Baptist City Blog

It's Not About Esther

Esther 10:2

"And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?"

I have a confession to make. I have read the Book of Esther well over one hundred times, and I have always thought that the Book of Esther was about Esther. However, when you come to the final chapter, the conclusion of the whole book, you see that the Book of Esther is not about Esther, it's about Mordecai. Yes, Esther seems to be the main character, but God concludes the book by saying, "And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai,..." Notice, Esther is not mentioned one time in this last chapter.

God wants you to notice Mordecai more than he wants you to notice Esther. Though there are many principles we can learn from this lady, the main character from whom we are to learn is the one who worked in the background. It was not the one who was in front of everyone who was the hero, but it was the one who, behind the scenes, saved the people of God from destruction.

One of the great attributes of Mordecai is that he was a patriot for his people and God. When no one else would stand against the wicked Haman, Mordecai put his life on the line and saved Israel. Not only did he put his life on the line, but he motivated Esther to put her life on the line for the sake of the people of God. Mordecai was a true patriot! His heroism should never be overlooked when you reading the Book of Esther.

As I examine the life of Mordecai, it compels me to ask the question, where are the patriots of our day? Where are the Mordecai's who will motivate their leaders to stand? Where are the Shadrach's, Meshach's and Abednego's who are willing to be thrown into the fire for the sake of Christ? Where are the Daniel's who will go into the lion's den for the sake of prayer? Where are the David's who will stand against the giants? Where are the Jonathan's who will go against the heathen's army while everyone else sits idly by and watches the enemy destroy their cause? Where are the Gideon's who will stand against all odds and fight the liberals whose armies look like the sand of the sea? I ask, where are the patriots of our day?

Christian, you don't have to be in the limelight to stand for truth. You don't have to have position to be the one who stands. You don't have to be a part of the "in group" to make a difference for the sake of Christ. You don't have to have the bully pulpit to turn a nation around for Christ. It only takes the spark of a patriot who will risk life and well being for the cause of truth to catch fire.

Let me ask you, will you be the Mordecai of your workplace, church or nation? Christian, it starts with one standing for truth for others to begin to stand. It is never easy being the first one to stand, but if you will stand, your stand will motivate others to stand. You may think that you have no influence, but let me remind you that most patriots never had influence before they stood. It was their stance that gave them the influence. Stop waiting for someone else to stand for truth and be the Mordecai of your world and stand for truth so that the cause of Christ may be saved. Don't wait for someone else, stand up!

Get Your Hands Dirty

Nehemiah 3:16

"After him repaired Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of the half part of Bethzur, unto the place over against the sepulchres of David, and to the pool that was made, and unto the house of the mighty."

One of the greatest ways to motivate followers to do something is for leaders to jump in and get their hands dirty by working with them. One of the greatest mistakes leaders make is that they forget what it was like to be in the trenches getting their hands dirty with the followers. Many leaders have lost good followers due to the fact that they would never get their hands dirty.

One thing that was pointed out in the Book of Nehemiah was that the leaders would not work. They wanted to stand around commanding the followers to work while they sat in their offices and did nothing. That is not the purpose of leadership. Yet, in the verse above, Nehemiah the son of Azbuk understood the importance of getting his hands dirty. You will notice that he helped in repairing the walls, even though many of the other leaders would not get their hands dirty.

You must always remember that the purpose of leadership is not to get out of work, but its purpose is to serve those whom you lead. Just because you have acquired position does not mean that you will never have to get your hands dirty again. In fact, you would be wise to regularly get among the people and let them see you get your hands dirty. There are several benefits of getting your hands dirty.

First, you show your followers that you are not too good to work. When the followers see the boss getting his hands dirty, they will gain greater respect for him or her. One of the complaints of followers is that leadership will not do what they tell others to do. The greatest way to squelch that is to get out with the followers and work with them. By the way, don't just pick the easier and cleaner jobs, but be willing to work in the dirtiest jobs. This is one of the ways to gain the respect of your followers.

Second, you learn things that need to be corrected. When you sit behind the desk, you lose touch with what is really going on with the workers. When you get your hands dirty, you find out there are some things that might need to be changed. You may find some ways to streamline the work process and save the company money. You may also be able to show the workers a better way to do things. You will never know what needs to be corrected until you get your hands dirty.

Third, you train future leaders the importance of leadership getting their hands dirty. Too many people have a false impression of true leadership. Many think that a leadership position means they will never have to get their hands dirty again. When you work and get your hands dirty, you show future leaders what it takes to boost morale and learn of mistakes that need to be corrected.

Whatever your position of leadership is, be sure that you regularly get your hands dirty. Pastors need to get out of their office's and work with their people. Business leaders need to get among their workers by getting their hands dirty. Parents need to get their hands dirty and work with their children. You will find that getting your hands dirty is of great benefit to both leadership and followship. Don't ever think you are too good to get your hands dirty. Don't be a leader who only barks out orders, but be a leader who gets among the people and gets their hands dirty.

What God Expects From You

Ezra 2:69

"They gave after their ability unto the treasure of the work threescore and one thousand drams of gold, and five thousand pound of silver, and one hundred priests' garments."

One of the great attributes of God is that He does not expect more from us than what we can give. God understands our weaknesses. God understands that everybody can't give what somebody else can; therefore, He desires that you give to the best of your ability.

When Ezra described how the people gave to the treasury, he said that they "gave after their ability." You will notice that these people were not chided for not giving as someone else gave; rather, they were commended for giving to their ability. They didn't give less than they could give, and they were not expected to give more than they could give. God was simply pleased that they gave according to their ability.

When I played sports in high school, each player on the team had their strengths and weakness. As a team, if every player played to their ability, then we would give ourselves the best chance to win. However, if one player did not play to their ability, then that tremendously lessened our chance of winning. In order to win, it was necessary for every teammate to give their full effort.

Christian, God never expects more of you than what you can do. God understands how much you can give, and He expects you to give according to your ability. What you can give may not be as much as someone else can give, but if you will give according to your ability, then you will strengthen the cause of Christ. Anything less than your best is unacceptable.

It is important in a church that every member give according to their ability. Let me make this clear, though this verse is talking about financial giving, I am talking about giving of your effort. One of the reasons churches lack today is because many members do not give their best effort. You have a few members who give their best effort, but if a church is going to thrive every member must give to their ability. In every church you have elderly, middle-aged, and young people. Each age group has a different energy level. Yet, if each age group would give of their best, then the church would thrive. God does not expect more from you than you can give, but He does expect you to give to your ability.

Furthermore, parents need to be careful about expecting more from their children than what they can give. I am for you pushing your children to do more, but don't expect more from them than what they can give. One mistake many parents make is comparing one child to another. This is not fair, for no two children are alike, and neither do they have the same capabilities. What you should demand from your children is that they do according to their ability. Whether it is in their schoolwork or effort towards a project, only expect from them to give according to their ability.

Finally, every leader should only expect their followers to give according to their ability. Part of the responsibility of a leader is to know the ability of each follower, and then bring out of their followers the best. As a leader, only demand that your followers do their best. They may or may not succeed, but the standard is effort and not success. If everyone gives their effort to the best of their ability, then you give yourself the best chance to succeed.

All God expects from you is for you to give to your ability. Let me ask you, are you giving the best in every area? It doesn't matter if you are giving more than someone else, it only matters if you give according to your ability. Make your standard of living one that you give according to your ability. This will give you the best chance to succeed in every area of life.

Is It Not I?

1 Chronicles 21:17

"And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued."

One of the most important parts of leadership is learning to take responsibility when wrong happens. God saw Israel had sinned, and because of their sin He was going to judge them. We learn that Satan provoked David to number Israel which was against the Word of God. This action by David must have been the final act that moved God to judge Israel. However, when it came time to get right with God so that His judgment would end, David took the whole responsibility for what happened. You will notice that David said, "Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed;..." David could have blamed it on everyone else, but he knew that part of leadership is taking responsibility for wrong when it occurs.

One of the mistakes of leadership today is the blaming of others for what happens. In the political world, you see the president and political leaders blaming the other party or previous leaders for the condition of the country. In churches, I often see preachers who want to blame people for their sin. This only leads to the detriment of the individuals who have sinned. Sin will not be dealt with as long as leaders point their fingers at others instead of taking personal responsibility for what they've done. If leaders would take personal responsibility, then you would find followers would take personal responsibility as well.

You will notice that David did not blame the messenger who told him that he had sinned; rather, he took the personal responsibility for his own actions. Let me ask you, since when is the messenger who points out the sin the bad person? They did nothing wrong. They only did what they were supposed to do. Christian, you can blame the messenger who pointed out the sin as the problem, but you are not dealing with the real problem. The real problem that must be dealt with is sin. Pointing at others only deflects the attention away from the real problem; thus, the problem is never dealt with. You must not fall into the trap of blaming the messenger.

Furthermore, you will notice that David did not give any excuse for his actions. Again, as long as you give excuses for why you did wrong, you will never deal with the issue at hand. Leaders must be careful about trying to excuse away their wrong. You will never solve your problems if you use excuses for wrong.

The answer for correcting problems is to say what David said, "Is it not I..." This is a real need for leadership today. Everything rises and falls at the feet of leadership. So, if you want everyone to get right, then you need to take responsibility for what you have done. It is you who chose to do wrong. It is you who made the bad decision. It is you who sinned, and nobody made you do it. The core of a great leader will not blame anyone else for what happened, but they will take full responsibility for their own actions.

Do you find yourself trying to deflect wrong away from you and place it on others? You will never truly solve your problems until you say, "Is it not I..." Stop blaming your children, spouse, friends, circumstances or anyone else, but take the blame for what you've done and correct your actions. It is when you say, "Is it not I..." that you will find God will begin to turn his judgment into mercy. Always look to blame yourself as your first reaction when wrong happens, for that is what will start the process of correcting the problem.

Keepers of the Gates

1 Chronicles 9:19

"And Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, of the house of his father, the Korahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the gates of the tabernacle: and their fathers, being over the host of the LORD, were keepers of the entry."

Years ago I had the privilege of traveling to England to preach. While I was there, the pastor took me to the place where the crowns and jewels of the kings and queens were kept. This was quite an astounding tour. One of the things that caught my attention were the guards who stood outside the doors. These guards had guns in hand ready to use in case someone tried to steal anything. In all reality, these guards were simply keepers of the gates.

In the verse above, God established that there were some men whose job it was to keep the gates. In other words, there job was to guard the gates. Just like these men kept the gates of the temple, there needs to be people who will keep the gates of the home and church. In the Scriptures, you will find that being a keeper of the gate meant that your presence held several responsibilities.

First, the gates were in place to keep the criminals out. One of the purpose of having a gate is to make sure the wrong people don't get in. As a keeper of the gate, one of your responsibilities is to make sure the wrong influences don't enter your home or church. Parents are to be sure that their home is protected from wrong influences. That means you need to watch what you allow to be played on your television. You need to be careful who you allow to come into your home. Parents are the keepers of the gates of their home, and they should understand they have children whom they need to protect from the wrong influences that would destroy them.

Likewise, preachers are the keepers of the gate of the church. No, the church is not theirs, the church belongs to God. They are simply like the guards who stand outside of something to protect it to make sure nothing wrong gets inside. Preachers, you must be very careful who you let preach in your pulpits. Be careful what influences you let influence your people. You must guard the church from the wrong music getting in. A preacher must keep all wrong influences from getting in.

Second, the gates were a place of security. As long as the gates are properly protected, then those on the inside will feel secure. Everyone is under someone who is a keeper of our gates. Let me warn you from trying to leave those gates. The gates that God has set up in your life are there to protect you from harm. Stop trying to run outside the gates and stay inside where you are safe. It is not that the keeper of your gates hate you or don't want you to enjoy life, it is simply that they see what is harmful on the outside and they keep those influences from getting to you.

Finally, one day you will be a keeper of a gate. While you are inside those gates, you need to learn what you must guard against. Don't simply let your feeling of security cause you not to learn how to guard the gates yourself. Everyone will have to step up and guard someone's gates. Be sure that you learn how to guard and what to guard against.

The gates of our lives are very important. Let's not be careless about the gates in our lives. Let's be sure that we keep the wrong influences from getting in. Furthermore, let's train those on the inside about the harmful influences on the outside so that when they become keepers of the gates they will know how to identify those who would harm them and others if they get inside.

First Things First

2 Kings 19:30

"And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit upward."

There are certain parts of sowing and reaping that seem to be less desirable, but they are probably the most important part of the whole process. When I worked in the strawberry fields of California, one of the most undesirable times of the planting season was when we planted. Reaping was always the most desirable because that was when we made the most money. However, when we planted the seedlings, it was hard work that didn't pay much money. Yet, without the time spent planting the seedlings, we would not enjoy a long reaping season.

In the verse above, God told the remnant of Judah to "take root downward, and bear fruit upward." What God was teaching them was the importance of building the foundation before you start worrying about the fruit. God understood that the remnant would have to start all over. He understood that they would need to build the infrastructure before they worried about the booming economy. If they ignored the infrastructure of the spiritual and financial economy, then their existence would be short lived. Though building the infrastructure was not glamorous, the infrastructure was the root system of the whole financial and spiritual economy.

If a business is going to be successful, then the root system of that business is going to have to be strong. Many people go into business without any root system, and their business is short lived. They go into business without establishing their purpose of business, the roles of leadership, the uniqueness of the product, financing of the business, how to operate the business and the best way to sale the product. Without these things being previously settled, a business has no root. They may be able to sell things for a short time, but eventually without the root system, or infrastructure, the business will fail. It is imperative that a business focus on taking root before they get too concerned with the fruit.

Likewise, the family needs to focus on its root system if it wants to succeed. Communication is one of the most important parts of any relationship. Without communication, the family will have problems. That means you must spend time together to have a successful family. The family must know their roles in the home and stay in those roles. Rules to live by must be established if the family is going to be happy. Likewise, God must be included in every facet of the family if it wants to be happy. If the family ignores any of the root system, then the fruit of happiness will be short lived.

A church must also give time to setting its root system if it wants to be fruitful. Too many churches worry about the fruit of souls without ever taking time to meet the needs of the root system. Christians need to know what they believe. That is why it is imperative to have a good Sunday school, because the Sunday school really deals with the root system of the Christian. The Sunday school will help Christians to become grounded in the Word of God. If you don't attend Sunday school, then you are hurting your spiritual root system.

Simply put, be sure to take care of the first things first. Don't jump to the fruit side of life first, hoping to enjoy the fruit without spending time establishing the root system. If you will get the root system of business, family, marriage and church strong, then the fruit-bearing season will last a long time. However, without a strong root system, the fruit-bearing season will be short lived and will not withstand the storms. Don't ignore your root system, but give it proper time and the fruit will take care of itself.

Are You Replaceable?

2 Kings 2:13

"He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;"

One of the greatest needs in every generation is that a person learns to train someone to replace them. I was talking to a man who told me about a staff meeting that he was in when his leader stepped down. He told me this spiritual leader had been in his position for many years, but when he stepped down he said that there was nobody on that staff qualified to replace him. My immediate thought was that if this were true, then this man was a failure. He was a failure because he did not train anyone to replace.

When studying the life of Elijah, one of the greatest achievements of his life was that he trained an Elisha to replace him. Elijah was not so insecure that he wouldn't train someone to replace him if he left. One reason Israel was not without a prophet after Elijah went to Heaven was because he trained someone to replace him. He understood that life is not guaranteed, and that someone needed to be in place to replace him if the work was to continue.

One of the greatest leaders in the Scriptures was Moses. When you look at Moses' life, you would often say that the parting of the Red Sea or the leading of several million people through the wilderness were his greatest feats. However, I beg to differ. I believe the greatest feat that Moses accomplished was that he trained Joshua to replace him. Moses was not so insecure that he selfishly avoided training someone to replace him. He understood the need of being replaceable.

Great leaders are leaders who train someone to replace them. David trained Solomon to replace him. Jesus trained twelve men to replace Him when He went to Heaven. Barnabas trained Paul to replace him. The disciples made it their mission to train Christians to replace them. Throughout the Scriptures you will find that the great leaders had the philosophy of making sure that they trained their replacement.

Training someone to replace you has great benefits. One of the great benefits is that it will motivate you and keep you from becoming complacent. When you know that there is always someone who can take your place, that has a way of keeping you working hard. I find those who never train someone to replace them become complacent because there is no one to push them. Knowing that someone can replace you at any time will keep you from complacency.

Another great benefit of being replaceable is that your position will never be empty. Christian, we are not guaranteed that we have a tomorrow. God says in Proverbs 27:1, "Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." Because we don't know if we will be alive tomorrow, then we should train others to replace us when we are gone.

Furthermore, why should God promote you if you have not trained someone to replace you? I would think that God would be more apt to promote you when you have followed His command to bear fruit. Face it, bearing fruit is making sure that you are replaceable. Those who have prepared others to replace them are those who should be promoted.

Are you replaceable? Sunday school teacher, have you trained someone to replace you? Pastor, have you trained someone to replace you? Whatever your title or position, you should train someone to replace you. If you are not replaceable, then you have failed as a leader. Don't be so insecure that you are afraid to train someone to replace you out of fear that they will take your place. Training someone to replace you will only motivate you to continue to grow and do more for God.

They're Copying You

1 Kings 15:26

"And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin."

The only way that anyone can learn is through copying what someone else has done. For someone to say that they are their own person is ludicrous. Every time you learn something, you copied what someone else has done. So in essence, we are all copycats.

Years ago when I was taking my daughter to school, the sun was in my eyes, so to see clearly I grabbed my sunglasses so that I could put them on. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed my daughter grabbed her sunglasses at the very same time. I started to put them on, but stopped about halfway up. I noticed that my daughter started to put her sunglasses on, but she stopped halfway up. I then took my sunglasses and put them on my lap. I watched as she took her sunglasses and put them on her lap. Everything I did with my sunglasses she did with hers. The Holy Spirit used this incident to help me realize that my daughter was copying my life.

The verse above says that Nadab "walked in the way of his father." In other words, he copied the life of his father. Sadly, this young man didn't have much of an example to follow for his dad lived a wicked life. Because his father lived a wicked life, he lived a wicked life. The power of his father's example on his life was tremendous. If only his father would have understood the power of his influence, one would wonder if he would have changed his lifestyle.

Parents, your children are copying how you live. The power of your influence on your children is enormous. You may think that you can tell them not to do the bad things that you do, but they are learning how to live from you. Your actions speak louder than your words. You can tell your children how to live a right life, but they watch how you live and copy that more than what you say. That is why you must be sure that every action that you do in your house is something that you would want your children to copy.

Let me ask you, what will your children become if they copy everything you do? I am not just talking about what you do in public, but more importantly what you do in private. Children tend to copy the private lives more than they do the public lives. The reason being is because they are around the private lives of their parents more than they are their public lives. The public lives of their parents will either vindicate or condemn what they tell their children to do. You may think that your children don't see what you do, but you will be surprised how quickly they will pick up on your bad habits. They will copy what you do on the internet. They will copy how you treat your spouse. They will copy how you serve the LORD. They will copy how you talk in private. Your children are mentally recording everything you do, and they will playback what they saw when they become adults.

Young person, if your parents are not living right, then you should not copy their sinful lifestyle. Just because they do wrong, that does not give you an excuse to do wrong yourself. You are responsible for your own actions. If you are reading this devotional, then that means somehow you are around people who are living a right life. That means you have someone spiritual whom you can copy.

Parents, if your children are recording your present lifestyle, what will the playback be when they become adults? Be sure that what they are copying is worthy of their living. Moreover, young person, be sure to copy the good traits of your parents. There is no perfect parent, so learn to only copy that which is right in the sight of the LORD.

Restorations Limit

2 Samuel 9:7

"And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually."

The story of Mephibosheth is a story of restoration. When news was received that Saul and his sons were killed, Mephibosheth's mother dropped him which caused him to be lame in his feet. David wanted to show kindness to Jonathan, and did so by treating Mephibosheth kindly. What you will notice in this story of restoration, though David did everything in his power to restore to Mephibosheth what was Saul's, one thing David could not restore was the ability for him to walk again.

Restoration does have limits. I believe in restoration because I believe God wants people to be able to have the capacity to serve Him again. God is certainly in the restoration business. God restored David after he fell. God restored Peter after he fell. God restored Samson after he fell. Even the prodigal son received restoration when he embarrassed his father and rebelled. Every person should make an effort at restoring the fallen because they never know if one day they may fall themselves. Sin hits everyone. Therefore, we should do everything in our power to try to restore people to the limit that we have power to restore. There were several things that David restored to Mephibosheth.

First, David restored the right spirit to Mephibosheth. David said, "Fear not." He wanted Mephibosheth to understand that he would have the right spirit towards him. One of the first things that should be restored to the fallen is for you to have a right spirit towards them. You should not have a spirit of anger, malice, superiority or of judgment, but you should have a spirit that will try to help them come back. The fallen are skittish of what people think about them already, so you must work at being sure they understand that you are not going to sit in judgement of them, but you are going to do your best to have the right spirit that will help them.

Second, David restored the right to blessings. David gave back to Mephibosheth everything that was Saul's. Likewise, when you are trying to restore people, give them the right to receive blessings again. In other words, don't punish them for the rest of their life. Let them earn the right to be used again. Just because they fell doesn't mean that they can't earn their way back to usefulness. Everybody should have the right to be used again if they will get right with God.

Third, David restored fellowship to Mephibosheth. You will notice that Mephibosheth was able to eat daily at the king's table. Likewise, the act of restoration should restore fellowship to the fallen. Yes, fellowship should be broken when they are in sin, but when they come back to God they need fellowship. Always welcome back the fallen when they come back to God.

However, though David tried to restore Mephibosheth everything, he could not restore the usefulness of his feet. Why? Because there are consequences to sin. You will never be able to come back to where you once were when you chose to sin. You can choose your sin, but you can't choose your consequences. People deserve the right to be restored, but they will never get back everything they once had. You forfeit some things when you sin, that is why there are limits to restoration.

Yes, you should do your best to restore people, but always remember there are limits to what can be restored. If you fall into sin, remember that you will never be able to go back to having everything you once had. Let this story of restoration teach you how to restore, and warn you of sin's consequences.

Noninvolvement is Involvement

1 Samuel 8:20

"That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles."

The sin that the children of Israel made in this verse is the same sin that people commit today. Israel was a theocracy from its inception. God led them out of Egypt and through the Red Sea. He fed and provided for them in the forty years in the wilderness. He led them as they conquered the land of Canaan. Even through the time of the judges, God was the One Who led them.

In the verse above, Samuel had become an old man. Israel came to him and told him that they wanted a king. They gave several excuses of why they wanted a king. They said they wanted to be like the other nations. They said they wanted a king to judge them and lead them. However, the real reason they wanted a king was so that he could fight their battles. They wanted a king for no other reason other than they didn't want to do anything. They wanted the king to do everything for them. They didn't want to be involved in the LORD's work, they wanted someone else to do the work for them. They didn't want to fight the battles themselves, they simply wanted to stay on the sidelines and watch others fight the battles for them. They were simply saying that they didn't want to become involved in the battles, they wanted someone else to fight for them.

Christian, you may not want to become involved in the LORD's battles, but your lack of involvement is truly involvement. What I mean by this is if you won't fight for right, then you are aiding those who are fighting for wrong. You can sit on the sidelines and let others fight the battles, but your lack of involvement for truth is what allows truth to be attacked. When your stance is that you don't want to become involved in the fray, then your stance is one of aiding those who attack truth.

Let me apply this to where you live today. When you won't become involved in the soul-winning ministries of your church, then you are in essence aiding the Devil in sending people to Hell. Yes, this is a strong statement, but you are either leading people to Christ or you are letting people go to Hell. Your noninvolvement in the fight for souls is involvement on the Devil's side.

When preachers won't fight when truth is attacked, then their noninvolvement is involvement for the enemy. Throughout my years of serving the LORD, I have watched many preachers who won't stand for truth because they just don't want to be entangled in the battle. Let me remind every man of God and every Christian that Jude 1:3 says, "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." God commands us to become involved in the fight for truth. So, your noninvolvement is involvement.

Young person, when you don't want to become involved in preserving the old-time religion for your generation, then your noninvolvement is involvement. Every generation must fight their own battles. You can say that you just don't want to be involved, but you are involved by your noninvolvement.

Christian, are you like Israel who didn't want to be involved in the battles? Are you one who simply wants someone else to fight the battles? Let me remind you that your noninvolvement in involvement in the Devil's side. It's time that every person becomes involved in the battle for truth. Edmund Burke said, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Don't let evil triumph; become involved!