Standing Strong

Who are you when everyone is watching you? Who are you when no one is watching you? (Or so you think.) Who are you when you hang out with friends (or enemies)? Who are you when you spend time with your family? Who are you when you worship in front of others? Who are you when you worship by yourself? Who are you when you talk with other believers? Who are you when you talk with nonbelievers? Who are you when you confront a friend? Who are you when a friend confronts you? Who are you in front of your teacher, pastor, or youth leader? Who are you in front of your parents? Who are you in front of the opposite gender? Who are you in front of your spouse? Who are you when your friend wants to hang out with you? Who are you when your sibling wants to hang out with you? Who are you when you serve others at work? Who are you when you serve your family at home? Who are you when your work manager watches you? Who are you when they don't? Who are you when you go t

She knew she couldn't keep on going like this. She knew it...down in the bottom of her heart....Way down where all those dark secrets she never told anyone about took hold. Those dark secrets were like bear claws and teeth scratching and gnawing at her heart. She couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't keep living like this. She needed a change. She needed someone to snap her out of the fantasy she had been living almost her entire life. She wanted to start living - to really start living. But this living was going to be different. This living didn't involve parties, drugs, or a different guy each night. No, this kind of living was something she had dreamed of for a while, but that she could never grab hold of. But she wanted it. She needed it. No more depression , she thought to herself. She sat up in her bed and peeked through the blinds. Outside, the sun was beginning to rise. Cars on the city street below her apartment honked. An ambulance flew by, its s

What does it mean to have pride? According to Google:   Pride - a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.   In this definition, pride is a good thing. You take pride in your hard work. You take pride in your siblings, parents, children, spouse, and friends in their accomplishments.   Overall, pride can be a good thing. But it can also become ugly. When exactly does pride become ugly?   Pride is ugly when it is a selfish pride. Pride is ugly when you are proud of your own wisdom, and don't lean on the Lord for His wisdom. Pride is ugly when you are proud of your wrongdoings, your sins. Pride is ugly when you are too proud to change your ways. Pride is ugly when you don't humble yourself.   Recently, there have been several people I know who have come out on Facebook, saying they are gay and pro

During my last semester in college, I took an Intro to Christian Ministries class. In one of the class periods, my teacher talked to us about how we should either follow God or we should not. As he talked about being lukewarm, tears started coming to his eyes, and his voice got stronger. He told us to either "be in the ministry or get out of it. Don't be lukewarm." I hope I will always remember how he was moved to tears about this particular subject, because it really helped me to see how many lukewarm Christians there really are, and how I did not want to be one. Revelation 3:15-16 says, "I know your works, that you are neither hot nor cold. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth." Ouch. God is really strong about this issue. He will vomit us out of his mouth if we are lukewarm. He tells us that it is better to be cold than to be lukewarm. Jesus also said in Matthew

"Then his disciples began arguing about which of them was the greatest. But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he brought a little child to his side. Then he said to them, 'Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me also welcomes my Father who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest.'" -Luke 9:46-48 Do you think you are better than others? Because you don't sin in the same way they do, do you think that somehow their sin is worse than yours? Do you find yourself judging others and thinking, "Well, at least I'm not like them." Lately, God has been dealing with me about this subject. I am going to be completely honest and say that when I was homeschooled, I thought I was better than people who went to public school. (God told my mom to homeschool, but He tells each family differently.) I thought I was better because I didn't watch R-rated movies. I thought I was better because

  Ever seen this bumper sticker before?   While this may be true in the sense that Jesus gives people joy, the theology behind it is not entirely true. I am not saying our lives don't change at all after Jesus comes into them. We definitely DO change. However, we will not always be happy. Many Christians fall into this trap. They think they are supposed to constantly be happy, and that they can never be discouraged, sad, feel lonely, or even angry. I am not saying God doesn't want us to be happy. He definitely wants us to be happy. But we are human. God made us with emotions. We are supposed to show those emotions, not put on a façade. Why would God make these different emotions if we were not supposed to show them? But instead we put on our masks everyday. We don't let anyone see beyond our masks. We show them what we want to show them. We show them our "happiness," our selfishness, our arrogance, when in reality we are lonely, depressed, and insecu

It's so easy to get caught up in the mundane things of life, that oftentimes we don't pay attention to what is going on inside us and around us. We go to school or work every morning, just going through the motions of everyday life. We may not pay attention to what God is doing. We may not pay attention to the fact that Satan could be trying to attack us mentally, spiritually, or physically. 1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." When I was a child, this verse frightened me. However, this verse was not written to instill fear into others, but rather, to help people to be on the alert and ready for when Satan tries to attack. Satan likes to use many different avenues to open you up to him. He likes getting into your mind and twisting your thoughts. He lies to you. He wants to distract you and keep you from fulfilling God's plan for your life. John 10:10 says, "Th

This week I am featuring a poem that my mom wrote. It's not only a summary of her spiritual journey, I also believe it is a great prophetic word for the new year. Hope you will be blessed by it! One Body The Baptist church introduced me to a relationship with Jesus Christ, The Presbyterian church taught me to be quiet in His presence. The Lutheran church showed me the value of good deeds, The Brethren church introduced me to world missions. The Catholic church gave me a love for family, The Vineyard church ministered healing to my broken heart. The Assemblies of God church taught me to honor the Holy Spirit, The Word of Faith church admonished me to use my tongue wisely. The Pentecostal church gave me the freedom to dance, The Apostolic church unveiled to me the foundations of The Church. The pieces of my spiritual puzzle are still coming together, But this has been my journey thus far. So which one of these churches do I b