Why are Christians hypocrites?

I have a friend who used to be a waitress at Vimbos. To this day, she's dumbfounded about this couple who were unfortunately regulars. They were the worst customers ever! They complained about everything, were rude to their server and everyone around them, and never tipped. What had her bewildered was that they were Christians (or at least claimed to be).

I find this to be true of a lot of Christians—even in our very church! People sometimes have the opposite of love for their enemies and even for each other: hate, envy, unforgiveness, resentment, jealousy, and bitterness.

You might recall the movie Beware of Christians. We watched it out at Haven on the Rock. In it they claimed “Christians” are responsible for over 40% of atheism. People interviewed said their Christian friends were no different from their non-Christian friends—just busy on Sundays.

Are we just “busy on Sundays”? Or are we truly different?

(Read Into the Field devotional)

Do you possess this same light or are you just like everyone else: fearful, worried, busy...

(Read Romans 2:17-24 replacing “Christian” for “Jew” and “Jesus” for “Law”)

In other words, the world hates God BECAUSE OF YOU (talking about hypocrites).

Why do people think Christians are hypocrites?

1. We're not perfect (like Jesus was and like other religions want you to be)

a. We ALL sin

(Read Romans 3:9-18)

“We ALL fall short”, we ALL sin, but as Christians we're not “slaves to sin” anymore, instead we are “slaves to righteousness”

Although we are and will never be perfect like Jesus is, sin still temporarily separates you from God, so strive to rid sins from your life with the help of the Holy Spirit.

You must “take up your cross DAILY”, dying to sin and self and living for Christ. If you live a life like this, you will without a doubt sin less and serve Jesus more!

b. When you sin, REPENT

Confess your sin, ask for forgiveness, and follow Jesus

If and when you fall, “confess your sins, Jesus is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins AND purify us from all unrighteousness”.

Apologize to others when you screw up. Eric had a plaque in his room when he was little and it now hangs in Ethan's room. It says, “Please be patient with me, God isn't finished with me yet”.

As a Christian, people are watching you, learning from you, and unfortunately judging you. Swallow your pride and admit when you're wrong or when you sin. Being humiliated is often what helps keep you humble. (Don't like being humiliated? Sin less and serve Jesus more!)

c. Jesus IS perfect

Also, don't be self-righteous, instead claim JESUS as righteous. Give Him the glory so that people can connect with you and NOT reconnect with their hatred for you.

As Paul says, we have nothing to boast about when it is not through our works that we are saved, but by faith in Jesus, who is perfect.

His strength is made perfect in our weakness, we NEED Him.

2. We're fake

a. We wear the “perfect” mask

My sister in law said once that she wasn't ready to get baptized because she felt like she needed to get her life in order first. Jesus doesn't want us all “cleaned up” when we get to Church. “For while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Also, “it's not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick”. Jesus wants us as we are: imperfections and all, for again “His strength lies in our weakness”.

People don't connect with your perfect life, they connect with your humility and genuineness. Do you want to talk to someone who's fake and phoney? Then be REAL yourself.

We weren't born saved...so how did you get there? Share your testimony, share your story (which by the way should never be older than 24hrs: you should be seeing God at work or GRACE all the time...if not, are you seeking Him or are you just busy?)

b. Underneath our mask we are all broken

Haven't you ever heard the song “Can't we just be BROKEN TOGETHER”? We're ALL broken and blemished, struggling and sinning, so why not entrust our vulnerability to one another and encourage each other. Stop hiding behind your masks!

I have another friend who stopped coming to this very church because she felt like she was the only real broken person who could run balling up to the alter each Sunday for prayer. Jesus says “a broken and contrite/remorseful spirit He desires MORE than a sacrifice”. So next time our hearts are beating wildly out of our chests because we feel the Holy Spirit leading us up to the alter for prayer, GO! Be obedient, be broken. Will you be judged and different than others? Yes but only on the outside. The REAL Judge will be “looking at your heart”, and praising you for your humility.

c. Jesus wants us to be REAL

We can't keep our focus on Him and His plan for our lives if we are wearing the “perfect” mask because we can't see with our mask on, others can't see us, and our focus is on keeping our real self hidden.

When we take off our mask we can see Him more clearly to become like Him.

When we become more like Jesus we are the salt and light of the world, preserving and flavoring everything with love and guiding others towards the path of righteousness with Jesus as the driver and heaven as your destination.

3. We are unchanged

a. We try to change ourselves

Know that you can't change people (not even yourself), only Jesus can. “Anyone who is in Jesus is a new creation, the old has passed away and the new has come.

b. We're not growing in Christ

Although we shouldn't be like infants anymore who drink milk, we must continuously be sanctified (set apart for God), refined (by the fiery trials we face), and purified (like silver constantly being heated and skimmed of imperfections).

You should be a different person today than you were last year (and I don't mean physically or even emotionally, but spiritually).

If you aren't growing, you're just going through the motions, you're lukewarm and God will “spit you out of His mouth. How boring! Not to mention your idleness could lead you astray to find something more “exciting”.

c. We don't idolize Jesus

“God doesn't look at man's outward appearance, He looks at his heart.” Does yours belong to Jesus? Do you LONG to do what He did, say what He said, and be where He is? Just like we aren't allowed to hate anyone but Satan, we aren't allowed to idolize anyone but Jesus. In fact please DO! Study Him, spend time with Him, be like Him. “Be transformed into His likeness with EVER increasing glory.”

Like I always say, it's the LEAST we can do for Him for ALL He's done for us!

When you're honest, real, and Christ-like, people won't label you a hypocrite, they will want what you have: Jesus...which IS our ultimate purpose in life.

Next week: Starting our book Truth Matters, which is all about Apologetics and defending our faith.

I'm going to be VERY honest with you. You can defend your faith all day long, but if you're not living it—if you're a hypocrite—people aren't going to listen to you, none the less believe you.

So this week: be honest, be real, be Christ-like!

Jesus' shield of faith

What do flaming arrows, hand grenages, and IED's all have in common?  They're all weapons of warfare used to distract and to kill.  Which is exactly what Satan has in mind for you.  He wants to take your focus from following Jesus to sin and ultimately death. 

However, the good news about choosing Jesus' winning team: He equips you with a shield of faith.  This life-saving piece of armor not only distinguishes Satan's flaming arrows directed specifically to distract you, this shield deflects these deadly arrows so you are able to walk forward on God's illuminated path of righteousness.  This path is paved with over 2000 promises of God that are within your reach.  But remember, God gave us free will to choose to step out in faith and receive these promises that give you true peace, hope, and joy.  Take up Jesus' shield of faith today and walk forward with Him to receive these life-changing promises of God.  You will never look back.

Salt and the Light

This past Sunday we talked about living a pure life (100% milk, or your other favorite beverage).  The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.  Create in me a pure heart Lord!  But "How can a young man keep his way pure, by living according to Your word." (Psalm 119)  Seriously, lets be real though.  How hard is it to live a pure life in this day in age?  HARD!  Not saying that I don't think it can be done or that God expects any less of us. 

As I was pondering purity and my own life lately, I felt utterly discouraged and overwhelmed.  That is when the Lord told me to start from square one.  Go back to the basics.  Jesus says in John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."  Remember we must daily wear those shoes of peace: cleats with over 2000 promises grounding us from slipping and falling. 

We must also remember where all those temptations come from.  For we are not fighting about flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of darkness (Ephesians 6).  We are fighting against the devil himself.  The world we live in today is filled with his traps: designed perfectly for us to slip and fall into.  Among those snares are images, ideas, and idols of this world. 

But let us not dwell on the negative.  Let us be encouraged by some of God's promises: We already have victory in Jesus, because He did live a pure and perfect life, and by His blood we are washed white as snow.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  So there you go.  Jesus is the key ingredient to purity.  Yes he wants us to learn to recognizes Satan's specific traps for us, to lead us not into temptation, deliver us from the evil one, and to call on Jesus' name, ask for His forgiveness, grace and mercy when we do fall into those traps. 

The last thing God wants is for us to live in Satan's bondage.  Not only did He intend for us to live a life of peace, hope, and joy, but a life sharing that with others.  Jesus tells us in Matthew 5
¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot."  If you fall into Satan's trap, not only do you loose your flavor or righteousness, but you are not preserving the Good News about Jesus.  If you do fall, "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."  1 John 1:9  Thank you Jesus for making us salty ;o)

 ^{Jesus also says in Matthew 5: 14 "You} are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."  Remember we live in a dark world.  In a room full of 30 people, how many people do you think are truly following Jesus?  My guess is 1 to 3.  In that dark room, if only 1 person has a flashlight (and you are that person), how differently would you live?  Why else aren't we in heaven yet?  God left us here to love God and love others by sharing the good news about His Son Jesus our Lord and Savior from sin and death.  How else can we better do that, than by being the only light in a dark room and leading others to Christ?  Jesus said in John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  Follow Jesus, be the light of life today!

Taste and See that the Lord is Good

This morning we read about Paul's testimony (Acts 22) and how he connected with the people he was telling it to by sharing his somewhat embarrassing past.  If people didn't know us before we were Christians, sometimes they don't see our transformation.  Paul told the Jews in Jerusalem that he was once just like them.  Paul even stood by the clothes, in approval, of the martyrs who stoned Stephen, the very first Christian to be killed for his faith in Jesus.  Paul hated Christians what seemed like even more than he loved God. 

But Paul also said he was boldly converted to Christ.  After going blind on the road to Damascus to persecute even more Christians, he decided to believe in and follow Jesus and The Way.  He didn't have to though.  He could have lived the rest of his life blind and without true peace, joy, and hope.  Thankfully he didn't.  He asked Jesus' Holy Spirit to come into his heart and transform him.  Now Paul isn't persecuting Christians; the pendulum has shifted: he is the one being persecuted for his faith and walk with Jesus. 

We were asked this morning if we would describe our own conversion to Christianity as well as Paul did.  I said I wouldn't.  Although, I believe that I can, however because the same Spirit lives in me.  Let us learn from Paul and share our testimonies with humility, truth, and love. 

Many of you know I didn't meet Jesus until I was in college, in what I thought was, my lonely sorority dorm room.  I don't however always share the facts leading up to my rock bottom night.  I was sitting in that dorm room on a Saturday night studying for an O-Chem test not because I needed to (although I did need to).  I was studying by myself on a Saturday night because the weekend before I screwed up...big time.  It was the beginning of my sophomore year at college and I was drinking and hanging out at a friend's house.  The opportunity arose to smoke pot and I did.  We soon left looking for another party (aka more trouble) when I was cornered by a cop with his flashlight shining into my eyes.  The next thing I know, I'm sitting in his cop car telling him I'm 21 (I wasn't 21).  He asked me for my I.D. and I said I could go get it (my fake I.D.) at my house.  By the grace of God the cop ended up writing me an M.I.P. instead (not sure what happened, I either told him the truth or I'm a really bad liar). 

Needless to say this was my blinding moment.  I remember best sitting in that cop car and asking myself, "how did I get here?"  Now mind you, I wasn't an angel in H.S. but my parents must not have done enough to blind me.  Saul (later to become Paul) also had a rock bottom.  I wonder if in those first moments of darkness he similarly asked himself "how did I get here?"  That is where he met God.  God spoke to him asking him, "why do you persecute me?"  God spoke to me too.  As I sat so lonely, lost, and sad in my room just days later, God told me "you're never really alone, I am always with you."  Here is where my testimony differs from Saul's.  Where Saul believed in Jesus, repented and wholeheartedly followed him the rest of his life, it took me longer.  This part I have shared, but not in this way.  If any of you are in this place, not having wholeheartedly made the decision to give God your best and your all, I hope my story will help change your mind.

After hitting rock bottom and having my biggest fear relieved by the words of my Almighty Creator, God and Father, I somehow managed to fall back into my normal routine, except now I knew the truth and that there was more to life than this.  Imagine a drink you absolutely despise.  Mine's Mt. Dew.  Call me crazy but I never could catch on to "doing the Dew".  Literally, you would have to pay me a supstantial amount of money to drink a whole can of Mt. Dew.  What I learned that night in the cop car was this: I didn't like my life.  I didn't like who I had become.  Although I still continued to live that way, it was repulsive to me.  I knew it was wrong.  I continued to drink Mt. Dew. Although as much as I hate dew, by living my life of sin, I was constantly drinking it.  Pursuing sex, drinking, and bad company...bad music, movies, books...the list went on and on. 

Now imagine a drink you love, love, love!  Mine's milk.  I know I'm not you're average duck but what other drink can you pour over your cereal, add cocoa to, and saturate cookies with?  Seriously, don't "do the dew", "got milk"!   Although I didn't know a lot of truth about Jesus yet, the peace I experienced the night I hit rock bottom was unsurpassable.  I can still remember it like it was yesterday.  And even though milk doesn't make me feel that wonderful, it's the best analogy I can compare.  When I first met Jesus, I knew He was who I wanted to be living for, I just couldn't figure out how to do what Paul did.  Paul met Jesus, believed in Him, made a 180 degree turn and followed Him.  He discovered milk, gave up Mt. Dew and drank milk for the rest of his life.  I met Jesus, believed in Him whenever my life continued to fall flat, and asked Him to follow me.  Instead of giving up Mt. Dew or my life of sin and drinking milk or living righteously, I tried to add milk to my dew. I pursued College ministry, Bible study, and Church.  Trust me when I say, Mt. Dew + dashes of milk = worse than Mt. Dew.   

I continued to do that for a long time, until my life became more milk than mt. dew.  This is where most of us live.  We're carnal Christians.  We have enough world in us to be unhappy in Jesus.  In other words, there's enough Dew in our milk to make it taste bad.  Bottom line: don't mix any dew with milk!  If dew is sin, every time we fall into temptation and give in to the desires of the flesh, we add dew to our milk.  Although milk with just a little dew is better than 100% dew, 100% milk is better.  Not only is it better, it's possible with our Helper, the Holy Spirit.  He gives us wisdom and discernment to see the temptations of dew, and He will always provides a way out when we are tempted.  The more and more we see this way out and take it, the less dew tempts us.  But when we do succumb to mixing dew into our milk, be convicted of your sin, repent, and turn back to Jesus.   He already paid the price for our sins: past, present, and future.  Take His free gift, He paid a very high price indeed and to not accept it is a slap in His face. 

If your life just doesn't taste right.  Sin is robbing you of true peace and joy.  Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what sin is in your life.  Don't become complacent living a somewhat tainted life.  God intended you to live a pure and holy life.  This kind of life is the most glorifying to Him because your focus isn't taken from Him and His will from your life.  Live wholeheartedly for Jesus.  Drink 100% milk.  Once you do, nothing less than perfect tastes good.  Taste and see that the Lord is Good. 

Shoes of Peace

There are over 2000 promises written in the Bible.  And when you make the decision to become a Christian, a little Christ, a follower of Jesus, God equips you with life-saving shoes of peace.  If you can imagine a pair of cleets, these shoes also have pegs, each one representing a promise of God.  With well over 2000, these shoes without a doubt ground you and keep you from slipping, stumbling, and falling when the enemy is inevitably after you in this game of life. 

Some of these promises:
God loves you.
Jesus died for you.
Your sins are forgiven.
God is your ever-present help in trouble.
You are a new creation in Christ.
Jesus is the bread of life.
The Lord gives wisdom. 
He heals the broken-hearted.
He will direct your paths.
He will swallow up death in victory.
The Lord upholds you with His hand.
God does not tempt you, but always provides a way out when you are.
He created you.
He puts His Spirit within you.
Whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive. 
All scripture is God-breathed.
Jesus was wounded for your transgressions.
If you believe in Him, you will have everlasting life.
You are without excuse.
No eye has seen the things which God has prepared for you who love Him.
And my favorite: Jesus is coming back for you.

If you're already a Christian, remember these promises and receive God's peace that surpasses all understanding.  If you want these promises, become a follower of Jesus and they will be yours today!

Encouragment from the Holy Spirit.

We talked last Sunday about all the encouragement Paul was always giving believers.  So much one time (Acts 20), that he caused someone to fall asleep and fall out of a window to their death; where by the power of the Holy Spirit Paul raised the lad to life again.  What did he talk about all night long we wondered? 

Well we soon find out, without a doubt, in Luke's next chapter (Acts 21), that Paul's encouragement came from the Holy Spirit.  It had to!  Because even when Paul was compelled by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem, he never once showed fear or doubt, even though it was revealed to him that he would not see his friends again AND his friends provided the complete opposite of encouragement for his calling.  Talk about an overflowing cup!  Paul can encourage all night long AND be obedient even until death (mind you without human support).  Sound like someone familiar?  Does Jesus ring a bell.  No wonder why Paul could follow in Jesus' footsteps; Paul was encouraged by Jesus' Holy Spirit every step of God's will for his life. 

May we do likewise.  Not only listen for our calling, but be obedient to that calling, while drawing on the encouragement of the Holy Spirit and sharing that encouragement with others. 

In Acts 21:19-22 Paul states, "I have served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews.  You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.  I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.  And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there."

He goes on to say in verse 25, "Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom with ever see me again."

Then in verse 38 Luke tells us "What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again." 

Have any of you ever lost a close friend or family member, and it literally pained you to think you would never see that person face to face here on earth again?  That's what Paul's friends are experiencing here.  Except that Paul hasn't died yet.  Can you imagine the kind of pressure he felt to stick around and not follow through with going to Jerusalem?  Immense pressure I can imagine.  Paul however, did not succumb to the pressure or let his emotions get the best of him.  He was encouraged by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem.  And a short journey it was not.  He didn't just take a jet plane there, which would have cut down on the time spent thinking about Jerusalem, as well as the people Paul came into contact with on his way there.

Luke says in Acts 21:3-5 "We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo.  Finding the disciples there, we stayed with them seven days.  Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.  But when our time was up, we left and continued on our way." 

Have you ever had someone tell you, "don't go" or "don't do this, I have a bad feeling about it?"  What happens to you?  I usually get a bad feeling about it too.  But Paul didn't.  At least he didn't show it.  He was encouraged by Jesus' Holy Spirit to keep on going.  And just when discouraging words weren't enough, visually Paul was shown someone's prophesy.  Remember when we talked last week about a pseudo hell, with heaters going in a dark room with eerie noises.  The best part about this representation of hell: it wasn't real...you could leave the room at any time!  Is it too late for Paul to do the same? 

"After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.  Coming over to us, he took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, 'The Holy Spirit says, 'In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.' When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.  Then Paul answered, 'Why are you weeping and breaking my heart?  I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.'  When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, 'The Lord's will be done'" (Acts 21:10-14). 

Paul still being on his journey to Jerusalem, could have stopped and turned around at any moment.  But he didn't.  Even after grieving, urging, and pleading from his friends, Paul would not be dissuaded.  Obviously Paul didn't draw on his friends for encouragement to follow God's will for his life.  And although I'm not Paul, after trying my very best to place myself in his shoes, I'm almost positive Paul couldn't draw on himself for encouragement to follow God's will for his life either.  I will tell you exactly who I believe Paul was getting his encouragement from: Jesus' Holy Spirit.  After all, Jesus went through an almost identical situation. 

As read in the gospels, Jesus also predicted His death, and the events leading up to it.  As soon as the disciples realized who He really was, "the Christ, the Son of the living God...Jesus began to explain to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.  Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 'Never Lord!' he said. 'This shall never happen to You!'  Jesus turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling a block to me, you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." (Matthew 16:16-24)

Jesus also had a calling, a purpose.  And unlike Paul, He did know the outcome.  He also knew that anything that stood in the way of God's plan for His life, was a flaming arrow from the evil one, serving to dissuade and distract Jesus from focusing on God.  Also unlike Paul, Jesus was perfect; He spent 40 days being tempted in the desert by Satan, who failed miserably.  As we've said before, no we don't have Jesus walking with us as the disciples did.  We have something even better!  We have Jesus' Holy Spirit living in us!  Like Paul, let us call on Jesus for encouragement.  He has more wisdom and power than we could ever imagine. 

Because if you thought Paul's journey to Jerusalem was inspiring, listen to his reaction once in Jerusalem.  The Jews seized Paul, lied about him, beat him, arrested him, chained him, shouted at him, and questioned him.  Let's be real.  What would your response be to being treated that way?  Me not being any angry person would probably cave and cry.  Paul: he didn't get angry and he definitely didn't let his emotions get the best of him. 

"As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, 'May I say something to you?  Do you speak Greek?' he replied.  'Aren't you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the desert some time ago?'  Paul answered, 'I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city.  Please let me speak to the people.'  Having received the commander's permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd.  When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic: 'Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense.'"  (Acts 21:37-Acts 22:1)

Does Paul's calm and collected response sound familiar?  Jesus had much the same response. 

Jesus replied "Friend, do what you came for."  Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested Him...The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put Him to death.  But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.  Finally two came forward and declared, 'This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.'  Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus.  'Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?' But Jesus remained silent.  The high priest said to Him, 'I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God.'  'Yes, it is as you say,' Jesus replied.  'But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.'"

Both Paul and Jesus told the truth because it's the easiest thing to remember.  Just this morning Craig preached out of Philippians 4, a letter written by Paul when he is later sitting in prison.  He said, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  I know Paul really believed that because it was seen in his life: how he went through trial after trial, sometimes with his only encouragement being the Holy Spirit.  But the truth is, the Holy Spirit is the only encouragement we need.  And "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my (Paul's) joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and in purpose." (Philippians 2:1-2)

Paul's calling came from the Father, his path from Jesus, and his encouragement from the Holy Spirit.  Where does yours come from?  Because lets be honest, we all have moments when we try to force our own will, take our own path, and provide our own encouragement.  But the reality is, there is more peace, joy, and hope in life when we call upon the Lord for help. 

Grow, flourish, and thrive

One of the hardest battles I believe teenagers face when they go off to college, is they don't know themselves well enough.  For some of them, they have been sheltered, fed, and disciplined all their lives, never truly discovering what their strengths and weaknesses are. 

In High School, most teenagers are like a baby trees in Wheatland, Wyoming.  This town's nickname is Windy Wheatland so you can imagine the kind of nurturing a tree must have in order to thrive here.  When our trees are babies, not only do we have to add things to the soil in order for it to hold moisture, but we have to put up wind barriers, drip systems, use herbicides, pesticides, and vitamins!  Seriously, I have a hard time imagining when the Bible talks about the cedars being so thick. 

As teenagers we are much like these baby trees in Wheatland.  We are nurtured so much by our parents that once we finally have to fend for ourselves, not only do we sometimes stop growing, we often backtrack and even die (to sin that is).  My challenge to all teenagers is to figure out who they are before they leave the nest.  Recognize your strengths as well as your weaknesses.  Chances are these are traits that will follow you throughout your lifetime.  Mine have.  Ask God to start revealing these to you.  Bless others with your strengths and ask God to strengthen what is a weakness in your life.  Think of some lifelong habits you want to possess and start working on those, now.  Have a vision for what your life will look like during and after college.  Look at the logistics of these goals and start working on them, today.  Once you're in High School, as tedious, tiresome, and long it might seem, college really is just around the corner.

The reason I am sharing this with you all is because college was tough for me: academically, socially, and more than anything spiritually.  Academically, I didn't manage my time or talents well.  I got pretty good grades, but I believe it could have been done in a much less stressful way.  Socially, I hung out with the wrong crowd, leading to a lot of corruption, guilt, and regret.  Spiritually, I didn't have true hope, peace, and joy, because of my selfish pride and disobedience.  Did my college career help shape me into who I am today? Absolutely.  But because I now see the incredible opportunities that are offered academically, socially, and spiritually in college, I feel the need to share my testimony with youth, in hopes that they might better prepare themselves for college.

As a baby tree, learn to shelter, feed, and discipline your own roots.  If you do, chances of you drying up, being choked out, or even dying are very unlikely.  In fact, you will be more likely to grow, flourish, and thrive. 

The Breastplate of Righteousness

For you athletes, imagine showing up to the championship game without any equipment on. You would feel pretty vulnerable wouldn't you?  Although we don't have a choice in whether or not we want to play in the game of life, we do have a choice in whose team we play for.  Remember Jesus already holds the victory.  When you choose to play for His team, He gives you life-save equipment to wear. 

Last week we talked about the belt of truth or belief in Jesus.  By putting this belt on everyday you make the decision to follow Him and this provides your entire being with stability by giving you true hope, peace, and joy.

The next piece of armor is the breastplate of righteousness.  A breastplate protects the vital organ, your heart, where Jesus' Holy Spirit dwells when you choose to follow Him.  When the Holy Spirit living in you is protected, it leads you on the path of righteousness or living right for God.  The Holy Spirit does this by speaking to you in a still small voice: telling you to do and say what Jesus would and providing you with a way out when you are tempted to take your focus from God.

Don't go through the game of life feeling vulnerable for another minute.  Choose Jesus' winning team and wear His life-saving armor today. 

Discover Truth and Stand Strong for it

This Sunday School we talked about the Ephesians and the riot they held in response to Aphrodite being threatened by Jesus being preached.  The people who started the riot feared their idol selling business would go down the drain.  To put it simply, they feared their money making business was being threatened.  Although I imagine many people involved in the riot liked living their life of sin worshipping Aphrodite and living a life of pleasure, and didn't like the idea of worshipping God and His Son, Jesus.  Perhaps this group of people was convicted and knew they should turn from their lust and sin.  However, Luke tells us in Acts 19 that many rioters were confused and just went along with the crowd.  They chanted in favor of Aphrodite for 2 hours!

Again, it's incredible how history repeats itself.  People riot now for gay and abortion rights.  They are pro homosexuality and pro killing unborn babies.  Although some rioters fear $$$ lost and feel the conviction of these sins, I would venture to say most of people are just confused.  They either don't know the truth or they just go along with the grain to be politically correct and part of the majority.

I challenge us all to seek God's truth and His will for our lives in all matters we face.  As we learned last week, Jesus' Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin and righteousness.  Pray, listen, and seek wisdom from Him.  Another place to seek God's truth is in His Word, the Bible.  We have read before that God sees homosexuality and sacrificing babies as sin.  Although the country we live in supports gay marriage and abortion, we don't have to. 

Jesus is the belt of Truth

I've talked lately about learning the truth of Jesus, making a 180 degree turn from your life of sin and following Him wholeheartedly.  When you choose to do this, not only does Jesus give you His Holy Spirit to counsel us along the way, He gives us the Armor of God to wear.

By joining Jesus' winning team, each day you get to equip yourself with life-saving armor.  Really--it's like a bullet-proof suit.  The first piece that goes on is the belt of truth.  What is truth, some of you ask.  Well Jesus tells us that He is the way, the TRUTH, and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through Him. 

So Jesus is the Truth, not fame fortune, friends, or even family.  Believe it or not, there is more to life than school, sports, and self.  Someone created all those and it's God.  And in order to have a now and forever relationship with our Heavenly Father, we have to have Jesus, we have to have truth.

This belt of truth, or belief in Jesus, stabilizes the whole core of your being by giving you true hope, peace, and joy.  Wear the belt of truth by trusting in Jesus and following Him today.  You will never look back with regret.   

The Holy Spirit Transforms Lives

Last Sunday we met, we talked about being Baptized with the Holy Spirit of Jesus.  This morning we talked about the Seven Sons who tried to drive out demons in the name of Jesus who Paul preaches.  We learned that these demons came back and attacked the Seven Sons saying "Jesus and Paul we know, but who are you?"  Right here I am reminded of the powerful scripture in Matthew 7 when Jesus says, "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"  I believe these Seven Sons who tried to drive out demons were unsuccessful because they didn't know Jesus; they didn't have His Holy Spirit. 

Wednesday we talked about the power of prayer.  There is also incredible power in truly having God's Holy Spirit living in you.  One thing that bothered me about what we talked about this morning is that we don't see supernatural things anymore.  And I truly believe if the same power that helped Jesus rise from the dead lives in us, we should be more powerful than we are.  We should look different!  Eric said this morning in prayer, "do not be conformed to the patterns of this world".  The latter part is this: "be transformed by the renewing of your mind".  Renew your mind in what? In the Holy Spirit. 

Right off the bat in Acts 1 after Jesus' death and resurrection, He tells His disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit.  He says not to go out into the world and tell others about Him until they receive it.  So the disciples were waiting and praying in Jeruselum for the Holy Spirit to come.  They had no idea what was going to happen; they were just waiting in anticipation.  In Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit finally does come, its like a rushing wind.  It would be like us sitting in this quiet room, all the while there is a wind storm happening outside, and someone removes the windows!  If that isn't enough, fire would come down from the ceiling to rest on each of our heads.  And what is more? We all start speaking other languages!  It just so happens this occurs when people who worship God from all over the world are visiting Wheatland.  They feel the wind, see the fire, and hear us all speaking in their native tongues.  Imaginable?  Well the Bible tells us this same promise of the Holy Spirit is for the disciples, their children, and for those who are far off...that's us! 

Jesus tells His disciples in John 14 through 16 that it is good for Him to go away because once He goes, then the Holy Spirit will come and live in our hearts.  He will convict the world of sin and righteousness, we don't have to.  And once we receive the Holy Spirit we will not only receive the fruit of the spirit: patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control, but we will receive a spiritual gift (no not a talent), AND we will be transformed by His power!  Our life will be different. 

Now I struggle with this concept A LOT.  Not so much with myself, because I didn't grow up in church and I wasn't hearing the word of God all the time.  As I've shared in much of my testimony I did live a very sinful life before I finally repented and turned to Jesus.  Most of the people in this youth group grew up in church and have heard the word of God preached.  Although morals might be more engrained in your minds because of what you've been taught and who you're surrounded by at church.  As sad as it is, not only do most of us spend more time in the world (with school, sports, and work), but remember, none of us is righteous.  Even if you were the Pope's son, you are not righteous until you repent and receive Jesus' Holy Spirit.  We can't save each other, we can only save ourselves by choosing to believe in Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, repenting from our life of sin (we're all sinners!), and receiving Jesus' Holy Spirit to give us power against sin and death.

To boot, Jesus tells His disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit because once they receive it, they will have power to preach His word because Jesus' Holy Spirit will speak through them and they will be His witnesses until the ends of the earth.  How can we better witness to others than by having changed lives and sharing about our changed lives.  No you guys didn't know me before I became a Christian but I was a very different person.  And as much as people want to imitate having Jesus' Holy Spirit living in them giving them fruit, gifts, and power, the Holy Spirit cannot be imitated, mimicked, or replicated!  The Holy Spirit is inexplainable, it's supernatural, it is a gift from God that must come and live in you when you decide to follow Jesus, leaving a life of sin and turning toward a righteous life with Jesus' Holy Spirit as our guide. 

Paul tells us in Romans 8:9-17 " You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life^[a] because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of^[b] his Spirit who lives in you.
¹² Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. ¹³ For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
¹⁴ For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. ¹⁵ The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.^[c] And by him we cry, “Abba,^[d] Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."

There are two kinds of people: one who is killed by his sin and one who is killing his sin.  The latter of which are Sons of God and are being led by the Spirit of God.  They are the children of God and He is their Father.  Which one are you? 

Tonight I wanted to talk about the Holy Spirit to encourage those who don't yet have it to receive it and to challenge those who do have it to renew your mind in the incredible Power living inside you.  Don't conform to look like the world, be transformed to look like Jesus!  

A fragrant offering

I've been reading all about the different offerings God told Moses the Israelites were to make in Leviticus and I'm in complete awe that Jesus fulfilled all these for us.  We talk often about how Jesus was the sacrifice for our sin, but He also made a way for us in the fellowship with and worship of God.  Amazing!  Not only did the Israelites have to build a very specific tabernacle, alter, and dress for their priests, but they had to made very specific offerings (sin, fellowship, burnt, grain, and guilt), in a very specific way.  Jesus is our Passover lamb: He was unblemished, the timing of His death was at dusk, His bones were unbroken, and by His blood the Lord will Passover us on Judgment day.  Often, the Israelites were unaware of their sin.  Could this be because they didn't have the Holy Spirit convicting them?  Also, when they made their offerings to the Lord, the fragrance went up and was pleasing to the Lord.  Today I believe we are pleasing to the Lord when we repent, pray, worship, and are convicted of our sin.  Anytime we call on the name of Jesus whether in worship or in need of His grace, the Lord is pleased.  Be a fragrant offering unto the Lord!

Walk WITH Jesus

One question you should ask yourself when deciding to accept or reject Jesus is this: Do you believe God's way of living is best?  Do you hate the punishment for sin (which is death, see Romans 6:23) AND do you hate sin itself (you long to live a life free of sin)? 

Because this is what many people do when they meet Jesus.  They're walking along, they meet Jesus, and they say to Him, "come along Jesus! I'm going to need you at the end of my life to save me from Hell."

I did this!  Until I realized not only can Jesus give you eternal life, but life abundant now, today!  Jesus didn't come to save your old life of sin.  He came to give you new life in Him. 

So instead of walking your way, Jesus wants us to meet Him, realize what a great and priceless treasure He is, and make a 180 degree turn to walk with Him.

God's way of living is best.  It's what He designed us for.  But remember: it's our choice in whether or not we want to live that way.  The good news is, when we choose to believe in AND follow Jesus, He gives us His Holy Spirit to walk with us and help us stay on the path of righteousness: the path that leads to life eternal with God. 

Be Baptized

Tonight I wanted to talk about Baptism.  The subject has been prevalent as we've been reading Acts and honestly, I've always had questions on it.  So I dug deeper.  What I found: as a FOLLOWER of Jesus (remember this is different than just being a BELIEVER), you should WANT to be baptized.  Why (there we go again with our theological questions)?  Well for one, Jesus was baptized, and we are to follow His example.  Secondly, that great commission we always talk about, our purpose, some of the most important (I believe) words Jesus ever spoke to us (probably because its the last thing He said before He ascended into Heaven) is:  "go into all the world and make disciples of all nations; BAPTIZING them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."  Thirdly, baptism symbolizes best the gospel in our lives: that we die to self, and rise to a new life in Jesus. 

In Acts we keep hearing about the Baptism of John and the Baptism of Jesus.  Many people that the disciples came across haden't yet heard of Baptism in Jesus' name, so they'd teach them and Baptize them.  The disciples gave them Godly truth and wisdom (what we prayed for this morning).   I told you that when I first came to Memorial Baptist Church, Craig gave me Godly wisdom and truth and said that as a follower of Jesus I should be Baptized.  I even hate saying it like that; those weren't his words exactly.  But as followers of Jesus we should WANT to be baptized.  It hasn't even been two years since I was Baptized.  Am I happy I did it? Absolutely!  I want to be obedient to God's path, and I was proud to make that public confession of my faith and to make that vow to God. 

The difference between the baptism of John and the baptism of Jesus, was that John's was with water and was a baptism of repentance and Jesus' is with the Holy Spirit and is a baptism of salvation (see 1 Peter 3:20).  God has saved people twice with water.  First He saved them by providing an Arc for them, and then He saved them by providing Jesus for them.  Jesus is our Arc!  When those 8 people climbed into the Arc, that was their confession that they wanted to be obedient to God and to repent from sin.  When we go under the water, that is our confession that we want to be obedient to God and to repent from sin.  Remember in weeks past we talked about repenting and how when you make Jesus Lord (or Master) of your life, you are NOT saying that you just hate the punishment for sin and want His salvation from that, you are saying that you hate sin itself, you want to turn from it, and turn toward Jesus to follow Him.  Repenting means you want to be more like Jesus, pure and Holy.  Guess who you need to help you with that? Ding ding ding! The Holy Spirit (whom you are Baptized with).

Honestly do I think you need to be baptized to receive the Holy Spirit?  No.  I believe I received this Counselor the day that I first decided to follow Jesus (or perhaps sooner, I just wasn't listening and obeying).  Really, why do you need the Holy Spirit if you just want Jesus as your magic jinni on judgment day?  If you just want Jesus to walk with YOU (until the end), you don't need the Holy Spirit to tell you how to do that, just listen to Satan.  But if you want to repent from your sins (make a 180 degree turn) to follow Jesus, walking with HIM, you'll need the Holy Spirit as your ever-present Helper

If Jesus was baptized, told us to be baptized, AND to baptize others, I'm not going to ask any questions.  In Acts 2 when Peter makes his first sermon to the Jews, they are "cut to the heart" and ask him what they can do (remember they just killed the Messiah).  He tells them to repent, be baptized, and be filled with the Holy spirit.  They didn't question this Godly truth and wisdom!  They were more than happy to comply, and were absolutely ecstatic to have forgiveness (from the Father), salvation (through the Son), and a Counselor (with the Holy Spirit).  Just like I'm not going to question why God loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die for us, I'm not going to question that we are to be Baptized in his Son's name.  Instead I will thank Him for such a priceless gift and opportunity to be buried or dead to self and risen or alive with Christ.

When Jesus was baptized (by John ;o) the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a white dove and the Father said, "this is my Son whom I love, with Him I am well pleased".  Did this happen when I was Baptized? Of course not, I'm not God's Son.  In fact I don't even remember feeling that different, just cold!  But I do know God was well pleased.  He wants all His children to make that public confession of faith in His Son Jesus and to make that promise to Him that with the help of the Holy Spirit, you will follow Jesus.

Following Jesus entails being baptized.  He was and said, "whoever believes and is baptized will be saved" (Mark 16:16).  Again, do I think you have to be baptized to be saved? No.  Look at the thief on the cross; Jesus told him, "I will see you in paradise today", and he obviously couldn't be baptized while hanging on a cross.  This question again goes back to our questioning God (told you we are like the Athenians).  In the history of Acts, people accepted the Gospel message and were baptized, no questions asked.  Back then, Christians were assumed to be baptized.  Today, you never know.  Look at me: I was just baptized two summers ago and have been a follower for almost 10 years!  I am proud that our church sees baptism as important.  In some churches you are just told to raise your hand, pray a prayer, or walk an isle.  Nowhere in the Bible does it say that to become a follower of Jesus you must do these things, but the Bible does tell us to be baptized AND to baptize others. 

If you've been a believer of Christ for a long time and finally want to repent and follow Him, be baptized!  Even if you are already following Him and have been filled with the Holy Spirit, be baptized.  It's not too late.  Don't be embarrassed!  I was, because as a youth leader, I was ashamed that I hadn't been baptized yet.  But what I realized is this: as believers of God and of His Son Jesus Christ, we were chosen by Him before we were even a fragment in our mother's wombs.  As we are given Godly truth and wisdom throughout our lifetimes, we can either accept it and follow it, or we can reject it and turn from it.  Craig was my mentor who gave me Godly truth and wisdom and I followed it,  and now as your mentor, my hope is that you will take this Godly truth and wisdom and likewise be baptized if you haven't already.  Being baptized basically states publically and before God that you belong to Jesus.  Do you?  If you have doubts, honestly answer these 4 questions? 

Do you believe that God is GREAT?  (so great that you would sell everything you have to buy the field that this treasure lies in? so great that you would leave everything you have to follow Jesus?)

Do you  believe that God's way of living is BEST?  (you hate the penalty for sin AND sin itself? you don't want sin in your life?)

Do you want to be in love with God?  (to intimately know and have a lasting and eternal relationship with Him? to put Him first in your life?)

AND

Do you want a power in your life to help you live on God's path of righteousness? (and to encourage others to do the same?)

If so, then REPENT, BE BAPTIZED, and BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT!

Our God Protects

Although I had planned to talk about something else today, God had other plans ;o) (Thy will be done right?)  This morning while my day had been running ever so smoothly, I got into a car accident.  Although I'm not thankful that my car's probably totaled, I do have a lot to be thankful for.  While praying at lunch today, my husband thanked God for watching over us.  Yes God is watching over us all the time, but sometimes it takes an ounce of the Devil's poison to see God's protection.  The driver who crashed into me hit the left side of my vehicle, but the impact was taken from my front tire...not from my daughter or I.  Ethan and the other driver were also okay, although his air bag went off.  Mine didn't, which probably saved the life of our unborn child.  My husband who was, again by the grace of God, home from work today, was strong for me at the scene of the accident so I didn't have to be.  And my daughter, also a grace spreader, kept reminding me that it was just an accident.  I was the only one who cried today.  My tears were not of pain or even loss (although I will miss cherry bomb...our car), but tears of joy: because I have two children who love me, a baby thriving inside of me, a husband who is my strong tower, and a God who protects me. 

Live Guilt-free and in Control today

Why do we over-indulge in sin?  Lying, cheating, sex, drugs, alcohol, judging others, cursing, etc.  This week, I was the eye-witness to my two and three year old both hurling books off a 6 foot lofted bed AND "secretly" eating over 15 Hershey's kisses in less than 5 minutes!

All I can recall at this point is the look of feeling out of control and guilt on their faces.  The crazy part is, these emotions don't change as we get older.  It started from the first sin: when Adam and Eve were frantically trying to cover their nakedness from each other and hiding from God.  And this feeling of no control and guilt will last until the last sin.

Did I used to experience these emotions? ABSOLUTELY...all the time. Do I still sin? EVERYDAY.  But the difference is now I don't feel out of control and guilty.  I now know I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  Also, I know If I confess my sins to God, ask for His forgiveness and repent and turn from that sin toward Jesus, God doesn't want me wasting any time feeling guilty.  Instead He wants me to feel His love, forgiveness, peace, and hope, so I too can pass these on to those around me. 

Don't waste another minute feeling guilty or out of control with sin in your life.  Accept Jesus and allow Him to wash you clean and start again.  His mercies are new everyday!

Athens or America?

Acts 17

After looking at three dramatically different towns in this chapter: Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens and their response to Paul's presentation of the Gospel, we were asked which city most closely resembles ours?

The Thessalonians were violent, the Bereans wise and faithful, and the Athenians violent, wise and faithful, as well as contemplative.  In my mind, our town, our nation even, reminds me most of Athens.  People here either reject the Good News, few are convicted and faithfully follow Jesus, and MANY are sitting on the fence. 

It's CRAZY how history repeats itself.  Take a look at Athens; it had its Glory Days, if you will, where it was the leader in Philosophy, Arts, and Literature.  With one of the top universities in its time, people there valued knowledge and education, although not necessarily the Godly truth and Wisdom, that Paul presented them with.  As Luke states in Acts 17: 21 "All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas."  No wonder why they thought Paul was a "blabber" or a know it all.  Everyone and their neighbor had their own opinions about life.  And Americans do too.  We're always up for trying the latest craze in fashion, dieting, and technology.  Skinny jeans, the paleo diet, and iphones.  We're constantly seeking to find that last "piece" to complete the puzzle of our lives.  A void we all feel no matter how "perfect" we think our lives are.  A void that can only be filled by a relationship with our Creator God: our Heavenly Father, our Savior Jesus, our Counselor the Holy Spirit.   

One prominent philosophy in Athens was that life is all about happiness.  What? Are your sure you're not talking about America instead of Athens?  Look at divorce rates today.  "I wasn't happy anymore" she said.  Well let me ask you this?  Whatever happened to "unto death do us part" and "for better or for worse"?  Most people make these vows to each other AND to God on the day they say "I do" but they quickly seem to go out the window when we're not "happy" anymore. 

Another widely held philosophy in Athens was that life is all about living in tune with nature.  In America right now the EPA is trying to shut down all the coal-fired power plants.  We Americans (not the Asian or Middle Easter countries) bow down to mother earth and ride round and round on the energy crisis marry go round, trying and re-trying resourses.  Well guess what America?  The wind doesn't always blow (even in Wheatland!) and the sun doesn't always shine!  God gave us coal for a reason...just burn it already. 

People in Athens also found value in recognizing their own self-sufficiency and independence.  Pick up any business or self-help magazine today and see these popular words in headlines pop up over and over: Independent, Rich, Famous, Control, Free, etc.  Our culture teaches us not to depend on anything and especially not on anyone.  Every man for himself is our motto.  Your possessions, money, career, and talents are all self acquired.  Really? Where did we come from in the first place? Who created us? And don't say the big bang and natural-selection.  Surely someone has to be doing the banging and the selecting.  Bottom line: we're not self-sufficient or independent.  God gives us everything we have and He created us to be dependent on Him.

Athenians were religious and worshipped many gods, even an unknown god (a catch-all if they missed one).  We Americans are religious and worship many gods.  We worship the god of self everyday when we sacrifice thousands of unborn children.  We worship money by spending more time working than we do with our families.  We worship technology by spending more time on facebook than we do with God.  We worship athletes, celebrities, and knowledge.  We worship sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll.  But even with all these ever so time-consuming and ill-focused idols of our lives we still possess that void I talked about earlier.  Praise the Lord "From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. ²⁷ God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us." (Acts 17:26-27).  God made us with this void and He planned out each one of our lives so perfectly that we all have the opportunity to seek Him and find Him.  And when we find Him, we realize we don't need all these other idols in our lives.  We just need God.  He's the One and the Only, and through Jesus, who lives again, we can have an eternal and full-filling relationship with God. 

So how do we share the Good News about Jesus with Americans?  Well for starters we can follow Paul's example and connect with them.  Admire their religious behavior and their desire to find the missing piece to the puzzle of life.  Tell them what that missing piece is.  If they reject the Gospel, keep planting seeds.  If they accept and believe, teach them how to follow Jesus. If they're sitting on the fence, let them know the time is near and blessings can be received today.  I believe the old woman in God's Not Dead says it best when she compares the average American life to living in a comfortable prison cell.  Check it out:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVi0kEJT6rQ   



   

Longevity

Sometimes I get the impression that because lifespans in the Bible are longer than ours, often by A LOT, skeptics think the Bible is fictional and unrealistic.  Although I'm not God, I do know that "all scripture is God-breathed and is useful in teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness." 2 Timothy 3:16. 

So is it true that the first man ever created (Adam) lived to be 950? Absolutely.  Was the oldest man (Methusala) 969? Yes.  Why? Well when you consider that God actually created man to live forever, 969 actually seems quite short.  But when Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil they sinned against God.  From that moment on not only do "all sin and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 6:23, but "the wages of sin is death" Romans 6:23. 

Before the flood people lived longer, but after the flood lifespans shortened exponentially.  When sin got so bad that only Noah and his family were God-fearing, the gene pool became very small with only 8 people alive after the flood.  Geneticists suggest that the gene for longevity was lost at that time.  Also, it's suggested that the earth's environment changed after the flood possibly causing a harder life and a shorter lifespan.  

The bottom line is we all die.  But if you accept Jesus Christ as God's Son who came to live as an example for us and died for our sins so that we may be forgiven and received as righteous in the eyes of God the Father, you may die physically, but not spiritually.  Your spirit will go on to live forever with God...now that's longevity! 

Choose your destiny

As I sat waiting Monday morning to see my Dr. for over an hour, I realized how grateful I am to God for the gift of freewill and of choice.  Instead of being told to wait that morning, I would have appreciated the choice to either reschedule or to wait to see my doctor. 

But God didn't have to give us freewill either.  He could have made us all like robots who just do what He says.  Instead God gave us the choice to choose right, to choose love, to choose Him.  Because it would all be meaningless without our choice in the matter. 

The good news is, when we do choose right and to love God (I don't know maybe just because He's the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present creator of the entire universe!), we truly realize how much He loves us!  So much that He allowed His one and only Son Jesus to be sacrificed on the cross for our sins--our wrong choices. 

And when we choose to receive Jesus' free gift of forgiveness and salvation from our sin and death, God ultimately gave us the choice to choose our own destiny: heaven or hell, with God or without God, for all eternity!

Thank you God for such a priceless and indescribable choice and more than anything, thank you for choosing to love us first.  For "we love because He first loved us" 1 John 4:19. 

He will direct your paths

Acts 16

"Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart; and lean not on your own understanding.  In ALL your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths."  Proverbs 3:5-6

How very comforting and true!  It was for Paul and it is for me.  We talked this morning about the start of Paul's second missionary journey and how God without a doubt directed Paul's path.  Seriously, have you ever looked at the disciple's missionary journey's and wondered how in the world they chose the places and paths they chose?  If you take a look specifically at Acts 16, one can see the Holy Spirit at work on their journey.  Starting from the get go, because Paul went separate ways from Barnabas and John Mark, he and Silas were able to have Timothy come on board in helping with their ministry.  Remember: new doors can't open unless old ones close.  Also, Paul had plans of going to Asia, but twice in this passage, the Holy Spirit in whatever way (weather, war, wrong turn, etc. etc.) let them know they weren't supposed to go there.  Instead of wasting their time and energy trying, they TRUSTED the Lord and leaned not on their own understanding.  With his focus still in check (on God), Paul was able to see a vision of Macedonia.  He ACKNOWLEDGED GOD and took this as God was DIRECTING his path to Macedonia.  Although there wasn't a synagogue to preach at in Philippi (because there were too few Jews in that area), he was able to convert and baptize Lydia and her family (gentiles) down at the place of prayer by the river.  What could have been seen as another negative, their being harassed by a possessed slave, flogged, beaten, and thrown into a prison, also had a positive ending: the jailer and his family were converted and baptized during their imprisonment.      

Inevitably it's obvious and almost easy to see God directing the paths of Jesus' disciples, but remember, as a follower of Jesus Christ, we're disciples too!  Can you see God directing your path?  I sure can...

From MN, I was told by my parents that I wasn't allowed to go to college within the state or within any of the surrounding states for that matter.  Really they just didn't want me marrying my H.S. boyfriend (door closes).  Stubborn me didn't want to go to college where my brother and sister went at UW, Laramie (which is where I eventually ended up, but God knew I wasn't ready to meet my husband yet).  By God's GRACE I was accepted at the University of Puget Sound in WA where I eventually hit rock bottom, met Jesus, bought my first Bible (now 10 years old), and refused to repent and turn from my sin and follow Jesus (I thought I had all the time in the world!).  So I made A LOT more mistakes, graduated, moved home, and was caught in the middle of my mom hitting rock bottom with alcoholism.  Although I thought Alaska was my next big adventure (I had a job starting that September basically as a fish warden on the fishing boats in Dutch Harbor, one of the deadliest places on earth I'm told...apparently God wasn't finished with me yet!), I finally moved out to Wyoming to live with my sister.  I met Eric (now my husband) the first month I was there...but I had STILL a lot of growing up to do, and we didn't date or even see each other again until over a year later (foreshadowing...dun dun dunnn!)  My sister started taking me to church with her, and I'll never forget Pastor Stephen's sermon one morning: he brought suitcases to church that day and asked the question "are you right with God? Are you ready to go at any moment?  Because we never know when He's coming for us.  If you feel your heart going pitter patter, that's the Holy Spirit talking to you."  My heart was beating so fast I was sure the whole congregation could hear it!  I had met Jesus almost 5 years ago in my, what I thought was lonely, dorm room, but this was finally the day I wanted to GET RIGHT with Jesus.  Repent of my sins, turn from my past life and turn toward Jesus.  I wanted to KNOW JESUS and I wanted to FOLLOW HIM.  I was in a bad relationship at the time and I was listening to our Pastor's series on Lord of the Rings: how to have a Christ centered marriage.  My boyfriend didn't agree with this and my pastor didn't agree with missionary dating, so we parted ways.  It was also during that time that I started noticing this familiar blue-eyed cowboy at church and at the gym.  We literally ran into each other dancing one night at a concert.  He taught me how to triple step, we talked about God, helped lead youth group together, and the rest was history.  Just six short months later we were engaged to get married in a month (I'm absolutely positive our families thought we were crazy!)  After we got married we had plans to go on a mission trip to Africa, Kenya specifically.  All God's signs were there: we stumbled upon the African Children's Choir Concert, we were invited to dine at a Kenyan's house, we even got our shots (doors open!?)  I had quit my job, sold my truck, we rented out our house, and bought a camper (that we lived in, in Laramie, in what I have recorded as the coldest winter on earth!)  After Christmas at the cabin, I told Eric I wasn't leaving (I was finally warm again...thank you Blaze King!)  Just when we were making plans for Eric to quit his job, I found out I was pregnant.  Well thank you Jesus now we knew two things for sure: we weren't meant to be in Laramie, but we definitely weren't going to Africa now.  My maternal instincts crept in and I was ready to settle down (and although I loved it, I knew I couldn't raise a baby in a cabin with no running water, an outhouse, and with my husband going to work everyday on a snow machine ;o)  On a ski trip out to Terry Peak, SD we had some extra time (what!!!) and looked at some houses on our way through Wheatland.  I had always loved Wheatland (my ex-boyfriend lived in the Canyon) and Eric had fond memories there as well (actually going to youth group himself!) We loved it and couldn't stop thinking about it so much (our VISION!) we actually put an offer in on a house on our way back through town!  The house was already under contract but we kept looking (and praying!)  We ended up losing our first baby, but God didn't let me lose the desire to settle down and have children.  Did we have the cart before horse trying to buy a house with no job?  God resolved that for us: Eric's EXACT position at WYDOT in Laramie "just happened" to open up in Wheatland.  We found our house...well not really, the realtor had to DIRECT us to it (we got lost on our own).  We, with God's GRACE, got the lending on an unconventional earth-berm (dirt roof) house (this halted the last buyers from following through thank God!)  We moved in!  Literally weeks later I found out I was finally accepted to Vet school in WA.  Really God? (sorry Job moment).  Thankfully a week later I found out I was pregnant again...Hallelujah!  Although we had been church hopping and honestly stopped going after our faded attempts to find a church home, now the search was on with little bambino on the way.  Although we loved Memorial Baptist Church, Frank Smith was what kept us coming back.  He treated us like we were his very own grandchildren.  MBC was our church home (thankfully just in time for Addalynn to be born only months later.  When she was not quite one, we were asked by Pastor Craig to help work with the youth that summer.  Now here we are, over three years later and God is still DIRECTING OUR PATHS. 

Although the early road of my life was quite unclear, uphill, and at times downright bumpy, it has always led to God.  Now that I TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL my HEART, AND LEAN NOT ON MY OWN UNDERSTANDING.  IN ALL my WAYS ACKLOWLEDGING HIM, HE DIRECTS my PATHS.  I can honestly say this has DAILY helped me.  Yes major decisions require prayer and clear direction.  But DAILY listening to God's still small voice has removed such a burden from my shoulders.  I truly feel every minute of my day is directed by God, and it's SO much easier to just follow His lead.  Although this road is still sometimes unclear, uphill, and even bumpy, I know who's at the wheel and I know where it leads: to eternity with God...the very BEST destination ever imaginable...and all thanks to Jesus!