God is looking for a few good men and women – are you one of them?

Years ago, the Marine Corps had a motto that said, “We’re looking for some good men.” The concept behind the ad campaign was obvious: not everyone can be a Marine. Training and homework are tough. Anyone who wants to serve in the Marine Corps has to be some kind of tough individualist, willing to take orders, who also works and plays well with others. These same attributes can be applied to people who want to serve God.

Our Heavenly Father has always looked for men and women who are willing to serve him. The sad truth is that you haven’t always found them. In the Old Testament biblical book of Ezekiel, chapter 22 and verses 23-31, the King James Bible declares: “The word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, tell him: You are the earth that is not clean, nor rained on the day of indignation. There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst, like a roaring lion snatching the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken treasure and precious things; many widows have made her in her midst. Their priests violated my law, and profaned my holy things; they did not distinguish between the holy and the profane, nor did they distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and they hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. Their princes in Their midst are like wolves snatching prey, shedding blood and destroying souls for dishonest gain. and divining lies from them, saying: T Thus says the Lord GOD, when the LORD has not spoken. The people of the earth have oppressed and practiced theft, and has afflicted the poor and needy; and has unjustly oppressed the stranger. And I looked for a man among them who would make the hedge and stand before me in the hollow of the earth, so that I would not destroy it; But I did not find. Therefore I poured out my indignation on them; With the fire of my anger I consumed them; I rewarded their way over their heads, says the Lord GOD.

The twenty-second chapter of Ezekiel is devoted primarily to explaining the sins of Jerusalem, the results of those acts, and God’s punishment for them. It is a very sad progression of events. The problem begins when the prophets who are supposedly serving God serve themselves. They do not follow or obey his law. This disobedience soon infects the priests. They also begin to ignore God’s law to the point where people are no longer told what is right and what is wrong. Like so many churches today, they create a kind of “do your own thing” religion that ignores many biblical teachings and admonitions to the local church and the body of believers in general.

The corrupt circle is completed when the leaders of the people, having been deceived by the prophets and priests, also begin to go their own ways. They oppress the people to enrich themselves. The poor and strangers become his easiest targets and the most vulnerable victims of his betrayal. It is amazing to see that God still wants to fix things in the midst of all these bad actions. All you need is someone who is willing to “stand in the void before me for the earth.” Unfortunately, you cannot find that person.

God was looking for a person who would tell people the truth based on the laws He gave them. It was really just a simple matter of obedience, but no one wanted to step up and risk being rejected or punished by those who were unwilling to serve God the way he taught them. Everyone just decided to “go with the flow” and not rock the boat. The results were tragic and progressive. The prophets and priests continued to lie, while the leaders of the people continued to oppress them. God turned their own lies and evils against them and allowed their enemies to defeat them.

Today we also see a sad progression of events based on the disobedience of those who claim to speak for God. Many Christian pastors, evangelists, teachers, and church leaders have turned away from God’s word and opted for false teachings. For example, they no longer teach or practice the fundamentals of faith that include the divine nature, the virgin birth, the sinless life, the substitutionary death, the victorious resurrection, and the visible return of Jesus Christ. They question the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible and use corrupt and unreliable versions. They ignore the teaching that people must be born again, confess their sins to God, and accept Jesus as their Savior. Even some who believe in the second birth deny the biblical teaching that all believers must be active soul winners. The biblical book of the New Testament of 1 Peter, chapter 2 and verse 5 clarifies this in the King James Bible where it says: “You also, like living stones, are built spiritual house, holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices pleasing to God by Jesus Christ “.

Like the Marines, God is looking for some good men and women to serve. That service begins with your ability to obey the simplest of his teachings. First, you need to become a Christian. If you don’t know for sure that you will go to heaven when you die, God tells us that you can know for sure if you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. Simply pray to God, admit you are a sinner, and ask Jesus to come into your heart and forgive all your sins. The biblical book of Romans of the New Testament, chapter 10 and verses 9-10 says in the King James Bible: “That if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Because with the heart it is believed for justice, but with the mouth it is confessed for salvation “.

Salvation is the first step. The next thing is to find a good church to attend and join. That church should be a Christ-honoring, Bible-believing house of God. Once you find a home in the church, you will need to be baptized in order to join. The Bible teaches baptism by immersion in water. John the Baptist practiced this method and the Word of God gives us an excellent example in the biblical book of Acts of the New Testament, chapter 8 and verses 26-39 where the King James Bible says: “And the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying: Get up and go south, down the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, which is desert. And he got up and went: and behold a man from Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians , who had the charge of all his treasure, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, he returned, and sitting in his chariot read the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah). And Philip ran to him, and heard him read the prophet Isaiah, and said, Do you understand what you read? And he said: How can I, if some man does not guide me? And he asked Philip to go up and sit with him. The place of Scripture that he read was this: He was me ed as a sheep slaughter; and as a dumb lamb before his shearer, so he did not open his mouth: In his humiliation was his judgment taken away: and who will count their generation? because his life was taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I beg you, of whom does the prophet say this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, started on the same Scripture, and preached Jesus to him. And going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said: Look, here is water; What prevents me from being baptized? And Philip said: If you believe with all your heart, you may as well. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he ordered the cart to stop; and they both went down to the water, Philip and the eunuch; and baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.

Once you are a member of the church, you must begin to learn God’s Word. You must do this in two ways. First, attending services that generally include a mid-week Bible study, Sunday school, and worship service. The pastor and others will teach you the Word. Second, you need to read God’s Word for yourself. Get a King James Version Bible and get started with the New Testament Biblical Book of Luke. It is one of the four gospels and it is the only one that really explains how John the Baptist and Jesus are related. It also gives us a look at the childhood of Jesus.

Prayer is another important step of obedience that will help you become someone God can use. Pray at least twice a day: when you wake up and just before going to sleep. Pray for yourself and for others. The New Testament biblical book of Matthew makes it clear that prayer is about asking. In Matthew, chapter 7 and verses 7-11, the King James Bible says: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you: for everyone who wills receives, and he who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, it will be opened. Or what man is there of you, who if his son asks for bread, will he give him a stone, or if he asks for a fish, he will give him a snake? give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him? “

Another important step in serving God is deciding to tithe. A ‘tithe’ is ten percent of your income. It may seem like a lot, especially if you don’t make a lot of money. However, God uses that money to fund the local church and allow believers to carry out His Will. He also promises to give back to those who give him. The biblical book of the Old Testament Malachi, chapter 3 and verse 10 says in the King James Bible: “Bring all the tithes to the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and test me now with this, says the LORD of hosts, If I do not open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing on you, there will be no place to receive it. “

God does not ask you to be saved, baptized, attend church, pray, read the Bible or tithe for him, He asks for you! You avoid hell, grow in faith, and gain confidence in the Lord by doing these things. Just as basic training helps recruits become Marines by developing organizational skills and physical fitness, obedience to God’s Word strengthens spiritually and helps the Christian prepare to better serve the Lord. In exchange for your obedience, God blesses you, cares for you, and is there for you when you need him most. God is looking for some good men and women. If he is ready to serve you, his marching orders are in the Bible.