalk and you can’t communicate with anyone. I stood out so obviously that no one could have mistaken me for an Emirati. People kept looking at me as they walked by. It was an unnerving experience because I didn’t know any Arabic at all. In all my traveling over the years, I felt this most keenly on my first trip to Dubai.

In such a situation, no matter how friendly the people are, and people are naturally friendly and gracious, you never forget not even for one second that you are an outsider. That’s our condition. We are strangers in the world who have been scattered by God in many places. We are like seeds the wind has carried in all directions. It’s like we gather on Sunday, then we scatter for the rest of the week. For the most part, we are separated from each other. And we never see most of the other people except on Sundays. That’s okay because God has strategically planted us where we can do the most good.

Dubai, the experience was exuberant, the city was exquisite. It was picture-postcard! Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Ghana Africa: To describe a tour of Ghana as an eye-opener is an understatement, but to leave it out of a visit to Ghana is ignoring what life is truly like for a massive proportion of Black West Africans. I saw the best and brightest of the human spirit in the face of incredible poverty that most of us can’t comprehend. When you see the squatter camps, which is grossly overcrowded, your poverty grips back at home will soon be put into perspective.

I’ ve learned that we as Americans, living in the greatest country in the world, can save innocent lives raged by malaria, poverty, homelessness and diseases by being a blessing to others. But, sad to say, we have abandoned the teachings of Jesus; we have abandoned the fundamental concern for the people who are less fortunate. But there are things that are required of us.

USA for Africa, “We Are the World,” written by Lionel Richie and the great late Michael Jackson says, “There comes a time when we must heed a certain call, when the world must come together as one, there are people dying, and it’s time to lend a hand to life, the greatest gift of all.  We can’t go on pretending day by day, that someone, will soon make a change, we are all a part of God’s great big family, and the truth, you know, love is all we need.”

Perhaps one of the more thought-provoking questions in the Bible is that one asked by Cain : “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Gen. 4:9)  This is a question we would do well to ask ourselves today….  Are we our brother’s keeper?  Do we have a responsibility to watch out for and care for one another?  {When one turns to the New Testament, it becomes clear that the answer is in the affirmative}.  In fact, there are many passages which emphasize…Our responsibilities to one another.  We are to “Love One Another” As commanded by Jesus –As taught by Paul – As instructed by Peter – and as stressed by John.

How are we to express such love? We are to “receive one another”; we are to “edify another”; we are to “serve one another”; we are to “bear one another’s burdens”; we are to be “forgiving one another”; we are to be “submitting to one another”; we are to “exhort one another”; we are to “consider one another”; we are to be “hospitable to one another.”  {In light of such “one another” passages, is there any doubt that we are to be our brother’s keeper?} But how well are we doing? Do we even consider them? Are we even aware of whom they are? Are we ignorant of their problems? Are we willing to bear their burdens?So as to help them overcome and become stronger; or do we rather not be bothered?

How we answer such questions may reveal how well or poorly we are fulfilling our responsibility to be our brother’s keeper; Living up to the one responsibility we have that includes all others: to love one another as Christ loved us.

If we have failed to be our brother’s keeper, we need to… Repent of our lack of concern, our inactivity, or whatever has hindered us; Confess our shortcomings in this area to God; Resolveto apply with zeal these “one another” passages!

For the question, “Am I my brother’s or sister’s keeper?” drives to the heart of our relationship to international problems, conflicts or disasters such as in Africa. It drives to the heart of our response to the problems of homelessness, and poverty in our own community. Do we do something, or do we stay uninvolved?  The question, “Am I my brother’s or sister’s keeper?” drives to the heart of our relationship to others in need. What is our relationship to the people around us? Are we our brother’s and sister’s keeper, or are we not.

We have been blessed to become the blessing, even in the tiniest ways. You and I can make that kind of difference. We really can! But God never forces his people to give. In fact, the Bible said that it is a requirement for us to give. The thing is God wants us to learn how to be generous by heart. How about we open our eyes and our hearts TODAY, and look for even the smallest way we can become the gift? Because what may seem small to you, might just change everything for them.

Understand an essential part of God’s purpose in so richly blessing us – He wants us to be a blessing to others. We are on this journey to bring life transforming change to us as individual followers of Jesus Christ and as His church.  Whoever God sends across our path. We are to be a “blessing people.” That’s our job – to bless people. That’s where the trail of blessing takes us.

From Abraham – “I will bless you… you will be a blessing… all nations will be blessed through you.”  What this phrase tells us is that the blessing is not about Abraham and Sarah: it is about those with whom they are to share the blessing; those to whom they are to pass the blessing; those for whom they are to be catalysts of blessing. We are blessed to be a blessing.

“I have come to the realization that in the grand scheme of things, it’s not about me!  How can we complain when others are in much worst conditions than we find ourselves in?  We can no longer walk past those in need, because we are called to make a difference.  To be effective servants for God, we must put things into perspective and be willing to sacrifice ourselves for the benefit of another.  We must have a burning desire to help others to the fullest extent of our being.

We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.  But what good is salt that no longer seasons, preserves, or purifies?  What good is light that no longer emanates, illuminates, and reveals?  God does not extend his generosity to us with the intent that we would hoard blessings for our sole benefit.  As we are conduits and not repositories for God’s blessings, we must be determined to direct God’s blessings bestowed on us to others.  Let us no longer be perceived as Christians by name only.  We must not compromise God’s Word.  We must strive to be men and women of integrity.  And we must allow real, demonstrative truths to emit from our lives, being mindful that God is making His appeal to the world through us.”

“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not let that stop me from doing something.” We are blessed to be a blessing to others.

I challenge you to take that idea, blessed to be a blessing, and hold it before you this week. Consciously think, pray “How can I be a blessing to this person?” and act upon that.

No moment of love or compassion or generosity or kindness is ever lost. Even the “least” of such acts is felt in the vibration of the universe, and contributes mightily towards the Whole, towards the Infinite Void, towards the Magnificent, towards Life, towards Creation, towards the Mystery.

So, count your blessings. Name them. Write them down. Thank God for them. But understand an essential part of God’s purpose in so richly blessing us – He blessed us so that we can be a blessing to others. He blessed us so that we will become generous on every occasion {2 Corinthians 9:11}. Note the context of this passage, Paul is talking about giving, about God’s economy, about sowing and reaping principle.

And we all know that God’s economy is very different from our economy. Our economy tells us to save money, to keep something for us to use. To be frugal and as much as possible to use money only for the things needed. But, God’s economy tells us on the other hand, that we have to be generous, help those who are in need, to give things away for God’s glory, to support God’s work and to support God’s workers. Do not be deceived. We have to know how to work with God’s economy. If you know how a farmer plants and harvests, in the same way, we have to plant seeds in the spiritual Kingdom so that later on we will reap a harvest.

I pray that God will bless you in ways you never dreamed possible so that there is no doubt as to where the blessings come from. I pray that each one of you be blessed and become a blessing to others, also. I pray that God will help each of us become yielded vessels that He can work through to reach out to a lost and hurting world. I pray that He will help us to see with our hearts the needs and hurts of others around us. Let our hands become hands used to serve and comfort others.  Let us be reminded that His hands were that of a servant… and that He is above all, yet He came to serve not be served. I ask that He would help us become what He would have us to be, so that the message of His great love and saving grace can be spread throughout the earth.

“We are the world, we are the children, we are the ones who make a brighter day, so let’s start giving, there’s a choice we’re making, we’re saving our own lives, it’s true we’ll make a better day, just you and me.  Let us realize that a change can only come when we stand together as one.”

*After seeing firsthand what poverty looks like, I am now more dedicated than ever to be a part of their lives. You can help as well by donating any amount to the cause. For more information please contact me via email at colemanlou@hotmail.com.

Small charity makes a big difference. Donate Now!

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

God has called me to teach His Word, and I have to teach it the way it is. I hear the rest of I Corinthians 13 telling me to love, but how many of you know that love must be exercised within the confines of the truth. God wants to take you to another level, but as long as you keep trying to please people and not Him, you’ll never make it.  I’m afraid most of us spend more time trying to please others than pleasing God.  How different would our lives be and look like if our focus was on pleasing our Heavenly Father and not others?  When we please our Heavenly Father we will give and love others sacrificially. We need to long to hear from God, “Well done my good and faithful servant”, instead of the praise from men and women.  Remember who is living in you and through you.  You love others not through your own strength and power, but through the power of Jesus Christ.

Listen, you don’t have to people-please any more.  You don’t have to live up to anybody’s expectations anymore.  You don’t have to fail any more. Just please God and stop trying to fit in with everybody else.  I just stop by to speak deliverance into your life, to break chains, and break yokes, so that people may be set free!   I dare you to say “After today I will no longer be subject to other people’s expectations.  I’ll no longer be held captive by somebody else’s standards.  No one but God has power over me.  I AM SOMEBODY and I REFUSE to live under a lie and a fantasy anymore just to fulfill someone else standards, I’M FREE!”

There are two great deliverances that you can experience in life. One is from people, the other is from you.  Can I help somebody right now? Listen, God wants to take you to another level, but as long as you keep trying to please people and not God, you’ll never make it!  However, I believe that after today somebody is going to be delivered from people pleasing.  Somebody is going to be released from the bondage of others.  Somebody is going to have a new outlook on life, and the things that used to matter just won’t matter no more.  Somebody is going to be delivered from them.  I dare you to bless the Lord right now. You’re free and whom the Son sets free is free indeed!

Lou Coleman has been ordained as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ since 2001, and she has a degree in Psychology/Counseling, amongst under doctrine certifications.