No Hate Allowed

For some reason today's society gets a thrill out of bullying, hating, and insulting each other. It's a vicious cycle, and once it's started it's hard to end. This lack of love is leading to abuse, self-harm, and suicide. 

     Why does one person believe that they are bigger then someone and have the right to treat another person so horribly? Dd God not create each and everyone of us? Does he not look at each of us and say that we are created perfectly in his eyes? "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them." Genesis 1:27. 

     It drives me crazy when I see people that claim to be Christians bullying other people. People that have a relationship with God should not care what a person's sexual orientation is, what their ethnicity is, or what a person's beliefs are. We are taught to love everyone regardless. God also tells us that he is love. "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1John 4:8. 

     To the people that are being hated on remember that you are a work of God. "I praise you because you are fearfully and wonderfully made, your works are wonderful and I know that full well." Psalm 139:14. 

"Spread the love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier." -Mother Teresa

Just Forgive

Whenever someone wrongs us we're told to forgive and forget, but as humans we find that difficult to do or we just flat out don't want to. Human nature tells us to hold a grudge or to plot revenge. Why do we do that? Holding grudges and hating people over something that happened in the past and can't be changed is just stupid, and requires so much more work then just forgetting what happened and forgiving that person. I know it's not an easy thing to do, but lucky for us we have someone that is setting an amazing example for us. Psalm 86:5 says it all "You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you." If God can forgive us every time we sin against him then why can't we forgive the people that have wronged us? In Genesis 50:17 we are told "This is what you are to tell Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly. Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.." If Joseph could forgive his brothers for selling him into slavery then why can't we forgive someone for lying to us? It's natural to be mad at first, but forgiveness should be the next step. "There is a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time t build up." Ecclesiastes 3:3. Don't let the lack of ability to forgive destroy your relationships.  "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:32  

True Love

As a teenager I am faced with many definitions of love. At school I hear love thrown around a lot. People say that you show love by sleeping with your boyfriend or girlfriend. To me love is respecting the person you are with and the people you're around. It's putting that person ahead of your selfish wants and desires. Love is being understanding, supportive, and forgiving. That's just my personal belief. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trust, always hopes, always perseveres." God says that love should be honest, patient, trusting, hopeful, and love should push through hard times.

Afraid of Trials?

Trials are scary things. Normal people don't like them. I'm not just talking about criminal trials or that trial basis that determines if you will get the job or not. I'm talking about the problems you go through in life anything from family problems to losing a job. These are the problems that cause people to either turn to God for help or run away from God. (I'd advice running to God).
My favorite verse about trials is James 1:12 "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.". Right there God promises that if we stand firm in our trials God will give us the life he promised- the promise of eternal life in Heaven.
Trials are scary and it's hard to understand why we're going through them while we're going through them. Speaking from experience there is a reason that we go through everything we go through. During hard time DO NOT turn against God, stand FIRM and GROW.

Why do I Believe?

       As a student at a public high school I am faced with many views on religion. We have Atheist, Agnostics, Hindus, Christians, and unfortunately some Satanists. This leads to many questions about why I believe what I believe. My answer is always the same simple answer. Because it makes sense.

          I believe in God the Father as our Creator and Jesus Christ as our Savior. I do not believe in evolution although I do find the theory of evolution interesting. I don’t believe in evolution because it makes no sense and there are too many unanswered questions. Where did the gas and the speck of dust come from that caused the Big Bang? If we evolved from other creatures then why are those creatures still here and why haven’t we evolved again? The Christian religion bluntly answers that question. Genesis 1:1 flat out says that “In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth.” All through out the first chapter in Genesis the creation of the world and man and the animals of the Earth are explained. There are no unanswered questions about where we or the Earth came from.

          Many people say that to believe in God is to believe in a fairy tale because it takes so much imagination. To me it takes a whole lot more imagination to believe that I came from a monkey then to believe God spoke me into existence. I believe that everyone has the right to believe what they want, but I believe what makes the most sense to me. A loving God that sent his son to die for me, so that I may have eternal life with him.

Stop Talking

I have never understood why everyone seems to believe that talking is the only way to bring people to God. There are numerous people that hate Christians because they believe that all we do is talk. They believe that we are talkers, we say one thing but do something else. Unfortunately there are many Christians that prove their point. They claim to be Christians but actually completely different then they should.
In the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) we as Christians are called to go out among the nations and baptize in God's name. We are also called to obey what God teaches and lead by example not just words.
My church's theme this year is We Care. We are showing our communities that we are true Christians. We are setting the example for how Christians really should be. We aren't just going on condemning people for their sins and shoving the Bible in their face we are showing God's love through our actions. We are bringing people to God through our actions and love.
This is my challenge to you - Stop talking and start doing.

God's Love

First I am going to ask a simple question. What is love? When asked people answered with things like a lifetime commitment, crazy happiness, a puppy with a wet nose, not always easy, but comfortable, unconditional, and sacrifice. While all these are true the Webster definition is head on. Love is a strong affection for another; warm attachment, enthusiasm, devotion; unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another. I know of only one person who fits this description of love, one who never wavers in his love for us. God.

Every Christian has heard John 3:16 "For God so loved the world he sent his only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life." Sure we've all heard it, read it, and most have it memorized, but how many of us have really thought about it. I'm not a mom yet, but I am an aunt. I can't imagine sending one of my nieces or nephews to die for a bunch of sinners. God knew from the beginning that not everyone would accept him and care for his sacrifice, but he did it anyways. That's what I call unselfish love.

Have you ever thought about how the Parable of the Lost Son applies to us and God?
"But while he was still a long way away, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him."
Luke 15:20
No matter what we do God forgives us if we just ask. Just like the father we,comes his son God is waiting for us with compassion and open arms.

"Know therefore that the Lord you God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generation of those who love him and keep his commands." Deuteronomy 7:9
God promises his love to us generation after generation. This should make you feel loved. God promises us love even when no one else does.

"The Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God." John 16:27
We are told that God loves us because we love and believe in him.

Read Isaiah 43:1-7. Incredible right? A few things stick out to me. In verse 2 God promises that because he loves us he will protect us. In verse 4 God bluntly says I love you. You the one readings these words.

God loves us all! No matter what we do God loves us unconditionally and is waiting for us to tell him we love him too.