I love the Bible! I mean it's truly a story book that amazes me everyday. I just have these images of at bedtime, my husband reading the Word to our children and I before we go to sleep and praying with our children. I mean, even though the stories in the Old Testament are a little bit disturbing, I am so excited to read tomorrow what happens to Joseph, what happens to Judah, and continuing on with Genesis.
I know some Christians who only read the King James Version and don't believe in any other translations, but when you compare all of the translations, they all say the same thing! I'm using the New Living Translation because I find that it is easiest to understand and apply to my life.
Well the first day of school was yesterday, and because back at a secular University is more difficult than I thought. Professors cuss, if I say anything about God, people judge me and give me strange looks, some things of what we talk about are contrary to Biblical teachings... For example, my first professor spent half of our first class talking about his previous drug use when he was at Harvard and how that stemmed some of the most creative poetry writing in his life. I just said a prayer for him in my head. What do we do in these situations?
We had an online discussion post already due, and part of it was a "getting to know you" post, so I made sure to mention my love for God, the ministry, and said one of my favorite books was the Bible. I'm not trying to be show-offy or anything like that. I'm just hoping that I can somehow proclaim the Good News and show others my faith by my actions.
At Sarah's church, pretty much everyone lives on the property of the church grounds because it's a huge ranch and also a summer camp. You are a walk away from the church and chapel and everywhere! The people you surround yourself with are all such godly people because they are all in ministry at the church. I know it kind of sounds like a cult, but it's seriously just a community of believers. Oh if I could only do that right now!
But God would not place us in a secular environment with temptations and struggles without a purpose. I know that I'm supposed to minister and witness to as many people as I can because that's what Jesus said to do! I want God to laugh and Satan's face, just as he did with Job, and be proud of me. Be proud that I resisted the ways of this world. It's interesting, because being back at school, I almost feel like an outcast of sorts. I don't feel like I belong in this world. Whenever I was talking about that with my best friend, she said, "If you are living your faith right, that's how it's supposed to be."
I just have this passion for trying to revive and change our generation. I truly feel like this is a calling from God and I'm going to honor that in any way that I can.
The passage from Matthew today, oddly enough (God is awesome :) are about the generations..
Matthew 12:33-37
33 “A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad. 34 You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. 35 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. 36 And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. 37 The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”
Wow, that's powerful stuff. Think about all of the words we say to our friends, to our colleagues, our family, the pictures we post, the actions we do... Does our generation even know that? No. They live for today. They live for the next great party, the next top that will reveal more cleavage, the next Jersey Shore episode. They don't care about the consequences. They don't care that in order to be a light, the must have a lighted heart.
So this is what Jesus said about that:
Mathew 12:43-45
43 “When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order. 45 Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation.”
So basically, the evil you are doing now will make your life 10x worse in the future. If you are serving the enemy now, he will remember that and make your life harder in the future. But, if you discard all of the evil actions and possession of the enemy over your life, Jesus will give you strength to combat the enemy. Jesus will lighten your life and cast out the demons. But, it's your job to prepare your heart so that when the enemy attacks worse than ever, you are ready to stand up for Jesus. Because remember, the words you say now will be with you on judgment day.
I don't know what's up with these fire and brimstone thoughts, but the Holy Spirit is making my fingers a frenzy, and if he lays it on my heart, I won't dare ignore God.
Who's excited for church tonight??
God bless,
Lauren
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