October 21, 2012

Living Proof

Sunday, October 21st, 2012

 

 

I recently went out to a coffee shop with one of my friends to work on homework, while working we saw a couple sit down on the couch across the shop from us; they sat holding hands and praying. I adored it; it was incredible to see a young couple with a relationship centered on Christ. My friend started telling me a story about how in her Personal Finance Management class they were told to list the criteria necessary to be their roommate, she told me that she needed to be roomed with a Christian. She asked if I agreed with her, I didn’t. She looked at me as if I was crazy. I told her that if God were to place a non believer into my life as my roommate, I would use this opportunity to witness to them. God can work wonders through someone’s life if we are willing to step out of our comfort zones and spread the word of God to all nations. When I was talking to her, I remembered this video by Louie Giglio, Fruitcake and Ice cream. It’s about a girl in college that has a roommate that wasn’t a believer but through her actions was able to strike up conversations about Faith, and eventually became a believer. Sometimes, I feel that Christians become too comfortable with their lives. Be outgoing, be a apostle and spread the grace of God that is found in Jesus Christ.  

 

 



October 18, 2012

Living Proof

Thursday, October 18th, 2012

 

 

This past weekend I was blessed to have the opportunity to goon our church’s Junior High Retreat, one weekend up in what I call the middleof nowhere with other churches apart of the Christian Missionary Alliance.  Man, what a crazy weekend that was. Thespeaker was Pete Brokoff, a missionary from Burkina Faso, Africa, what acompletely interesting journey God has brought him on. He spoke about prayer,and the importance of it. Not only that but the urgency to tell our friendsabout Christ. He told us a story about how one of his business partners when hewas growing us was a Muslim. Pete didn’t want to push the Gospel down this man’sthroat but he had a plan, he planned on being super nice and then eventuallyhis friend would have to ask him why he was so nice and he would tell himbecause of Jesus Christ. Sounded like a good plan right? Pete waited fouryears, nothing. Eventually, Pete left to go Seminary, to learn how to share theGospel to Muslims, and Pete said “Goodbye” to his friend and told him that heloved him. His friend stepped back and said, “if you believe that if I do notaccept Christ into my life I will go to Hell and you tell me you love me, whydidn’t you ever share to me about this, if you really loved me, wouldn’t younot want me to go to Hell?” Whoa. Did you catch that? This man asked Pete whyhe didn’t tell him the Gospel if he loved him. Think for a minute, people inyour life that you love. Do you want any of them to be living ETERNITY in Hell?Of course not! If they don’t accept the love and grace that is found in JesusChrist, that is what will happen! You can change that. Be the person in theirlife that saves them from an eternity of pain. Romans 10: 14-15 explains, “How,then can they call on the one they have no believed in? And how can theybelieve in the one whom they have not heard? And how can they hear withoutsomeone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As itis written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” Nothingwill change in someone’s life unless you tell them about Christ! Words must bespoken! Are you willing to take the step and save the loved one’s in your lifefrom a eternity of suffering?  

 

 

October 11, 2012

Living Proof

Thursday, October 11th, 2012

 

 

Personally, when I hear someone start to talk about the 10 Commandments, all I can think of is a list of rules that all Christians are supposed to follow. Until now, I have not thought of them as anything more. Needless to say, my viewpoint on what Moses was telling the Israelites while on Mount Siani has completely changed.  

Now, Moses was on Mountain Siani speaking to the Israelites when he was giving these commandments. At this time, most of the Israelites knew they should’ve murder, steal, commit adultery, worship other gods, or to honor your father and mother, but they were on the journey to the Promise Land. The reason why God had called Moses to proclaim the commandments to the Israelites was to equip them for what God wanted for their lives, because where they were headed, was not fulfilling these commandments. They would be noticed by living their lives set apart from what the world had been living. These commandments were set in place by God not as a list of do’s and don’ts, but God gave us instructions to protect the Israelites and us and to make our lives better.

How does this look today? LIVE IT OUT. God had these instructions set so the Israelites would be noticed as someone different, they would be questioned why they are living in such a different way. Shouldn’t we be doing the same? In James, he exclaims what it is like to be set apart. “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (1:27). This is what God wanted for the Israelites, to have them be set apart from what the world wanted them to conform to. Is there a difference in your life that people can see?

This brings me to my past point, my friend Macy put this into perspective. If there was a gunman that walked into your school or work place and asked a random person where all the Christians in the building were, would they say your name? If we’re living out what God has called us to do we should be one to the names that the gunman would hear. People need to notice the change that we’ve gone through and want to know more about Christ through the way we live our lives.

 

 

 



October 7, 2012

Living Proof

Sunday, October 7th, 2012

 

As a young woman in Christ it constantly kills me to see what teenage girls wear. It kills me to see that women in my church and attend my youth group wear inappropriate clothing. Modesty. When I think about it, I do not believe that any girl wants to be remembered as the one that wore short shorts or low cut shirts. A girl wants to be remembered on how beautiful her personality is. What you wear is sending a message. If you want to dress sexy, that message will be sent to everyone who sees you and you will get attention from others. The wrong message and attention will be sent. Philippians 4:8 tell us, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.” This is how we should be presenting ourselves, by living out Philippians 4:8. Not only by the way we dress but by the way we carry ourselves too. As a Christian, we want to be known as that, and have someone just look at us and know something is different about us. Are your clothes representing that you’ve been saved? If not, rethink what you wear in the morning. By dressing modestly, respect is gained and a reputation can be changed.