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Choices Are For The Living is my fourth book.  It is a work in progress... a powerful book on the wisdom of living a life worth repeating while casting your net for Jesus as you walk in the fear of the Lord.

What does it mean to fear God?  What does that even look like to you?  Could it mean to tremble every time you sin?  Could it mean shaking when His name is spoken aloud?  Or could it possibly mean reading His Word and then doing His Word, according to His word.  Examine the scriptures for yourself and let them reveal His truth.  The word fear is written in the NKJV bible 367 times and of those 367 times, 118 times are associated in direct fear of the Lord.

I wrote this book, not because I have arrived in any way shape or form understanding the fear of the Lord, but because I believe it has been misunderstood therefore ignored.  If I could, I would take out the 51 times in the NKJV scriptures that said, "Do not fear."  It would make my goal a lot easier if the Bible did not appear to contradict itself.  Do not fear, then fear, sounds a bit contrary to the word.  We must distinguish between the two fears.  "Do not fear" means "do not fear for I am with you" as it is written in Isaiah 41:10 NIV.  Hebrews 11:7 NIV says, "By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household.  By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith".  The fear of the Lord actually saved mankind; the whole human race was saved because Noah took God at His word.  God said build an ark and Noah grabbed the nails and went to the wood pile.  So as I journey through the scriptures to discover the word of the Lord and how my own fear of Him establishes who I am.  I invite you on my journey to discover for yourself the importance of acknowledging the scriptures.

Chapter One:

Proverbs 1:7 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction".

Fearing the Lord is not something we're into as humans and believers of the gospel, as a matter of fact many believers don't understand the fear of the Lord at all. On one hand many think the fear of the Lord is quivering every time we make a mistake. The reason why I decided to write a book on the subject is not that I understand the fear of the Lord to my full capability or even to yours but I believe as I am faithful to write the Holy Spirit will be faithful to teach. I have been a Christian for over twenty years and I have never heard anyone say these words, "I am so into fearing the Lord, I am excited about the fear I have for Him." Sad, but many are more into the love of God rather than the fear of God. We need to decide who God is not who our parents say God is, or even who our church says God is or who our friends say God is. We need to pick up the Word and read it for ourselves to see who we believe God is. Who is God to you? Stop and think it about it for a moment.

We have become nothing more than people pleasers instead of God pleasers. We fear people more than God. Here are some interesting facts. The Sunday supplement magazine, USA Weekend, ran a cover story in its August 22-24, 1997 issue, entitled "Fear: What Americans Are Afraid of Today." In a scientific poll, the magazine uncovered the things Americans fear most:

< 54% are "afraid" or "very afraid" of being in a car crash.

< 53% are "afraid" or "very afraid" of having cancer.

< 50% are "afraid" or "very afraid" of inadequate Social Security.

> 49% are "afraid" or "very afraid" of not having enough money for retirement.

> 36% are "afraid" or "very afraid" of food poisoning from meat.

> 35% are "afraid" or "very afraid' of getting Alzheimer's

< 34% are "afraid" or "very afraid" of pesticides on food.

< 33& are "afraid" or "very afraid" of being a victim of an individual violence.

< 32% are "afraid" or "very afraid" of being unable to pay current debts.

< 30% are "afraid" or "very afraid" of exposure to foreign viruses.

< 28% are "afraid" or "very afraid" of getting Aids.

< 25% are "afraid" or "very afraid" of natural disasters.

After I finished reading this I quickly realized it appeared Americans did not fear God at all. One of the largest fears in America is being in a car crash. I thought about finding out the statistics on all of the fears and see if it was even rational to be fearful of these things, but I decided that was not what this book is about. This book is about fearing God the creator of the Universe. It is not about if you should fear those other things, but rather why many of us don't feel it necessary to fear God. Isaiah 66:2 says, "But this is the one I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word". Let me ask you a question, do you tremble at God's Word?

How do you respond to Matthew 25:34-46, "Then the King will say to those on his right side, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you "gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me."Then the righteous will answer him, saying, "Lord when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?" And the King will answer them, "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." "Then he will say to those on the left, Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me. Then they also will answer, saying, "Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you? Then he will answer them, saying, "Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me." And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life".

Do you look at Matthew 25:34-46 as if these scriptures apply to everyone else? If you really trembled at his Word you could not look at these scriptures and ignore the value of them. You could no longer pass by a man hungry on the side of the road only to get yourself to the other side or flip the channel when hungry children from Africa come on because it's uncomfortable for you to watch.

After reading and teaching several Bible Studies on, "Remembering the Forgotten God," by Francis Chan, I was challenged to live even more accurate according to God's Word. I've just recently graduated from Biblical Life College and Seminary with my Associates Degree in Biblical Studies and I must say I spent the better part of four years really dissecting the Bible. Although there is nothing wrong with dissecting the Word. I am elated to find myself back to the basics, just reading the infallible Word of God.

Years before I heard of Francis Chan I had a heart for the needy in every aspect of the word. I was the lady who held up traffic to give someone a meal or if I saw someone on the side of the road in need of prayer. I would stopped to pray. I have a tender heart for God's people and I hold myself accountable to His Word. As I taught his Bible study I grew deeper in the Lord right along with the ladies taking the class. I would begin each class with three questions. The first question was; would they be willing to be an answer to someone else's prayer? The second question I asked; would they be willing to follow the Holy Spirit without knowing where He was leading them? The finale question I asked was; would they be willing to treat everyone they met like they were Jesus? Because "what you have done for the least of these you have done unto me" . As our class went on I began to realize the power of the questions I had answered yes to on so many occasions. I had made up my mind to quit playing church like it was an instrument I could pick up and put down at my leisure, and start being the church. Being an instrument that God could use. Have you ever bought a second hand piano, or a guitar? Usually when you buy an instrument second hand it will need some tuning. Well church how long will we sit up in the balcony applauding the orchestra, and being in awe of the conductor? How long will we just sit in the repair shop, waiting for "church", to be tuned, fixed, restored, pampered, and babied before we start living an accurate life according to God's Word?

We are the church so if we are upset with how things are happening in the church we should be upset with ourselves. We have all allowed the mimicking, pretending, and the putting on heirs we not only allow it we are doing it as well. Believers, we are so far off from where the church originated from in the book of Acts. The churches today remind me of the type of house my family and I used to live in, in Texas. The houses were called "cookie cutter" homes. They only took about three months to build, but it took longer to go through the paperwork to buy the house than it did to build it. The reason they were called cookie cutter homes was the builder would offer several different floor plans to choose from but they were all made out of basically the same material, constructed by the same builder, painted by the same painters, bricked by the same brick layers. In other words the floor plans were a little different but the houses were more a less the same. This is what I think happened to the local body of Christ. We have made cookie cutter churches. We have used the architect and blueprints of the churches around us instead of the original architect of the book of Acts.

In Hebrews 11:10 the scripture says, "For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God". Sure the churches look a little different on the inside, different music, different programs, different styles of preaching, but basically the same, nowhere do I find the church of today on the blueprint of Acts. We have strayed from the original plan of God's church whose designers and builders are men and not God. I think many Pastors have made being a Pastor more of a job than a calling. Is the church accurately living Matthew 25:34-46?

Let's reflect again on Matthew 25:40 which says, "And the King will answer them, Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." Wow!!! You know this means good or bad. Every time we chose to ignore the hurting world around us, we have done this unto Him. Every time we sit around getting fat and happy while investing our money for our future only, instead of investing in a life worth saving, we have done this unto Him. Every time we store our riches up on earth, while ignoring the kingdom of God we have done this unto Him. Every time we care more about things than people we have done this unto Him. I am telling you, I understand it like never before. Ever since I taught on "Remembering the Forgotten God", by Francis Chan the flash light which I allowed the Holy spirit to lead me by has turned into a floodlight. I am in this thing with my eyes wide open and my ears fully awake.

According to the Message translation in the book of Revelation Jesus is talking to the seven churches and he says eight times, "Are your ears awake? Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit Blowing though the churches."

Are we listening church, are we really listening? Do we have ears that are awake or are we slumbering on the Word of God? Romans 13:11-12 says, "Besides you know the time that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light."

Let's unpack the word of God and see what Jesus said to the seven churches and gleam from the wisdom of the Word.

To the Church in Ephesus Jesus is saying in Revelation 2:3-6 says, "I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lamp stand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate". Revelation 2:7 ESV says, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God."

To the Church in Smyrna; Revelation 2:10b -11 says, "Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He, who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death. The church in Smyrna did not receive a rebuke from Jesus just encouragement."

To the Church of Pergamum Revelation 2:14 says, " But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality." The Pergamum church was compromising the Word of God. Revelation 2:17 says, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it." Historically, a white stone was given to victors at games for entrance to banquets, ( cf. the messianic banquet); such a stone was also used by jurors at trails to vote for acquittal. (ESV footnotes)

To the Church of Thyatira Revelation 2: 19-20 says, "I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you that you tolerated that women Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols." Revelation 2:26-27 says, "The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father."

To the Church of Sardis Revelation 3:1-3 says, "I know your works. You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you." Revelation 3:5-6 says, "The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He, who has an ear, let him hear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

To the Church of Philadelphia Revelation 3:8 says, "I know your works, Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Revelation 3:12-13, says, "The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down from my god out of heaven, and my own new name. He, who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

To the Church of Laodicea Revelation 3:15-17 says, "I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So that because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked." Revelation 3:21-22says, "The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Let's take a few moments and really examine what Jesus is saying to the seven churches. To the first church Jesus addressed Ephesus, Jesus said you did well in patience and endurance, but I hold this one thing against you, you have abandoned your first love. Are you still in love with Jesus? Do you remember when you first met Him? Do you remember how excited you were about Him? What has happened to your passion? Remember when you first fell in love with your spouse? What did you do to show your love? Did you get butterflies before you went to see them? Did you preplan what you were going to say? Were your palms sweaty? Have we become complacent with our first love? I have been married for twenty four years and I know complacency can creep in on a marriage, where you just become silent partners. It takes a lot of work to keep the unexpected in your marriage, the astonishing factor happening, the love flourishing daily. Jesus said, "You did well in patience and endurance," but patience and endurance does not complete a relationship. I don't want my husband to just endure me; I want him to be crazy out of his mind in love with me. Are you still being astonished by Jesus? Does He still have the Wow factor in your life? What are you having an affair with? What is stealing your time away from your first love? I believe the first step to falling back in love with Jesus is remembering how you felt in the beginning. When we are crazy in love with Jesus we will be crazy in love with His people. "What you have done to the least of these you have done unto me."

Many of us have developed a no tolerance policy. We see the hungry man standing on the side of the road and we turn our nose up as if to say as flipped as we can, "A man don't work a man don't eat." Who are you to judge who eats and who doesn't? Do you know the man or women standing on the side of the road? Do you know their situation? Do you know for a fact that they are just being lazy, that they had a job and just up and quit so they could come stand on a street corner and hold up a sign begging for food? My guess would be No, you don't. I would rather stand before my God and had fed the hungry than to stand before my God and say something stupid like, "Well I thought they needed to work to eat so I let them go hungry." I decided who ate and who didn't that was my job. 1 John 4:20-21 says, "For anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother." Your brother is considered to be the one you don't know, maybe someone you have never even seen. "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

To the church of Smyrna Jesus was sympathetic with this church, He encouraged them knowing they were being persecuted. Jesus said "be faithful unto death." What wise words for today as we are living among the dead. Jesus is saying be faithful to me until your death. Look how many started out in the Spirit but have ended up in the flesh, look how many were on fire for the Glory of the Lord but lost hope and committed adultery on their God. As I look around in the twenty first century I see so many faces without a cause, so many faces who wear their name proudly but deny His. I have noticed an increase of self motivation, self centered, self absorbed, and self improvement attitudes. It seems like we took God out of our self and replaced Him with more self. What happened to living for God, when did he become a choice rather than a life style? Oh, readers we read the words to the church of Smyrna and sigh a sigh of relief but what Jesus was encouraging them to do was to stay faithful unto death. Many of us cannot stay faithful until Monday after Sunday service. No, Jesus did not rebuke them but he did challenge their thought process the way they handle persecution. He challenged their natural instincts to deny the Spirit and pick up their flesh and run.

To the church of Pergamum -

"It was a commercial city, but its hill formed a natural fortress. It was the seat of the worship of Aesculapius, the god of healing, who was symbol as a serpent, and represented by a live serpent which was kept in his temple. There is a legend about this god to the following effect: On one occasion, in the house of Glaucus, whom he was to cure, while he was standing absorbed in thought, a serpent entered, and twined round his staff. He killed it, and then another serpent came in, carrying in his mouth an herb with which it recalled to life the had been killed. Aesculapius henceforth used that herb, with healing effects, on man. But an elaborate system of magic grew up around this god, attended with deceptive practices. Pergamum became a focus of idolatrous worship, and could be described as the place "where Satan's seat is." Outward circumstances of temptation, rather than of trouble, are represented in the picture of this church. Under pressure of these temptations the church has partly yielded; but it does not seem to have recognized the seriousness and peril of this partial yielding; and therefore the Living Christ must come to it with the dividing and revealing the two-edged sword."

The few things Jesus had against the Pergamum church was some of them were still holding onto the teachings of Balaam eating food sacrificed to idols, unrestrained feasting or self indulgence in food, and sexual immorality. Many of you reading this book have partly yielded to the word of God. You think it's a tick for tack. I'll do this and God will do that. You are divided between the world and the spiritual. In 1Kings 18:21 Elijah was speaking to the nation of Israel. He was tired of the partial yielding of God's people. Elijah asked them, "How long will you go limping between two different opinions?" How long will we lean into self indulgence whether it is with food or sexual encounters? I think there is something defiantly wrong when being a virgin until marriage turns men away. Why do we believe if we are living with someone God is going to bless the relationship? Why do we pray silly prayers of protection when we insist on living our lives partial yielded to God? Many of you drink and drive and then ask God to protect you as if there are no consequences for your sin. Partial yielding to God is limping between two opinions. I do not want to limp on the word of God. I want to stand boldly and decisive on the word of God.

Now to the church of Thyatira although small it was singled out for this letter of rebuke. This is what Jesus held against the church of Thyatira they tolerated a woman who called herself a prophetess and is seducing the servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. Due to a lack of discernment many fell to her false teachings. I found it interesting that right in middle of their rebuke Jesus addressed the ones who didn't hold onto the teachings of Satan. Jesus said, "You did not learn what some call the deep things of Satan". Jesus said, "I do not lay on you any other burden; only hold fast what you have until I come." In other words; Bravo, for those who did not learn the deep secrets of Satan, but held fast to the Word of God. A church that stands still is actually moving backwards.

Pastors who tolerate things in their church so they do not disturb their goals, dreams, or their plans are another way of standing still. We must not care about the numbers, the money, or who we may offend by teaching the unadulterated, uncompromised, unfiltered Word of God. Can I say I don't think we fear God any more? We fear numbers, people, humiliation, and failure. When are we going to make a stand and quit accommodating ourselves and people first then God? When will we listen to the Holy Spirit and obey? If I took a poll and asked every Pastor in America how many times has he received a message to bring forth on Sunday morning from the Holy Spirit, and because he was afraid he did not preach what he heard or he watered it down so much it didn't resemble what he had previously received from the Holy Spirit. I wonder what the answer would be. Would it be more than 50%?

I think many times we are so focused on the growth of the church that we have dismissed the power of the Spirit. Any church can grow as long as they have some talented people, but what is the motive? Why do we want our churches to grow, so we can store more people in a building to say Amen, Hallelujah, and Praise be to God then sit down and do nothing? I would rather have a church of sixty who are on fire for the kingdom of God than a church of a thousand who are complacent, who are satisfied with a menu to choose from instead of the endless buffet God has provided. Sitting is a verb, but the action behind it takes very little effort.

Now to the church of Sardis I know your works. "You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your work complete in the sight of my God." How many churches (I mean you and me, we make up the church) are appearing to be alive but we are really dead? Sure we walk into church on Sunday morning sporting our Sunday best, appearing to be set on fire for Jesus and His work, but the minute we leave the building and there are no more witnesses we strip off our costumes, put on our worldly clothes and become a dead man walking. Oh, yes my friend we have a reputation of being alive. We have prayers that are alive. We have all the right words in order and they appear to be alive. We have our bibles out and our next plan of action on the forefront of our thoughts. We know we will volunteer for the outreach program, and we will teach a class. But are we alive? Are we living a life worth repeating? Are we excited about being a born again, sold out, radical believer for God? Have we as a church been sleeping in the pews only to be awakened by our neighbor who says hallelujah to loud and preaches the Pastor's message right along with him. Are you annoyed by how alive the person is who insist on sitting by you? Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die.

Watch out, your sleep is about to lead you to death. Have you ever wondered what happened to the person who you saw every Sunday morning in flames for God? One day they were serving God with all their hearts and the next day they were no more? They fell asleep; it was like a gradual sleep similar to when l chose to read myself to sleep at night. I first get my book, then my glasses, a drink, prop my pillows up, and finally I climb into bed, open my book and begin to read. It is a process and it takes time. This is what happens to these people, it sneaks in gradually. They started out alive but they are on their way to their spiritual death. One of the dangers of falling asleep spiritually is we leave our watch post unattended and the enemy can just come in and attack us before we even know what has happened. How many people have fallen asleep in our churches? If you are waiting for your Pastor to stir you up, shake you awake or throw ice water in your face, forget it. It is not part of their job. Paul told Timothy "stir up the gift in you." In other words wake up the gift that is in you Timothy. Wake up from your slumber and quit spending all your effort and strength pretending to be alive when you're really dying. Wake Up!!!

To the church of Philadelphia to all the other churches God said, "I know your works," but to the church of Philadelphia God also said, "I have placed before you a door that no one can shut." God knew their works so therefore He said, "I have placed an open door that no one can shut." Wow! What an exciting time for the church of Philadelphia God has opened a door that nobody can shut. Many people are looking for an open door from God. I myself pray "Lord open the doors you want me to go through and shut the doors you don't want me to go through." Then we must wait for His time. Let's not just skim by this promise God has set before the Philadelphian believers, let's examine why God would open a door that no one could shut. First of all God said in chapter three, verse eight, "I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name." God went on to say "I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews and are not, I will make them come and bow down before your feet and they will learn that I love you. Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth."

Keeping God's word in the midst of the twenty first century is challenging to say the least. Not denying His name seems easy but many of us do it every day without knowing it. If I was a betting lady, I would bet most of us deny His name at least once a day without being aware of how you have denounced the name of Jesus. Every time we pick up a bottle of aspirin for a headache without praying first we deny the power of His name. You might be thinking how can you say that? Well, every name must bow to the name of Jesus, even the headache must bow to Him. We are blood bought Christians who put more faith in a bottle of aspirin than we do on the Word of God. Have I done this myself? Yes, I have. My goal is faith first, but I too have failed and have denied his name and the power it carries. How else can we deny His name? What about denying His authority in our lives? Can we deny Christ by denying His right to direct our lives? Every time Jesus tells us something to do and we get this stirring in our Spirits and we choose not to obey, we deny Christ. The church at Philadelphia was commended on keeping God's word. Did you know there are approximately 800,000 words in the bible, all inspired by the Holy Spirit? This is no small feat that the church of Philadelphia had accomplished. Anlthough it appears they had little power they were able to keep the Word of the Lord and not deny Christ.

Finally to the church of Laodicea I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. To be lukewarm is like to be a plate of potatoes neither hot nor cold it's just not appealing, it does not taste well. This is what Jesus is talking about when he said, "You make me want to throw up, I want to spit you out of my mouth." This church thinks they have it all, they say I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not even realizing how wretched they are. They are pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Lukewarm is a great description of 80% of the people in a 100% of the churches. They come in on Sunday morning not too hot for God nor too cold, they do just enough to maintain their temperature.

It must take a lot of effort to remain lukewarm, a lot of work to not let something get to cold or too hot. Can you imagine living in a world where people were so in love with God's word that lukewarm was only used to describe a plate which has sat up at the pickup station to long? Can you vision a church that lives and breathes the Word of God without letting compromise cool down the Word? I am not suggesting that everyone look, act, and talk alike. I am suggesting being on fire for God in whatever way that looks like to you. No more lukewarm, no more settling on normal. What has happened to our radical side? Have we grown up so much that it has gotten in the way of radical? Funny what people see as radical today was just the Acts church. When did we decide to step out of the bible and into what everyone else calls normal? When did we let the world or even the church tame our passion for the Word of God?

Nothing happened in the bible in a lukewarm state. They were set ablaze with the power and conviction of the unadulterated Word of God. For Example - people were being raise from the dead, people were being healed from Leprosy, blind eyes were being open, lame people were healed, set free, as they abandoned their iniquities. Three thousand were added to the kingdom of God in the book of Acts.

Lukewarm people don't get involved with the people who are on fire, they are spectators not participants. As spectators they feel they have a right to stifle your heat, to throw water on your fire, and to tell you why it can't be done. They don't get involved; they try to get you uninvolved. Lukewarm people are fantastic dream smasher. They don't acknowledge the Holy Spirit nor do they live by His directing. If you think about it hot water added to cocoa mix makes hot cocoa which is a positive and when we add cold water to something, like fresh squeezed lemon you can make lemonade another positive, but what do you add lukewarm water to, to get a positive? Come on church let's look different from what the world looks like. It's sad when people cannot tell the difference between a believer and a non believer. It's really upsetting when your words need to go before your actions, in other words when you need to tell people you're a believer because they cannot witness it with your behavior. Within the first five minutes of meeting someone there should be a noticeable difference in the way they talk, act and represent Jesus.

Let me ask you a few questions - Choices are for the living

1. If God was addressing the church today, the church being you and me, what do you think His warning to you would be? Resist going any farther until you have prayed about the church in you.

2. Take a long hard look at yourself as I have done and examine your walk with your God. Have you become lukewarm common with your walk?

3. Are you on the Left side or the Right?

4. What steps can you take today to assure a change in your life tomorrow?