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WORD - Matthew 13Today our word comes from the allegory in Matthew 13 talking about the scattering of the seed. I’ve heard this parable a number of times in my life as I’m sure you have but I have a different take on it in this episode.WEAPON - Securing Your Online Seeds When we think of keeping ourselves safe in public spaces, we typically think of tangible tools such as a gun or knife. We might think of situational awareness or, if you’ve been listening to me for than a minute, you know I always promote the necessity for risk assessments. But today I’m going to talk about another way to keep yourself safe and secure in the public space – the online public space.

The WordIn Luke 10, Jesus is asked "what is the most important commandment?"He responds that the greatest commandment is to "love the Lord yourGod with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind"and the second to "love your neighbor as yourself". Jesus was thenimmediately asked who counts as a neighbor and he responds with aparable or a story lesson that is an example for everyday life.This Parable of course tells the tale of the Good SamaritanLuke 10:25-37 ESV25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying,"Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 He said to him,"What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" 27 And he answered,"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all yoursoul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and yourneighbor as yourself." 28 And he said to him, "You have answeredcorrectly; do this, and you will live." 29 But he, desiring to justifyhimself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" 30 Jesus replied, "Aman was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell amongrobbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him halfdead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and whenhe saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite,when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and whenhe saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up hiswounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animaland brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day hetook out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take careof him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I comeback.' 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighborto the man who fell among the robbers?" 37 He said, "The one whoshowed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise."The WeaponEmergency situations and disasters can take many forms. Hurricanes,floods, fires, earthquakes, car accidents and missing persons situationsare not just the makings of television news stories. These events canoccur at any time. The first responders to an accident or emergencyoften are not trained professionals but citizens and communitymembers who are already on the scene.No matter where or what kind of incident it is, paramedics and policeofficers tend to always use the term "bystander."But bystander is a passive word. It means what it says; that the personis standing by—simply near what is happening. A bystander doesn'thelp. He watches. A bystander isn't useful. She just gets in the way.The thing is: most people don't really act that way. They jump in andhelp when the going gets tough. A witness comes forward and tells theauthorities what he saw. A Good Samaritan pulls the injured to safetyor tries to stop the bleeding. Whatever needs to be done usually getsdone by the person on the street or the patient's coworkers. Mostpeople don't just stand by.Your life and the lives of others may depend on your ability to respondduring an emergency situation. As a first responder to an emergency oraccident scene, you may be the only one to provide information andassistance until the authorities arrive.If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you’re very familiar withthe idea of two kinds of first responders. The first is the ProfessionalFirst Responders: These are the folks who come to our aid when weneed help. We’re talking about, police officers, firefighters, emergencymedical technicians, and paramedics. As great as it is to be recognizedas the people who lead the charge to help those in need, the reality isthat First Responders often aren't first. – That’s where the second kindof responder comes in: True or Immediate First responder. It's theperson, usually without training, who steps in to do whatever he or shecan to stop the bad things from happening and start doing the goodthings. The True First Responder is already helping before the firstresponders have been notified of a problem. It's the True Firstresponder who is doing chest compressions when paramedics walkthrough the door or pull up on the scene.The True First responder is the one who called 911 in the first place.The True First Responder will likely determine the outcome of an eventbefore the Professional First Responders arrive.A first responder must ensure their own safety before helping others,but the following actions can help you manage the situation if you arethe first on the scene of an emergency or disaster.Observe: First evaluate the situation. Are there injured individuals?Fallen power lines? Physical damage to nearby buildings or otherstructures? In addition to assessing the situation, you need to identifyany potential dangers to you or other responders as a result of theemergency.Call for help: Do not assume that someone else will call the authorities.Call immediately and share your observations. Also, ask others in thearea for help – especially if there are injured persons involved.However, just be cautious that you aren’t overwhelming the 9-1-1system. If you can verify that someone already called or is calling, thereis no need for additional calls unless you have pertinent information.If caring for a victim, remember A, B, C, D:• Airway: Make sure the individual’s airway is open and unimpaired.• Breathing: Is the victim breathing?• Circulation: Does the victim have a pulse? Are they bleeding?• Delicate: Be careful. Any mishandling of the neck or lower backafter impact or injury can cause significant problems.Stay calm: In order to help the situation and assist those involved, youneed to remain calm, make rational decisions and stay focused. This issometimes easier said that done. One way to remain calm to to shiftyour emotions from scared, to confident and ask yourself why you aregoing to intervene. Tell yourself that you are capable, and you will dothe best job possible. Another way to stay calm is to ensure that youquickly rehearse in your head what you’re going to do. Draw on yourtraining and your past experiences to help you stay focused and calm.Secure the area: If you have located an injured person or discovered adangerous situation, you will want to secure the area. If possible, directtraffic or pedestrians away from the area and protect the injured.Remember that every scene could develop into a crime scene wherepreserving every piece of evidence possible is necessary. Keeping outlooky-loos and unnecessary people and vehicles from contaminating acrime scene may go a long way to determining the cause and any leadsfor suspects.Prepare for emergency crews: Do not leave the area. Make sure thereis ample room for emergency vehicles to arrive. This might meandirecting traffic or moving debris. Having an emergency, hi-visibilityvest in your car is a great way to establish that you are there to helpand it helps you to be recognized by traffic that might be moving in thearea. You want to make sure that you don’t become another victim atthe scene by getting in the way of emergency responding vehicles justas you don’t want to impede their access to the area or scene.Gather information: Ask witnesses to stay and give a report toauthorities. Ask injured persons to give their names. Provide as muchinformation as you can to emergency crews. Additionally, you may bethe best witness especially if you were one of the first on the scene ofan incident. A cell phone video or images from the fresh scene may bethe evidence that police need to reconstruct an accident or preserveevidence that may get disturbed by responding emergency services.When the timing is right, give your name and all contact information topolice and let them know you have pictures of the scene. While theylikely won’t get them from you right then, they might follow up withyou to gather that evidence later. Having your pictures on a disk orthumb-drive will be helpful.

The Word – Setting Goals  It's typical in this season, this New Year that we have resolutions. We have  resolutions for health – for wealth or some other important milestone in our  life.  In a survey by people that survey such things … 31% of survey participants  plan on making resolutions for 2021 while 19% are still undecided. Seems like  they should resolve to make up their minds.  Of those that made a resolution in 2020, 35% kept all their resolutions, 49%  kept some of their resolutions, and only 16% failed at keeping any of their  resolutions. According to an Inc. study of 2,000 people, these are the 5 most common  resolutions that were made in 2019. 1. Exercise more 2. Eat healthier 3. Save Money 4. Learn a new skill 5. Quit smoking  Every year the number one resolution stays the same – Exercise more.  According to statistics, more than 12% of new gym memberships start in  January. During January, Google searches for health and fitness peak. That’s  fantastic – that’s awesome right? Well not so fast – statistics also say that out of those new January-joining  members, 80% will quit within five months and 14% quit before the end of  February. Yikes – that’s crazy if you’re a gym owner and even worse if you are  one of the ones that quit.   But take heart - this isn’t a podcast on joining gyms or making new year’s resolutions – This is a podcast about real change – from a biblical  perspective…. Think of it this way resolutions are things you tell yourself – and work on for yourself with little to no help from anyone. Goals on the other  hand are things you commit to. I think as Christians we sometimes fail at our  resolutions because we have the wrong perspective on this tradition. You see,  resolutions are statements of intention, while goals are statements of  commitment. Resolutions are often vague like “I will get in shape” or “I will be  more productive.” Resolutions also tend to aim for extreme changes—I will  stop overspending— or I will lose 30lbs by April – this creates an intimidating  gap between where you are and where you want to be with no actionable  steps. This is like having two pieces of bread with nothing in the middle and  trying to call it a sandwich -- This is also why 80% of New Year’s resolutions  fail. I like to think of it as resolutions being secular while Goals are something  God desires of us. Resolutions are great intentions, but goal setting is biblical. Just Listen to some of what the Bible has to say on Setting Goals:  Proverbs 21:5   The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty  comes only to poverty.  Philippians 3:14 – In Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi, he wrote:  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Luke 13:32  He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will drive out demons and heal people today and  tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ In this Christ is referring  to Herod as a fox.  Goal setting was a part of Christ’s thinking. First and foremost, His goal was to  do the will of His heavenly Father. This is the goal that got Him out of bed in  the morning. It was a joint mission with the Holy Spirit. His goal was also to  serve the people. He cast out demons, healed, and taught. Jesus was a focused  individual with specific goals in mind. God has a lot to say about goals and intentional planning, heck, even Jesus had  goals. God desires for us to live on purpose, not by accident. Living on purpose  is intentional and …. It’s easier done when you have goals.   Do you know what's so wonderful about God? Well - A lot of things actually  but perhaps most important is that He wants to partner with you in your life – He wants to do life hand in hand with you! When you feel lost in your goals  and purpose, when you’re not sure which path to take or what goals to choose,  He wants you to ask Him for help—and he loves giving it!  James tells us, 'If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously  to all without reproach, and it will be given him" (James 1:5 ESV)  Even with the best-laid plans—the best written out goals you could think of— we still need God’s help. We can’t achieve our goals with our power alone. It’s  just not possible. Thankfully, God didn’t design us to do it on our own.   If you’ve lived long enough you know that as flawed creatures, we can imagine  some pretty crazy things and by extension we could come up with some pretty  outrageous goals. So, to think that God can do far more than what we can  imagine is utterly amazing, and exciting, and a gift for goal setters!  God backs up this theory by giving us true stories in his Word about how he  did God-sized things through ordinary people. • Joseph: A dreamer that was sold into slavery who was put in charge of  all of Egypt. (Genesis 41) • Moses: A man slow of speech and tongue who was used to stand up  against one of the most powerful rulers of his day. (Exodus 4) • Saul: A persecutor of Christians who became one of the greatest  missionaries of all time. God even changed his name! • Mary: A young girl from a town called Nazareth who gave birth to the  savior of the world. (Luke 1)  The Bible is filled with stories like these—stories where ordinary people, just  like you, end up being used by God in astonishing stories of life change.  Nothing is impossible with God!  Do you know what this means? This means you can dream God-sized dreams.  You can set God-sized goals. You can do this only because God can do  anything, and only because we can call on His power when ours begins to fail.Think of all of the times you made a commitment to stick to a new diet or were  excited about New Year’s resolutions—only to never see them realized. Those  are the times when God’s power and help can make your goals reality.  God is absolutely in the business of changing lives. He can take ordinary  people and do exceedingly abundant, remarkable and extraordinary things. By  trusting in God’s power to help you change and not in your willpower alone,  great things can happen. And you know what that means? It’s your permission  slip from God to go ahead and dream big. Go ahead and set God-sized goals. God can make changes in your life that you never imagined possible. All we humans can do is believe that reaching goals in God's eyes is not like  reaching goals to the rest of us. No matter if every one of our senses warns us  we are not getting anywhere, we don't have to worry or try to measure our  progress against man-made deadlines. All we have to do is make sure we are  doing whatever God wants us to do right this minute. He will take care of our  direction and keep us on the path to His success, His way, in His timing. We  can trust God because His thoughts are greater than our thoughts, and His  infinite ways are beyond our finite ways.  So, go ahead and set your big goals! Then, talk them over with your heavenly  father. Pray on them with Him and listen to His guidance, hear His goals for  your life and then work together to achieve them! The Weapon  Instead of making resolutions, setting measurable goals is more likely to lead  to success in seeing your hopes and dreams come to fruition. Want to increase  the chances of seeing your dreams become reality? Here are five goal-setting  tips that will get you started on your journey towards reaching your goals. Write your goals:  Remember, these are your goals. They have to be what you want to do. Pick  goals you want to accomplish the most. Believe it or not, you won’t just fall  into a “routine” with your new goals. Achieving goals involves deviating from  the daily monotony, stepping outside of your comfort zone, and challenging  yourself. Writing down your goals allows you to free up some of that mental  clutter so that you can visualize those things that you want to achieve. Also,  tracking your progress by checking things off will give you a sense of  accomplishment, motivating you to keep going.Write actions steps: We can have goals, but we need to know how to move forward. Write down an  action you can take this week that will move you forward in accomplishing  each of those two goals. Find someone who will hold you accountable:  You want the following in a person who is going to  hold you accountable: • Someone who is trustworthy. • Someone who has your best interests at heart. • Someone who isn’t going to be afraid to ask you how you’re doing. • Someone who isn’t going to let you off the hook when you aren’t getting  the job done. • Someone who is still going to support you, even when you falter. • Someone who is going to be encouraging as you pursue your goals. • Someone who you will actually listen to when they ask you about your  goals and remind you of your commitments. Make your Goals SMART!:  SMART Goals require that goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic,  and Time-bound. While this model is great for goals, it lacks the God  component that I think is very important in achieving goals. So, here’s another  option for SMART goals that might feel a bit better for those who prefer to put  the focus back on God.  Specific – We’ve got to be able to understand exactly what the goal is. “I want  to be a better person,” is not specific. What do you mean by “better person?” Keep in mind that goals are designed to help show you the way, especially  with God’s guidance. It’s nice to know that we’re not alone in the process. As  Christians, we are blessed with access to the guidance and support of the  greatest power in the universe  Measurable (or meaningful) – We need to be able to measure progress. How  do we know we’re moving forward if we can’t measure? That’s another reason  why we say your goals should be specific. When it comes to meaningful goal  setting, praying is the best way to jump-start the process. By setting SMART  goals in the context of prayer, there’s a much greater likelihood that they will  be meaningful and glorify God as well. Attainable – attainable by you - “I want to go out with Taylor,” also depends  on Taylor. Therefore, the goal is not attainable by your own efforts. Caveat: if  this is God led (and your goals should be) and it requires God to intervene,  that’s fine – as long as you’re sure this is God’s leading and not your own. Trust that God will provide what is needed in His perfect timing. If you’re  anything like me, you want a perfect plan with infinite resources and a  schedule that is right on track. Ha! I make plans, but God makes better ones. I learned a long time ago to stop asking God for what I want and I started asking  God what He wants for me – and then I do that – it’s a lot easier that way.  Realistic – The goal should be something you’re capable of doing. I’m almost  50 years old – the likelihood of me dunking a basketball or playing football for  the Patriots is long past. So a goal of “being an inside linebacker for the  Patriots” is not a realistic goal. Maybe more important for the Christian here is  that we set Relevant Goals and set them with purpose - Setting relevant goals  that have purpose will help you develop the focus necessary to achieve your  SMART goals. Ask yourself How is the goal relevant to the purpose and gifts  God has blessed you with?  Time-Based – There should be some component of time to your goal – a clock  to completion. But be cautious that you aren’t setting a grossly unachievable timeline as well as making sure you aren’t setting a timeline that is only of you  and not aligned with God’s desires. Submit to His will and time frame. He may  want things done earlier or later than you planned. Be patient and have faith  that if it is truly meant to happen, it will when the time is right.  Remember: in all of our goal setting and prayers we are more successful when  we are being Humble, Specific, Persistent, and Expectant. And as a last thought - Avoid comparisons  When you are working towards improving your life, it is common to compare  yourself to other people. Your perception is that they are superior to you, or  more privileged in some way. Social media certainly doesn’t help; your ‘news  feed’ overflows with announcements of your friends’ new love interests,  weight loss, and new jobs, quickly turning you into a green-eyed monster.  Jealousy is easy to get into if you aren’t guarded or protected against it. How  does this serve you, exactly? It doesn’t. When you compare yourself to others, you rob yourself of time you could be spending on your own self improvement. It is also important to keep in mind that everyone’s journey is  different; although we have similar destinations, our paths are often quite  different. Follow your own path.  Goal setting is your biggest weapon against complacency and failing at  resolutions. Be intentional and show up every day in expectation of crushing  your goals. Get addicted to your own personal safety!

The Word Stewardship This is something that has been on my heart and mind lately. I don’t know if  it’s the holidays or the fact that I steward Protector’s Toolkit or that I steward  my house. While thinking about stewardship I also heard in in a message recently from one of my pastors – it was the story of Elisha and the Widow’s  Olive Oil from 2 Kings 4 – in which the widow tells the Prophet I have nothing  – “I have nothing in the house except a jar of olive oil.” When she says she “has nothing” that is not entirely true. No matter what we  have, how little it may seem in our hands, there a couple facts that hold true: • What you do have comes from God • God gives in abundance • And, there is nothing so little that God can’t do big things with it.   CS Lewis said this: Every faculty you have, your power of thinking or of moving  your limbs from moment to moment, is given you by God. If you devoted every  moment of your whole life exclusively to His service, you could not give Him  anything that was not in a sense His own already.  We are to be stewards of everything that God gives is – so the word  stewardship has been on my heart lately. Maybe it’s my 2021 word for the  year – I’m not sure but, I am certainly going to pray on that more.  Unfortunately, many Christians today only associate the idea of stewardship  with sermons they have heard about church budgets so let’s get aligned on  what stewardship is.  Contrary to worldly thinking, the Bible tells us that we are not the ultimate  owners of physical possessions or financial assets. We are to operate as  managers of our time, energy, money, and talents. God is ruler over  all…period. There are three clear aspects of stewardship:  • Oversees what belongs to another. • Carries authority to manage what has been entrusted. • Is responsible—he or she will give an account to the owner. At the core of stewardship is cultivating a cheerful generosity toward God, His  Kingdom, and others (see 2 Corinthians 9:6-7).  Responsibility is part of what it means to be created in the image of God  (Genesis 1). As image bearers of God, we exercise limited dominion and  authority… the Bible tells us that we are not the ultimate owners of physical  possessions or financial assets. We are to operate as managers of our time,  energy, money, and talents. God is ruler over all…period. As mid-level  managers within God’s great creation each of us are given the same general  responsibilities—caring for God’s creation, caring for ourselves, etc.—and we  receive specific areas of oversight and dominion as well—ministry, vocation,  family, etc. With this in mind, Paul wrote that he was to be considered a steward of the  mysteries of God (1 Corinthians 4:1). One translation says he was “put in  charge of explaining God’s mysteries.” One of the gifts on Paul’s life was  revelation; to communicate mysteries—hidden truths that had not yet been  revealed.  Therefore, the exact stewardship he refers to is not managing money, time, or  resources (all valid stewardships), but rather managing the gift on his life.  The great thing about our responsibilities is that God created us in such a way  that He provides for us through the work of our hands. When we are lazy,  disobedient, or otherwise irresponsible with our various responsibilities, we  often suffer the consequences of “lack” by our own hands.  In the Bible, stewardship is the inherent standard to which God calls leaders— whether we’re leading a country, business, church committee, community  organization, pack of Cub Scouts, our family, or ourselves.  Contrary to popular understanding, the opposite of a leader is not a follower.  It is a submissive spectator—someone who waits for others to take  responsibility – someone that sits on the sidelines and is apathetic. Rather  than stepping forward, a non-leader steps back. Leaders don’t wait for  someone to tell them what to do. Leaders take the initiative and responsibility  to be a faithful steward in God’s Kingdom in both public and private life. As a steward we will also have an accounting of how we stewarded what was  given to us. We must understand that we are all stewards of the resources,  abilities, and opportunities that God has entrusted to our care, and one day  each one of us will be called to give an account for how we have managed  what the Master has given us.  Like the servants in the parable of the talents, we will be called to give an  account of how we have administered everything we have been given,  including our time, money, abilities, information, wisdom, relationships, and  authority. We will all give account to the rightful owner as to how well we  managed the things he has entrusted to us. So the questions we have to answer are: What have we been given? What time, money, abilities, information, wisdom,  and authority do we have dominion over? And – what is the return you are going to give on the resources you have? Are  you going to be a good steward?  The Weapon In speaking about stewardship, we should understand that we have  management authority over certain things and people in our life. If you are  like me, you have authority over your family and their safety – I am to steward  them and our resources so that they can be good stewards over their own  talents and so our resources are prepared and ready for us to use.   In being a good steward and paying attention to the world and worldly events  I know that I must prepare my family for likely and unlikely eventualities – one of the things we prepare for is evacuation. At some point there may come  a time or conditions under which you will decide to get away or there may be  situations when you are ordered to leave.  These are the general guidelines we use for evacuation:  Plan places where your family will meet, both within and outside of your  immediate neighborhood. Use the Family Emergency Plan to decide these  locations before a disaster.  Think of a family emergency plan as a guide your family will learn from. It is a  written plan that outlines that outlines the preparations, communications, and  procedures of your family during various disaster scenarios. This is a terrific  way to ready your family for worst-case scenarios. You can make a step-by step guide as thorough or basic as you’d like but having a rehearsed family  emergency plan on hand could save minutes during times when lives depend  on every second.  A family emergency plan may help ensure that: • Your family quickly escapes from harm's way • Your family is prepared to evacuate with the necessary belongings and  supplies  • Your family knows where to regroup should they be separated Some other considerations:   If you have a car, keep the gas tank full if an evacuation seems likely. It is also  good practice to maintain at least a half-filled gas tank in the event of an  unexpected need to evacuate. Gas stations may be closed during emergencies and unable to pump gas during power outages. Plan to take one car per family  to reduce congestion and delay.  Become familiar with alternate routes and other means of transportation out  of your area. Choose several destinations in different directions so you have  options in an emergency. Leave early enough to avoid being trapped by severe weather.  Follow recommended evacuation routes. Do not take shortcuts; they may be  blocked.  Be alert for road hazards such as washed-out roads or bridges and downed  power lines. Do not drive into flooded areas.  If you do not have a car, plan how you will leave if you must? Decide with  family, friends, or your local government. Take your emergency supply kit unless you have reason to believe it has been  contaminated.  Listen to a battery-powered or hand crank radio and follow local evacuation  instructions. Take your pets with you but understand that only service animals may be  permitted in public shelters. Plan how you will care for your pets in an  emergency. If time allows:  Call or email the out-of-state contact in your family's communication plan. Tell  him or her where you are going. Secure your home by closing and locking doors and windows.  Unplug electrical equipment such as radios, televisions and small appliances.  Leave freezers and refrigerators plugged in unless there is a risk of flooding. If  there is damage to your home and you are instructed to do so, shut off water,  gas, and electricity before leaving. Leave a note telling others when you left and where you are going. Wear sturdy shoes and clothing that provides some protection such as long  pants, long-sleeved shirts, and a cap.Check with neighbors who may need aid. Your plan may be to NOT evacuate under certain circumstances. That is ok too  provided you have done due diligence in preparing for at least a 30-day shelter in place. I live out in the country and we have a plan and an alternate  plan that is with-in 3miles of our area. Depending on the type of disaster we  will make a choice to use our shelter in place or if we need to pool resources,  we will make the hike to our alternate location.   The key is this – stewardship dictates that as managers of our resources we  must take charge to ensure that what we have been given grows and prospers.  We must give an abundant return on the investment God has made in us.  As Louie Pasteur famously said: Fortune Favors the Prepared Mind…. When  you prepare yourself for life, chances are often in your favor. That does not  mean that you will be the luckiest person in the world, but it does mean that if  you put yourself in a position for stewardship, God is always on your side. Get addicted to your own personal safety!

A Word – Psalm 67 May God be gracious to us and bless us  and make his face to shine upon us,  that your way may be known on earth,  your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God;  let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,  for you judge the peoples with equity  and guide the nations upon earth.  Let the peoples praise you, O God;  let all the peoples praise you! The earth has yielded its increase;  God, our God, shall bless us. God shall bless us;  let all the ends of the earth fear him! A Weapon  This portion of the podcast focuses on a weapon – typically something mental  you can take with you on your daily walk as a Christian to improve your  personal safety and security. Today is a little different – I’m going to  recommend a physical weapon for you to take with you every day and  everywhere – of course I can’t talk about it being darkest before the dawn  without talking about a flashlight! Advances in flashlight technology have transformed the flashlight into a  valuable multipurpose tool with so many benefits it might be more beneficial  than carrying a pocketknife.  

The WordAccording to the My Faith Votes website - 90 million Christians in America are eligible to vote, but as many as 40 million fail to vote in Presidential election cycles. And 15 million are not even registered to vote.I want to talk a little today about TIME – and specifically tell you that it is TimeIf I can put it more simply – It’s time for us as Christians to stop being marginalized, ...pushed back, ....pushed around, ........ silenced, and disregardedGod has told us time and time again to Not be stupid – its in the bible – well maybe theMessage translation –I’m paraphrasing of course ... but it’s in thereHosea 4:6 NKJVMy people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.It’s not lack of:Prayer – not lack of giving – of worship – of serving or even a lack of attending churchWhen things aren’t going the way I think they should be, as a Christian I think that means – I need to pray more, I need to serve more, I need to do more But that’s not how God wants us to be with HimI don’t have a relationship with God because of the things I do, I have a relationship with Him because of Who He isI want you to focus on two words: DESTROYED and KNOWLDEGEDESTROYED from the Hebrew – to be dumb – nothing to do with how smart you are – it means you can’t speak or you’re silent (to not speak); to fail or perish; be brought to silence – in other words you can speak but you’ve been brought to silence.KNOWLEDGE (Hebrew) – perception, discernment, understanding, wisdom; to discern and to recognizeSo understanding this I want to convert that passage to today’s language – or the Guy Beveridge version based on the days and times that we are currently living in:Hosea 4:6My people are failing because they have been brought to silence (we can speak, we just don’t speak) from (or because of) a lack of discernment and an ability to recognize, understand and see with their spiritual eyes ..... (bring in Ecclesiastes 3:1) ...the season and time they are living in.So, as Christians we are choosing or allowing ourselves to be marginalized and pushed back andsilenced because of our lack of knowledge – and our unwillingness to speak up.We must guard against falling into the devil's trap and stop being the leaders we are called to be just because we get some resistanceAnd we need to make sure we are using the gifts and talents that He gave us to combat evil and unrighteousness.Our treasures are a trust given to us from God to give Him a return on His investment – Our TIME is also a trust from God to give ROI – our talents our abilities are also a trust from God.As Christians We must guard against falling into the devil's trap and stop being the world changers we are called to be just because we get some resistanceAnd we need to make sure we are using the gifts and talents that He gave us to combat evil and unrighteousness.Listen to what the Bible tells us about talents .... Matthew 25:14-19 " For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 "And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 "Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 "And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 "But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money. 19 "After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.Now in this passage a talent was a form of currency – something valuable. Monetary value based on the type of metal that was used.The first two servants took what the master gave them, and they got busy and they doubled what was given to them, but the one talent man decided to hide his talent and do nothing.He didn’t lose the money by doing something sinful, but he didn’t do any good either.When the master came back, he was very pleased with the first two servants and the good they had accomplished, but notice what our text says about the one talent man:Matthew 25:24-30 "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 'And I was afraid and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.' 26 "But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 'So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 'Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 'For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 'And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teethI believe you are all 5 talent men and women – If you’re listening to this podcast and choosing to sharpen yourselves – that tells me that you look for ways to improve or enrich your lives – that tells me you take initiative in the outcome of your life ... so why do we sometimes live and act like the one talent man?People that act like the one talent servant don’t really do anything wrong per se, but then again, they don’t really do anything at all.They are mere spectators, sitting on the sidelines instead of actively participating in the work of the Lord. If good wins, they join in the celebration even though they did nothing to produce the victory.However, if evil wins, they complain long and loud even though their own apathy produced the undesirable result.So, we have to be careful that we are not like this one talent man, because if we are not growing and do good works, when Jesus comes again, our excuses are not going to work, and He is going to tell us the same thing the master did to the one talent man, 'You wicked and lazy servant.” If we don’t want this to happen to us then we must strive to be profitable servants always.So then I say to you again...It’s TIME we engage the culture.It’s TIME we become relevant to an unbelieving culture around us.It’s TIME we become salt and light.It’s TIME to stand upIt’s TIME to speak upIt’s TIME to stand on the wallIt’s TIME to use our TalentsIt’s TIME to give God a good ROIIt’s TIME to watch for the roaring lionsIt’s TIME to protect what God has given usNow is your MOMENT and your TIME!Edmund Burke famously said - The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.Let me say that a different way so that you understand what I’m saying:The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, for Satan's agenda to be released, manifested and executed, is for Christian men and women, pastors, preachers and churches to do nothing... and to say nothing.”The WeaponWhat does it cost?In the times we are currently living, we all must ask ourselves what the cost is of what we want to do and where we want to go.It’s called the calculus of risk. It is about doing the math of when it’s worthwhile to go somewhere, to leave your house, to leave your secured space to do something. In those calculations are choices such as: bring weapons for self-defense, or not. We must conduct a risk assessment of the location and venue we want to go to while we factor in the capability and ability we will take with us – some locations, venues and events will require higher capabilities and abilities - you are the only one who can put a number or a weight on them.Frequency of occurrence (use all available data) + impact of occurrence (if it were to happen) = riskHowever, one of the greatest factors that we sometime fail to accurately measure is ourselves.– ohhh I know I’m saying something now – that was a big gut punch of reality right there. But – sadly it’s true - No one knows you better than you. It takes brutal honesty to measure ourselves, especially when we are trying to measure how effective we are or aren’t with any particular self-defense strategy or tool. You are the only one who can be certain that you not only have the skills, but that you have the determination, fortitude, grit and determination to employ them effectively, judiciously and accurately when necessary.I don’t know about you, but for me – I have to look deep to make sure that I am not overestimating myself or possibly underestimating myself – this is where humility must factor in. One of the ways we can do this is through training with good instructors who are able to constructively challenge your assumptions – this helps put up a mirror for you to find out if you can truly be responsive in a crisis, as does spending some time really thinking through what worst-case scenarios look like and confronting all of the fears you might have about what you can and will do.You can practice to standards and have a pretty good idea of whether you have the raw ability to access and employ your firearm, use a less lethal option like pepper spray or a baton, defend yourself with your fists, drive aggressively to get out of danger, and more. You can test yourself to see if you can do those things under stress. You can get help deciding how effective those skills and tools are for different situations. But in the end, you are the agent in charge of your own protection detail - you’re the one who has to decide if you can actually make them actionable if the time comes. Nobody else can do that for you.More importantly, nobody knows better than you how important it is for you to go to a place or to do a thing. The value you place on your life, employment, on your leisure activities, on that trip you want to take? That’s all on you. Your job may be in a terrible, unsafe location, but it’s your dream job working for a dream employer. Or maybe you have the opportunity to go on a trip of a lifetime, to see all of the bucket list destinations you’ve always wanted to see, but they’re all in places where you can’t bring anything that might even be close to a weapon – do you still go? You should always strive to measure yourself and your destinations – prioritize yourself and your safety, prioritize the safety and security of those that you are traveling with.We must be intentional in our everyday safety and security – at least one person depends on it – you.

A word - Isaiah 54:17New International Versionno weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD.Good News TranslationBut no weapon will be able to hurt you; you will have an answer for all who accuse you. I will defend my servants and give them victory." The LORD has spoken.Elevation Worship – See a VictoryThe weapon may be formed, but it won't prosperWhen the darkness falls, it won't prevail'Cause the God I serve knows only how to triumphMy God will never failOh, my God will never failWhen I first heard this passage as a Christian, I really focused on the first part and I don’t know about you, but I took it to mean nothing that comes against me will harm me. Sure – that’s the guarantee but It wasn’t until later in my walk with Christ that I started to understand that part about the weapon being formed. This sentence assures us of a couple things: Weapons will be formed, and they will not have their intended outcome or produce any results. Then as we look deeper into the whole passage, we can start to understand that it is much more than the first sentence, there is so much more than protection against attacks.The promise here is clear it will NOT PROSPER. Meaning that you will be able to rely on God’s hand to lift you up out of the trouble that you are in, or He will cause the trouble to turn around for good (Rom 8:28).‘And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn’ – Now doesn’t that just sound great? You will be able to protest those that have caused you problems in the past. All of those that have slandered or caused grief and sorrow by what they have said, you will be able to turn the tables on them and condemn them. But notice the words ‘in judgment’, meaning at the end times when we ALL have our mistakes aired, so make sure that there is no plank in your own eye and here Forgiveness is always the best policy. ‘This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord’ – A heritage is something given as a birthright, meaning that you did not obtain it by anything you did, but just by who gave birth to you. If you were born in Jesus, then our heritage is from Him, and we will receive all of the promises and blessings of that birthright.‘And their righteousness or from the NIV “and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD.”– Another acknowledgement of our lack of ability to obtain righteousness for ourselves –Vindication means: the action of clearing someone of blame or suspicion – we want to make sure we aren’t translating that word to mean vengeance – because that belongs only to the Lord. A weapon I wonder if you’re listening to this in your car or if you will drive a car after listening to this? There are a lot of stats that support that one of those ideas are an almost certainty – you will either be listening to this while driving or you will drive sometime after you listen to this Here in America we spend an average of more than 17,600 minutes behind the wheel each year, according to a new survey from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.Also during the study they found that drivers travelled nearly 10,900 miles on average and spent more than 290 hours on the road.“The amount of time the average driver spends behind the wheel each year is equivalent to seven 40-hour weeks at the office,”So naturally, let’s talk about some vehicle safety ideas. Ideas for you to put into action right away!1. Visually Inspect Your VehicleA fifteen second walk around your vehicle can identify a flat tire, new damage, and lots more about your vehicle and environment. Get in the habit of doing a visual inspection to determine the condition of your vehicle.2. Look Inside Your VehicleA general rule of self-defense is to never enter an area that can’t be observed from a safe distance. The same holds true for your vehicle. Look through the windows and make sure your vehicle is safe to enter and that no one is hiding in it.3. Keep Your Vehicle MaintainedA reliable vehicle is a necessity. Breaking down on the side of the road and exposing yourself to unknowns is something you want to avoid. If your vehicle does break down, stay inside, and keep the doors locked. Always have a cell phone with you so that you can call for help. Do not leave the safety of the vehicle and accept help from strangers. If you have a bad feeling about someone stopping to help you – don’t ignore it!4. Lock Your DoorsAlways keep your vehicle locked, even if no one is in it. It’s extremely easy for someone to jump in your vehicle and take your possessions while you turn your back to pump gas. Condition yourself to always lock your doors, regardless of whether someone is in the vehicle.5. Vehicle Safety & First Aid KitSet yourself up for success. Prepare so that you can be an active participant in your own rescue. You are the first responder when a problem occurs. Have the basics to deal with common breakdowns. At a minimum, have the tools to change a flat tire, jump start a car, signal you’re in need of help, etc.Always have a first aid kit with you. In addition to the normal stuff to treat minor bumps and cuts, have the proper medical supplies and training to stop major bleeding. Remember, you are in a vehicle and major trauma is an unfortunate reality of car accidents.6. Keep Music DownObviously, you know if you’re traveling and you’re in an unfamiliar area looking for an address you’ve never been to, you have to turn your music down – right? I know I do; I think it’s just psychological. But it stands to reason, always remain alert to your surroundings. Impairing your senses with loud music not only creates a distraction but will also prevent you from hearing sirens and what is going on around you.7. Never Let Gas Go Below Half TankA good rule of thumb is to never let your gas tank go below half of a tank. If you run out of gas, you will be stranded on the side of the road and be vulnerable to your surroundings. If you run low on gas, you will be forced to get gas at a time and place that is not of your choosing. Always get gas at a crowded gas station, in a safe part of town and in the daytime. Lock all doors except the one that is open nearest you while you’re pumping gas.8 Vehicle Escape Tools: Glass Breaker & Seat Belt CutterIf you are in an accident or must assist someone who is, getting out of the vehicle may be a challenge. At a minimum, have a seat belt cutter and glass breaker easily accessible. Escape tools must be securely fastened to your vehicle and within reach in the event you are trapped. This goes along with another good rule of life – train with your tools before you ever need to use them in crisis. Take your glass breaker and seatbelt cutter to a local junkyard and try them out. A word of extreme caution: broken glass has only one job in life – to cut you! Use gloves, goggles and long sleeves and extreme caution when breaking glass!9. Observe Your Environment Before Exiting VehicleNever exit your vehicle without doing a 360° scan of your surroundings. Remember, as soon as you exit the safety of your locked vehicle you are in a high crime environment, a transitional space. If you choose to carry a non-lethal weapon, such as pepper spray, have it in your hand before existing your vehicle. Same rule applies here as in #8 above – know how your tool works before you ever need to use it in crisis.10. Do Not Mark Your Vehicle: Personal Tags & StickersDo not put anything on your vehicle that makes it stand out or easily identifiable. Once you mark your vehicle, you make it a target. Those second amendment stickers will make your vehicle attractive to gun thieves just as much as your “honor student “and so on. Vanity plates make you memorable and you and your vehicle recognizable. Remember, you want to go unnoticed. Keep your footprint to a minimum.

Welcome to the first episode of A Word and Weapon podcast which will bring you biblically guided safety and security, tips, techniques and tactics for everyday Christian warriors.0:29 Introducing the podcast1:53 Today’s word4:41 God’s training on how to overcome this season5:04 Giving thanks during challenges6:30 Today’s weapon7:29 Getting distracted7:47 Paying attention14:21 Situational awareness15:12 ConclusionPodcast SummaryThis episode of A Word and A Weapon podcast will teach you how to be situational aware and also give you an insight on how to overcome this season and keeping a heart of praise in every season of struggle and trialQuotes from episodeYou may not know why you're in your current battle or your struggle or what's going on, but you can rest assure that God wants to teach you something.When you're going through tough times and struggles, take a pause and give God thanks.More Information: www.protectorstoolkit.com www.facebook.com/protectorstoolkit Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8mSWWmvd2VFf0NNtXkJTeg