Life-Changing News

When someone has exciting news, he or she usually shares it with everyone willing to listen.

“You’ll never guess what happened. I earned an A on my history exam! That’s worth 20 percent of my grade!”

Or how about this one:

“My mom and dad gave me a laptop for Christmas! I cannot believe it!”

Why does he or she feel the need to relay this news so frequently? Because the object of excitement had an impact on his or her life. Better grades mean less punishment from parents and an increased sense of accomplishment. A new laptop means an outlet for schoolwork and ease of Internet usage.

We have exciting news--news that can change the world. As Christians, we understand the fullness of a life with Christ. God fills this life with faithfulness and a peace that surpasses all of our human comprehension. This salvation has the potential to impact the world around us.

Remember the broken members of your family? What about those friends who live in darkness and despair? They deserve to know what we know. The question is: Why don’t we share Jesus with others as excitedly as we relay news of our personal successes?

The Christmas season tells of a baby boy born of a virgin. The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and proclaimed,"And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:31-33, NKJV).

What a gift! It may surprise us to know how many of our friends, family and peers do not know the meaning of Christmas and have never received the gift of salvation. This Christmas, let’s begin to share the news of the baby which brought hope to the hopeless and life to the dead.

Merry Christmas!

A Thanksgiving Curve Ball

On the way home from a Sunday night church service, my friends introduced me to four other passengers:

“I know this is a terrible introduction,” one confessed, “but her mom is awesome.”

I replied with agreement; she is amazing. Unexpectedly, Heidi, the black-haired girl sitting next to me, voiced a strong statement:

“At least you have a mom. Some of us have never had a mom, and some of our moms died,” she stated.

“Yes, and I am very grateful to have her,” I replied.

Wow. God sure threw me a curve ball. Using a stranger, He bluntly reminded me of His blessings. Living with a Godly mother shapes my spiritual maturity and wisdom, but others do not have this privilege.

Unfortunately, we often allow such things as tiffs and arguments to blind us from reality--especially during holidays. Whenever family gathers, someone usually ends up disagreeing with another.

Why is it that the one day meant for reunion often brings about discord?

In Colossians 3:15, Paul wrote, "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful” (NKJV). While this verse seems like nothing extraordinary, a trip into the rich Greek roots reveals a powerful message.

The word peace has several meanings: A state of national tranquility; exemption from the rage and havoc of war; peace between individuals, i.e.-harmony, concord; security, safety, prosperity, felicity (because peace and harmony make and keep things safe and prosperous); of the Messiah’s peace, among others.

These roots reveal an interesting concept: when we lay aside our offenses, we will safely live in harmony with others. With this harmony, we will prosper. Discord causes rifts; concord brings reunion. Until we accept a “state of…tranquility,” we will never be thankful for our families, and thus the arguments will continue.

God also deserves our attention. In Psalms 100:4, the psalmists writes, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, [And] into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, [and] bless His name” (NKJV).

What is thanksgiving? According to the Hebrew root, towdah, thanksgiving is: Confession, praise, thanksgiving; thank-offering, sacrifice of thanksgiving; confession, among others.

When we come to praise God, our offenses hinder our relationship with Him. In order to draw closer to Him, we must confess--confess that perhaps these arguments were selfish and ungodly, that perhaps they hurt others, that perhaps we were wrong all along. At this point, we admit our inability to handle our own lives, and we give God the reigns. We then praise Him for His ability to reign justly and live in a consistent attitude of thanksgiving towards our Heavenly Father. As a result, our wounds heal and we draw closer to God.

That’s what Thanksgiving is all about.

As you gather with friends and family, remember the truth of God’s blessings as you release your offenses with thanks.

Greek root word definitions taken from blueletterbible.org.

Baby Steps Towards Jesus

Upon awakening her 2-year-old son, Spencer, Marisa Aud was shocked to find him trembling and ill. Not knowing what to do, she held him in her arms as he asked to go outside. Complying to his request, she took her son to sit on the back porch, and they sat peacefully overlooking a forest of trees as wind fluttered through the leafy branches.

“Mamma, the trees are clapping! The trees are clapping!” declared Spencer.

Overcome with astonishment, Marisa marveled at the significance of her son’s words. Her 2-year-old had overstepped his vocabulary boundaries and proclaimed the glory of God in the exact words of Isaiah in chapter 55: “For you shall go out with joy, [a]nd be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills [s]hall break forth into singing before you, [a]nd all the trees of the field shall clap [their] hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, [a]nd instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; And it shall be to the LORD for a name, [f]or an everlasting sign [that] shall not be cut off” (12-13, NKJV).

One may ask how a child this young could recognize God in the intricate parts of life, but the answer is easy. God speaks to children as surely as he speaks to teenagers and adults. In fact, He values the innocence of a childlike attitude. In Matthew 18:3, He reveals that “unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (NKJV).

Obviously, children offer important insight into intimacy with Christ, but what?

Children trust their parents; they know that when they hunger, their parents will feed them. Because of this, they do not hesitate to ask for their desires. Oftentimes, they take this to an extreme, begging for toys in the grocery store, or bugging their parents for a certain type of cereal.

Of course, God does not want us to whine, but He has given us the power to vocalize our needs and wants. Children continue to beg, over and over again. This persistence directly translates into our spiritual lives.

As a child, I prayed to God every night that certain unsaved members of my family would come to know salvation. Even when no change appeared, I continued to petition on behalf of those loved ones. Recently, I realized that I no longer pray consistently for them. No wonder they still do not know God!

God desires that we would come before him as a child: open, innocent and trusting to His ways, and when we persist in prayer, He will turn His ear to us, just as unto a child.

“But Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven’” (Matthew 19:14, NKJV).

Got Guts?

We all know how it goes. While hanging out with our peers, someone turns on an offensive movie.

“You don’t mind, do you?” they ask.

Suddenly, we’re faced with a choice: Lie and look cool, or stand up for our faith. Sadly, many times the outcome ends uncomfortably, with us trying our best not to listen to or watch what appears on the screen. I’ve been there. We tell ourselves that if we protest, we’ll ruin the night.

Everybody knows that the others do not understand our standards. Besides, they probably do not own media we approve of.

Right?

Maybe. But behind the surface of temptation lies an entire world of influence that we rarely tap into. In my freshman year of high school, I sat in a Spanish II class listening to my classmates talk about sex and relationships. Deciding to voice my opinion, I shared my heart on the issue, explaining how God’s way is always the best way when it comes to love.

Surprisingly for me, many of the kids had never heard my approach to the subject. Pretty soon, the entire class listened as I explained the benefits of physical and emotional abstinence. Every type of student filled that room. Before I knew what happened, their common desire for truth brought them together.

My teacher later told me of an encounter with the student that asked the most questions during our discussion. He told her that he really respected my views, even if he did not completely agree.

God calls us to be bold, yet gentle. We live like Jesus through our actions, and when the time comes, we confirm Him through our words. While courage may intimidate us, we will find that unwavering faith speaks to our unbelieving friends. They see our lifestyle first, and when our words boldly support our actions, they take notice. No, they may not change immediately, but our constancy draws them. With prayer, God will bring them to realize the truth. By speaking up and living out God’s love, hearts will be changed.

"It's news I'm most proud to proclaim, this extraordinary Message of God's powerful plan to rescue everyone who trusts him, starting with Jews and then right on to everyone else! God's way of putting people right shows up in the acts of faith, confirming what Scripture has said all along: 'The person in right standing before God by trusting him really lives'" Romans 1:16 (The Message).

For the Cry of the Broken

While I sat in the nosebleed section of the U-S Airways Center (Phoenix, Arizona) during the National Fine Arts Festival celebration service, something clicked:

The Assemblies of God has their act together.

Who else gathers thousands of teens, youth leaders and parents in one place to discover, develop and deploy the gifts God placed in the church? Through Fine Arts Festival and Ambassadors in Mission (AIM) outreaches, they provide amazing opportunities that ultimately shape our future.

Typically, I participate in several categories for National FAF, but God had other plans for this summer. Through His leading, I became an AIMer devoted to making an impact on Phoenix. All week, our team worked with the Phoenix Dream Center to remodel their facilities.

What a different side to the normally busy week of performances! Every day AIMers saw former drug addicts worshiping God. Several of these “disciples,” as the Dream Center calls them, even shared their testimonies. They brought a whole new light to the meaning of redemption.

Seeing these men and women praise the Lord full-heartedly made me think about God’s purpose for His children. What if the workers at the Phoenix Dream Center said no to His plan for their lives? What if they turned away from Him, preferring their personal desires? Hundreds of broken people would die in despair, never receiving the opportunity to know a loving Savior.

God has placed powerful anointing on our generation. In the last days, He is calling missionaries, pastors, preachers, evangelists, teachers, doctors and more to proclaim His name throughout all of the earth. Will we listen?

Hurting people are relying on us to share God’s love with them. All we have to do is go.

“Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field'" (Matthew 9:37-38, NIV).

A Box Full of Sweets

I currently sit in Odum Library, surrounded by 60 fellow students. We attend a government-funded summer institution by the name of the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program. Six hundred ninety-five students study both a major and a minor for a month while living at Valdosta State University.

Last Monday I found myself waiting outside of my journalism class with 15 minutes of spare time on my hands. Suddenly, my friend bounded to the door carrying a huge box.

His mom sent him a care package.

Grinning from ear to ear, he tore open the package, admiring his new-found treasures. The bundle contained box upon box of oatmeal cream pies, honey buns and various sweets, but more importantly, his camera.

“My mom loves me!” he exclaimed.

Whoa--your mom loves you?

This caused me to stop and think about our definition of love. In our day and age, love is money. Love is a care package or a physical symbol of affection. But is this accurate? Does God measure our love by our gifts or our actions? Do we measure God’s love by His miracles or the gifts He gives us?

In “the love chapter” (1 Corinthians 13), Paul describes the meaning of love. He explains that if “I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor] and…give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:3, NJKV). When we love someone, we admire them as a person and an individual, not their wealth, knowledge or appearance. This means that love will continue despite varying circumstances.

As a result of this pure affection, we may choose to shower our loved one with gifts. This simply indicates our fondness of the other person. If two people share pure love, neither a lack nor an excess of gifts will affect the amount of care between them.

Romans 5:8 states, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (NKJV). God has shown us His constant love. The question is:

How will we measure it?

"Love Wins": Itching Ears Listen In

Walking down the streets of any major metropolis, anyone may hear messages of hell and damnation. Christians scream of fire and brimstone through piercing bullhorns while others pass out tracts, convinced that their efforts will “win more souls.” Unfortunately, this only turns people off to any human sporting the Christian label. Recognizing this downfall in the trend of Christian tradition, Rob Bell attempts to disarm such harsh judgment. Sadly, his efforts take a step too far in the wrong direction.

In March of this year, Rob Bell released a controversial book entitled, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. The heart of this book releases an atmosphere of tolerance and suggests new alternatives to Jesus’ message of “the straight and narrow” (Matthew 7:13-14). Throughout his book, Bell reiterates consistently the importance of the here-and-now. He claims that Christians too often focus on the heaven awaiting them, only to miss out on the heaven available on earth. True. God offers current blessings, making Him a personal God, and some Christians tend to overlook the present for the future. However, such a supreme Being cannot dwell in such a sinful world; thus, eternity comes hand-in-hand with belief in Jesus. To ignore the gift of everlasting life will result in a very unpleasant surprise in eternity.

In Love Wins, similar doctrines are hidden between flowery words and countless questions. One such argument proposes the idea of the ability of all people to make postmortem decisions about Jesus. Bell argues against the mentality in which only followers of Christ who accept Jesus before death advance into heaven and scoffs, “[M]ake your bed now and lie in it...forever” (110). He later assures that despite his belief, “you don’t have to believe it to be a Christian” (110). As he claims, “The Christian faith is big enough, wide enough, and generous enough to handle that vast a range of perspectives” (110).

One question: Since when do we chase after the Christian faith? The word “Christian” derives from the appearance of Paul and Barnabas at Antioch, where the locals deemed them “Christian” due to their semblance of Jesus (Acts 11:26). All beliefs must line up with Jesus, our true source, even if we do not understand God’s logic. Many of Bell’s rationalizations eliminate the possibility of hell, likely due to the confusion that accompanies stories of God’s wrath and judgment and debating the contradiction in a loving God who inflicts eternal punishment on His people. Lamentations 3:33 declares, “For He does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men” (NIV). God offers opportunities to accept Him; we choose to ignore His cry.

While attempting to balance the turbulent pendulum created by Christian tradition, Bell belittles the significance of eternity in a persuasive attempt to satisfy society’s “itching ears” (2 Timothy 4:3-4); he stirs up controversy while submitting new doctrine. Whatever the coming days may bring, may all of our theories line up in accordance of God’s Word, and may we listen in humble submission to His convictions.

The Mystery of the Afterlife

When you think of hell, maybe an evil, red Satan with horns and a pitchfork comes to mind. This little guy supposedly scares little children with his evil laugh and lives in a dark pit of fire. Critics see this depiction as the Church’s view of post-mortem punishment, which leads us to wonder: what do we believe?

While on earth, Jesus transformed the society’s perception of everyday life. He brought a deep love that led Him to die on the cross, and after three days in a tomb, He miraculously came back to life. This resurrection brings eternal salvation and covers every sin. We know this for a fact, since the Bible clearly outlines this progression (John 19:1-20). But what did Jesus save us from?

The answer: hell, or eternal separation from God. Several passages support the existence of such a place, one of which being Matthew 25:31-46. Jesus explains that after His second coming He will separate the nations. To those that ministered to Him in His need, He will accept into “the kingdom prepared for [them] from the foundation for the world,” but all others will be thrown into the “everlasting fire prepared for the devil and all of his angels” (Matthew 25:34,41, NKJV). Later, Jesus reaffirms this fact by stating, “and these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:46, NKJV). You might wonder what constitutes the wicked versus the righteous. One of several definitions of the Hebrew word for wicked is “guilty of sin (against God or man)."* If that’s the case, all of us are wicked, but God made “Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NKJV). Jesus puts a strong emphasis on the separation of the righteous from the evil. In essence, all followers of Satan will follow him straight into eternal punishment, for "God is light and in Him is no darkness" (1 John 1:5, NKJV). In the New Jerusalem, God will reign as such a bright light, that Revelation tells us, “the city [will have] no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God [will illuminate] it. The Lamb is the light.” It later mentions, “But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life” (Revelation 21:23,27, NKJV). Therefore, those who reject God will pay eternal punishment for their sins.

God is the light, and His truth illuminates the straight and narrow path to salvation. The moment we accept His truth, our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and we begin our journey towards an eternity spent with our Saviour. But what do we believe about hell? In a nutshell, “the wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psalms 9:17, NKJV). No, Satan is probably not red with horns and a pitchfork, but he exists and willingly leads any gullible follower into a life of eternal punishment and misery. While this truth may be difficult to swallow, it should produce within us two positive actions: first, we praise God for His saving grace, and secondly, we urgently proclaim the redemptive message of God's sacrifice.

*http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H7563&t=NKJV

Halibut for Dinner

As you sit down to eat dinner, a server arrives with two silver platters. On one platter lies a gourmet meal of halibut; on the other, a rotten cod. The server requests your order. To his surprise, you would like the rotten cod. Of course, this seems ridiculous. Who in their right mind would want to eat a spoiled meal? However, decisions just like this stare us in the face every minute of every day.

When reading Christian articles geared towards teenagers, it is not uncommon to find a consistent motif throughout most works. That is, many of these articles possess the same underlying theme: Stay away from all ungodly music, books, movies and websites. Since we hear this advice repeatedly, it seems to lose its effect after the 50th time. This becomes extremely problematic since this message is vital to our spiritual health. In Deuteronomy 30:19, Moses declares, “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (NKJV). By now we know the difference from right and wrong; we understand the consequences that come from an unwise decision. It is time for us to employ our self-control and choose the things that will ultimately prosper us. While society offers “desirable” rotten cod, we must always remember to choose the gourmet halibut.

Vending Machine Prayer

In a recent English class, my peers questioned me regarding my lifestyle and faith. During this conversation, I clarified my view of God: Oftentimes, people view God as some heavenly vending machine. They deposit a few prayers, punch in a request, and retrieve their answered prayer. When nothing comes out of the machine, they kick and punch it until their knuckles break. Angry about what they are tempted to label God’s “inconsistency,” they beg all of their muscular friends to shake it, hoping that something might fall out. When none of their efforts succeed, they walk away feeling cheated and doubting God’s faithfulness. Unfortunately, many people hold this greedy perception of Christianity as their own.

As Christians, we must place God at the center of everything. The term “Christian” only came to exist because the disciples resembled Christ while preaching in Antioch (Acts 11:26, NIV). What do we focus on? Do we resemble Christ? So many times preachers preach of what God will do for us, but what about what we will do for Him? According The Message, Romans 3:27-28 tells us, “God does not respond to what we do; we respond to what God does. We've finally figured it out. Our lives get in step with God and all others by letting him set the pace, not by proudly or anxiously trying to run the parade” (NIV). Our arrogant society exudes a self-sufficient view of life where people refuse the need for a Savior. Unfortunately, this leaves them empty-handed when God plans otherwise. Instead of striving to order our own steps, why don’t we give our lives over to the One who created us in the first place?

Mind-Set Revolution

"Honey, please clean the dishes."

"Mom, do I have to? You know I have tons of homework!"

Obedience often travels with grunts and groans rather than exuberance and enthusiasm. It seems as though our parents’ orders catalyze a plethora of excuses as to why we cannot complete the given task. Many Christians act the same way towards God’s calling. When He asks them to travel to foreign countries, many reply, “But God, I don’t have the money. Plus, their water is not safe! Do you have any idea what kinds of diseases I could catch? I might even die.” In essence, selfish desires hinder Godly calling.

Serving God brings joy; we love Him so much that the privilege to obey comes as a delight rather than a burden. Fortunately, God gives us this opportunity every day. Last week, I sat in a school computer lab, discussing drugs with a fellow student. He informed me of his drinking habits and explained that alcohol makes him feel “free.” During this conversation, he gave off an apathetic attitude towards the consequences of this deadly indulgence. He stated, “I’m going to die anyway. Why does the cause matter?”

After years of hard-hearted judgment towards drug addicts and the “worldly” members of my school and community, this conversation revolutionized my mind set. Why do people use drugs and hurt themselves in acts that we do not understand? They are broken people, completely blind to the joy and fulfillment in knowing the Savior. Yes, overseas missions is extremely vital in the body of Christ. People in other countries often live with false teachings and spiritually bare lifestyles. However, several believers fail to see the reality of life in America: our culture reeks of misconceptions. God has conveniently placed the mission field in our everyday lives. Those hurting people are students, teachers and administrators, and fill every classroom in the school building. Reaching out in love is not always easy, I know, but a listening ear and a prayerful heart just might do the trick.

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8, NIV).

"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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20, NIV).

Burnt Out

"This is Ellen with Channel 5 News. Tonight we expect freezing temperatures with about 2-3 inches of snow starting around 9 p.m. When you wake up tomorrow, there's a 90 percent chance that the roads will be covered with anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 an inch of ice. Stay at home, and put the fire on, but whatever you do, don't leave your driveway!"

As a native Georgian, I think I can speak for the entire South when I say that we do not know how to drive on ice. When the meteorologist predicted wintry conditions, everyone fled to the local grocery store and stocked up on bread, milk, and canned goods. It's like they think the world is about to shut down.

Meanwhile, I observed a neighbor trying to drive up an enormously steep hill. Even though his truck had 4-wheel drive, the tires could not grip the road due to the thick layer of ice. Nevertheless, he kept trying. I thought to myself, “He’s going to burn out his brakes and cause some serious damage to that truck.” Why? Because he ignored common sense.

God calls us to many different purposes. He opens many doors to jumpstart a lifetime of following Him, and while it may sometimes seem difficult, we pursue His leading. The difficult part is trusting Him when He tells us not to do something. We feel like a child whose mother has just ordered, “Don’t open that gift until Christmas.” However, danger comes when we defy God’s commands. God “will guide you continually” and will never let you down (Isaiah 58:11, NKJV). When we decide to take matters into our own hands, our lives develop accordingly. We burn ourselves out, only to discover that nothing came of our efforts in the first place; we are right where we started. This year, give God an open ear and heed His warnings. Take His Word as truth, and watch your spiritual life blossom into a tree of trust and wisdom.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6, NKJV).

“But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil” (Proverbs 1:33, NKJV).