An Angry God

Have you ever done something you know you shouldn't have done and then told yourself "It will be okay. I've done enough good to make up for that. God won't send me to Hell just because of that, I mean He loves me." Well let me tell you, if you haven't already figured it out, THAT IS THE VOICE OF SATAN. God is merciful and gracious, but he is also just. Now how can you show grace and be just. I believe that sins we accidentally commit God will give mercy for, but if we know we shouldn't do something, but do it anyway then that is when Christ's anger kicks in! It says in the Bible that God is angry, yes it says that in the Bible! Read Jeremiah 2-5 and you will see what I am talking about.

In America we think so much of ourselves and leave so little for Christ that there isn't room to fear God. God is scary. We say he is all powerful, but we don't dive into the meaning. Christ can do whatever he wants. That is scary! He had no reason to save us, and still has no reason to save us from Hell, but His love. I THANK GOD for His love for me. He didn't even have to create me, but he did.

If Christ did all this for us, just because He loves us, don't you think we should follow His will, just because we love him.

Awesome Passage

Hey Everyone. Sorry it has been so long since I have blogged. I just haven't gotten around to doing it and it is all my fault.

A few weeks ago I was reading Jeremiah 1. I was reading the ESV version. I journaled about it and then forgot about it. Tonight I came back and read my journal. Then I got on to wwww.biblegateway.com. Then I read the Jeremiah 1 in The Message. Oh my goodness! This should speak to everyone. I don't need to say anything. I am just going to give you God's word and let it speak for itself.

1-4 The Message of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah of the family of priests who lived in Anathoth in the country of Benjamin. God's Message began to come to him during the thirteenth year that Josiah son of Amos reigned over Judah. It continued to come to him during the time Jehoiakim son of Josiah reigned over Judah. And it continued to come to him clear down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah over Judah, the year that Jerusalem was taken into exile. This is what God said:

5"Before I shaped you in the womb,

I knew all about you.

Before you saw the light of day,

I had holy plans for you:

A prophet to the nations—

that's what I had in mind for you."

6But I said, "Hold it, Master God! Look at me.

I don't know anything. I'm only a boy!"

7-8God told me, "Don't say, 'I'm only a boy.'

I'll tell you where to go and you'll go there.

I'll tell you what to say and you'll say it.

Don't be afraid of a soul.

I'll be right there, looking after you."

God's Decree.

9-10God reached out, touched my mouth, and said,

"Look! I've just put my words in your mouth—hand-delivered!

See what I've done? I've given you a job to do

among nations and governments—a red-letter day!

Your job is to pull up and tear down,

take apart and demolish,

And then start over,

building and planting."

11-12God's Message came to me: "What do you see, Jeremiah?"

I said, "A walking stick—that's all."

And God said, "Good eyes! I'm sticking with you.

I'll make every word I give you come true."

13-15God's Message came again: "So what do you see now?"

I said, "I see a boiling pot, tipped down toward us."

Then God told me, "Disaster will pour out of the north

on everyone living in this land.

Watch for this: I'm calling all the kings out of the north."

God's Decree.

15-16"They'll come and set up headquarters

facing Jerusalem's gates,

Facing all the city walls,

facing all the villages of Judah.

I'll pronounce my judgment on the people of Judah

for walking out on me—what a terrible thing to do!—

And courting other gods with their offerings,

worshiping as gods sticks they'd carved, stones they'd painted.

17"But you—up on your feet and get dressed for work!

Stand up and say your piece. Say exactly what I tell you to say.

Don't pull your punches

or I'll pull you out of the lineup.

18-19"Stand at attention while I prepare you for your work.

I'm making you as impregnable as a castle,

Immovable as a steel post,

solid as a concrete block wall.

You're a one-man defense system

against this culture,

Against Judah's kings and princes,

against the priests and local leaders.

They'll fight you, but they won't

even scratch you.

I'll back you up every inch of the way."

God's Decree.

What Good is the Bible if We Don't Use It

Now in the title I am not talking about just reading it every now and then or even reading it everyday. I am talking about using its instructions. The Bible gives us instructions, but the Bible is no good to us if we don't use those instructions.

So how do we follow those instructions? Well we can do it the hard way, or we can do it the easy way. The hard way would be to just read those instructions and then move on and do our best to obey them, but the easy way would be to read them, ask Christ to help us follow those commandments and then we won't need to do our best. Christ will work through us and all we'll have to do is let him do the work.

Teens we are like water in a huge pot that sits on the Earth. We are just about to boil over and cover the Earth. To do that though we need to seek hard after the Lord. WE NEED TO FOLLOW HIS INSTRUCTION. We are Christs soldiers that are waiting our deployment from Christ, but we aren't (or shouldn't) just sitting waiting. We are training perfecting our works that very soon we will be put out to do.

One last thing. Please don't just put those instructions to use some of the time. Make it a way of life. Live that way. People from other religions probably think that the to us the bible is just a bunch of religious writings. We need to show them that it is our way of life. It is our life.

ANYONE Can Know the King

My family is in the process of adopting from Africa (if you want more info visit www.beebebits.blogspot.com). I was thinking of all those little children over there that are so lowly and poor. An orphan in Africa is probably as low as you could get anywhere in the world.

I was also thinking about God. He is the highest ever. No one can be above him, or more powerful than him. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

So being on Earth we are already pretty low in God's eyes. We are all filthy sinners (before we have accepted Christ). Now those orphans, all though lowest in the world, are lifted high by God.Those orphans that are so low can KNOW GOD, THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. That just hit me last night. Truly anyone can know and believe in Christ Jesus. I don't know how I had missed that.

What I am challenging you with today is to open your eyes to things like that. We so often get in our Christian bubble of Christian friends, Christian co-workers, etc. Get out of that bubble. It doesn't help the world if you stay in your bubble, and God has called us to make a change in the world.

T-Shirt Fundraiser

If you have been constantly visiting my blog, you know that my brothers and I have a band. We lead worship at a homeless ministry once a month and are getting ready to play music for a day camp our church is hosting in Cumberland, Kentucky.

Now although most of the profit will go to help our band buy music equipment, a small portion of the profit will go to help our family raise money for our adoption. The shirts are starting at $20, but we are also giving away two free T-shirts.

To get a free T-shirt, all you need to do is post about these T-shirts on your blog, facebook, myspace, etc. and then tell me that you have done so either by commenting on this post or emailing me at noamzemail@gmail.com. Thank you for your support.

Live Like We're Dying

Imagine getting a call from your doctor and him telling you that you have a very deadly disease, and you only have one week to live. What would you do? Would you go to places you've always wanted to go?

I know people who don't like to hear this or even think about, but death is inevitable. The only way you would not die is if Jesus returned. My challenge for you today is to live like you are dying, but also keep a few things in mind.

If you were dying and you went to places you had always wanted to go what good would that do anyone. It would help you or really anyone else. If I were dying I would think about those who don't know Christ, and the next generation. If I can help those causes at all, then I would be helping the world that I would soon be leaving. If you were dying you would want to be able to look back on it and smile.

Have you been living your life to the fullest? Have you been living the way God has called everyone to live? If you will just trust, love, know, and follow in Jesus' footprints, you will be the happiest you have ever been.

Get up, Work Hard, and Enjoy the Ride

A lot of 'Christians' think that just asking Christ into their heart is enough to get to heaven. I know our faith is not based on works, but I also know that if you think you can just sit back relax and enjoy the ride of life, then I don't think you will be spending an eternity with Christ. In fact actually following Christ's laws and doing what he has asked us to in His Word will make your life more enjoyable. We aren't on Earth just to wait to go to heaven. There are people that are going to Hell, and we are just going to sit back and feel sorry for them!

We are called to Change the world, but sadly Christians, (at least the ones here in America) have not done much. It would actually be the American government, Muslims, Mormons, etc. that are changing the world. As far as I know they were not called to change the world, but we are and we aren't doing anything. Please as your brother in Christ I beg to be Salt and Light to the wretched world.

We Are Never Alone

I know you have heard that before. I think that phrase is a little over-used, but it is very true. We are never alone and we should never fear anything.

I have been thinking about how great God is. He is a huge multi-tasker. He manages everyone in the world, hears their prayers and knows each and every person more than they know themselves, while also knowing the names of all the stars in the sky, etc.

While God is doing all of that he is also traveling on our journey with us. So he is King, but he is also on the path heaven with us. So I think it would be an understatement to say that we have a pretty good partner. WE HAVE GOD ON OUR SIDE. He is always with us. What do we have to fear?

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4

I encourage you not to fear anything, not even death, because God is always with you. We are never alone.

Are we Trampling God's Glory

I so often think that I am a good Christian because, I do so much, and I say I do it for Chirst, but am I really doing it for him? Lately I have been trampling God's Glory. I have put other things in front of God, telling God to wait. I have also lowered God to where I think of Him as someone just above myself, not the God of every single thing.

What do we as Christ's body in America? Do we trample God's glory, or do we realize he could wipe out the universe before we had time to say 'ouch?'

If you are like me you grew up in a Godly home, which is a sword that swings both ways. The good part is that you start out knowing Christ and will have a relationship with him for life in most cases. The bad side of it is that you are read the little kid Bibles. You grow up with those stories, and then when you are old enough to actually understand fully what those stories meant, they are not amazing and astonishing like they should be. I know this post is a bit hard to follow, but please think about if you are doing something to give God glory, or to give you glory.

The Field is Ready for Harvest

Recently I have been hearing about awful things in the world. It seems like a lot of them, and it also seems like they have all happened in a concentrated amount of time. I was thinking to myself how can I be calling my peers up when the world is like this?

Well I realized that God does want me calling others up, and the reason the world is so evil, is because Christ has prepared the field for his workers.

And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." Luke 10:2

The world is the field and we are the workers we need to go out there and reap the harvest. If the field becomes any more ready than it is now, the harvest will be ruined. We need to start reaping the harvest. The more we reap, the more workers Christ has for his Kingdom.

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Matthew 28:19

There is one last point I want to make. When workers go out into the field to work, not all of them will work in one spot. Each worker would probably have a partner, but that would be it. The work would never be done if the whole group worked in one spot. What I am saying is find a companion and go work where no is working, or has ever worked, or go by yourself and help another missionary who is already out in the field.

Now I know if you are reading this you probably believe in the Bible, but are you willing to obey the Bible. Christ said go and make disciples of all nation's so let's obey Christ our King!

Are we Good Examples?

Are we good we good examples? When I was younger there were only a few teens that set good examples for me (of course I didn't know that many teenagers). A lot of teenagers sit around and do nothing, but we watch others like that, and slowly with out realizing it do the same thing. You have to think about the people that you are setting examples for everyday. Are you setting a good example for that person, or a lousy one. Just ask yourself if you are showing Christ to those you are encountering, if you have showed Christ to those you have encountered, and if you will show Christ to those you will encounter. Remember that we are to stand out!

Satan Has a Job to Do

Why is life hard? Think about it. We have Christ in our hearts, but we are still tempted and trialed. Well of course Satan has his job to do. The stronger we are in our faith and relationship with Christ the more he wants to hurt us, try us, and tempt us. Look at Job, he was the most righteous man on Earth and he lost practically everything he had. Now God is going to let us suffer, but it is to refine us and make our faith stronger. What I am telling you today is to fight through your suffering, and everything will be all right. Christ has work for you to do, so never ever quit no matter what the circumstances. God will always love you, care for you, and hold you. Christ will not put you through more suffering and temptation than you can handle. All you have to do is keep your eyes on the prize.

The Evil of This World

There is so much out there in the world that we as Christians don't know about. We try to choose Christian friends, watch good things on TV, and stay away from pornography on the internet, but there is so much stuff out there, and we have no idea what is out there. The picture that I used in my last post is from a blog called proclaiming that there is no after life whatsoever. The guy was arguing that there in no after-life, and that heaven and hell do not exist. The homeless ministry that my family is involved in had a market right by there. The guy who owned the place, just a few weeks ago went into a hospital, opened fire, and then killed himself. It is for these people that we should rise up. Otherwise those people will spend an eternity in a Lake of Fire. God is a just god and will punish those who chose not to hear his calling.

Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

Lately I have been blogging about challenges, but it will make it so much easier to follow through on these challenges, if we keep out eyes on the prize of getting to see our King, Lord, and Savior Jesus. There are so many hindrances in this world to try and stop us from following Christ, but if we truly believe nothing can truly stop us!

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
1 Cor. 9:24-25

That verse itself is a challenge. Notice that it says RUN. On Earth we aren't here just to sit around, just like at the Olympics the athlete's aren't there just to sit around. We are here on Earth to run, not just to sit around and wait for Christ's returning. So as encouragement, keep your eyes on the prize.

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.