365 WORDS...ONE WORD AT A TIME...AUGUST IS HALFWAY GONE!

People today are DEDICATED to so many things. Listening to a news report today...again...smiles. I heard about hundreds of Christians who were executed because of their belief. It made me think how DEDICATED are we to our faith? Are we willing to die for our beliefs? Two days ago when I was reflecting about just such a thing, I asked questioned God about what would be best...to pretend conversion which I felt was not giving up my beliefs but merely lying to stay alive. It has been done during different terror attacks such as the one in East Africa. Or is it better to be steadfast? Yesterday while reflecting on this issue once again two things came to mind. One...if you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything, and two the Steven King film "The Stand." This morning before I saw the news report I felt God speak to my spirit, (after I said to Him...nothing would make me deny Jesus), For whosoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whosoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. (Mark 8:35) It was then I realized any pain in death will only be for a moment because we who are in Christ shall live again! That scripture was so important that almost word for word it was repeated in Matthew 16:25, Matthew 10:39, and Luke 9:24. Seeing the news report this evening was just conformation. Those individuals who gave their lives exhibited DEDICATION to their faith and belief in Jesus. I do not want to be DEDICATED to anything in this world. God help me to be strong. May God bless you and keep us all in Jesus Name Amen!