Do you have a vocation? In modern terms this is the way you earn your living. Or in some circles, it is the type of school you go to if you don’t go to college. Earlier generations understood this term in a different way. To them a vocation was a life mission given by God. It could have been something with an income attached, but not necessarily. The most important thing you do in your life doesn’t have to be the way you earn your money. It doesn’t need to have a title and office connected with it either. But if it is an assignment from me you will find it to have meaning and purpose, to be satisfying and fulfilling, and it will bear fruit in the Kingdom of God.

The Bible speaks of Pharisees. Do you know of anyone that goes by this name? Do you know of anyone who acts like this even if they don’t claim the title? How many Pharisees actually read the Bible? These things were written for you, not them. There are certain temptations that are characteristic of the unsaved outside the church, and others that those belonging to the religious establishment are prone to. Are you as aware of these as you are of the problems of ‘sinners’? I am building my church and I want you to be a part of it. I also want you to be aware of traps you will encounter so you may judge yourself and not be judged, or trapped.

You refer to the last book of the Bible as Revelations. Do you think that term applies to the entire Bible and not just the last book? Presenting information as revealed truth is a strong claim to make. You expect everything else to be based on references to original sources or some sort of validation. Scripture claims to stand alone and be an original source itself with no need to refer back to anything else. So it comes down to your willingness to accept its claims of truth. Everyone is free to make this decision for themselves, but only those who receive it as the words of life will eat the fruit thereof.

Do you think it is more important to pray, or to act? It is commonly accepted that diet and exercise are both beneficial for your health, and are typically mentioned together, but they are distinct concepts. Diet and exercise are also understood to work better in combination than either alone. So it is with prayer and action. Both are acts of faith and obedience, and neither is a substitute for the other. Prayer should come first, as a means to get direction for action. How long should you pray? Continue in prayer until you know what specific and concrete actions to take, and then do them.