Covenant Church

Ask yourself: Are you ready? Are you preparing for the future? Are you taking actions that best insure your optimal future?

Who are your counselors? Are your counselors godly persons? Are your counselors mature, seasoned, wise in scripture, and team players? Are your counselors part of a local body of believers?

Have you made a careful assessment of who you are, your integrity, your possessions, your dreams, and your resources to calculate and plan? Are you ready to commit to the challenge?

A story from high school literature remains with me. Felipe', age 14, lived with his mother and sister in a remote area of Mexico. His sister was very sick with a high fever and needed a doctor. Felipe' did not know how to care for his sister.

However, he had never made the 20 mile journey across dangerous hot sands with bandits and criminals endangering travelers. The decision was that Felipe' would have to risk his life to get a doctor, while his mother stayed to care for her daughter.

Felipe' did succeed in the journey and return with a doctor. His sister lived.

As students we discussed the moral of the story: "A man becomes a man when a man is needed."

We are in desperate need of men and women of character. We need visionary men and women who will sacrifice for the good of the community. We need men and women of all ages who will be bold enough to say: "I will go! I hear the call of duty. I am willing to sacrifice pleasures to serve."

In an era of narcissistic hedonism we need the character of Moses. A prince of Egypt, living in the palace, having all the opportunities for pleasure available, Moses denied himself certain pleasures for the joy of being obedient to God. He prepared himself to serve. He knew his life was a gift from God. He had been spared the deadly fate of other boys aborted in process of birth.

Philippians reminds us that Jesus with joy chose to serve.

David risked his life to face Goliath.

Samuel at age 12 said to God: "Here am I."

Isaiah when Israel needed a leader said: "Here am I."

Nehemiah asked God to let him go and do what no one else had done in 100 years!

If we truly believe that these are urgent times, then we must believe that urgent action is needed. We must pray for a spirit of sacrifice and courage.

For Felipe' 20 long, lonely and dangerous miles were less than the hope of saving his sister. What is our hope? What drives us? What will we do to fulfill our mission? Will we risk everything to save others?

Maybe you, My Friend, need to just think about the next year. How is God figured into the equation? Have you prayed about what needs to be left behind to succeed? Are you confident that you are walking in faith and the power of the Holy Spirit? Are you ready for your mission?

Pastor Bare

John 9:4 — I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.