Glory

 

 

Battle # 3

 

Glory.

                Glory is defined as “very great praise, honor, or distinction bestowed by common consent of the people.” There is nothing wrong with glory in and of itself, but rather, what we do with that glory once it is granted to us. It is very easy for men to take pride in their work, but it is hard for us to differentiate between holy pride in what God has done through us, and what we accomplish “on our own.”

                The downfall many come to when they have accomplished a task is their pride. Humans take great pride in what they accomplish, and if they do not give the proper glory and honor to God, that pride will consume them. Those that pride themselves of their achievements forget those who helped them to that pedestal and the God who gave them the talents to achieve the task.

                That is not to say that the deeds that we undertake and conquer do not have their own rewards. It is better to seek happiness and fulfillment in these tasks than men’s praise. We must remember though, that there is no true happiness or fulfillment without the forgiveness of the Cross.

                In the world of music, a performer is lauded for his accomplishments every time he places his fingers on his instrument. The problem with this is that it boosts the musician’s pride in his work, and he often forgets that without those that stand behind him, there is no accomplishment to be had. It is difficult to avoid the trap of believing that we are better than we are when the audience praises us extravagantly.

                Each day we have the choice to claim completed duties as our effort alone, or to give the honor to those that trained us, guided us, and He who created us. Only once we have given up our hunger for fame, glory, and honor here on earth, will we discover the true meaning of happiness and fulfillment. True honor is only given to those who seek to do whatever business the Father has given them to the best of their ability with the right attitude. Proverbs 29:23 says: “A man's pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.”



Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Hey everyone!! I have a crazy day ahead of me, but thought I would take a moment to send out a Happy Valentine's Day!!! On this day, we girls often think that we should be getting attention, but what if God want's us to serve others today? Every year, I work at my church two nights, for Valentine's banquets, and I find more joy serving others, than receiving attention myself. So this is my challenge for you today. What can you do for your neighbor this morning? What about that homeless person you see everyday on your way to work? Does that waiter look tired? Give him a bigger tip, and say something encouraging!

God put us on this earth, not to glorify ourselves, but to glorify Him, and what better way to do that than serving the least of these, His children? Today is often sad for those who have lost a loved one, or those who feel alone. Be sensitive of other's feelings, and spread love around to strangers in Jesus' name!

What if I speak in the most elegant languages of people or in the exotic languages of the heavenly messengers, but I live without love? Well then, anything I say is like the clanging of brass or a crashing cymbal. What if I have the gift of prophecy, am blessed with knowledge and insight to all the mysteries, or what if my faith is strong enough to scoop a mountain from its bedrock, yet I live without love? If so, I am nothing. I could give all that I have to feed the poor, I could surrender my body to be burned as a martyr, but if I do not live in love, I gain nothing by my selfless acts. Love is patient; love is kind. Love isn’t envious, doesn’t boast, brag, or strut about. There’s no arrogance in love; it’s never rude, crude, or indecent—it’s not self-absorbed. Love isn’t easily upset. Love doesn’t tally wrongs or celebrate injustice; but truth—yes, truth—is love’s delight! Love puts up with anything and everything that comes along; it trusts, hopes, and endures no matter what.

Love will never become obsolete (1 Corinthians 13:1-8).

 

Happy Valentine's Day!!!
~Marissa

Backwards or Forwards?

               Battle number two coming up here. I often find myself fighting the urge to wish that I could go back in time, but God has a plan for me here and now, just so long as I am patient and wait on Him. Our Father wants us to be content with were He puts us. Read on, and enjoy.
 

                Every day, throughout every situation and in every walk of life, people ask the question: Would it have happened differently if I could go back in time? God says in Ecclesiastes 3:17, “For there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.” If we study the modern times, we will see that while there may be bad things happening, God has a reason for us to be here at this time in history.

                Our time in history is one of the unchangeable things that God has set in place, and we should accept it as His purpose for our lives. There is a time and a place for evil in this world, in Revelation, John speaks of Satan reigning in this world for some time. While this may cause most people to become discouraged, that is no reason to lose faith in God’s placement for us at this time. Contrary to what we often think, if we did have the chance to go back and correct a mistake, those times of trial would not change us the way they do.

                Modern society is corrupted by so much evil, that it can discourage us from believing that God does indeed have complete control. We often think that the state of our government, our society, and our culture must be part of our faith, but this has been proved differently in Scripture. As 2 Corinthians 5: 7 states; (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) In this we find reassurance that whatever happens to us in this life, if we believe by faith that Jesus is the Son of God, then He will always be there for us.

                While some people want to go back in time, others wish to fast-forward to the future. This also clearly violates the strong Biblical principal that we should be content with where God has placed us in history. Looking ahead into the future is demonstrated by many different “prophesy” techniques, and has been attempted throughout all history.

                God has a mission for every person alive today that will impact history in some way, whether small or large. It is our responsibility to submit to His authority and follow His commands. Therefore, we should be content with where He has placed us, rather than attempting to change what has already come about or what will happen.

~Marissa

The Battle of Our Lives

I wanted to begin a series on the battle that every Christian is fighting in this world today. There are many subjects to cover, and I may not be able to comment on them all, but here's a start. Enjoy!

 

 

              There is a battle waging between Christians and Atheists today called the evolution of the earth. Evolution is the theory that life created itself by selection and elimination. Those that study it believe that all life was formed throughout many millions of years from a single cell. Evolutionists attempt to explain how the universe, our world, and life itself came about with the Big Bang theory. Essentially, the “Big Bang” is the idea that at one point in time, there was nothing, and then suddenly, everything started to converge in separate pools of dust.

                After millions of years, galaxies were formed. The solar system came next, then planets, and eventually, our Earth. Then, after millions more years, the first cell evolved by chance, and from that, all life as we know it.

                Creationism, on the other hand, is the theory that life was created by a supernatural being. Those that study it believe that all life was created in six days by a single God. Creationists explain how the universe came about as being divinely spoken into being by God Himself. One moment in time there was nothing, and then bang, there was a perfectly created universe. On six successive days, He spoke into being light, water, earth, plants, animals, and lastly, humans. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Not only did He speak the world into existence, but everything that has life and form also.

                Creation is based on the Bible, which we believe was written by God Himself. It is reasonable then, to believe that God was telling the truth about how the universe came to be. The theory that everything took millions of years to evolve is so vague, it is amazing so many people believe in the Big Bang. Many Christians like to say that the Big Bang theory is correct: that one moment there was nothing, and then a “Big Bang,” and there was light.

                Likewise, evolution is not the same as Christianity, nor can it ever be. There is no room in God’s Word for evolution of the species, or of the universe. It is not possible that God used millions of years to create the universe.  Either everything evolved, or it was all created by a supernatural being.

God's Not Dead, and Dare2Share

 

Hey, I know the music at the end might not be what some of my readers might like, but this movie looks like it is going to be amazing. And I think we would all benefit from watching it when it comes out this Spring!

 

 

Also, here's the video for Dare2Share Reverse tour this year. I wasn't able to go to it when it came to my hometown, but I hope you can go! It looks great!

 

 



Teens...Difference...Reverse...

Hey everyone!
I am, as you might have noticed, a huge fan of Apologetics. I should confess though, that most of what I have been posting are just essays from my homework. (Talk about cool homework, right? I get to write about One of the best things in the world...Every. Day. For. School.) And as much as I love sharing all this stuff with you guys, I think that I should start writing more...shall we say...for God, rather than just good credits.
Anyway, to return to the Apologetics. I have no idea how many of you have heard of Dare2Share, but they are a pretty cool ministry. (Ironically, I am wearing one of their Tshirts right now.) Greg Stier heads up D2S, and has written a ton of books and evangelistic tools that I find really helpful.
I am reading their devotional called Reverse right now, and want to promote it in the best way possible. It is an amazing book, and I cannot say enough that you should read it. Again, you can get it on their website, and if you click on the tag below the picture, it should take you to the store.

 

 




















http://store.dare2share.org/collections/books/products/reverse-devotional


I also subscribe to their blog, Soul Fuel, and just read this section titled 'It's Where Your Demons Hide', and thought I would post an excerpt for you to read.


Half of you wants to pray – the other half wants to keep snoozing.
Half of you wants to give – the other half wants to take.
Half of you wants to read the Bible – the other half says you’re too busy.
Half of you wants forgive – the other half wants to be bitter.
Half of you wants to love – the other half wants to hate.
Half of you wants to serve Jesus – the other half wants to be selfish

There's more, but it refers to their outreach programs, and without a lot of dialog, it would not make much sense. If you want to read the rest, here is the link: http://www.dare2share.org/soul-fuel/its-where-your-demons-hide/ 

But to return to the subject. If it is true that half of you wants what is right, and the other half wants what is wrong, then we all have to be really careful of what we let ourselves do. (And don't get me wrong, I have tons of my own problems too.) It's not like I have arrived at any gigantic victory yet, the important thing is that I am on my way towards that victory. That I want a change, want to Reverse and go another direction, want a difference in my life.

So do you want a change enough that you are willing to change? Are you so desperate for hope, real love, for true joy? Well, God's Word has something to say about that. He says: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God..." If God does such an amazing thing for all of us, then why should we not attempt to change ourselves? There is such hope in Him, in His grace, in His love, how can we not want to be different?

Yea, it takes guts to reverse our path and walk against the flow of all humanity, but is that not what every teen wants? To be different? I know that is one of the things I have always wanted, (To the horror of my mother, I have made my fair share of mistakes.) and I am sure that most of you reading this want to be different too. But we should be different in...well...a different way. Let's be different from the world, not different from our Mums. ;D
-Marissa


Disclamer: all  credit to the usage of the word 'Reverse' goes to D2S Ministries, as well as any mention of their resources.

The Law of Causality and the Bible

                The Law of Causality is the theory that everything must have a beginning. This is proved by the fact that the universe is expanding. There is a “red shift” in the light from each observable galaxy, which means that they are all moving away from us. It appears that everything is expanding away from a solitary point in the past.

                 Matter is what creates the universe. It forms the solar system, the earth, and our very bodies. Matter is even evident in the computer that I am using to record information on. Without matter there is no life. However scientists attempt to show otherwise, it is not possible that matter was in existence for infinitum. There had to be a beginning to everything.

                If there is one thing that is evident in “The Great Outdoors” it is that everything must have come from something, and that someone must have created it. Even without the belief that God made everything, it is still commonly believed that something made the universe happen.

                Say for example we adopt the Big Bang theory. Where would the “Big Bang” have come from? Would it not need something to start the explosion?  When a tube of dynamite is detonated, someone had to strike the match, lean down, light the cord, and thus begin the chain of events leading up to the explosion. There is no argument about whether the cord lit itself, or the dynamite just suddenly went off without any provocation. It is accepted that an intelligent being was needed to “start the dominos toppling.”

                The great skeptic David Hume even stated concerning the Law of Causality: “I never asserted so absurd a proposition something could arise without a cause.” Francis Bacon also refuted this theory by saying, “True knowledge is knowledge by causes.” Therefore, if there was no beginning of matter, there would be no beginning to life, and therefore, no end either. The dust motes from the explosion would go on drifting through space for eternity, and no one would be the wiser.

                With the idea that there must be something to cause a beginning, we are led to believe that there must have been Someone to start things moving. As a dear friend told me not too long ago, God placed deep inside us, the absolute certainty that there is a God out there. Whether or not we believe that there is one God, or many gods, has been left to us to decide. We are given the choice to believe in a God, many gods, no God whatsoever, or that creation is a god.

                This leaves me one last question. If there is a God out there, who did cause that “bang”, did not He make a beautiful thing, and is He not worthy of being worshiped? After all, we were all created. Most would agree with that statement on some level; either that we were created by a God, or our parents. Therefore, we must conclude that the Law of Causality is certainly adaptable with Biblical standards. Lastly, if science is to be believed, matter came from something. Therefore, life came from something, and the intelligence of the human mind is proof enough that it could not have been formed on its own. 

-Marissa

Truth vs. Tolerance

 

                Truth is a funny thing. It causes a person to question his former beliefs. Truth disturbs the inner convictions that we think are set in concrete, and it breaks all the rules that were formerly not even questioned. The word ‘truth’ comes from the Middle English treuthe, which is cognate with the Old Norse word, tryggth, or faith. It essentially means ‘a fact that has been verified’, or ‘conformity to reality or actuality’.
                 The phrase ‘relative truth’ is defined as ‘a belief that truth is based upon the views of the
individual’. Simply put, what one person believes is wrong, may be right in another’s eyes. Abortion may be considered as murder in the Christian Church, but from America’s point of view, it is the right of the mother to make the final decision. Therefore, if I believe that God is creation, rather than God is the creator, you must not only leave me to believe what I want, but accept my belief as reasonable as yours is.
                Despite the relativism in our culture today, absolute truth is understandable, believable, and reasonable. There are facts to back up the claims that are demanded by absolute truth. An absolute
truth is evidenced by the fact that if you jumped off a cliff, you would be subjected to the law of gravity, and eventually crash into the earth. Mere faith that you would fly cannot change the laws of creation.

                Truth is not reliant on what we think or feel; truth is truth, whether we like it or not. If a person is told that the Twin Towers were hit by an airplane, and he does not believe him, that does not make the truth at all untrue. Rather, it shows that while faith is necessary to believe, it is not necessary for things to happen. In that case, no good can come of the belief that ‘truth is relative’.

                Although truth does not need faith to act, faith needs a certain amount of truth for anything to be believed in. If evolution need scientific evidence to prove that it exists, then creationism must have facts to show that it is correct. Contrary to popular opinion, all religions are not the same. Even in
Christianity, there are many different denominations, and everyone thinks that they are right.
                All religions have drastic differences, some believe in one God, and others believe in many.
There are beliefs that are based upon works and those that are based upon faith. Nonetheless, all of
these cannot be the same, because none of them agree on everything. They cannot be true because
they teach opposites.
               Therefore, since all religions cannot be true, it is impossible for us to agree with the new
definition of tolerance, the idea that all beliefs are true. Invariably, someone’s drastically different belief pattern will disrupt the pattern of ‘tranquility’ that will supposedly be enforced by this standard. We are to respect what others believe is true, but to kindly explain the truth to them. Francis Bacon once said, ‘Small amounts of philosophy lead to atheism, but larger amounts bring us back to God.’ After all, if you defend your own faith, and politely question those that believe in ‘tolerance’, you may one day save them from eternal punishment.