Faithbase

You know, I lost a really good friend a couple of days ago, he's the 7th brother that I've lost just this year, you know, I was talking about to somebody and the question that they asked me, they said, you know, with all this negativity, with all this death that you're dealing with, with all this, just the hell that you've been through in your life, how can you possibly believe in a God? How can you possibly follow a lifestyle that you do to follow a God who allows all of this to happen? You know, Billy Graham was asked the same question and his response was spot on. He asked, why do dirty people exist if soap exists? The answer to that question is Christianity is like soap. It has to be applied in order for it to affect someone's life. And a lot of people get wrapped up in that Christianity automatically means that you got to be perfect. Christianity means that you have to be this clean spoken, just untouchable individual and that's not it. Christianity is not about what you've done. It's not about the things that you have failed at. It's not about all the just terrible things that you've done in your life because me, I've been a scoundrel in my life. I've done some pretty terrible things and I know a lot of people have too. I know I'm not the only one, but that's not what Christianity is about. It's not about who you were. It's about who you are today and what you plan on doing tomorrow and the next day and the next day. It's about following and believing in a God of grace who, when he died on the cross for you, he said it is done. Everything that you have done and everything that you were going to do has been wiped clean. It's about following a God of forgiveness. You know what? There are people in this world who were so lost, who were in this place of just complete and absolute darkness, who feel that death is the only way out. You know, I learned that combat vets aren't the leading cause of suicide. You know who is? Teenagers. Teenagers are the number one statistic when it comes to suicides a year. That breaks my heart and it terrifies me as a parent, but that is what Christianity is about. It's about being in a place of darkness and finding the light. It's about using your testimony in the hell that you have gone through, in the hell that you have survived and sharing it with somebody else who was going through that exact same thing and showing them you are loved. There is a God who has loved you since the day he put you in the womb. Far too often we get caught up in listening to what the world says about us and what other people say about us and what our circumstances say about us and what our failures and our mistakes say about us. And I'm here to tell you, Christ has known you since he put you in the womb. There has been a promise and a purpose put on your life since the day that you were put in his womb. So why would you listen and trade God's promises for the bullcrap that somebody else who doesn't even know you has to say? Somebody who thinks they know you who have absolutely nothing, no clue about the hell that you've not only endured, but you have gone through and have survived and have made it through with the help of Christ. Do not, do not trade God's promises for somebody else's opinion. You are loved, you are worthy, and whatever darkness that you have found yourself in today, I'm here to tell you there's a way out and it's not death. That is what Satan wants. He wants you to make that final decision because it's final, it's done. But I promise you, I'm here to tell you right now that there is a way out. And for those of you who have found a way out, it's time to step up. Christians, it is time for us to step up because we are in a time right now where the whole entire world is against us. If you haven't paid attention to what's going on and not the news on your social media, it is time for us to step up and step into our calling because the world as we know it, it's coming, it's falling. Everybody's against us. Look around you. Look around you. People talk about gun control and vape control and abortion and video games and all this nonsense when the main issue is it's a heart problem. It is a Christ problem. It is a Christless heart because we as Christians have got to spread the word. We have got to stop sitting idly by and watching the world just go forward without us walking in our calling because there are people in the world right now whose life, their life depends on you. Their life depends on you following Christ's calling on your life to survive. Their future depends on you. It is time. We have got to step up. We have got to step into our calling and we have got to go forward and do what Christ has called us to do to spread his