Remember.. only you can prevent forest fires

"Remember... Only you can prevent forest fires" a famous slogan coined in 1947 by Smokey the Bear, the mascot of the United States Forest Service. The ad was created to motivate American persons to take personal responsibility for preventing forest fires. Today the slogan has stood the test of time, but has it worked? Well a current static states that 9 out 0f 10 fires are causes by the carelessness of Americans and could have been prevented. What?? After all these years and all of smokey's hard work, us Americans still don't get it?

I have found through observations that most Americans when presented with problems we tend to look the other way and assume that someone else will fix it. We believe that America is perfect, bad things don't happen here and as long as we have our Starbucks Latte in the morning and series of reality TV shows at night we are content. Every day on the news, radio, papers, magazines, Facebook, blogs... etc we encounter issues such as teen suicide, homelessness, abortion, human trafficking, poverty, crime, political mayhem .. I could go on. Daily Christians socialize with non-believers at work, school, in stores and restaurants, on the internet, but do we strive to communicate the gospel? Many of us know the current forecasts for uprising generation, that only 4% of us are predicted to grow up to be Bible based believers. Currently 35% of the adults in charge are Bible based believers and look what has happened under their rule.

There are forest fires burning all around us. While we keep looking the other way expecting someone else to put them out; not realizing that we are getting burned. Reality is only you can choose to prevent forest fires, reality is Jesus was one man, there were only 12 disciples; Gandhi, Martian Luther King Jr, Mother Teresa, were individuals who understood if they did not strive for change, who would?

Believers stop looking for someone to do what we are created to do. All throughout the New Testament, Christians went against the grain to implement change and bring to gospel to non believers. When did we loose that zest and zeal to do the same? You would think that after all these years and numerous Christian's hard work we would have gotten it. But still 9 out 10 fires could have been prevented and are started by careless Americans. Jesus doesn't need you to change to world, He could do it Himself, but He wants to use you. Are you willing? Only YOU can make that choice.

John 21:15-23

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”

22 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” 23 Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”