Why am I such an encourager of reading the Bible and seeking understanding of applying this to my life, and you to your life?  Because I was born with a sinful nature already abiding within me.  Because I exist in a community comprised of equally broken and equally loved, sinful human beings.  Because Satan wants to confuse me into believing that I am alright alone, without need of Jesus and the hope that comes through reading and knowing the Bible.  Because John 1:1 tells me that ‘in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.’  Because without the guidepost that is the Bible, I will fall for false teachings, social nuances, contemporary ideas that subtly erode truth.  Because without scripture, I am a sheep just waiting to be slaughtered by a segment of the World designed to mislead and destroy.

“So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.  But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.  For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.  You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.  But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.” James 1:21-25 (NLT)

Why am I writing this and sharing?  Simply to encourage you to be prepared.  When a trauma situation arises that requires surgery to save the life of someone that I know or love, I want a Dr. who has prepared and knows the procedure for restoring health inside and out.  I want the team of Dr’s and nurses who are prepared.  Who are ready.  Who are up to the challenge.  Who have met the rigors of study, practice, review and redo over and over.  I want the team that are masters of their craft in knowledge and in practice.

If you profess the name of Jesus Christ and claim to be his child, you have a target on your back.  Targets can be great and can create great risk.  The choice is yours as to what type of target you are.  Are you being targeted like a lighthouse that shows the way in the darkness of hope and despair?  Or, are you the clanging cymbal described in 1 Corinthians 13 that invites attack without preparation of heart and mind to fend off the attacks sure to come.  The lighthouse was built on a foundation that protects it against the pounding surf when the sea rages.  Similarly, a life with the foundation and knowledge of scripture is immune to the attacks certain to come from a sinful and broken World.  Equally, the noise of a cymbal desiring to bespeak hope, love and truth without knowledge to defend, is easily quieted by a heavy hand clamping down on the vibration the instrument makes.  The noise of the message quelled by exposing its inability to withstand the assault against truth.

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

— Thomas Edison

There is an old and true saying by Roman philosopher Seneca that states “luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”  Know without any question that you will be presented with the opportunity to share the hope that is Jesus and the truth that is the Bible in your lifetime.  In fact, you will likely have that opportunity this week or even today.  Accept the responsibility that is being a child of God.  That responsibility being to provide those in your life’s path with the understanding and knowledge as the King’s child that presents the opportunity of an eternal lifetime.

Let’s go.