Daily Devotional for Monday October 24, 2005

God has Called Us to Make a Difference in the World we Live In

(Exodus 23:25, Ephesians 6:7, Psalms 37:3, Hebrews 13:16)

One of > > the > > biggest problems I see in the daily lives of most followers of Christ is > > that they live DOWN to the standards of this fallen world we are part of > > for > > these few years, and not UP to the standards of God so that they are > > making > > an impact with their life. This is exactly what Christ was talking about > > when He said that we are the "salt of the earth" and the "light of this > > world." If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, if you know the Lord in > > the > > pardon of your sins and have given your heart and life to Him by faith, > > God > > has called YOU to make a difference with your life in this world we live > > in!!! > > > > Sadly, most Christians think it is the job of their pastor or those who > > have > > been called into the Lord's work full-time to be the ones to make a > > difference for Christ in our world. In reality, God has called ALL of His > > children to be a difference-maker within the sphere of influence each one > > has in their daily lives. Yes, a pastor, those who work in the ministry > > full- time have been specially called to sacrifice their lives 100% for > > the > > work of the Lord. These are the ones God has raised up to lead His > > people, > > called to set the standard of sacrifice and service in taking the Truth of > > His Word and the hope and love of Christ to this lost and dying world we > > live in. But each child of God is also called to serve and sacrifice for > > the Gospel as well. > > > > Every person who knows the Lord can witness their faith to others. You > > don't need to be a Bible scholar to tell people what Jesus has done in > > your > > life and to share the simple plan of salvation with those in your life who > > are lost. Jesus said the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. > > There is so much Kingdom work that needs to be done, enough for every > > child > > of God to find the areas they are passionate about and serve God in those > > areas. All of God's children should be prayer warriors. All of God's > > children should be utilizing a percentage of the resources God has > > entrusted > > to you to further His Kingdom. These are all ways each one who knows the > > Lord can make a difference with their life. > > > > However, the greatest impact you can have for the cause of Christ is > > simply > > how you live your life each day. By simply living according to God's > > Word, > > you become part of the "peculiar people" set apart from those in the world > > who live without Christ in their hearts, simply by the choices you make > > each > > day. Never forget, you may be the only Bible a person will ever read. > > Your > > greatest witness for Christ will never be what you have to say, but how > > you > > live your life each day. > > > > It is no accident you live where you live, work or go to school where you > > do, shop where you shop, recreate where you recreate, or are involved in > > any > > of the activities you are involved with in a given day. God puts people > > in > > your life every day who are hurting, lost and without hope, and the > > greatest > > impact you can have on those people is simply how you live your life for > > the > > Lord each day. Making Godly choices, living your life according to God's > > Word IMMEDIATELY sets you apart from the masses and makes you stand out as > > "different." How you handle the daily problems we all experience in life, > > exhibiting the fruits of the Spirit, simply living each day with the peace > > and joy that comes from the Lord, sets you apart from most people and > > allows > > those around you to see that you are "different." > > > > My challenge to you today is to realize that as a blood-bought son or > > daughter of the King, you are CALLED to make a difference with your life > > in > > this sin-filled world that we live in. It is not an option, but our duty > > as > > a child of God to make an impact in our world for Christ. You do that for > > better or worse every single day whether you realize it or not. Those who > > don't know you are a Christian should know there is something "special" > > about you without you ever saying a word. Those who do know you have put > > your faith in Christ will watch you carefully to see how you live your > > life. > > It is a huge responsibility God has given to us, a responsibility that too > > many who know the Lord fail to perform. > > > > I love you and care about you so much. I will be praying for you today. > > Praying that you will clearly hear God's voice in this message today as He > > is calling you to make a difference with your life, to make an impact in > > this fallen world that we live in. That does not mean you have to quit > > your > > job, pack up and move to some jungle in South America. No, God has called > > you to make that impact right where you live each day. He has > > strategically > > placed you right where you are at today for a Divine reason and purpose. > > Part of that reason is so that you can make an impact with your life for > > Christ! Again, the greatest way for you to do that is simply by living > > your > > life each day for the Lord and following His Word! > > > > Here is something for you to think about. Those who don't know the Lord > > are > > making an impact, albeit it a very negative one, on this world each and > > every day. Look at the impact people like Hugh Heffner and Larry Flynt > > have > > made with their lives, lives in complete and utter rebellion to God. Look > > at the impact a man like Adolph Hitler made. He came from very humble > > beginnings, he didn't have money or position, yet impacted this world in > > such a profoundly negative way. Madelyn Murray O'Haire, one lone women > > was > > largely reasonable for taking prayer out of the schools. The examples of > > men and women who live their lives in rebellion to God and make a huge > > negative impact on this world are almost endless. > > > > Perhaps the most dangerous people who live their lives in rebellion to God > > and make an impact in this world, are those who lead people AWAY from > > knowing Christ and His free gift of everlasting life. This would include > > those who are part of the false religions of the world, the cults, the New > > Age philosophies, all who reject Jesus Christ and operate in complete > > rebellion to God's Word. Included in this would be people who have a huge > > influence on our culture today. People who are in the movies, on TV, > > singers, and others in the entertainment industry. Believe it or not, > > today > > with so many people who are void of any relationship with God but are > > hurting and looking for answers, they often turn to these types of people > > who will lead them AWAY from the one true hope and answer there is, faith > > in > > Jesus Christ! > > > > Two of those people I have dealt with specifically in past Devotionals and > > I > > often refer to as "false hope merchants," are Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Phil. > > On a recent program, Oprah interviewed and showcased several New Age > > luminaries, something she does frequently. When a Christian woman in the > > audience asked Oprah, "What about Jesus?" Oprah insisted Jesus "can't > > possibly be the only way." Oprah is one of the most dangerous people on > > the > > planet today due to her incredible influence over millions every day. She > > decided she would be the one to have all the answers, and in addition to > > entertaining people, she would tell people how to live their lives. With > > 2 > > full generations who have never been to church, people who are hurting, > > there are literally millions who look to her each day for guidance in > > their > > life. > > > > Oprah's message is that women can succeed through "spiritual" > > growth. The problem is, Oprah's brand of spiritual growth is NOT through > > Jesus Christ or the Bible, but a mixed bag of New Age concepts with a > > universalistic theology that "all good people will get to heaven." Over > > the > > years, she has generated a cult following of women that I have yet > > to figure out. She is a role model for mothers, but has no children of > > her > > own. She "preaches" to her followers to find fulfillment outside of their > > job, yet is a workaholic herself. She tells others how to have a perfect > > marriage, yet she isn't married herself. > > > > The other dangerous person I have been warning you about for years is > > Oprah's creation, Dr. Phil. He is even more > > dangerous since he claims to be a Christian and routinely aligns himself > > with Christian figures and trolls the churches for followers of his > > worldly > > advice. Only God knows this man's heart, but week, he did a program on > > homosexuality. Sadly, all he did was give a forum to those who are trying > > to advance this sinful CHOICE of a lifestyle as he gutlessly failed to > > take > > a Biblical stand on this issue for fear of losing his 5 minutes of fame > > and > > fortune (and upsetting his boss Oprah). Why should we be shocked there is > > such widespread acceptance for what God clearly calls sin, when people who > > blindly follow wolves like Phil McGraw, men who claim to be Christians, > > but > > are being used as nothing more than tools of satan to spread his lies and > > advance his agenda. > > > > I'll tell you a secret. A HUGE motivation for the Liveprayer television > > program were people like Oprah and Dr. Phil, people who had tremendous > > influence over millions of people every day and were leading them AWAY > > from > > Jesus Christ. That is why the Liveprayer TV program is on SECULAR > > stations, > > in some cases the very same stations these false hope merchants are on. > > If > > these people can use that air time to lead people AWAY from Christ, why > > can't that same air time be used to lead people TO Christ? Just like you, > > God has called Bill Keller to use his life to make in impact in this world > > as well. One way I have chosen to do that, is to take on the Oprahs and > > Dr. > > Phils of this world, going after their same audience and telling them that > > there are answers, there is hope. However, their answers aren't on the > > Oprah or Dr. Phil show, they are in God's Word. Their hope is not in > > Oprah > > or Dr. Phil, it is found in JESUS CHRIST! > > > > Please do me a favor today. We proved many things over the first 2 years > > the TV program was on UPN in Tampa, the 14 TV market in the nation.. > > First, that by being on a regular secular network we could not just get an > > audience, but actually become the top rated program in our time block. > > Second, we proved that we could attract an audience that was 90%+ > > non-Christian. Third, we proved we could sustain the program without ever > > having to ask for a dime or sell one book or tape on air. Lastly and most > > important, we proved that we could bring the Truth of God's Word and the > > hope and love of Christ into lives every night and see souls won to the > > Kingdom. > > > > In July, we took the bold step of adding ABC in Miami, Jacksonville, and > > West Palm Beach, the WB in Ft. Myers, and PAX in Orlando to receive the > > television program "live" for an hour every Monday thru Friday. We knew > > that the key would be to survive the first year, and at that point the > > program would be stabilized and have the potential to attract national > > sponsors and syndicaters so that it would eventually be seen all over the > > country. We are just completing our 4th month in all these new markets. > > We > > have 8 months to go and that is why all year I have been begging and > > pleading for people to become part of "The 300," since that is the way God > > has shown me to fund this first year. God said the people were in the > > Liveprayer family who could take these 300 units and I believe Him! > > > > As we are into the last week of October, I still have to make up the 1 1/2 > > units ($10,000/unit) we were short last month, and get in the last 5 units > > we need for this month. So we need to get in these 6 1/2 units by this > > Friday. Also, we need to start working on the 14 units we have to have in > > November. The reality is, for a few million dollars, we are competing > > with > > the hundreds of millions of dollars people like Oprah has to spend, and > > positioning the Liveprayer television program to one day go head to head > > with Oprah, go head to head with Dr. Phil. It will be like Elijah on Mt. > > Carmel challenging the prophets of Baal. Like I tell you often, if you > > simply put God in the game, He wins every time!!! > > > > Please, help me keep bringing the Truth of God's Word and the hope and > > love > > of Jesus Christ to the lost and hurting each night by becoming part of > > "The > > 300." We are down to the last 200 units. What we are doing is something > > nobody else is doing. This is not an "idea," but something we have been > > doing "live," for an hour 5 nights a week for the past 32 months now. God > > is using this TV program to save the lost and transform lives every single > > night. I simply need YOU to step up to the plate and help me today. One > > of > > the ways you can make a huge impact in the world with you life is with the > > resources God has entrusted into your care. Using those resources to > > further the Kingdom of God. How exciting it is to know your resources are > > going to bring Truth and hope to over 1/4 million people 5 nights a week > > who > > will never go to church, never going to hear of Christ's love otherwise! > > > > ***IF GOD IS CALLING YOU TO BE PART OF "THE 300," PLEASE EMAIL ME TODAY > > AT: bkeller@liveprayer.com AND LET ME KNOW YOU ARE GOING TO STAND WITH ME > > AND HOW MANY UNITS YOU CAN TAKE. > > > > Thank you for your love, for your prayers, and for your sacrifices to help > > me. I never forget for a minute that without you I would never be able to > > do what I do each day. I want to spend every remaining breath I have > > making > > an impact with my life on this world for Christ. I wake up each morning > > and > > do my very best to be faithful and obedient to do that. God has called > > you > > to do the same thing. I am asking you to stand with me today and > > together, > > let's make a HUGE impact on this world for Christ. If those people who > > hate > > God and live in rebellion to Him can make such a huge negative impact on > > this world, how much can those who love the Lord, being guided by the > > power > > of the Holy Sprit, do to make a huge POSITIVE impact this world for > > Christ! > >