Stand Up, His Vangaurd!

 The word "Vanguard" means "One who leads", and God has called His people to lead those around them to Christ. But have we? Do you tremble because you're afraid of what others might think of you when they find out you're a Christian? Do you never talk about Christ outside of Church in case it "offends" people?

We have become lax in spreading God's word. Our kids now are told to believe what their heart and feelings tell them, rather than what God tells them. I like to watch TV, but when I do, I'm saddened by the "Believe in Yourself" mentality they all have.  Don't trust your heart, because your heart will lead you astray. My generation and the next needs to know about our Savior's wondrous love. But will you be a Vanguard, and tell them, or just fall into step with the world, hiding your light under a bushel?

If people are offended by Christ, yes, respect their feelings, but Christ didn't really care that he "offended" the Pharisees. He even called then names! He died for them too, and even as He was dying, He forgave them for killing Him in one of the most brutal ways possible. Christ is offensive. His own home town wanted to throw Him off a cliff.  Just ask yourself this: is the person offended because they don't want to hear you talk about Christ?

We are staying in the background as just an other group of "religious freaks" Instead of being aliens in the world. You've seen all the movies about how the aliens come down and want to destroy Earth? Well don't you recognize the aliens because they are drastically different then normal humans? That's what God wants us to be, (except we don't invade and destroy the planet) different in almost every way from the people around us, so that the people can see the Truth.

You should show truth with love. Did Jesus use the Word as a club to beat sinners? No! He loved everyone. Love being the main word here. For far too long we have abandoned the path of love. People will shut down when you talk about Christ, because they have met Christians who have beat them with the cat-o-nine-tails of Scripture. Show love, and you will be loved. But then again, Jesus showed love, and he was crucified for it. But shouldn't we also take up our cross, and follow our example? If you show love, and you are ridiculed for it, keep on loving!

 The next time you're afraid of telling someone about Jesus, ask Him to help you have courage. This generation needs a loving push in the right direction, Jesus.  Stand up, and be His Vanguard!

     

Can a Loving God Judge?

One of the often challenged aspects of Christianity is "How can a loving God judge?" How do we answer this?

Think back to when you were four and your parents caught you chewing on something expensive or with your hand in the cookie jar, or you threw a fit in Wal-Mart. Your parents, who love you, probably spanked you, or swatted your hand or whatever, but they did it out of love. They wanted you to grow into a polite, God-loving man or woman so they punished you when you did something wrong. God is the same. His judgements are love. If people did bad things without consequences, there would be utter chaos.

Also, Bad things happen to us because He wants to strengthen us, and let our faith blossom. If it was easy, we wouldn't really have faith now would we? If I knew what my future held, I would wait for it to be handed to me on a silver platter. I don't know what the future holds, so I have to absolutely trust God.

Furthermore, God gave us free will. That means we can do whatever we like. Even murder and such. If God stopped every single bad thing that happened to us, then we would cease to have free will, and if free will means you can choose, when we wouldn't choose to love Him. Love is a choice, and if it's not a choice, it's not really love.

So when someone asks you to defend your faith, stand up boldly and proclaim God's truth. It may not be easy, but with the most powerful being in the universe at your back, there's nothing you can't do!        

Eternal Love

Last night, I was doing the dishes with Firefly and was telling her I hope some girls in our Homeschool group looked past the glasses and Beyblades, and other weird stuff and find out how cool I am. She profoundly said "I bet the girls are thinking the same thing." It blew me away. I knew they did, but it was subconcious.

I think we're all like that. We all want to be liked, no matter how weird we are. I know my family loves me dearly and will continue to do so, but I'm at that stage where I'm looking for someone else. And if something happens, I might lose whoever it is and it's going to hurt. Big time. But there is One who will help ease the pain with love so mighty, it purged all my sin.  

"I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world." John 16:33 (Holman Standard Bible) He never said we wouldn't have pain, but He will come and take it away, and give me the power I need to forgive her. No one has hurt me yet, but if someone does, I'm willing to forgive. It might be hard, but I can look back and see all the things He has done for me and marvel at His plan.

And this isn't just about "love", if someone has hurt you bad recently, I urge you to pray for the power to forgive them, and focus on God's eternal love. This Christmas season is ALL about the love He gave. Shouldn't His followers show the same love? 

Up a Creek (But with a big paddle!)

 Okay, here's the deal. You're waiting for someone to show up, and you know it's a girl (or in your case, if you're a girl, a boy) but you don't know who. You've been waiting for years. You know it's going to happen, but how? In a thunderclap? With Angels descending? Something subtle?  Or have you missed her (or him) and that person's right under your nose, and God is going to bonk you over the head until you see her? (or him)

Congratulations! You just ran through a third of a teenage boy's mind! It's something you remember, if you're as old as Mom (or dirt!) Or it's something you will go through, or are going through. It feels like you're up a creek without a paddle.

But wait.... I have a big ol' paddle I can pull out at any time! Know what His name is? JESUS! I know He guides everything around me, so why get down in the dumps over something I can't control?  I have a family who loves me and friends who will lend their support. I mean, yes, a certain girl might like me, But what if she's someone else's? Well, we can still be friends. If you're friends, it will save us heart-ache later, and I can be happy for her when she marries or vise versa. 

 God will show me my path. The sky looks gray and cloudy today, but He can make the Sun come out again! So what if I don't know who she is? I mean I'd like to know now, but His timing is perfect. If I don't see her  for another year, it's His timing. I just hope He'll nudge me, if she's right under my nose, instead of  clubbing me over the head. It's not lonely, but it sure isn't easy. But in the meantime, when I'm up a creek, I'll just call on my big  ol' paddle and He'll lead the way.

Father, Forgive Them

We thought our satellite  company was getting too expensive, so we got rid of it.So I was watching Beyblade on Youtube on my computer last night. And saw a comment that went something like this:

"In my Hometown, we had a gang of Beybladers that would defeat you and take your beyblade. My brother beat them all, though."

 It was interesting that people can be bullies with a fun game. It was sad too, of course. Also, yesterday, Firefly was called names and teased by people at the park.

Bullies are not fun, and they are out there. The most important thing to do with bullies is to do what the Bible says to do. Don't take revenge, turn the other cheek, and ask God to forgive them. Even Jesus said "Father, forgive for they know not what they're doing". But the most important thing about this besides forgiving them, is that you don't imitate them. If you're mad when they bully you, and you bully someone else, you're no better than they are.

So the next time someone calls you names, or teases you, ask God to forgive them, instead of getting frustrated.  

Light in the Darkness

Today, Beyblade, a show based in Japan, got a concept that we all have learned. Tsubasa, a character, had some kind of dark power living within him, and we almost gave up waching it. But, in a stunning upset, he defeated it, not by resisting it, and not "Becoming one" with it.

A line from the show says "Everyone has darkness in their heart, but because of the darkness, light can be seen!" We can't overcome our darkness just by ignoring it. It will get stronger and stronger, but if Jesus shines His light into that darkness it scatters before Him, because He is master of everything.   ....Including darkness.

But, the real choice is up to YOU. If you let that darkness take control, you will just be wallowing in your own filth. "For God so loved the world He gave His only Son, so whosoever believes in Him will have eternal life." John 3:16. You, like the rest of the world, can choose to wallow in sin, but Jesus gave us a choice, and YOU can choose light. I can't make that choice for you, but I pray that you will will find your true nature and let Him take control.

 Beyblade was a reminder that everyone isn't perfect, but they can be forgiven time and time agian by the awesome power of Jesus. And if Japanese cartoons are starting to get it right, what about us in America? 

Young, Yet Powerful

I'm "only" a teenager. I don't know anything about cubicles, (except that they're boxes, kind of like offices) getting up at 5:00, eating scrambled eggs, then running out the door to go to work. I don't know how to make a 'movie' movie, (We made some, and may do a Beyblade one) I don't know what all happens when Mom and Dad argue, (most because it doesn't happen very often!) or how even to start to have a relationship with a girl.

When you look at it, I don't know a whole lot about life, growing up, and that may lead some teens to doubt their abilities. Yet 1Timothy 4:12 says "No one should despise your youth, instead, you should be an example to the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity."

I may not know the stress adults may have, but that doesn't mean I can (choose to) mope about it. Look at all the things I know! I know the Truth of Jesus Christ, I know that Mom and Dad are trying to train me well, I know I can't be perfect. I know how to be kind to little kids, and I know God has good plans for me. I know I need my family and they need me. I know my attitude can affect others, or positive, or negative, and I know Algebra is HARD!

When Satan comes and whispers that you know nothing because you are young and inexperienced, stay strong. Know that, you know, that you know what your unique skills are, and what you are capable of. You may be young, but because you have Christ in your heart, you are powerful!        

I am the Champion!

Yesterday, I won the hardest battle I've ever fought. On a video game that is! On the game Fossil Fighters Champions, you dig up fossils, revive dinosaurs or "Vivasaurs" as they called them, and, of course, battled. The main villain was a little too creepy for my taste, but I beat him just the same. To battle, each "person" (you and the computer) has a team of three vivasaurs.

I beat the biggest of the three, ZongaZonga, and had defeated one of his two T-Rexes. I was down to my last dinosaur and he was down to his, when suddenly, out of the blue, came THE OTHER T-REX I JUST DEFEATED! The T-Rexes had a revive ability that can call the fully healed person you just defeated. I don't know how long the battle raged, but if I hadn't had an absorb health ability, I would have been a goner.

I beat the last T-Rex, but I did not make the last move, Jesus did. He beat the game. I won't gain credit for His doings, but I will accept congratulations from you.

I hope this shows that God cares even about the little things, like winning an entire game, and when you fight your battles though life, He will be there to give you the strength to win by the slimest margin.

Parallels: the Movies

Most of you have seen Disney's Lion King, but do you realize there are parallels of us and God? When Simba's father dies, Scar tells him it's his fault, and to run away. We may sometimes realize that we are in fact the reason for Christ's death. "For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten son, and whosoever believes in Him will receive eternal life." Also, Rafiki (or however you spell it) Tells Simba his father lives "In you", we each have Christ's Spirit within us, as He lives, in heaven.

Also, another parallel is in Man of Action's Ben10 Secret of the Omnitrix. When his cousin saves his life and gets "eaten" instead of him, Ben is so sure "It should have been me!". We sometimes feel this way when Satan fuels thoughts of unworthiness in our soul. And yes, his cousin does survive.

Also, (another Disney movie) in Finding Nemo, Marlin goes in search across the entire ocean just to get his son back. The very son that said "I hate you!". Here is an example of  God's endless and relentless search for you when you go astray.

Other countless movies portray someone who is not at all a hero, and then thrust into a quest to either take back a kingdom, or stop an evil.  This is a representation of us, who have fallen short, yet God makes us "a royal priesthood."

So don't be afraid to bring your world view to the movies. Teach your kids and yourself to look for parallels because the movie may have a deeper meaning and that makes all the more enjoyable!           

Badges? We Don't Need No Stinkn' Badges!

You've seen them. Those nice shirts you see in Hastings, or at Hometown Craft that say things like "Jesus is the Light". Those are cool, but unnecessary. We shouldn't just look like God's people, we should act like God's people. If you look like a Christian, yet don't act like it, you give people yet another reason to turn away from Christ. People should see that you are a Christian a mile away because of your actions.

Why should people, who see someone wearing "He saved me!" cussing, and think "He is filled with the Holy Spirit!"? If you go and make disciples of all the nations, shouldn't you act like one? Sometimes it's hard. Sometimes you want to strike your enemy back. But every time you think that, try and remember "Is this the way Jesus would act?" So, we don't need big flashing signs that say "HEY! I'M A CHRISTIAN! COME GET SAVED!" When our signs are our hearts, words and actions. Badges? We don't need no stinkn' badges!