Jesus Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of the world; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to take those who are waiting for Him to heaven. The Bible commands us to occupy till He comes. In order to continue to occupy while waiting for Him to come, we must be assured we are indeed saved. If we are not saved, our safety in this world cannot be guaranteed. 
 
In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus is the only way, there is no other alternative way into God’s Kingdom except by accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord. It has been commonly claimed by critics that this way is “stringent” and “narrow.” In actuality, this straight and narrow road is immensely wide enough to allow the whole world if they will only accept Jesus as Savior and be saved.

It cannot be over-emphasized enough, the neighborhood you live in cannot save you. You cannot earn your salvation as a result of the side of town you reside in. It matters not whether your house in this world is a mansion, castle, or a shack for you can only sleep in one room at a time. The quality of your education cannot save you. The school where you matriculated from is not a qualifying requirement for your salvation. If you have many letters behind your name or have more degrees than a thermometer; none of these can save you. The size of your financial portfolio cannot admit you into God’s Kingdom. The house where you were born or the social status of your family cannot save you. Remember if you are not saved, you cannot be safe at any time in this world which means you will be living day to day in fear and anxiety of the unknown.  No political affiliation can save a single soul. We have had Republican as well as Democrat elected presidents in this great country and yet little, or no dent, was made on reducing moral decadence. The only agenda that can turn things around in any country is God’s Agenda a.k.a - His Word, and this agenda must stem from households of faith then being propagated to the four corners of the world.

Jesus is tenderly calling anyone who will hear and open the door of their hearts to His mercy and grace. He is the only answer for our world today. He is the only key to true and everlasting safety and security. If you are not saved, you are not safe. 

Has the Holy Spirit drawn your heart and opened your eyes to the urgency of this truth? If so, ask Jesus into your heart, forsake your sins, and commit to follow Him. Be sure to tell someone Jesus is now your Savior. Write or call us here at Take Back Ministries and we will be delighted to rejoice in your new birth along with sending you a Bible to help you grow in your new journey.

Recently, I finished reading a book from our ministry’s resources which greatly ministered to me. I could not help but think of the means each believer has, at their disposal, to turn our world around for Jesus.

“Mentor: The Kid and the CEO” by Tom Pace with Walters Jenkins demonstrates the principle of “one anothering” which is mentioned several times in the Bible.

The book describes the power of one individual who was willing to mentor a youth caught in crime. As a result, this youth was rehabilitated or, according to the Bible, transformed, able to turn his life around for the best.

The Bible is filled with instances about the phrase “one another”. One anothering eliminates selfishness and seeks out the good in people. 
 
Let’s look at a few of these scriptures: 
 
Spur one another on/Encourage: Heb. 10:24 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”

Love one another: Rom. 13:8 “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another.”

Serve one another: Gal. 5:13 “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” 
 
Pray for one another: James 5:16 “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”

Be kind to one another: Eph. 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

The commands of “one anothering” are similar to mentoring, which also is a familiar concept in the Word. Our Lord Jesus mentored His disciples while the disciples, in turn, mentored a group of 120. Abraham mentored Lot his nephew, Moses mentored Joshua,
Paul mentored Timothy, Barnabas mentored John Mark, Elijah mentored Elisha and many more examples exist in the Bible.

Right here in our backyard, a ripe and broad mission field that needs laborers awaits. We have insurmountable needs for mentoring around the United States. We have a great opportunity to populate the Kingdom of God while depopulating the kingdom of Satan. We need godly men as mentors in juvenile centers, schools, youth centers and colleges. We need godly men to serve as mentors and role models to other young men as a father, brother and friend would. Somehow we have been made to believe mentoring is just for women. The command of one anothering is for everyone – men and women alike; and so is mentoring. 
  
If you are interested in getting a free copy or copies of the book “Mentor: The Kid and the CEO” for your businessmen’s meeting, call or email us at www.takebackministries.com.

Second Chronicles enumerated the manifestation of the glory of God when the Solomon Temple was dedicated. Read II Chronicles 6 for the dedication as well as the prayer. Crowds of people pressed in when the Ark of God was brought into the temple. Professional musicians were prepared to sing along with a huge orchestra. There were about 120 trumpets blasting in solemn harmony as Conductor Asaph climbed the podium to do what he did best. The mass tabernacle choirs began to praise and worship God, fire came down, and the temple was filled with the Glory of God like it had never been seen before.
 
We see when the King (civic leader), the Priest (apostolic leader), and the people of God put the Ark of God in the center of their worship, the Glory of God then engulfed the temple. The priest could not even enter to light the sacrifices. When was the last time we experienced the Glory of God or what we know as the tangible presence of God in our midst? Oh that we would have this encounter in every house and temple of God.
 
II Chronicles 7:14  states “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

This manifestation was invoked by the dedication prayer Solomon prayed for the temple he built for God’s dwelling. God answered all of Solomon’s requests. In return for heeding our supplications, He asks for loyalty from His people. God’s love for His people is unconditional; it has and will never change. His standards are unchangeable, no matter the century we live in. 
  
It will be rewarding for the church body to see the shining glory and the presence of God today like in the days of Solomon’s Temple. Jesus is the Glory of God in human flesh (John 1:14). Just like the Ark, Jesus represents the presence of God and you and I symbolize the temple (Ephesians 2:22).

Would you allow the splendor of God’s glory to fill you today and become contagious to all your contacts? The more Jesus occupies the center of our heart, the more the glory of God appears in us. The more we declare the goodness and love of our God, the more the radiance of Jesus shines through us. The more we love not only those who love us but those who also do not love us (this is how Jesus loved), the more the world will see the distinction of the church in this dark hour and begin to acknowledge we have been with Jesus. Let the Glory of God fall!