Mountains of Bloomsburg Introduction

   Dark. All you see is dark. You open your eyes, now you see fog all around you. You cannot see any other people or any other things. After you stand there for a while you decide to move on because standing there is not doing you any good.
   You keep walking and you see beautiful trees. They are some of the prettiest trees you have ever seen. Next there are creatures you have never seen before. There are lions with the heads of eagles, birds that look like they are on fire, men with goat legs, and so many more creatures. 
   After walking a while you come to a town. There are many children playing, people working, and people worshipping. You walk up to a man and ask, "where am I?" The man replies, "you are in the Mountains of Bloomsburg. I've never seen you here before, what is your name?" You tell the man your name and he shakes his head, "are you new here?" You say, "I've never been here before." Then you tell the man where you are from. The man says, "I've never heard of that place either but you are welcome to stay here. If you have any questions my name is Ron." You nod your thanks and walk on.
   Suddenly you see a lion with the bead of an eagle above you. You cover your head thinking that this is the end. The lion like creature lands and cocks its head at you, "who are you?" Your mouth drops open. This creature can talk! You finally get your voice back and tell the creature your name. "You are not from here are you?" You shake your head no. 
   The creature begins to pace while talking to itself, "very strange, what is he up to?" The creature stops pacing and freezes. You look around wondering if this is normal.
The creature glances at you. "I don't know what Gottes is up to but he says I am to take care of you and answer any of your questions."
   You begin to ask questions of the creature. You find out his name is Jordan. He is called and Engel and he works for Gottes. Gottes created this world. You look around and see a long, dark mountain range. You ask Jordan, "what is that place?" Jordan replies, "that is the part of the mountain that Ubel is contained to. The people of the village have decided to never go there lest they be tempted to betray Gottes." 
   You ponder that for a little then say, "I don't belong here, I'm from somewhere else." Jordan says, "I know you are from somewhere else but you were brought here for a purpose." "What is that purpose?" You ask. "I do not know, I do not try to understand Gottes." Jordan replies. "Would he be able to take me back?" Jordan nods. "Good then I'll ask him to send me back." Jordan smiles, "you can ask but you may not get the answer you want." You sigh, "is there anyone else who could send me back?" Jordan glances at the dark mountain range, "Ubel may be able to but he is crafty. He used to be an Engel but then he betrayed Gottes."
   You think about it then realize that you must get back. A plan begins to form in your head. You are going to go to see Ubel.
   If you actually came to this land would you want to leave? What other questions would you have asked the Engel? Would you trust Ubel? How does this story relate to the Bible?

   Proverbs 3:5-6

Alone

   One day my co-teachers were mocking about how my definition of fun is different from theirs. I was okay with that because I do have fun but it's not the kind of fun they like to have. Then one said, "oh but remember, she's a different person now because she has a boyfriend." I was like, "I'm not different, I'm the same person." She replied, "yeah you are, I'd never thought I would see you with a boyfriend."

   To be honest I was a bit shocked. I asked, "why." She said because I never seemed interested in anyone. That's when I realized that my coworkers didn't know me as well as I thought they did.

   Now, I am a very open person. If someone asks me a question, I answer honestly. But I realized that I didn't share about how alone I felt at times. See, as Christians, we are to love others, reflect God's glory, and spread the good news. But it's not always easy to share your weaknesses. Especially when those weaknesses make others possibly question God.

   I know that I'm never alone. I know Joshua 1:9 says, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” I know that. But it's not always easy to feel that God is with you when you wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep.

   Usually I have found in those moments that I need to stop focusing on my worries or fear. Instead I need to focus on God. I read the Bible, pray, and change how I think. That made me not feel so alone.

   So, when you feel alone, what do you do? How often do you spend time with God?

Broken

   Have you ever gone through a time where you just don't think things can get any worse? Maybe multiple things happened to you in the period of a few days that just weren't what you were expecting. Maybe you wondered how God could allow those things to happen to you. That's when you get the typical answer from a Christian friend, "everything happens for a reason." You may not like to hear that answer, I believe it is true and even I don't like hearing it sometimes.

   God does do everything for a reason. To illustrate this let me tell you a story I once heard. Once there was a pastor. The pastor was mentoring a young man who decided he wanted to be a pastor. By meeting together, the pastor had discovered some items that had to be dispelled from this young man if he was going to be a successful pastor. Apparently, the young man was very prideful. He thought he could do it all on his own and that he knew everything. One day the young man got some bad news. His father had just died suddenly of a heart attack. The young man was upset and began to call friends to let them know what happened. When he called his first friend, his friend was already crying. The young man asked if his friend had already heard about his father. His friend said "no." The friend then told him that apparently some of their friends had just gotten into an accident and died. The young man broke down. He wondered why God would let this happen. Then he turned his back on God. He began to drink and separate himself from friends and family. Eventually the young man saw the error of his ways and went back to church. The young man spoke with the pastor and said he realized that he had to be broken in order to grow closer to God. He saw that he was prideful and changed his ways (The Bait of Satan).

   This man could be likened to Peter. Peter was almost always one of the first disciples to speak, and sometimes he spoke without thinking. Peter was one of the disciples who argued about who would be greatest. He thought he could control things that just were not in his control. Peter too, was broken. He denied Jesus 3 times when Jesus needed him most. But, after Peter was broken, he turned to Jesus and was a very influential leader in the beginning of the church. Peter gave up his pride and shined brighter than ever. If Peter hadn't gone through that experience he never would have had that influence on others for Christ.

   As Christians I think we forget that sometimes God brings about bad things for our good, even if Satan caused it to happen. We may not like the things that happen to us but they can help us grow in God, if we let them. Being broken hurts but if we are never broken we cannot grow into something more beautiful. Just think about it, even a glow stick needs to be broken before it can shine (otherwise it is useless).

   So, when bad things happen how will you view them? Will you trust that God can use everything for good? Will you let your light shine no matter what happens?

   Psalm 51:8, Psalm 147:3, Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

   Image from here. 

Render to Caesar: Jesus Series

   "Then he said to them, 'So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.'” Matthew 22:21

   In the passage the Pharisees are once again trying to trap Jesus. The Jews did not like paying taxes to the Romans. They asked Jesus "Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?" (Mat.22.17). Jesus called them "hypocrites" and then asked for a coin used for paying tax. Then he asks the Pharisees, "whose image is this?" (Mat.22.20). The Pharisees say that it's "Caesar's." That's when Jesus says to give what is Caesar's to Caesar.
   Now, this doesn't seem like such a confusing passage but I will tell you when Jesus said this it probably shocked the Pharisees and those who heard it. The Jews believed that they were being oppressed by the Romans and that the savior would relieve them from that oppression. Jeremiah 23:5 says: "'Behold, the days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land." To the Jews this probably sounded like an end of oppression. Many of them probably thought that the savior would be king on earth. It just goes to show that God's plan is better than our plan, whether we know it or not.

   This verse is also difficult for some people to deal with today. We don't like having to give up our money that we worked hard for. We don't like supporting our leaders if we don't agree with them. I get that, but what does God say about this? Jesus says we are to give what belongs to leaders back to our leaders. Our money isn't ours, besides the fact that everything is created by God and his, we didn't physically make our money the government did. Therefore, we should give back our money to our leaders whether we like our leaders or not.
   And, while on the subject of leaders, do you think God just let's random things happen on earth? No, well good because He put our leaders in place. Romans 13:1 states: "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God." God puts our leaders in place for a reason. We may not support every decision they make, but God knew what that leader would do. The leader is above us for a reason. We need to make sure that we follow the laws in our countries, unless those laws go directly against God's laws. That's what being subject means in that verse. If we didn't follow those leaders what kind of message would that be sending about Christians? I know it's hard; God didn't promise our lives would be easy but it will be worth it.
   So, what are your thoughts on following the leaders God puts in place? Are you in God's word enough to know what is right and wrong in his eyes? Will you obey leaders God puts in place, unless the laws those leaders put in place are against God?

   Image from here.

If You Think It: Jesus Series

   "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:28

   Have you ever thought to yourself: "If people could see, or hear, my thoughts then you wouldn't like me too much." See, the great thing about the human mind is also an annoying thing. We cannot know anyone else's thoughts unless they tell us those thoughts. That's how we can keep secrets, which are important at times. But, at the same time, if people could hear thoughts then communication would be so much easier, and more dangerous.
   Think about some of the thoughts you've had that you wouldn't want others to know about. You know the thoughts like, "I really don't like that person," "I could just punch you now," and "I hate myself now." If those thoughts got out what would happen? How many relationships would you have?
   In this passage Jesus is talking about our thoughts. He uses the example of adultery and says that if we must after someone we've already committed sin. That means that if we think it, it's as bad as doing it. If I think about lying it's as bad as actually lying.
   Now, this gets confusing because of temptation. Being tempted isn't a sin. If you act on the temptation it is a sin (Mat.4.1-11). Let's say you mess up on a big project at work. You could tell the truth or you could lie. The Devil is probably going to tempt you to lie. If you think about lying, you come up with a plan to do it, but you don't actually lie then it's not a sin. But, do you think that's a thought God would want you to have?
   If we think about lying enough more than likely we will lie. In the case of this passage, if we look at someone lustfully long enough more than likely we will act on those thoughts in some way.
   Jesus says this because he wants us to guard our thoughts. We will mess up and have wrong thoughts from time to time. God wants us to grow in him enough that we can push back those sneaky thoughts Satan sends us. One way we can do that is by answering those thoughts with scripture. When Jesus was in the wilderness he answered everything the Devil said with scripture. That's how Jesus avoided temptation and guarded his thoughts. Can't we do the same?
   So, are your thoughts godly ones? What can you do to guard your thoughts when temptation comes? Will you come alongside others to help them grow in God and defeat tempting thoughts?

   Image from here.

Cut Off: Jesus Series

   “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.” Matthew 18:8

   In this passage Jesus is talking about things and people who cause others to stumble. It seems odd for someone to say that you should cut off your hand if it causes you to stumble but let's look at this passage a little more in depth.

   Speaking from a teacher's perspective this passage is very scary. In verse 6 it talks about if anyone should cause children to stumble it is better for a millstone to be hung around their neck and be drowned. That seems like a pretty severe punishment to us, but is it really?
   Last week we talked about good leaders and how we need to keep our leaders accountable. The people that you follow: are they free from sin? No, no one is free from sin but we can repent. In order to repent one must ask for forgiveness and stop committing the sin. However, there are those who know they are sinning and yet continue to stay in their sin. Worse still, some of those people lead others into the same sin!

   Isaiah 59:2 says: "But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear." God cannot look upon sin because he is holy. That's why when Adam and Eve sinned they had to leave the Garden and God's presence. That's why God could not look at Jesus when he died on the cross because Jesus took our sins upon him.
   This verse isn't literally talking about cutting off our hand. It's talking about distancing ourselves from people who don't repent. People who do not repent are going to harm the body of Christ by causing others in the body to stumble (1 Cor.12.12-31).
   Now, this is where it gets tricky. Kicking a sinner out of the church doesn't work because then everyone will be kicked out since we are all sinners. Keeping the person in the church in certain roles doesn't work because he/she could influence others to sin. There needs to be some grace and there needs to be some truth and Jesus gives us the answer to this problem in the same chapter.
   In Matthew 18:15-19 Jesus talks about dealing with sin in the church. First we are to talk with the person who sinned about their sin. If they don't listen then we take one or two others along to talk to the person again. Finally, we are to take it to the church. If he/she still doesn't listen then we are to treat them like a pagan.
   What does this mean for us? It means we need to be careful that sin doesn't enter our lives. I want to be in the body of Christ and I hope you do too. I don't want any sin holding me back from being more like Christ and helping him spread his kingdom. It also means we need to hold one another accountable. If we see someone sinning we need to talk to that person about it in a kind way, not in a I'm better than you way. We are to care for each other that way we all will grow in Christ and help the body grow as well.
   So, will you check to make sure there is no sin in your life? Will you help keep others accountable? What can you do to grow in God today?

   Image from here.

Blind Leaders: Jesus Series

   Luke 6:39 "If a blind person is leading a blind person, both will end up in a ditch."   Jesus said this after he talked about judging others and why we shouldn't do it. He then began talking about leaders. This one seems kind of obvious. Why would Jesus say this? I'll tell you one thing I know about Jesus, and I hope you know or will soon see, Jesus does everything for a reason. 

   In our lives we will probably be a follower and a leader at some point. I don't know about you, but it's hard for me to follow someone who's morals and character I don't agree with. That's because eventually that leader may ask me to do something I don't want to do because I don't agree with it.
   Jesus is talking about a blind man being a leader. This isn't someone who is physically blind, though it is what the parable wants us to picture. This leader is blind to the truth. Following leaders who are blind to the truth will only get us hurt.
   Let me illustrate it this way: one time I was at a barn party with my soccer team. At the barn party there was this huge hay maze. This maze was as wide as the barn and as high as the bottom of the roof. It had many levels and turns. Some of the girls had already done the maze. One of my friends, who hadn't done the maze yet, wanted me to go in with her. I didn't really want to do it. I don't do well in small, dark spaces when I don't know how to get out.
   Nevertheless, eventually I gave in. My friend went in the maze first and I followed her. Soon it became clear we couldn't figure out how to get out (it was a really good maze). One of my other friends, who had already completed the maze, came in with a flashlight. She found us and led us out safely.
   The friend who was originally leading me was blind. But, the friend with the flashlight wasn't blind in more ways than one. She knew the way and brought a light. That's what good leaders do. They know the truth and the light. Then they pass that knowledge on to their followers. After that, the followers become leaders and pass on their knowledge and the cycle goes on and on. If that leader isn't passing the right knowledge then the followers will not have the right knowledge; that's why teachers are held to such a high standard because their teaching can lead people to truth or away from it.
   What does this mean for us? It means that we need to make sure we keep who we are following accountable. If we know our leader is leading others astray it is our job to let them know in a nice way. It means that when we are leaders we need to make sure we are teaching our followers the right way to go. It means that we need to know the truth that Jesus is our savior and the ultimate teacher.
   So, are you following godly leaders? Are you a godly leader? Do you know the truth about Jesus?

   Image from here. 

The Enigma That is Jesus: Jesus Series Intro

   Jesus. That name has power in it. It means savior, which is exactly who he is. But, he is also so much more. While on earth, Jesus healed people, preached, are with sinners, performed miracles, and more. Jesus is amazing but he is also confusing.
   Atheists and other people from various religious backgrounds look at Jesus in different ways. Some think he was a liar. Others think he was a lunatic. While others still believe he was a great prophet, but not God. There are many different reasons for why people think these things about Jesus. I'm not going to list all of these because we would be here forever.
   Instead, I'd like to focus on why people think Jesus was a lunatic. Jesus said and did many things that people thought were crazy. People don't understand why he said and did these things. They don't understand for different reasons but some just don't want to look deeper and get to know who Jesus really is.
   This is the reason why I am doing the digging for these people. I have looked into different things Jesus said that people thought were strange or didn't make sense. Each week we are going to dig deep into who Jesus is and why he did what he did. I hope you will put on your shoes and take this journey with me.
   So, I'd like you to think about who you say Jesus is. Do you truly believe that he is your savior? Do you think you understand who he is and why he did what he did?

   John 14:6

   Image from here. 

I'm a Fixer

   I am a fixer. I enjoy fixing things and problems. When there is a problem that needs solved at school, my co-teachers come to me. If we need a shelf, but don't have one, I am the one who makes them out of cardboard. When someone is going through a hard time, I try to give them advice or brighten their day in some way. However, there is an issue I run into sometimes: I cannot fix all the problems.
   Many times people have had a problem I could not fix no matter how much I wanted to. Maybe someone in their family is having a health problem. Maybe there are too many people involved that the problem cannot be handled. No matter what the issue is, there are just some problems we cannot fix. What do we do when we cannot fix the problem? Many times, as Christians, when we don't know what to say or do we say: "I'll pray about that for you." But, there are times when that just seems like saying that's not enough. Why is that?
   One of the reasons why saying "I'll pray for you" doesn't seem like enough is because sometimes people don't actually pray when they say they will. That reason aside, when we say "I'll pray for you" we tend to be giving up hope. But is that really what we should be thinking?
   Romans 8:26 says: "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words." Many times we tend to go to God as a last resort when it should be our first. We have a tendency to want to fix things ourselves. But, if you try to lean on yourself you'll end up falling. Instead, we should lean on God and trust in his plan. We should pray about our problems and trust the Spirit to lead. We should trust the ultimate fixers plan.
   So, are you leaning on yourself or God? How can you trust in God's plan for you each day? 

   Image from here.

Where's Your Heart?

   A few years ago I taught a kindergarten class. One of my favorite subjects to teach is Bible. I just love bringing Bible stories to life for kids. Not only that, but helping students apply those stories to their lives is just a joy to me.
   I've taught Bible lessons before I worked at this school. I was a Sunday school teacher, taught Vacation Bible School lessons, and lessons at camp. But, teaching at this school was different. I taught Bible lessons every day at school and went deeper into those stories with the kids. Each story I taught I started to see a common thread: everything comes back to the heart.
   Adam and Eve disobeyed God. Why? They disobeyed because their heart was not for God at that time. Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only son. Why? He was willing because his heart was for God. Saul killed Christians until he met Jesus on Damascus road. Then he started to preach the Gospel. Why? Saul's heart originally wasn't for God. Then his heart changed, he repented, and he started to preach the Gospel because his heart was for God.
   Each of these stories teach us many lessons but my heart started to change while I was teaching too. I have always tried to do what God calls me to do, even when it's not easy. That year many times when I was teaching Bible I wasn't just talking to my students, I was also talking to myself.
   Have you ever had that feeling when you heart starts beating faster and louder, you keep on talking though you may not know exactly what you are going to say next, and after you say what you said you are thinking "how did I do that? Where did those words come from?" Those words did not come for you, they came from God. And, those words may be talking to you as well.
   The words that come out of your mouth lets people know exactly where your heart is. If you are asked to help volunteer somewhere and you say, "I can't I have to get some things done at home." Then you just sit on the couch all day. Where is your heart? If you are asked to go to a special event at a church, and instead you go out to eat, where is your heart? If you lie, cheat, steal, etc. To gain things for yourself, where is your heart?
   God lets you know exactly where your heart is by testing you. If you feel like you are not having good conversations with God like you used to then your heart probably is not in the right place. What can you do to continue to have your heart in the right place? God tells us in the Bible: read the word, pray to him, and trust in him. That's the way that your heart will be for God. That's how we can be like those in the Hall of Faith. That's how we can reach others for Him.
   So, where is your heart at? Do you have a good relationship with God? What can you do to keep having a heart for God?

   Ezekiel 36:26, Proverbs 4:23, Matthew 6:21

   Image from here. 

Are you Naive?

   Imagine you are walking down the street. Then you see an old friend. You start talking and your friend says that he heard that science has proven that aliens are real. You seem to think that is strange. You ask your friend where he heard that. Your friend says he read it on the internet. Well of course you see now that more than likely that story isn't true. 
   Now picture you are in church and your pastor is preaching. He says that in the Bible it says that everyone will go to heaven. All you need to do to get to heaven is be a good person. You are so into the message that you think, "wow I am definitely going to heaven!" 
   If you are a learned student of the Bible you know this isn't true. But, some people would believe it to be true just because it came out of a pastor's mouth. Humans have a tendency to trust certain references over others. That's not always a bad thing but we are told in the Bible there will be false prophets. These people would tell you anything to get you away from the true message of the gospel. They may even try to make a more appealing way to enter the kingdom of God. 

   If you trust whatever any pastor says then you are like Tony Stark, at first. In Iron Man Tony is the CEO of a major corporation. He is talking with his second in command and he is ticked because his second in command went behind his back on a deal. Obadiah (second in command): "Tony, Tony you can't afford to be this naive" Tony: "you know what? I was naive before when they said, here's the line. We don't cross it. This is how we do business."

   Tony is realizing that he cannot always trust what those close to him, or what those he looked up to, say. As Christians it is our job to be detectives. When we hear a message we must ask ourselves a question: "is this biblically sound?" In other words: is this person speaking the truth? 
Tony Stark was beginning to realize that he had to become a detective. A person who he saw like a father betrayed him and lied to him. That made him look into other people and see if they were speaking the truth. He then learned who he could trust.
   We must make sure that we are detectives. We must make sure that whatever we hear is from the word of God. If we realize that someone is not speaking from the Bible we must let that person know. Otherwise that person is laying his foundation on sand instead of the rock. And, to make matters worse, he is helping others build their homes on sand! That could cause many to die. 
   If the person does not listen then it is our job to get others to realize that they need to be detectives. They need to know what is biblically sound. They need to know how to question those in authority, in a respectful way, when they hear something that goes against the word of God. They also need to know how to study the word or God. The way to do that is to be taught to spend time in the word.
   So, do you just trust what those in authority over you say? How can you make sure something is biblically sound? How can you teach others to know what is biblically sound?

   Matthew 7:15, Matthew 24:24, 1 John 4:1-6

   Image found here.

Are You Humble?

   When I was in middle school I was going though a book for Sunday School. Each week we had to answer questions for the lesson. One of the questions was: "Are you humble?" Answer that question for yourself before you go on.
   If you answered no, then you may actually be humble. If you answered yes, then you probably are not humble. This is a trick question. If you answer yes that means you have pride, which is the opposite of humble.
   Luke 14:11 says: "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." If you puff yourself up like a puffer fish all the time you may seem good to others and yourself on earth. But, that's not what God looks for. God looks for those who are humble. Look at the bible. God uses many humble people in his plan: Abraham, Gideon, David, Mary, Peter, and many more.
   God even tells us in the greatest commandments to be humble. Wait, isn't the greatest commandments to love God and love others? Yes, and if you love God you will love others and put them first. That's being humble. It's called having humility. Which leads me to Philippians 2:3-4: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."
   If you have humility then you look to other's interests first. You may be hungry but instead of feeding yourself first you feed your friend. You may be hot and tired but you let your co-worker take a break first. That's what being humble and having humility is. You show God's love to others by putting them first, without looking for recognition.
   So, are you humble? How can you show God's love today?

   Image from here.

Sharpening Your SWORD

   This week I was at Camp YoliJwa (YOuth LIving Jesus WAy). Their theme this year is SWORD. In Hebrews 4: 12 it says: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

   At Camp we talked about how important it is to know the Word of God. One activity we did really hit home for me. Each year we have a different memory verses to memorize. There are usually 5 to memorize (5 days in the work week). However, some people pointed out that usually after we memorize them we forget them quickly so it’s not really memorization.

   One of the teachers there said she doesn’t call it memorizing, she calls it a heart verse. Many people don’t try to memorize the Bible because they think they will always have it. However, I have been in multiple situations already where I didn’t have my phone or a Bible and I was trying to think of a verse that was applicable. It’s not easy to do, especially if you are under pressure. Also, people don’t memorize scripture because the references are so confusing, and I’m kinda with you on that one.

   This teacher said she doesn’t try to memorize she keeps these verses in her heart. If she doesn’t get the whole thing right word for word that’s okay (as long as she doesn’t add or take away from the meaning of scripture). I thought even that may be tricky and I’ve grown up in the church my whole life.

   On Friday, we did an activity where we had a list of situations. Each situation was different and evoked different emotions. We were challenged to not use the Bible but instead our memory to put scripture we could use in each situation on the page. It wasn’t easy but it wasn’t terribly hard either. I was honestly shocked that I knew many verses for the situations. I may not have known the reference but I knew the gist of the verse. It was a good activity because now I know some verses to use if I ever get into those situations and I will not feel pressured.

   What about you? Do you know the Bible well enough that if someone had a list of situations you could put a verse to that situation? If you do not, I encourage you to try to spend more time in the word. Try to put certain verses in your heart so you will have them when you face trials. If you are not good at memorizing, that’s okay. Just spend some time meditating on those verses you find. Ask God to show you some verses you need to see in situations you are in now.

   Hebrews 4:12, Matthew 4:4, 2 Timothy 3:16

   Image from here.

Words Out of Context

   In the movie Iron Man 2 Tony Stark is being ask to give up his Iron Man suits so that the army can make suits like them. He decides to fight giving up the suits because they are his property. That’s when the court calls in Rhodes, a Colonel in the U.S. Army and a friend of Tony. The conversation goes as follows (Stern is the Secretary of Defense):

Stern: I have before me a complete report on the Iron Man weapon, complied by Colonel Rhodes. And, Colonel, for the record, can you please read page 57, paragraph four?

Rhodey: You’re requesting that I read specific selections from my report, Senator?

Stern: Yes, sir.

Rhodey: It was my understanding that I was going to be testifying in a much more comprehensive and detailed manner.

Stern: I understand. A lot of things have changed today. So if you could just read…


Rhodey: You do understand that reading a single paragraph out of context does not reflect the summery of my final…

Stern: Just read it, Colonel. I do. Thank you.

Rhodey: Very well. “As he does not operate within any definable branch of government, Iron Man presents a potential threat to the security of both the nation and to her interests.” I did however, go on to summarize that the benefits of Iron Man far outweigh three liabilities and that it would be in our interest…

Stern: That’s enough Colonel

   Rhodes had completed a report on Iron Man. He worked hard on it and made it very detailed. He didn't want to read just one part of it because then it wouldn't make sense. It would be taken out of context. How would you feel if something you wrote was taken out of context? You'd be upset, right?
   Well, that's how God feels when his word is taken out of context. God's word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Yet, many people still take the words out of context in order to get what they want. They do it to justify their actions that are actually sinful! It's vital to look at the context of the verses we read/use that way we make sure we are not sinning and we aren't causing others to sin.
   So, do you take verses out of context? What can you do to be sure you don't take verses out of context?

   John 14:15
   Image from here. 

Why Do We Celebrate Palm Sunday?

   Today is the day we celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. But, why exactly do we celebrate Palm Sunday? I mean all that happened is Jesus came into the city, people waved palm branches, and Jesus went into the temple. What’s so important about that?

   One reason it is important is because Jesus was fulfilling prophecy.  John 12:14 says: ““And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, ‘Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!’” Another reason it is important is what happened after.

   Picture this: You are going about your day in Jerusalem. You see dust kicked up from so many people being here. You smell animals and sweat because it is so hot. Yet, there is some excitement in the air. People are getting ready for Passover. Then you hear that Jesus is coming. You hear that Jesus has performed miracles, healed others, and could be the Messiah. Other people begin to grab palm branches and run outside the city to greet him. You go out and see that people are dancing and singing because salvation has come. Then you hear Jesus weep and say that Jerusalem will be destroyed.

   Based off of what you visualized how are you feeling? You probably are confused and maybe even a little angry. Wouldn’t a savior protect his kingdom? What many people forget is that Jesus is an enigma. He has a perfect plan that has come about and will continue to come about. His kingdom isn’t temporary or earthly. His kingdom is an eternal kingdom. And, what is even better is that his kingdom isn’t just for the Jews. He died on the cross so that ALL could be saved.

   This is why we celebrate Palm Sunday. This day started the week where Jesus would die and be resurrected. I encourage you to think about what Jesus did for you. He took the burden of sin for you. He came into Jerusalem knowing that he would die. He came saying “not my will but yours be done.”

   This blog was shortened from a sermon I preached at Maytown Church of God today. If you would like to hear the whole sermon you can click this link to hear it. Then scroll down to find the sermon called "Why Do We Celebrate Palm Sunday?" And click audio (you may have to turn on the volume to hear the sermon).

   Image from here.

5 Minutes of Fame

   We've all had that dream in one way or another. Many of us, especially when we are little dream of being famous in one way or another. We want to be an actor, scientist, inventor, sports player, etc. We work hard to get better so that one day we will be recognized on the street and people will say, "there goes ________ he's/she's famous."
   Have you ever noticed how many famous people are not all that happy? Have you ever wondered why that is? It may be because of different reasons; but have you ever wondered what those people had to do in order to become famous?
   There's a song by Barlow Girl called 5 Minutes of Fame. In it they talk about how much someone has to sacrifice for 5 minutes of fame. They question if it is worth it? Sometimes people have to give up relationships, morals, money, etc. Just to get what they think they want. But, is what they want what they need?
   Many times we pray to God to ask for things we want. We want a new car. We want our house to be fixed. We want this burden to be taken from us. But, God knows what we need. He sometimes gives us what we want because he loves us, but he always makes sure we have what we need for his plan to come about.
   However, sometimes we are not okay with what God gives us. We want what we want when we want it. We want to be recognized for something. We want people to love us. If we have to bend our morals here and there, so what? We can still go back to God later and he will forgive us, right? Yes, God will forgive us but people may look at us differently. Our testimony will have changed forever.
   Switching gears a bit, if you are willing to give up so much for fame what are you willing to give up for God? He offers us eternal life. He loves us and wants us all to be saved. We just have to give up our pride, admit that we cannot do this on our own, and ask God to forgive us. He will forgive us for it all. We may not have fame and fortune but we will have the greatest thing we could ever be given: God's love and eternal life with him.
   So, have you compromised your morals to get what you want? Will you choose to follow God and trust him no matter what?

   John 14:15 and Proverbs 10:9

You Can Have a Superhero's Body!

   How do you feel physically right now? Some of you may be sick, tired, or injured in some way. Others may feel totally fine, like they could run a marathon (okay, maybe not a marathon but you get the picture). No matter how you are feeling right now I am going to tell you something about your body in the future. As long as you know Christ as your personal savior you will have a superhero body someday.

   You may be thinking I'm nuts but, again; I'm going to ask you to stay with me. When we go to heaven our bodies are going to be totally different. 1 Corinthians 15:40 says: "There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another."
  Right now, we don't have heavenly bodies. We have corrupted bodies. We can be defeated by illnesses and sin. But, someday, we will have a body like Hulk. He cannot be defeated (except in the comics in certain ways, but his skin is impenetrable).

   Our heavenly bodies will be identifiable. We will be like Christ after he was resurrected. People knew who he was. Our bodies will just be transformed. That's because, to God, we are worth more than gold. We are shiny to him because he washed us clean.
   Next our bodies will be incredible. We will not have weaknesses, like Mr. Incredible has. Instead we will be like Superman without the Kryptonite. We will not be able to be defeated by anything. Illness will be gone. All weakness will be gone. Injuries, emotional pain, and death will be gone. Can you imagine that?
   Finally, our bodies will be infinite. That means our bodies will not be governed by physical needs. We will not need sleep, to eat, or to exercise. Our bodies will be like Vision. He doesn't need to eat, exercise, or sleep. That doesn't mean that we won't be eating, we just won't need to eat to sustain ourselves.
   What exactly does this mean for us now? It means that we have something to look forward to. One day all of the cares of this world will disappear. We will be with our creator and be able to worship him fully every day. How exciting will that be?
   While on this earth, we will have troubles. However, each day we can rest in the hope of Jesus. We can grow to be more like him every day. We can show others his love and love him by spending time with him. Then, when we do enter heaven, we can be free from troubles and we can hear "well done thou good and faithful servant."
   So, do you know that one day the troubles of this world will melt away? What are you doing to grow in God now? Are you trying to spread the Gospel so others can be saved and one day have superhero bodies too?

   Image from here.
   Information about heavenly bodies is credited to David Jeremiah. 

The Armor of God Series Conclusion

   How do we put on the armor of God then? Throughout this series I have told you ways that you can put on each individual piece of armor. But how do we put on the whole armor? It is no easy feat, especially since we have to do so much to put on each individual piece.
   We cannot put on the armor on our own. After all, it is called the armor of GOD. We are sinners and we fail, but through Jesus all things are possible. Jesus made it possible for us to be cleansed. He is the one who makes it possible for us to put on the armor. He is the truth. He is the righteous one. He is always ready. He is faithful, gives us salvation, and taught us how to pray.
   Without God we cannot do anything. With him we can do everything. That is how we put on the armor. We trust in Jesus as our Savior. We pray and follow him and then we will always be ready for battle.
   So, will you trust in Jesus as your personal savior? Will you follow him and put on the armor of God? Are you prepared for battle?

   Ephesians 6:10-18
   Image from here. 

Going on the Offense: The Armor of God Series

   “We need to encourage new believers to feed on God’s Word—it is nourishment for the soul” (Billy Graham).

   When I was in my sophomore year of college I decided to go to Homecoming with a few of my friends. We were getting ready and talking. One of the girls said that my friend was a rebel. They were talking about how my friend dresses (she wears leather jackets, jeans, and Nike shoes. That's a style you don't see too much at LBC. But, she pulled it off awesomely I must say).
   Anyhow, the other girls asked me if I thought this friend was a rebel. I said "She is a rebel, but in a good way. She doesn't always believe what people tell her about God. She does more digging to find the answers for herself. She does that to make sure that she finds the truth. That's how she is a rebel."
   Sometimes Christians accept what others say without question. We hear a pastor tell us about the word of God and just accept what he says. What if the pastor is wrong? We are told that there will be false prophets out there. The only way we can be sure not to fall into the trap of false prophets is by knowing the word.
   The sword is the only offensive weapon that Paul mentions in the armor of God. The sword is how a Roman soldier was able to take on the enemy. But, it was also for defense.
   In the same way a Christian uses the word to attack and defend. Who better to prove this than the one that we try to emulate: Jesus. In Matthew 4:1-11 Jesus is tempted by Satan. He uses the word to defend himself as well as attack the devil. Each time Satan uses scripture to tempt Jesus blocks the blow and comes back with scripture. The way Jesus was able to defeat Satan was because he knew the Word.
   As Christians it is vital for us to know the Word that way we can defend and attack when the devil comes. The way to do that is to get into the Word. We need to memorize scripture and read it every day.
   So, will you choose to question your teachers to make them accountable to the Word? Will you get into the Word and memorize it? Will you use the Word as defense and offense against the devil?
   2 Timothy 3:16-17, Joshua 1:8, Ephesians 6:10-18
   Image from here. 

Our Salvation is Protection: The Armor of God Series

   "No man is excluded from calling upon God, the gate of salvation is set open unto all men: neither is there any other thing which keepeth us back from entering in, save only our own unbelief" (John Calvin).

   I grew up in the church my whole life. When I was in second grade my Sunday school teacher asked us if anyone wanted to pray "the prayer" to accept Christ. I thought I understood what that meant so I prayed the prayer, but I wasn't sure. When I was going into 4th grade I was at Camp YoliJwa and I prayed to redirect my life to Christ again.

   When I grew up in went to camp YoliJwa again the year before 11th grade. My counselor told me that she used to do drugs. She had other issues too. She got so low that she took pills to kill herself. But, the overdose didn't work. She sat in her room and saw a Bible. She was really mad at God so she threw the Bible. The Bible hit the wall and fell to the ground. My counselor went over and picked it up. A specific verse jumped off the page at her Romans 8:38-39 " For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." She had thought she would never be worthy of anyone, let alone God. She prayed the same prayer I did.

   The helmet was another vital piece of a soldiers armor because it protected the head. Many enemies would go for the head because it was a quick way to defeat the enemy, thus why the helmet was needed.

   In the life of a Christian the helmet of salvation is our knowledge of salvation. We know we are saved but our job isn't done. We are called to go save others by sharing our testimonies. Both my counselor and I prayed the prayer of salvation but our testimonies are not the same. Some people may relate to my testimony more than hers and vise versa. But we both share our testimonies to reach others nonetheless.

   Christians have our story as a tool to help us spread the Gospel. Our testimony is also a defense like the helmet. There are times when we all get really low. But if we know what we believe and why we believe it we can say "Jesus is my lord and he has saved me." That is the knowledge we can rest in and share with others.

   So, will you put on the helmet of salvation if you have not already? Do you find rest in the fact that Jesus has saved you? Will you spread that good news with others? 

   Romans 10:9-10, Matthew 19:25-26, Ephesians 6:10-18
   Image from here.