I'm home!
For those of you who may not know, some of my siblings, two friends and I went to NM on a missions trip to minister to the Navajo people, and to visit some close friends.
The trip was amazing! God touched my life in many ways and once again I left feeling as if I'd gained more than I'd given! The Spitlers and staff at CFAN (Christ For All Nations), as well as the Navajo believers, welcomed us like family and it was such a blessing and honor to be given the opportunity to come alongside them and minister to the Navajo people through various ways.
One story in particular I'd like to share with you, as it made a big impact on my life and greatly encouraged me.
It began before our trip and didn't end till some days after we got there, but for the sake of keeping the story as much as possible as I experienced it, I'd like to begin on last Friday afternoon when some of our group went on a long ATV (or four-wheeler, as we call them) ride. At one point when we were far back on the reservation we saw one of the Spitler's dogs chasing some wild horses. As it is fairly common for the dogs to follow us on our rides we didn't think anything of it and continued on our ride. When we got back, however, we realized the dog, Brownie, hadn't followed us home.
Thus began the search for Brownie. Several people went out on the Rez looking for her, mainly on the four-wheelers.
Finally, as the sun began to set, my friend Lindsay, and I decided at the last minute to ride out on our own on the four-wheelers) and look for her.
Our first mistake was not bringing a flashlight. Our second mistake was not bringing a cel phone. And our third mistake was not checking the gas tank. These three things resulted in the two of us at the bottom of a small canyon (in comparison to other places it was small, but in reality to two teenage girls at night, it was HUGE), in the dark, with no flashlights or cel phones, and running nerve-rackingly low on gas. Scared, but determined, we pressed on, shouting for Brownie and hoping with everything within us that she'd bark and come running. At one point Lindsay was (and still is) sure she heard her bark, just once, and we listened and looked, but neither of us heard her from that point on.
To our dismay we finally had to end our search as it was by this time completely dark and in the middle of a canyon with wild animals (and gangs in the near vicinity I might add) is not the safest place to be. Not to mention we knew we were really low on gas. I'll be honest, we were scared. Yet in the middle of it all, I was at peace. I'm so grateful I knew and could rely on Christ! We were talking and I remember Lindsay asking if I was scared and me saying that though I was to some extent, I knew it would all work out for our good and God's glory.
So, we began the ride back home, still listening out for Brownie, hoping to hear her bark and see her familiar form take shape out of the darkness (though as I pointed out, even had we seen her come running I'd have jumped out of my skin before I realized it was her). Then, suddenly we came around a curve and for a few seconds we were positively terrified, and my heart felt as if it'd stopped in mid-beat.
There was a man on a four-wheeler ahead, just sitting there, not moving.
But sudden terror turned to sudden relief as we got closer and realized it was Lindsay's dad, and boy were we relieved! We decided to resume our search for Brownie again, feeling much more confident, yet to our dismay still could not find her and so were forced to return home.
Just as their house and the mission base came in sight, we ran out of gas. Thank God for reserved tanks! We made it home with a little gas to spare and though we were still worried about Brownie, we were grateful to be back safe and sound!
That night nobody slept well, as the dog still could not be found and we knew that if she were out all alone on the Rez at night, the odds were stacked high against her. To make matters worse, we were scheduled to leave early the next morning, Saturday, for a trip to Mesa Verde in Colorado.
The next morning we awoke and Brownie still had not been found nor had she shown up at the house, and we began to lose hope of ever seeing her again. With little excitement and much sadness we got up early the next morning, packed our picnic lunch and prepared to leave.
Finally, behind schedule and with everyone very much not in the mood for a sight-seeing trip, we loaded up and got in the vans, only to hear, "okay now everybody get out we're going to pray before we leave" and everyone got out and joined hands in a circle. Lindsay's dad, Daniel, led the prayer and just before he said amen, Tracy -Lidnsay's mom- said, "and bring Brownie home safe," and with that we said "amen." Then, as everyone turned to leave, someone (I still don't know who) shouted, "BROWNIE!!!!" and we all turned to look, hardly daring to hope. But sure enough and to our amazement, standing there behind us like she'd been there all along, was Brownie. In a matter of a few seconds she was smothered in hugs, kisses and tears of joy.
After a few minutes spent with the dog and with much gratitude we loaded up in the vans and set off, now excited and looking forward to our trip.
That night as I was writing in my journal and thinking of the day's events I came across some bible verses in my journal that out of my inborn curiousity I decided to look up in my bible, which then led me to some verses in Luke 17. In this particular chapter I came across a verse where the disciples asked Jesus to show them how to increase their faith. I couldn't understand why Jesus didn't just give them an answer and the directions for growing faith, and marveled at what He DID say. He gave them a short lecture on what faith could do and then went on to talk about serving God with humility as an unworthy servant doing his/her duty.
I felt as if He hadn't given them a direct answer and for some reason it really bugged me that I couldn't understand why.
But I continued on looking for maybe some clue as to how to find the answer to their query about faith, and I discovered that right after His statements about faith and serving God He continued on His way toward Jerusalem, then as I read on, I became increasingly amazed. Jesus came across the ten lepers and healed them, and only the one man came and praised God. Jesus last words to the man sank deep in my heart, "Stand up and go, your faith has healed you."
How awesome is that? I mean, it may be assuming too much, but though I don't find it mentioned in the bible it seems fairly obvious to me that the disciples were with Him, and I find it awesome that though he didn't directly answer their question, He provided an opportunity for them to grow in that area.
I realized that sometimes, rather than answer our prayers/questions verbally or with a direct and to-the-point answer, God provides opportunities for growth in that specific area of our lives.
As I continued on with this train of thought, something began nagging me... what had I prayed for (that'll teach you to be careful what ya pray for, huh?!?!)?
I began searching in my journal through recent entries and in the middle of my prayers for our trip, and written just three days before we left, I found this prayer: "Take my fears and doubts and replace them with trust, faith, hope, and love through you. Cause my faith to grow, & show me how to take a stand."
I was amazed as it all sank in... just like what Jesus did with the disciples on their "trip" to Jerusalem, through an experience on the very trip I'd been praying about, He provided an opportunity for me to grow in answer to my prayer. The funny thing is, He also used my love for animals to spur me along in the process! I was very upset about the dog and Lindsay and I both cried (and she wasn't even my dog!), and so I went with Lindsay to look for her. On the search I had to trust that it would all work out for our good and His glory. I had to have faith in God, that He would remain faithful to His promises to protect and guide us. I had to be hopeful in that Brownie would come back even gainst all odds, and my love for my friends and even for animals spurred me on to keep searching, and to be there as much as possible for my friends.
So, all that being said... be careful what you pray for! :D
I hope you enjoyed reading this and that maybe it strengthened or encouraged you in some way.
I believe that when God teaches a person something, or when God really "grows" them through an experience like that, when they share the experience with others, the blessing of the experience is not only on the person who experienced it, but those that the person took the time to share it with! So I hope you go away from reading this marveling at God's goodness, and blessed through reading/hearing of my experience!
To God be glory, how wonderful and good He is to us His children!
~Victoria C. Bullock
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Hello everyone!
Sorry it's been so long since my last post, life seems to be leaving little time for blog posts these days!
But I decided I'd share some of what's been on my heart lately, so... here goes!
I've been reading about the poverty and brokenness in other countries and even in places within the borders of our own "wealthy" and "free" country , and it has been stirring something in my heart lately...
I've asked God to give me the desires of His heart, and these desires are often accompanied by such pain!
He's given me a love and compassion for the poor and lost, and I am beginning to feel like -what I believe- Jesus might have felt when He looked into the eyes of the lame man, when He looked upon and heard the desperate cries of the blind, the deaf, the orphans and the widows, when He saw tax collector or the harlot bound, captive in their sins, desperate for the taste of freedom.
And in the midst of these "stirrings" I am becoming unsatisfied with my own lifestyle and the lifestyles of many Christians I see in America today as I realize how little we are doing in comparison to how much we COULD be doing to spread the gospel and the love of Christ, to further His kingdom.
It seems we often distance ourselves from anything that causes us discomfort, that stirs our hearts and compels us to take action. This is very dangerous! Why? Because if we are not exposed to it- how can we take part in changing it? It is much harder to ignore the pleading look in an orphan's eyes than to simply know they exist somewhere far away in the distance.
Unless your heart has been hardened against the very ones God's heart aches for, you WILL want to make a difference, if you are aware of them and have not accepted the lies satan has so often used to trap us into complacency and stunt the growth of God's kingdom.
We hide those uncomfortable, painful scenes, so that we don't have to deal with the responsibility of changing them, we distance ourselves from them making it easier to ignore God's call.
How could one NOT be touched at the sight of little child, who has never known the joy and happiness of having parents who love and care for them? Often we take these little things for granted, but their are many who have never known such love and would give much to experience it!
I don't understand how we, claiming to know and love the Father, claiming to be followers of Christ, could care so little -if at all- for the person struggling to survive, or the poor widow living all alone everyday without any hope for a change or for any comfort and love in her grief. How could that be? Jesus spent much of His time among the poor and broken during His time on earth!
And not only the poor, the orphans and the widows, but the "disreputable sinners." The people EVERYONE knew had been up to no good. They had a BAD rep, and with good reason. The sluts, whores, tax collectors, etc- those people.
But what do we do? We shun them as if we were somehow better than them, as if God loves us more than them! We are all -or at one time were- sinners in need of Savior, regardless of what sins we committed! None is righteous but for Christ's payment on the cross! We Christians seem to see ourselves as too high and mighty to associate with sinners, somehow forgetting the fact that once upon a time we were in their place.
Thankfully, somebody somewhere cared enough about us to share the love rather than shun us and turn us away like we have gotten in the habit of doing.
So I guess my point is this: Let's stop ignoring and running from God's call to reach out to those who don't know His love, whether it be the orphans, widows, homeless, or the "disreputable sinners" of our time, and be willing to go wherever God leads! And let me say this: we should not because we "have to," but because we love our Father and desire to please Him, because He has taught us how to love as He loves- because the apple does not fall far from the tree, so to speak.
Let's rise up and be who we are called to be- living witnesses of Jesus Christ and His amazing love! It's time to share the love!
Thanks for reading what I have to say, I hope I didn't take up much of your time, that I didn't bore you, and that you were challenged and/or blessed in some way! God bless!
-Victoria Christine Bullock
Sorry it's been so long since my last post, life seems to be leaving little time for blog posts these days!
But I decided I'd share some of what's been on my heart lately, so... here goes!
I've been reading about the poverty and brokenness in other countries and even in places within the borders of our own "wealthy" and "free" country , and it has been stirring something in my heart lately...
I've asked God to give me the desires of His heart, and these desires are often accompanied by such pain!
He's given me a love and compassion for the poor and lost, and I am beginning to feel like -what I believe- Jesus might have felt when He looked into the eyes of the lame man, when He looked upon and heard the desperate cries of the blind, the deaf, the orphans and the widows, when He saw tax collector or the harlot bound, captive in their sins, desperate for the taste of freedom.
And in the midst of these "stirrings" I am becoming unsatisfied with my own lifestyle and the lifestyles of many Christians I see in America today as I realize how little we are doing in comparison to how much we COULD be doing to spread the gospel and the love of Christ, to further His kingdom.
It seems we often distance ourselves from anything that causes us discomfort, that stirs our hearts and compels us to take action. This is very dangerous! Why? Because if we are not exposed to it- how can we take part in changing it? It is much harder to ignore the pleading look in an orphan's eyes than to simply know they exist somewhere far away in the distance.
Unless your heart has been hardened against the very ones God's heart aches for, you WILL want to make a difference, if you are aware of them and have not accepted the lies satan has so often used to trap us into complacency and stunt the growth of God's kingdom.
We hide those uncomfortable, painful scenes, so that we don't have to deal with the responsibility of changing them, we distance ourselves from them making it easier to ignore God's call.
How could one NOT be touched at the sight of little child, who has never known the joy and happiness of having parents who love and care for them? Often we take these little things for granted, but their are many who have never known such love and would give much to experience it!
I don't understand how we, claiming to know and love the Father, claiming to be followers of Christ, could care so little -if at all- for the person struggling to survive, or the poor widow living all alone everyday without any hope for a change or for any comfort and love in her grief. How could that be? Jesus spent much of His time among the poor and broken during His time on earth!
And not only the poor, the orphans and the widows, but the "disreputable sinners." The people EVERYONE knew had been up to no good. They had a BAD rep, and with good reason. The sluts, whores, tax collectors, etc- those people.
But what do we do? We shun them as if we were somehow better than them, as if God loves us more than them! We are all -or at one time were- sinners in need of Savior, regardless of what sins we committed! None is righteous but for Christ's payment on the cross! We Christians seem to see ourselves as too high and mighty to associate with sinners, somehow forgetting the fact that once upon a time we were in their place.
Thankfully, somebody somewhere cared enough about us to share the love rather than shun us and turn us away like we have gotten in the habit of doing.
So I guess my point is this: Let's stop ignoring and running from God's call to reach out to those who don't know His love, whether it be the orphans, widows, homeless, or the "disreputable sinners" of our time, and be willing to go wherever God leads! And let me say this: we should not because we "have to," but because we love our Father and desire to please Him, because He has taught us how to love as He loves- because the apple does not fall far from the tree, so to speak.
Let's rise up and be who we are called to be- living witnesses of Jesus Christ and His amazing love! It's time to share the love!
Thanks for reading what I have to say, I hope I didn't take up much of your time, that I didn't bore you, and that you were challenged and/or blessed in some way! God bless!
-Victoria Christine Bullock
Monday, November 9, 2009
Now What Do We Pick Up?
You know, sometimes I have to wonder if maybe the reason so few teens and college age students stick to church (or regularly "going to church") is because most teens are looking for something more.
They see mainly hypocrisy and lies within the body- and frankly most aren't willing to live a lie, and I gotta respect them for that. They see a group of people who say one thing, and do another.
I'm a teen, and that's what I see. It's just that I have parents who dared to be different and show me that there IS something more.
I believe that there are a number of teens/college age people who are slightly confused because they realize that people were once upon a time willing to die for their faith, and they hear of people in other countries dying for what they believe, but they know that what they see as christianity is nothing worth dying for.
It's ironic that we christians talk about persecution and standing up for what we believe in, or the things we may face in the future because of our belief... but I don't see that ever happening to us in America-- or at least not unless the church drastically changes.
The church is so corrupted by the world that the church pretty much is the world. If we live just like the world- why would we be persecuted by it? But if you start standing up for what you believe in -and living what you preach- you will find yourself hated by the world.
Jesus wasn't lying when He said the world would hate us! (John 15:18-25)
This generation isn't looking for a dead religion. Many have tried the church, or what they think is the church, and they found the people lacking the very life that they preach about.
So they try everything else. They are unhappy, unsettled, and pretty stinkin' bored with life since they really aren't expected to do anything but cause trouble-- an expectation they unfortunately often live up to. (Or would that be considered living down to...?)
Young people are catered to, constantly, and even in churches.
They are expected to do nothing but make immature and stupid decisions. They try everything from sex, to drugs, to find peace, love and fulfillment. Is it any wonder that as the church becomes more and more lukewarm, corrupted, dead and apathetic, that teen pregnancy, cutting, and drugs/alcohol addictions are increasing? If they don't find what they're looking for at church they will look for it somewhere else.
I read recently about a guy (Shane Claiborne) who said in sharing his testimony, "But then you start to think there must be more to Christianity, more than just laying down your life and sins at the foot of the cross. I came to realize that preachers were telling me to lay my life down at the foot of the cross and weren't giving me anything to pick up. A lot of us were hearing 'don't smoke, don't drink, don't sleep around' and naturally started asking, 'okay, well, that was pretty much my life, so what do I do now?'"
And later on in his book (The Irresistible Revolution- awesome book, btw) Shane states, "God forgive us for all those we have lost because we made the gospel boring. I am convinced that if we lose kids to the culture of drugs and materialism, of violence and war, it's because we don't dare them, not because we don't entertain them. It's because we make the gospel too easy, not because we make it too difficult. Kids want to do something heroic with their lives, which is why they play video games and join the army. But what are they to do with a church that teaches them to tiptoe through life so they can arrive safely at death?"
What about the rest of our lives? What about Monday, and Tuesday, and Wednesday, and Thursday, and Friday, and Saturday? A couple hours one or two days a week isn't gonna cut it. Not for me anyway. I am an all or nothing kind of person, either I give it my all, or I'm giving nothing at all!
And what's sad is that most of the churches that have been able to retain a few kids for whatever reasons are only raising up another generation of themselves.
People who get spiritually high every Sunday and Wednesday, barely make it through the week, and come back again for another dose the next Sunday. (And if there's a bonus revival, it'll last... hey, maybe even two or three weeks!) It's harsh, but it's reality. I don't want that, and is this really what christianity is about?
Where is the love, the life, the purpose and fulfillment they are searching for? Is it in modern American christianity? No, it's not.
What do they do then? They find temporary love, purpose and fulfillment, in other things. (As we see through their lives...)
Jesus and the believers in the bible preached "the Kingdom". They preached that God's kingdom is NOW, "on earth as it is in heaven", that you don't have to wait until heaven to live, to be resurrected to a new life in Him. According to the bible, believers have died already and been resurrected into new life!
(Romans 6:1-4)
We don't have to wait to live, we can live NOW. We are to live and love now. People get so stuck on their future in heaven, they totally forget their life now on earth. We have to show others that living for Jesus is more than laying down, it's picking up too.
Satan has fooled believers into thinking that if they have the best entertainment in their church that the teens will stay. But it's a trick. It get's the believers focused on their programs and entertainment stuff, and causes them to neglect the necessary things; Believing, preaching, and living the truth- but especially the living. This is a common saying, but it really get's to the heart of things, "Preach the truth, and when necessary use words."
They will know us by our fruit. They will know that we serve and follow a living God when WE live.
I know that I for one am not looking for entertainment, I'm looking for people who really live like Jesus did, like He said to live. And in my search I am realizing more and more just how uncommon these people are.
What most teens/young adults need is not somebody who is going to constantly preach at them (They already KNOW by now for the most part what they are/aren't supposed to do!!!) but somebody who will walk alongside them as they live.
Jesus walked with His disciples, not just taught them. They learned to care for the poor when they saw Him caring for the poor. They learned to love, forgive and do good -even to those who hated them- as they saw Him suffer and die for loving those who hated Him. They learned to live holy lives as they saw Him living a holy life. This is the type of leadership they need, the type of christianity people are searching for! When situations would arise that Jesus saw a lack of understanding or wisdom, THEN He taught them. But much of His preaching was not with words. I mean, think about it. The amount of preaching he did that we read about in the gospels could have been done in how much time? He raised them up by example, taught them with His life, as well as with words.
He also lived with them, so they had accountability. People, of all ages and at all stages of life, HAVE TO HAVE accountability!
And if people know you love and care about them they will be much more likely to come to you with their struggles and temptations.
As somebody who is going to be living the rest of my life with this generation, it would be a relief to see a change of direction! If my generation is this bad, how much worse will my kids' generation be? What will I be up against in raising MY kids?
So PLEASE, we have to change something! Anyone can see where this generation is headed, it doesn't take any statistical genius to figure it out! "If we always do what we've always done, we'll always get what we've always gotten!"
Perhaps we should rethink our ways?
It isn't so much "getting them saved", most who have left the church have asked Jesus in their hearts at some point or another. (Now whether they weren't saved in the first place or they somehow aren't anymore I'll let the theologians decide, but the point is they clearly aren't now.) Obviously it's not there we find the problem. It's the life after salvation. Why aren't they sticking to it? I think much of the reason is because they are simply left to the world once they are saved. Nobody walks with them, they don't have true accountability, and like Shane Claiborne said, they've laid their life down at the foot of the cross- and don't know what to pick up. What's next? For those who really did mean it when they gave their lives to Jesus, what's left but services and a list of things they can't do? Is anyone really willing to lay down their life for a dead religion? We have to decide on a new plan of action, a new style of living, because my life, the life of my generation and generations to come depend on it. I challenge YOU no matter how old you are, to take action rather than stand by and watch this generation go down the drain. I'm not giving up, and I'm going to do what I can do, however little that may be. I want to go to the poor and the widows and orphans like Jesus and His disciples did! I want to learn to be like Christ in everything I do. I've laid down my life, and I'm still discovering what I am to pick up, when, and how!
2 Corinthians 5:17-18
"What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!
All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to himself through what Christ did. And God has given us the task of reconciling people to him."
Romans 12:1-2
"And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice- the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him.
Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."
~Victoria Christine~
They see mainly hypocrisy and lies within the body- and frankly most aren't willing to live a lie, and I gotta respect them for that. They see a group of people who say one thing, and do another.
I'm a teen, and that's what I see. It's just that I have parents who dared to be different and show me that there IS something more.
I believe that there are a number of teens/college age people who are slightly confused because they realize that people were once upon a time willing to die for their faith, and they hear of people in other countries dying for what they believe, but they know that what they see as christianity is nothing worth dying for.
It's ironic that we christians talk about persecution and standing up for what we believe in, or the things we may face in the future because of our belief... but I don't see that ever happening to us in America-- or at least not unless the church drastically changes.
The church is so corrupted by the world that the church pretty much is the world. If we live just like the world- why would we be persecuted by it? But if you start standing up for what you believe in -and living what you preach- you will find yourself hated by the world.
Jesus wasn't lying when He said the world would hate us! (John 15:18-25)
This generation isn't looking for a dead religion. Many have tried the church, or what they think is the church, and they found the people lacking the very life that they preach about.
So they try everything else. They are unhappy, unsettled, and pretty stinkin' bored with life since they really aren't expected to do anything but cause trouble-- an expectation they unfortunately often live up to. (Or would that be considered living down to...?)
Young people are catered to, constantly, and even in churches.
They are expected to do nothing but make immature and stupid decisions. They try everything from sex, to drugs, to find peace, love and fulfillment. Is it any wonder that as the church becomes more and more lukewarm, corrupted, dead and apathetic, that teen pregnancy, cutting, and drugs/alcohol addictions are increasing? If they don't find what they're looking for at church they will look for it somewhere else.
I read recently about a guy (Shane Claiborne) who said in sharing his testimony, "But then you start to think there must be more to Christianity, more than just laying down your life and sins at the foot of the cross. I came to realize that preachers were telling me to lay my life down at the foot of the cross and weren't giving me anything to pick up. A lot of us were hearing 'don't smoke, don't drink, don't sleep around' and naturally started asking, 'okay, well, that was pretty much my life, so what do I do now?'"
And later on in his book (The Irresistible Revolution- awesome book, btw) Shane states, "God forgive us for all those we have lost because we made the gospel boring. I am convinced that if we lose kids to the culture of drugs and materialism, of violence and war, it's because we don't dare them, not because we don't entertain them. It's because we make the gospel too easy, not because we make it too difficult. Kids want to do something heroic with their lives, which is why they play video games and join the army. But what are they to do with a church that teaches them to tiptoe through life so they can arrive safely at death?"
What about the rest of our lives? What about Monday, and Tuesday, and Wednesday, and Thursday, and Friday, and Saturday? A couple hours one or two days a week isn't gonna cut it. Not for me anyway. I am an all or nothing kind of person, either I give it my all, or I'm giving nothing at all!
And what's sad is that most of the churches that have been able to retain a few kids for whatever reasons are only raising up another generation of themselves.
People who get spiritually high every Sunday and Wednesday, barely make it through the week, and come back again for another dose the next Sunday. (And if there's a bonus revival, it'll last... hey, maybe even two or three weeks!) It's harsh, but it's reality. I don't want that, and is this really what christianity is about?
Where is the love, the life, the purpose and fulfillment they are searching for? Is it in modern American christianity? No, it's not.
What do they do then? They find temporary love, purpose and fulfillment, in other things. (As we see through their lives...)
Jesus and the believers in the bible preached "the Kingdom". They preached that God's kingdom is NOW, "on earth as it is in heaven", that you don't have to wait until heaven to live, to be resurrected to a new life in Him. According to the bible, believers have died already and been resurrected into new life!
(Romans 6:1-4)
We don't have to wait to live, we can live NOW. We are to live and love now. People get so stuck on their future in heaven, they totally forget their life now on earth. We have to show others that living for Jesus is more than laying down, it's picking up too.
Satan has fooled believers into thinking that if they have the best entertainment in their church that the teens will stay. But it's a trick. It get's the believers focused on their programs and entertainment stuff, and causes them to neglect the necessary things; Believing, preaching, and living the truth- but especially the living. This is a common saying, but it really get's to the heart of things, "Preach the truth, and when necessary use words."
They will know us by our fruit. They will know that we serve and follow a living God when WE live.
I know that I for one am not looking for entertainment, I'm looking for people who really live like Jesus did, like He said to live. And in my search I am realizing more and more just how uncommon these people are.
What most teens/young adults need is not somebody who is going to constantly preach at them (They already KNOW by now for the most part what they are/aren't supposed to do!!!) but somebody who will walk alongside them as they live.
Jesus walked with His disciples, not just taught them. They learned to care for the poor when they saw Him caring for the poor. They learned to love, forgive and do good -even to those who hated them- as they saw Him suffer and die for loving those who hated Him. They learned to live holy lives as they saw Him living a holy life. This is the type of leadership they need, the type of christianity people are searching for! When situations would arise that Jesus saw a lack of understanding or wisdom, THEN He taught them. But much of His preaching was not with words. I mean, think about it. The amount of preaching he did that we read about in the gospels could have been done in how much time? He raised them up by example, taught them with His life, as well as with words.
He also lived with them, so they had accountability. People, of all ages and at all stages of life, HAVE TO HAVE accountability!
And if people know you love and care about them they will be much more likely to come to you with their struggles and temptations.
As somebody who is going to be living the rest of my life with this generation, it would be a relief to see a change of direction! If my generation is this bad, how much worse will my kids' generation be? What will I be up against in raising MY kids?
So PLEASE, we have to change something! Anyone can see where this generation is headed, it doesn't take any statistical genius to figure it out! "If we always do what we've always done, we'll always get what we've always gotten!"
Perhaps we should rethink our ways?
It isn't so much "getting them saved", most who have left the church have asked Jesus in their hearts at some point or another. (Now whether they weren't saved in the first place or they somehow aren't anymore I'll let the theologians decide, but the point is they clearly aren't now.) Obviously it's not there we find the problem. It's the life after salvation. Why aren't they sticking to it? I think much of the reason is because they are simply left to the world once they are saved. Nobody walks with them, they don't have true accountability, and like Shane Claiborne said, they've laid their life down at the foot of the cross- and don't know what to pick up. What's next? For those who really did mean it when they gave their lives to Jesus, what's left but services and a list of things they can't do? Is anyone really willing to lay down their life for a dead religion? We have to decide on a new plan of action, a new style of living, because my life, the life of my generation and generations to come depend on it. I challenge YOU no matter how old you are, to take action rather than stand by and watch this generation go down the drain. I'm not giving up, and I'm going to do what I can do, however little that may be. I want to go to the poor and the widows and orphans like Jesus and His disciples did! I want to learn to be like Christ in everything I do. I've laid down my life, and I'm still discovering what I am to pick up, when, and how!
2 Corinthians 5:17-18
"What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!
All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to himself through what Christ did. And God has given us the task of reconciling people to him."
Romans 12:1-2
"And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice- the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him.
Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."
~Victoria Christine~
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
A True Big Mac?
First off, let me start by saying this: I've been around christians all my life. I was dedicated in church when I was a baby, I became a christian around age 7-8, and was baptized soon afterward. I always went to church -every Sunday- with my family. I know the drill.
I'm still young, but I've seen enough. Enough to know and be able to honestly say that the majority of the people you find in the churches (that I've found, correct me if I'm wrong) of America who profess Jesus as their Lord and Savior pretty much (be honest with yourself) do this: Go to church on Sunday (And Sunday night/Wednesday night, if they're really “good”), live however they want all week long, and then -digging in their closet- they find their Sunday suit, and they find their bible (layered-in-dust and in exactly the same spot they put it every week after church, for “safe” keeping of course.) on the shelf, and dragging themselves to church they put on a smile, sit in a pew for an hour or two, go home, and then go through the whole dreaded thing over again next week. And... again. And... again. And... again. It's the "christian" way, and they know and (in many cases) have been taught no other. See, the fiery evangelist who visited their church that time when they said the words and signed the card never told (or better yet, never showed) them what life after salvation was supposed to be like. They live as they see others living. And they believe that since they said the right words they will “get into” heaven. Is that true salvation? Just fill out the card and you’re good to go? Or is there more to it?
What happened to “repent and be batized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ”? Where is the repentance from dead works? Let me remind you, repentance is more than saying, “I’m sorry”. It involves a change of heart, and a change of direction. To be forgiven of your sins you have to repent!
Are you upset about what I am saying? If yes, then GOOD! It's something to be upset about! The fact that SO MANY PEOPLE believe if they simply say the magical words, or even just go to the right place once a week, and don't do anything "majorly wrong" (like kill somebody), that they will go to heaven when they die, is something to be MAJORLY upset and concerned about! Why? Because that is a large percentage of the people found in modern-day christian churches, and it is the biggest and most dangerous lie I have ever encountered.
Now, you may be thinking, "oh she's just one of those pharisee-type people who believes you are saved by your works". Let me make something clear:
I do NOT believe you are saved by what you do. I do NOT believe that one must "earn" their way into heaven, that is impossible.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)
"For BY GRACE you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast".
We are saved by grace, and through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, that being said, let me flip the coin over to the seldom talked of, yet often dreaded side of the christian faith. Check out these verses:
Romans 6:15-16
"What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin LEADING TO DEATH, or of obedience LEADING TO RIGHTEOUSNESS?"
Is that not clear enough? Try this on for size!
James 2:19-20 (NLT)
"Do you still think it's enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror! Fool! When will you ever learn that faith that does not result in good deeds is useless?"
Still not convinced?
James 2:26 (NLT)
"Just as the body is dead without a spirit, so also faith is dead without good deeds."
Being a follower of Christ is more, so much more, than simply spending a few hours in a church building once or twice a week! As it has been said, "going to church no more makes you a christian than going to Mcdonald's makes you a big mac". Now, it may make you look like a christian to some (or a big mac!!!) to go there, but in truth you are not.
James 1:22 (NLT)
"But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves."
How do we identify the true believers? How do we know who is TRULY saved, those who have truly given their lives to God?
Well, what does the bible say?
Matthew 7:20 (NLT)
"Yes, the way to identify a tree or a person is by the kind of fruit that is produced."
Luke 3:9 (NLT)
"Even now the ax of God's judgment is poised, ready to sever your roots. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire."
Luke 6:43 (NLT)
"A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit."
And then in John.....
1 John 2:4-5 (NLT)
"If someone claims, "I know God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in truth. But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in Him.”
Are YOU truly saved? Are you a christian... or a "churchian”?
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NIV)
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
James 1:21 (NLT)
"So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls."
--We all ought to continually ask ourselves these questions, "What is the"filth" in MY life? Who am I really living for, Christ or myself?"
We are always loved by God, and He offers us His grace, but may I remind you that to be forgiven, we must first repent!
I am not saying in all of this that when you become a christian, you will be instantly perfect. However, you will be growing in your faith and being made perfect through Christ. (Check out Hebrews 6:1-3)
I know that I have focused mainly on the fruit of our salvation, yet I have found it necessary to do so. People are more than willing to preach, teach, or talk about God's grace, love and forgiveness, but when it comes to repentance from dead works... Few are willing to do the dirty work.
Jesus desires an intimate relationship with YOU! HE LOVES YOU!!! He gave His life for you, because He loves you and wants to spend ETERNITY with YOU!
I know I have been incredibly blunt with you, and have perhaps offended some... but I believe this is the truth, and anyone who is open to God's word and truth can do nothing but agree. Someone's got to speak the truth. I love you and care about you enough to tell you what most are not willing to say.
Hebrews 10:23 (NLT)
"Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near."
Thanks for hearing me out, and reading what I have to say! It's just that when God reveals things to you, whether it be through the bible, other people, or prayer... sometimes you simply must tell the world about what you've discovered! I guess I'm just one of them crazy Jesus freaks!
I'm still young, but I've seen enough. Enough to know and be able to honestly say that the majority of the people you find in the churches (that I've found, correct me if I'm wrong) of America who profess Jesus as their Lord and Savior pretty much (be honest with yourself) do this: Go to church on Sunday (And Sunday night/Wednesday night, if they're really “good”), live however they want all week long, and then -digging in their closet- they find their Sunday suit, and they find their bible (layered-in-dust and in exactly the same spot they put it every week after church, for “safe” keeping of course.) on the shelf, and dragging themselves to church they put on a smile, sit in a pew for an hour or two, go home, and then go through the whole dreaded thing over again next week. And... again. And... again. And... again. It's the "christian" way, and they know and (in many cases) have been taught no other. See, the fiery evangelist who visited their church that time when they said the words and signed the card never told (or better yet, never showed) them what life after salvation was supposed to be like. They live as they see others living. And they believe that since they said the right words they will “get into” heaven. Is that true salvation? Just fill out the card and you’re good to go? Or is there more to it?
What happened to “repent and be batized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ”? Where is the repentance from dead works? Let me remind you, repentance is more than saying, “I’m sorry”. It involves a change of heart, and a change of direction. To be forgiven of your sins you have to repent!
Are you upset about what I am saying? If yes, then GOOD! It's something to be upset about! The fact that SO MANY PEOPLE believe if they simply say the magical words, or even just go to the right place once a week, and don't do anything "majorly wrong" (like kill somebody), that they will go to heaven when they die, is something to be MAJORLY upset and concerned about! Why? Because that is a large percentage of the people found in modern-day christian churches, and it is the biggest and most dangerous lie I have ever encountered.
Now, you may be thinking, "oh she's just one of those pharisee-type people who believes you are saved by your works". Let me make something clear:
I do NOT believe you are saved by what you do. I do NOT believe that one must "earn" their way into heaven, that is impossible.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)
"For BY GRACE you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast".
We are saved by grace, and through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, that being said, let me flip the coin over to the seldom talked of, yet often dreaded side of the christian faith. Check out these verses:
Romans 6:15-16
"What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin LEADING TO DEATH, or of obedience LEADING TO RIGHTEOUSNESS?"
Is that not clear enough? Try this on for size!
James 2:19-20 (NLT)
"Do you still think it's enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror! Fool! When will you ever learn that faith that does not result in good deeds is useless?"
Still not convinced?
James 2:26 (NLT)
"Just as the body is dead without a spirit, so also faith is dead without good deeds."
Being a follower of Christ is more, so much more, than simply spending a few hours in a church building once or twice a week! As it has been said, "going to church no more makes you a christian than going to Mcdonald's makes you a big mac". Now, it may make you look like a christian to some (or a big mac!!!) to go there, but in truth you are not.
James 1:22 (NLT)
"But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves."
How do we identify the true believers? How do we know who is TRULY saved, those who have truly given their lives to God?
Well, what does the bible say?
Matthew 7:20 (NLT)
"Yes, the way to identify a tree or a person is by the kind of fruit that is produced."
Luke 3:9 (NLT)
"Even now the ax of God's judgment is poised, ready to sever your roots. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire."
Luke 6:43 (NLT)
"A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit."
And then in John.....
1 John 2:4-5 (NLT)
"If someone claims, "I know God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in truth. But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in Him.”
Are YOU truly saved? Are you a christian... or a "churchian”?
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NIV)
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
James 1:21 (NLT)
"So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls."
--We all ought to continually ask ourselves these questions, "What is the"filth" in MY life? Who am I really living for, Christ or myself?"
We are always loved by God, and He offers us His grace, but may I remind you that to be forgiven, we must first repent!
I am not saying in all of this that when you become a christian, you will be instantly perfect. However, you will be growing in your faith and being made perfect through Christ. (Check out Hebrews 6:1-3)
I know that I have focused mainly on the fruit of our salvation, yet I have found it necessary to do so. People are more than willing to preach, teach, or talk about God's grace, love and forgiveness, but when it comes to repentance from dead works... Few are willing to do the dirty work.
Jesus desires an intimate relationship with YOU! HE LOVES YOU!!! He gave His life for you, because He loves you and wants to spend ETERNITY with YOU!
I know I have been incredibly blunt with you, and have perhaps offended some... but I believe this is the truth, and anyone who is open to God's word and truth can do nothing but agree. Someone's got to speak the truth. I love you and care about you enough to tell you what most are not willing to say.
Hebrews 10:23 (NLT)
"Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near."
Thanks for hearing me out, and reading what I have to say! It's just that when God reveals things to you, whether it be through the bible, other people, or prayer... sometimes you simply must tell the world about what you've discovered! I guess I'm just one of them crazy Jesus freaks!
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