What Have we Become?

This video is so strong, and is totally in line with America today. We are told to do what we want and get as rich as possible, but what Christ says in the Bible is totally opposite.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." Matt. 6:19-20.

We need to stop listening to the world though and start listening to Christ. We think nothing is wrong with us, but everyone else is in the wrong. That is in our blood, we are defensive. We look at the splinter in our brother's eye without noticing the log in our own.

Do something for me and I want you to use this to evaluate the American Church. When you think of foreign, persecuted, house churches. Do you picture yourself looking down and pitying those churches, or those churches looking down on us? I pictured churches here looking down on those churches, but it really should be flipped. Those churches are the ones, that are truly indulging in the love and power of Christ, but the church here in America is blinded by the log in its own eye. Lets start changing that one person at a time.

Stand Out

Which do you like better, your normal day with nothing real special about it, or a day when you get to go do something exciting and out of the ordinary? If you were in that picture would you rather be a gray guy just like everyone else, or would you like to be the red guy who is standing out?

I personally would like an abnormal day and I would like to be the red guy. As Christians we are called to make a difference in the world. The best way to do that is, stand out. That is the best way to win souls for Christ's kingdom. If others see that you really are different (in a good way) they most likely will want to know what sets you apart from everyone else. If this happens thenumber of red guys in the world will grow and grow.

I know this might be a little difficult for some people to do, but ask yourself how you are standing out in the world, and ways you can do better at it. I am not asking you to do anything I am not doing myself so lets all start living out our faith!

We Have No Idea

I just finished the book Jesus Freaks. It was a very hard book to read yet it was one that I had trouble putting down. This book tells the stories of Jesus Freaks who have been willing to lay down their life for their King, Lord, and Savior. Some of the tortures were so awful that get chills just thinking about them. I want to give you one of the short stories in this book.

She was 17 years old. He stood glaring at her, his weapon before her face. "Do you believe in God?" She paused. It was a life or death question. "Yes I believe in God."
"Why," asked her executioner, but he never gave her the chance to respond. The teenage girl lay dead at his feet.

I want you to take a guess on where this happened. I also want you to think and really ponder if you would deny knowing Christ, so that you can keep your life. Just remember that it is so easy to talk the talk, but it is so hard to walk the walk!

Last point. I just want us to be praying, praying for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. Also I want us to pray for those who are persecuting our brothers and sisters, that those men and women would be shone the indescribable, unending light of Christ.

That story that I shared up at the top, that happened at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado!

Arise

"...that the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise..." Psalm 78:6 (King James Version).

Brothers and Sisters, Christ is calling us to rise up. We need to wake up out of our sleep and make disciples of all nations. Our Lord has given a decree that we must obey. We can no longer watch others do all the work. We need to come along side our brothers and sisters who have a obeyed Christ's declaration. They are willing to lay their life down for their Lord and Savior.

We are warriors for Christ, yet we are not living that way. Satan has a firm grasp on this world, and we are the ones that need to loosen his grip or totally diminish it. That is our calling.

¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephesians 6:12-13 (NIV)

Where do We put God

I went to a large gathering the other night called Hope In the Dark. It was about African adoptions and the orphan crisis there. My grandparents hosted our table, and for doing that they got a book. I was looking through the book and I found this.

"We know that Americans pity Africans," said a young African man. "But I think sometimes Africans pity Americans. Americans seem to expect everything will be provided for them. For us, this ear of corn is a gift from God. This evening's rain is a shower of mercy. This healthy breath is life-giving, and maybe tomorrow we will not have such things, but out hearts are so full from God's provision."

Talk about God slapping us in the face, but I think that is so true. Quick story, I live in Knoxville, TN and I had a competition in Nashville. I rode up with my team and my Mom was coming the next day. While she was coming up she got lost. She had no idea where to go. She got all frustrated that she didn't have a GPS, she didn't have a map, she didn't have a nice phone, etc. and then she remembered,'Oh yeah, I can pray.' And she did. Right then she found a road she recognized. She got onto and came to stop lights. She knew she was supposed to turn, but she didn't know which way. My brother insisted that they go right, so they turned right and found the exact place where they needed to be. Not only that, right when they pulled into the parking lot a car pulled out of the best parking place she could get.

I know that is really wordy, but think about it. First, my Mom complained that she didn't have something to tell her where to go, but all she needed was God. I want to encourage you to trust God with your needs. He will take care of them.

How Blessed We Are

My Family and I are currently reading a very good book titled God's Smuggler. As the name implies, it is about a man who smuggles Bible's in Communist countries for Christ. Reading this book has really helped me realize how blessed we are. There were and there are still Churches in the world that have not one single bible in the congregation. You may shrug your shoulder's at first, but when you think that a lot of these Churches have several hundred members and not one of those people have a Bible.
In America we are so blessed yet we don't realize our blessings. Instead a lot of people receive blessings, but that makes them covetous, greedy, and ungrateful. Think about that please next something or someone blesses you!

Quick footnote, if you haven't read the book God's Smuggler, you need to. It is and amazing true story that anyone and everyone will enjoy.

Let's Get Out And do Something!

Have you ever acquired that feeling where you just have to go out and do something? When I was doing my Bible study this morning I received that feeling; I got that pride that Paul talks about so often. I am prideful that I have such an amazing God. I would like to share with you some of the most encouraging verse's.

'He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people He will take away from all the Earth, for the Lord has spoken. 'It will be said on the day of his coming, BEHOLD THIS IS OUR GOD, and we have waited for him that He might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.'
Isaiah 25:8-9

I want to encourage you with this. Our God is awesome, powerful, for that matter indescribable. Let's serve our amazing God and do something for him. He did and is doing so much for us. Let's go out into our own mission field's and share God's love to people who don't have it!

The Modern Day

As you read my blog you will notice that I talk a lot about the Modern Day. We live in a world full of physical and also spiritual sickness. I look at the world and think about how evil it has become. I also look at the world and think that this generation is going to turn that around. I believe we are going to flip the world and truly live as Christian's 24/7/365, but I (I believe many others as well) am a procrastinator. We say we will change the world when we get older, but why do we need to wait? We can start working now.

My brothers and I have formed a band and all of us are under the age of 14. We don't just sit around either. We aren't those kids who are 'in a band' yet they never practice or have no instruments. We play at a homeless ministry once a month, and we just wrote our first song. We are doing God's work just like so many other teens out there. Our music teacher teaches a band that plays at a middle school. The band played during the lunch hour and other students could go and worship God or they could sit down and eat lunch, they couldn't do both. The room where the band was playing was full of students who were burning with a passion that can only come from God.

Now please don't read this and feel like you are no good because you aren't doing anything for God. That is the devil attacking you. Just take this as a challenge to start doing something for our awesome God!

What Are You Going To Be?

One thing I have been thinking about lately is who am I and who do I want to be. You see in our modern world you can be two different people when you reach your 'teen' years. When you are at church, youth group, or Christian camps you are a youth. When you are out in the 'world' with your friends you are a teenager. I think the difference between teens and youth is very simple.

Youth are young people living for God, and teens are anyone between 13 and 19. Youth seem to have much more of a calling, but it seems that I only feel that calling when I am with Christian peers. When I do feel it and I am not around Christian peers I don't live it out. I want to be God's messenger into this generation and recruit young men and women for the Lord's army. I have a question for YOU though, are you going to be a teenager or a youth?

What Is This?

What is this? That is a very good question. I am still figuring that out myself. Lately I have really been awakened to God and the reality of another world. I have noticed that in many other people my age. One thing I have struggled with though is that I haven't had much Godly encouragement from my peers. I want this blog to be a place where Godly encouragement can be found, but also to call up this generations youth.