If you don't have a Bible with you, just grab that Bible out of the pew row in front of you.
It's going to be real easy. It's not going to be hard to find.
We're going to go to Genesis, which is the first book of the Bible.
And we're going to go to Genesis chapter 14.
And we're going to start reading there in verse 11.
One thing I want you to know is that I wouldn't be up here talking about what we're going to talk about today
if it wasn't God who was working on my own heart first about these things.
Genesis chapter 14, and we're going to start in verse 11.
And just a little bit of context here to sort of find out where we are in Scripture here.
God has called Abraham to a land which was foreign to him.
He went there with Lot, his relative, close relative.
The two families essentially became too large, the Bible says, for the land to keep them together.
Any of you who are familiar with cattle and people and farming and all of those kind of things
understand that it takes space.
And so following a number of disputes between their workers,
they said, look, you know, to save our relationship, let's split up here a little bit.
And so Lot decided to go one way and Abraham went the other way.
And God is beginning at this point in Scripture to show us how he is building, creating his nation Israel through Abraham.
Abraham. And in the course of this time, there is a number of peoples in the area, a number of kings and their kingdoms.
And they go to war against each other.
There seemed to be sort of a main king that kind of subdued these other ones in history.
And they were all kind of under his control.
But there's this rebellion that occurs.
And a group of kings fight this other king and a group of kings.
And so there's this war going on.
And in the midst of this war, kings of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, where Lot resides, get pulled into this war.
And Lot and his family and all he has gets taken away as plunder, as capture.
And so Abraham hears about this.
And so we're going to sort of start in this place here in verse 11.
And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their victuals and went their way.
And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom and his goods and departed.
And there came one that escaped and told Abram.
This is before God changes his name to Abraham.
Told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre, the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol, the brother of Aner.
And these were confederate with Abram.
And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house,
three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them and pursued them unto Chobah,
which is on the left hand of Damascus.
And he brought back all the goods and also brought again his brother Lot and his goods,
and the women also and the people.
And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlorum.
I'm not very good with the names, so let's just roll with it here.
And the kings that were with him in the valley of Shaven, which is the king's dale.
And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine, and he was the priest of the Most High God,
and blessed him, and said,
Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth,
and blessed be the Most High God, which delivered thine enemies into thy hand.
And he gave him tithes of all.
And the king of Sodom said to Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods of thyself.
And Abram said to the king, I have lifted up mine hands unto the Lord, the Most High God,
the possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take from a thread even a shoe latchet,
and I will not take anything that is thine, lest thou should say, I have made Abram rich,
save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which were with me,
Aner, Eshtal, and Mamre.
Let them take their portion.
After these things, we're into chapter 15 here now.
After these things, the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying,
Fear not, Abram, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless,
and the steward of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?
And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed, and lo, one born of my house is mine heir.
And behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir,
but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
I was reading this a couple weeks ago, and there was this statement that I saw in here
that really caught a hold of me.
And it is found in verse 1 of chapter 15, when God says to Abram,
I am thy shield.
I am thy shield, God says.
And so my head began to just go in a tailspin,
and to think about all the times in my own life
where I could say that that was true of God,
that he was my shield.
And then I thought, knowing that this day was coming,
that I thought, is this maybe what the Lord would have me speak about?
And again, I wouldn't be speaking to you about it today
unless I felt that the Lord had worked on my heart about it.
But first and foremost, what I want to make sure that everybody understands about a shield
is a shield is only good if you choose to be behind it.
If you choose to partake of the shelter and the protection that a shield gives.
Most of you know my profession,
and if I choose not to put on the shielding that I am given,
very bad things can happen.
If you choose not to put on the shield of a seatbelt in a car
and you get into a car wreck,
very bad things can happen.
So I thought it was very profound that God says,
I am thy shield,
because a shield is a perfect example of what God has done for us
in that it is there,
it is available,
but it is also up to you to decide if you want to partake of it.
Partake of the protection of God's shield.
The first thing that came to my mind
is God's shield of salvation.
The Bible clearly states that all of us are in need of salvation.
All of us are in need of forgiveness of our sins,
of being counted as righteous and holy,
so that we might one day be able to be accepted
into the presence of God for all eternity.
Romans 3 says two very profound things.
Romans 3 says,
as it is written,
there is none righteous,
no, not one.
So,
unless somehow you feel like you are
excused from that count,
there is none of us
that are righteous and holy
before a righteous and holy God.
Romans 3 also says that
all have sinned,
and all have come short of the glory of God.
And God says,
because of my love,
I have a shield for that.
I have offered a shield of protection for that.
the second verse I read,
that for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Thank goodness,
praise the Lord,
that it doesn't end there.
It says,
being justified freely by his grace
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Amen.
You see,
God knows that
we are in need
of his shield of salvation.
And so he has provided it
through Christ Jesus.
Now,
you may be listening here today,
or maybe later,
if this is posted on the internet,
you may think that by chance
your,
what we call works,
your behavior,
your conduct in this life
is going to be enough
of a shield for you
to be
shielded from God's judgment.
The problem with that
is where is your gauge?
How do you know enough good works?
How do you know enough good behavior?
How do you know enough charity?
And enough love for your fellow mankind?
How do you know when is enough?
And how do you gauge that versus your sin?
How do you know when the scales are balanced?
Ephesians chapter 2 says,
For grace are ye saved,
through faith,
and that not of yourselves.
It is the gift,
God's shield.
It is the gift of God,
not of works,
lest any man should boast.
For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus,
unto good works,
which God hath before
ordained that we should walk in them.
That means that
all of your good works,
all of the good things
that you might be doing,
count for nothing
unless you know Jesus.
And it is only when you know Jesus
as your Lord and Savior,
that we become this new creation
in Christ Jesus,
unto good works.
It is only then
when our good works
in the name of Jesus
count for something.
Perhaps you're listening today
and
you are caught up
in what this world has to offer.
You're caught up in the TikToks
and the Instagrams.
You're caught up into the world of celebrity
or the world of wealth
and business and life.
And
there's a story
about a young man
that comes to Jesus.
They call him
the rich young ruler.
It's from Mark 10.
It says,
And when he was gone forth
into the way,
this is Jesus,
there came one running
and kneeled to him
and asked,
Good master,
what shall I do
that I might inherit
eternal life?
And Jesus said unto him,
Why callest thou me good?
There is none good
but one that is God.
Thou knowest the commandments,
do not commit adultery,
do not kill,
do not steal,
do not bear false witness,
defraud not,
honor thy father
and thy mother.
And he answered him,
the young man,
Master,
all of these I have observed.
I've done all of this
since my youth.
Then Jesus,
beholding him,
loved him
and said unto him,
one thing thou lackest.
Go thy way,
sell whatever,
whatsoever thou hast
and give to the poor
and thou shalt have treasure
in heaven
and come,
take up thy cross
and follow me.
And he was sad
at that saying,
the young man,
and went away grieved
for he had great possessions.
I want you to understand
that although God
is talking about here
in his word,
the interaction between Jesus
and this man
that had much,
this is not specifically
talking about
a wealth
or a poverty
faith in Christ.
Christ.
The reality
of what is being shown here
by this interaction
is this man
loved the things
of this world
more
than Christ.
He was so caught up
with the things
in front of him,
in his case,
it was his possessions,
the life he had created,
the life he was given,
he was so blinded
by what was right
in front of him
that he was not able
to see
what could be
in eternity.
Jesus is not saying
that a life in Christ
is earthly poverty,
but a life
with godly perspective
on what this earth
has to offer.
this is not a prosperity gospel
as some people
like to call it.
This is not saying
you get saved
and you get rich,
but it's also not saying
you get saved
and follow Jesus
that you will be
in poverty.
It's saying that
whether you are
in poverty
as far as this world
considers,
or whether you are
wealthy as far
as this world
considers,
that a life
in Christ
is a perspective
on both of those.
It's a perspective
that when you have
much
or when you have
little,
it means nothing
if you have not Christ.
I'm going to steal
this line
from a poem
of C.T. Studd.
I think I've used it before
and I think pastors
used it before
and I like to add
my other little line
to it,
so I'm going to
kind of hack job
this poem,
but the reality is
there is a statement
in there
and I added to it
this is what I've
come up with
from this poem here.
Everything that's done
in life will pass,
but only what's done
for Christ
will last.
Unfortunately,
this is not even
just a warning
for those
who are unsaved,
but the reality is
this is a reality
for Christians.
How tied up
are we
of the things
of this world?
How much
of our focus
is on earthly
things
as opposed
to eternal
things?
I recently
was having
a conversation
with an unsaved
relative
and they
had purchased
a seasonal
property,
let me just say,
and it was
a place
where they
were hoping
to find rest
and relaxation.
they had purchased
this property
from an individual
estate
who had just
passed
and as they
were going
through this
property
they found
things that
this individual
had left
behind.
And sort of
one night
as we were
discussing it
and he was
talking about
the things
and could see
sort of this
man who had
passed,
he could see
his life
in the things
that he had
in this property
and this
unsaved
relative
said to me,
you never
really own,
do you?
You're always
renting.
We have,
we continue
to pray
for this
relative
of ours.
and
thankful
that he's
starting to
get some
perspective
on this
life
and this
world.
You never
really own,
do you?
You're
always renting.
Don't be
blinded
by this
world
and its
pleasures.
Yes,
God has
given many
of it
for us
to enjoy
and partake
of.
But the
devil has
chosen
the good
things
that God
may have
given us
in this
life
to sometimes
blind us
to the
reality
of
eternity.
Satan
may be
so blinding
you into
securing what
this life
has to
offer
that you
spend
no time
securing
what God
has to
offer
in Jesus
for
eternity.
Hebrews
9 gives
us a
very,
very
sobering
reminder.
It is
appointed
once for
man to
die
and after
that
judgment.
Week
after week
you can
see in
even our
local
newspaper
a new
name in
the
obituaries.
you don't
even have
to wait
every week
every night
every hour
it seems
you can
go to
any kind
of
online
media
outlet
and you
can see
how many
people
how many
precious
souls
are leaving
this world
and entering
into
eternity
minute
after minute
hour
after hour
when is
your
appointment
with
eternity
and
judgment?
It is
appointed
unto man
once to
die.
If you
knew when
that appointment
was I'm
sure you
might be
living a
little
differently
but you
don't
know.
Maybe
perhaps
you
feel
like
your
faith
and
your
religion
and your
belief
in God
somehow
is
your
osmosis
to being
behind
God's
shield
of
salvation.
Well you
know what
the Bible
tells us
that even
the devil
and his
angels
believe in
God.
Believing
in God
is not
simply
enough.
the majority
of this
world's
population
which some
people say
is around
8 billion
believe in
some type
of God.
Believing
in God
is not
enough.
Going to
church
regularly
is not
enough.
Going
to Sunday
school when
you were
younger
is not
enough.
Why are
you here
today?
Are you
here
out of
some
sort
of
obligation?
Some
sort
of
well this
is what
we've
always
done
this
is how
I
was
raised.
Faith
in God
in a
religious
format
is not
enough.
It
simply
is not
enough.
John
14
tells
us
Jesus
talking
to his
disciples
here.
Let your
heart not
be
troubled.
You
believe in
God.
Let me
just stop
there.
The
disciples
are having
this
moment
of trying
to wrap
their heads
around
Father,
Son,
and Holy
Ghost.
And if
you're
God,
how is
he God
in putting
this all
together?
Jesus is
trying to
tell them
here,
let not
your heart
be
troubled.
You
believe in
God,
believe also
in me.
So he's
saying,
you were
believing in
God before
for the
reasons you
were taught
and understood,
God's
God.
I
want you to
understand that
I am the
fulfillment of
God's promise to
man.
So he's saying
here,
if you are,
if you're
already there
and you
believe in
God and
you have a
religious
attitude about
things,
if you're
already there
that you
want to
try and
live a
religious
God-pleasing
life,
then it
really shouldn't
be that
big of an
understanding,
a big of a
jump to
gap to
understand
that Jesus
is the
fulfillment of
all of
God's
promises to
man.
You
believe in
God,
believe also
in me.
In my
Father's
house are
many
mansions.
If it
were not
so,
I would
have told
you,
I go to
prepare a
place for
you.
And if I
go to
prepare a
place for
you,
I will
come again
and receive
you unto
myself.
That where
I am,
ye may be
also,
and whether
I go,
ye know,
you know,
you know
where I'm
going,
is what
Jesus is
saying,
and the
way you
know.
So the
reality is,
if you are
a person
that's been
in a
Bible-believing,
Bible-preaching
church,
you might
even say
that you
believe God.
The reality
is,
is that
Jesus is
saying,
you already
know what
the reality
of the
gospel is.
Thomas said
to him,
we know
whether thou
goest,
and how
can we
know the
way?
Jesus said
unto him,
I am
the way.
I am
the truth,
I am
the life,
and here
it is.
Here's the
difference
between those
who believe
in God
simply because
they've
gone to
Sunday
school,
or they
go to
church
every
holiday.
Jesus
says,
no man
cometh unto
the Father
but by
me.
This is
the difference
between those
who may be
here listening
or listening
later and
believe that
simply because
they believe
in God,
simply because
they go to
church,
that that
is going to
be enough
of a
shield
from God's
judgment.
It's not.
It's
absolutely
not.
And the
devil has
convinced you
that it
might be.
Jesus
saith again,
I am
the way,
the truth,
and the
life.
No man
cometh to
the Father
but by
me.
If he
had known
me,
you should
know my
father
also.
For
from
henceforth
you know
him and
have seen
him.
You
cannot
really know
God
unless you
know
Jesus.
Now,
some of
you might
be saying
here,
well,
Nathan,
you kind
of just
read this
passage in
Genesis and
you kind
of pulled
this phrase
out of
there and
you kind
of just
said,
oh,
let's
just use
this,
coin this
phrase and
we'll just
run with
this.
I want
to show
you here
from God's
own word
how
the things
that happened
in the Old
Testament
tie into
what God
has said
about his
plan for
Jesus,
his son,
and for
us as
New
Testament
Christians.
There is
a central
point in
human
history.
The central
point in
human history
is the
virgin birth
of Jesus
Christ,
his
ministry,
his dying
on the
cross and
shedding his
blood for
our sins,
his
resurrection
after three
days in
the grave.
And so I
believe the
Bible teaches
us that
everyone
before
Christ
would
follow
by faith
in God's
promise
that a
Messiah
would
come.
They are
looking
forward
to
Christ on
the cross
even though
they may
not know
the full
details
thereof.
And anybody
since that
glorious moment
when Christ
conquered death
and conquered
sin is now
looking back
in faith
at the cross.
in Galatians
three it
says,
know ye
therefore
that which
are in
faith
the same
are the
children
of Abraham.
Does anybody
remember that
Sunday school
song,
Father Abraham,
the many
sons?
It's kind
of a funny
pokey song
because everybody
gets up and
you start doing
dance movements
and you're
moving your
arms and
you're spinning
around and
everything else.
Galatians
three.
Galatians
three.
know ye
therefore
that they
which are
in faith
the same
are the
children
of Abraham.
And the
scripture
foreseeing
that God
okay,
this is
God's word
foreseeing
that God
would justify
the heathen
through faith
preacheth
before the
gospel
unto Abraham
saying
in thee
all of the
nations
shall all
the nations
be blessed.
So then
they which
are in faith
are blessed
in faithful
Abraham
for as
many are
as of the
works of
the law
are under
the curse
for as
is written
cursed
is everyone
that continueth
not in all
the things
written in the
book of the
law for them
to do
but that
no man
justified
the law
in the
sight of
God
it is
evident
for the
just
shall live
by faith
and the
law
is not
of faith
but the
man
that doeth
them
shall live
in them
Christ
hath
redeemed
us
from the
curse
of the
law
being made
a curse
for us
for it is
written
cursed is
everyone
that hangeth
on a
tree
that the
blessing
of Abraham
might come
unto the
Gentiles
through
Jesus
Christ
and that
we might
receive the
promise
of the
spirit
through
faith
so you
see
we are
connected
from the
beginning
of scripture
to the
end of
scripture
by the
cross
and by
faith
they
followed
as best
as humanly
possible
the law
that God
had given
them
trusting
that God
would
ultimately
bring
Jesus
Christ
to earth
to make
up for
what they
could not
do
and that
was be
holy
and righteous
God
was calling
separating
apart
for himself
a people
who lived
by these
laws
the commandments
that we read
earlier
and even
some of the
other
Levitical
laws
sort of
the
lifestyle
laws
that they
lived
by
and it
was by
faith
in God's
promise
through
Abraham
that Jesus
would come
it is the
same faith
that we
have
looking
back
believing
that Jesus
did come
and he did
accomplish on
the cross
that which he
was sent
for
in Romans
4
it says
that
Abraham's
faith
was counted
to him
as
righteousness
as further
evidence
of what
I believe
the Bible
teaches
us here
even the
people in
the Old
Testament
it wasn't
just
believing
in God
it was
believing
in God's
promise
that a
Messiah
would
come
a
Savior
would
come
it was
believing
that a
perfect
and holy
sacrifice
without
blemish
and without
sin
would become
sin for
us
so that
we would
have an
opportunity
to stand
behind God's
shield of
salvation
protection
again
that is a
shield that
you have
to choose
to get
behind
that is a
shield that
you have
to
accept
and choose
to partake
of its
protection
I wonder
if you're
not saved
here today
I wonder
what's your
shield
what are you
hiding behind
are you
hiding behind
some
lame
excuse
of
your stuff
or your
good works
or
are you
just blinded
to the fact
that at some
point you're
going to have
to meet God
face to
face
Philippians 2
says let
this mind
be in you
which is
also in
Christ Jesus
who being
in the
form of
God
thought it
not robbery
to be
equal with
God
but made
himself
of no
reputation
and took
upon him
the form
of a
servant
and was
made in
the likeness
of men
and being
found in
the fashion
as a
man
he humbled
himself
became
obedient
unto
death
even
death
on the
cross
wherefore
God
also
hath
highly
exalted
him
and
given
him
the
name
which
is
above
every
name
and
at
the
name
of
Jesus
every
knee
should
bow
of
things
of
heaven
and
things
of
earth
and
things
under
earth
and
that
every
tongue
should
confess
that
Jesus
Christ
is
Lord
a
number
of
years
ago
I
excuse
me
I
was
asked
to
say
a
few
words
at
my
great
aunt's
funeral
I
don't
know
how I
got
picked
for
that
job
but
nevertheless
it
seemed
pretty
evident
to
us
that
my
great
aunt
was
not
saved
she
never
at
one
point
in
her
life
put
her
faith
and
trust
in
the
finished
work
of
Jesus
Christ
this
was
my
grandfather's
sister
my
grandfather
after
leaving
the
military
became
a
pastor
or
left
the
military
to
become
a
pastor
and
having
pretty
much
retired
from
that
by
the
time
his
sister
had
passed
I
said
to
him
what
am
I
supposed
to
say
what
am
I
supposed
to
say
at
an
unsaved
person's
funeral
what
do
you
say
there
is
no
hope
like
the
reality
is
that
I
could
lie
and
make
it
sound
all
nice
and
cushy
or
I
could
tell
the
truth
and
my
grandfather
said
to
me
he
said
I've
been
asked
to
do
funerals
before
people
who
we
believed
did
not
know
the
Lord
Jesus
and
he
said
one
thing
that
I've
always
said
is
this
you
can
be
sure
without
a
shadow
of a
doubt
now
they
know
now
they
know
and
so
my
plea
to
you
here
today
if
you
are
not
saved
is
simply
this
2nd
Corinthians
verse 6
says
we
then
as
workers
together
with
him
beseech
you
also
that
you
receive
not
the
grace
of
God
in
vain
if
you
are
listening
to
this
you
are
at
the
point
where
you
can
receive
God's
grace
I
am
sharing
with
you
God's
grace
is
it
going
to
be
in
vain
verse
2
says
for
he
saith
I
have
heard
thee
in
an
accepted
time
and
in
the
day
of
salvation
have
I
succored
thee
behold
now
is
the
accepted
time
behold
now
is
the
day
of
salvation
if
I
could
promise
you
that
you
have
this
afternoon
if
I
could
promise
you
that
you
have
next
week
or
next
year
then
you
could
maybe
somehow
rationally
think
that
I'll
accept
Christ
later
but
I
cannot
promise
you
more
over
there's
a
favorite
hymn
that
talks
about
this
that
I
that
I
like
this
is
for
you
who
might
be
listening
today
who's
outside
of
Christ
and
you've
been
beaten
up
by
this
world
it
says
oh
soul
are
you
weary
troubled
there's
no
light
in
the
darkness
you
see
there's
light
for
look
at
the
Savior
and
life
more
abundant
and
free
turn
your
eyes
upon
Jesus
look
full
in
his
wonderful
face
and
the
things
of
this
world
will
grow
strangely
dim
in
the
light
of
his
glory
and
grace
God
is
our
shield
and
salvation
for
those
of
you
who
are
saved
here
today
I
didn't
get
off
the
hook
when
I
read
this
so
neither
are
you
when
I
have
this
think
about
this
idea
of
a
shield
that's
my
job
that's
my
job
I'm
a
husband
I'm
a
father
I'm
supposed
to be
that
shield
I'm
supposed
to be
that
shield
but
the
reality
is
that
I
cannot
be
that
shield
unless
God
is
my
shield
because
I'm
not
perfect
and
I'm
not
strong
enough
I
don't
know
how
many
people
have
ever
tried
to
simply
hold
a
can
of
soup
up
in
their
arm
like
this
if
you
haven't
tried
it
you
go
home
and
try
it
right
now
because
I
guarantee
you
before
you
ever
thought
it
would
your
arm
will
be
shaking
the
strength
it
takes
to
become
a
shield
to
hold
a
shield
that
is
strength
I
don't
have
I
cannot
protect
my
wife
and
my
family
from
everything
and
in
my
own
life
I
need
God's
shield
of
protection
I
need
it
for
protection
from
sin
I
need
his
shield
to
protect
me
from
sin
you
see
God
knows
that
the devil
is a
roaring
lion
walking
around
the face
of this
earth
seeking
who
he
will
destroy
and
the
Bible
says
wherefore
let him
that
thinketh
he
standeth
take
heed
lest
he
fall
for
there
is
no
temptation
taken
unto
you
such
as
common
to
man
taken
unto
you
but
such
as
common
as
man
so
don't
think
that
the
temptations
for
sin
that
you
have
nobody
else
has
gone
through
but
God
is
faithful
I
didn't
hear
anything
God
is
faithful
who
will
not
suffer
you
to
be
tempted
beyond
that
you
are
able
but
with
temptation
will
also
make
a
way
to
escape
that
you
may
be
able
to
bear
it
God
has
given
you
a
shield
from
sin
I
don't
know
how
many
times
I
can
tell
you
that
it
has
happened
in
my
life
when
I
am
standing
at
the
cross
roads
of
standing
behind
God's
shield
from
temptation
or
the
temptation
of the
devil
to
commit
sin
I
can
see
it
in
my
mind's
eye
times
where
I
was
at
the
cross
road
to
make
a
decision
to
stand
behind
God's
promises
for
me
God's
blessing
in
obedience
his
protection
in
his
shield
from
temptation
and
choosing
to
fall
into
what
the
world
wants
me
to
do
and
what
the
devil
wants
me
to
do
can
anybody
else
testify
to
that
you
don't
put
up
your
arms
but
I'm
telling
you
each
one
of
us
especially
as a
Christian
comes
to
that
point
not
always
sometimes
it's
very
easy
to
sin
but
there
have
been
times
when
I
stand
at
the
crossroads
fully
aware
of the
decision
before
me
and I
will tell
you
I do
not
always
choose
right
God
is
our
shield
also
in
the
trials
and
the
hardships
of
this
world
I
don't
know
what
kind
of
brochure
you
got
before
you
walked
into
the
church
service
or
the
Sunday
school
service
or
the
summer
camp
program
I
don't
know
what
kind
of
brochure
you
got
about
being
a
Christian
before
you
made
that
choice
but
the
reality
is
as
a
Christian
you
are
not
immune
to
what
this
world
has
to
offer
you
are
not
immune
to
death
you
are
not
immune
to
sickness
you
are
not
immune
to
hardships
you
are
not
immune
to
losing
your
job
you
are
not
immune
to
getting
cancer
you
are
not
immune
to
your
car
breaking
down
at
the
worst
possible
moment
when
there's
no
money
in
the
bank
you
are
not
immune
to
having
kids
not
turn
out
the
way
you
want
them
to
you're
not
immune
to
having
fights
and
arguments
and
hardships
in
relationships
the
brochure
if it
was
honest
would
say
if
you
thought
you
felt
the
attack
of
the
devil
before
you
knew
Jesus
you
ain't
seen
nothing
yet
the
world
is
watching
especially
if you
have
been
brave
enough
courageous
enough
in the
Holy
Spirit
to tell
other
people
that
you
are
Christian
the
world
is
watching
how
you
react
when
hardships
and
trials
come
your
way
the
world
is
watching
how
you
react
when
you're
diagnosed
with
cancer
when
you've
lost
your
job
and
you
don't
know
when
you're
going
to
get
another
one
and
the
money's
not
there
the
world
is
watching
we
also
think
many
of
us
we
are
can
be
caught
up
in
end
times
prophecy
following
trying
to
discern
the
times
and
the
Bible
says
it's
important
to
be
aware
of
what's
going
on
it's
important
to
pray
for
the
lost
and
to
pray
for
Israel
and
to
pray
for
the
unsaved
and
to
be
wise
and
to
stand
firm
for
God
2nd
Corinthians
says
my
grace
is
sufficient
for
thee
for
my
strength
is
made
perfect
in
weakness
most
gladly
therefore
will
I
rather
glory
in
my
infirmities
that
the
power
of
Christ
may
rest
upon
me
therefore
I
will
take
pleasure
in
infirmities
in
reproaches
in
necessities
in
persecutions
in
distresses
for
Christ's
sake
for
when
I
am
weak
then
I
am
strong
I
won't
finish
quite
to
the
end
here
but
I
there
was
a
person
that
I
know
that
often
said
that
God
will
never
give
you
more
than
you
can
handle
well
you
know
what
that's
absolutely
wrong
that
is
absolutely
wrong
if
you
could
handle
all
of
the
temptation
without
the
shield
of
God's
protection
then
what
would
you
need
God
for
if
you
could
handle
it
when
you
get
cancer
and
you
could
heal
yourself
or
you
could
just
go
out
and
pick
up
your
bootstraps
and
get
another
job
and
pay
all
your
bills
then
what
would
you
need
God
for
if
you
could
be
righteous
and
holy
enough
that
you
could
stand
before
God
when
your
never
dying
soul
leaves
this
place
then
what
would
you
need
God
for
God
has
offered
us
his
shield
I
am
thy
shield
God
said
will
you
choose
and
choose
wisely
I
might
add
to
stand
behind
the
shield
that
God
has
to
offer