alert

The price of freedom

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I try to be as positive and optimistic as possible, yet the Creator also teaches us to be cautious and alert. Alertness is exercising my physical and spiritual senses to recognize the dangers that could diminish the resources entrusted to me. Thomas Jefferson said, “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance”. Apostle Paul under the leading of the Holy Spirit gave us a very serious warning in 2 Timothy 3:5 “Avoid these people!” Whose people was he describing in in those first five verses? I find that the author H.A. Ironside summarize it very accurately. “In 2 Timothy 3 the Holy Spirit is describing conditions in the professing church in the last days! There are twenty-one outstanding features in this prophecy of church conditions in the last days. Paul challenge you to look about you and see if these are not the conditions that characterize a great part of Christendom today—no reality, no power, yet much profession. The Church which began as “the pillar and ground of the truth,” is, in this twenty first century of its existence, “seeking” the truth, thereby acknowledging they never yet have found it!”[1]

In His Sermon on the mountain, Jesus said that a <Tree is identified by its fruit>. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” Matthew 7:15 Remember Jefferson advice “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance”. How to keep your freedom?

Two simple questions will help you;

Do you guard your daily time with the Lord and His Word?

Do you ask God for daily guidance and find His will?

Let me rephrase them, “Do you pray and read the Bible daily?”

[1] H.A. Ironside, Timothy, Titus, and Philemon (Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1947), 220

Out of fire!

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Not long ago, a 20 years old man who works at an open pit gold mine shared that amazing story. As he was busy driving heavy equipment, he unexpectedly saw a co-worker in serious trouble. Many of us are not familiar with heavy equipment, so we need a word of explanation, the driver seat are directly above the front wheels. Let’s get back to our story, when the 20 years old man saw some flames coming out of the overheat front brakes, he realized that his co-worker was in a dangerous condition. The flame keeps the driver confine inside his cabin. The flames were too high for him to get out.  Swiftly our young heroes took a fire extinguisher, ran to the truck, stop the fire, and help the workmate get out of the vehicle.  Later that day, at a meeting session, the boss thanks the young brave man for his alertness and boldness. That young man told me how deeply touched he felt at that moment, realizing how he has been instrumental in saving a life.

In a similar way, believers in the Lord Jesus are called to be alert and bold. We read in Jude 23 to ‘save others by snatching them from the fire ⌊of hell⌋’.  Our young heroes didn’t ask his co-worker if he wanted any help, in a bold action he just got him out of the flames. As believers we are called to also make some bold action.