Be Who You Say You Are

I have been reading "God Works the Night Shift" by Ron Mehl.  It is a very encouraging book that makes you realize that even though you may not be able to physically see God working in your life He is always there and always within arms reach. As I was reading today I was reading about how God is calling us to be holy it really struck me hard. 


Here is the excerpt that got me..

"When do we become hypocritical? It's when we lose the active sense of God's presence with us. When we find ourselves more concerned about what other people think of us than what our Lord and Savior thinks about us, we're in dangerous territory." 

I think a big struggle with believers today is being who you say are at all times.  Each person has struggles, each person makes mistakes and everyone sins. 

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Romans 3:23-24

Do not allow the world dictate who you are and what you stand for.  Days may be tough and you may not feel like doing the right thing but it will pay off in the end and will become eternal.

"In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith - or greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire- may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." 

1 Peter 1:6-7

Entrust someone to keep you accountable to being who you truly are.  Someone who isn't afraid to call you out when they see that you are doing wrong.  

Here are two quotes from this chapter that I loved..

"Let your pain be an agent to purify your heart."

"Let the crushing circumstances that come into your life push you even deeper into a holy lifestyle."

Let the Takeover Begin...

Encounter 2011 - 

God does some powerful things when you get a bunch of students together!

It's hard to describe in words how AMAZING camp was not only for myself but also for each and every student.  I love seeing the difference in them from when they show up to camp compared to when they leave. 

It was filled with times of fun...

and times of worship...

Each part brought each and every person together to form one bond and a closeness to Jesus Christ.

I am proud to be a part of such a great family..

This group of students full of leaders is ready to take over Beaufort, South Carolina.  

"He must become greater; I must become less."

John 3:30

"It's Your Life"

As I prepare for "Encounter" and the great impact that it is going to have on all the people experiencing it this song comes to mind.  "It's Your Life" by Francesca Battestelli is about realizing that your life is what you make it.  Are you going to sit around and watch it fade away or are you going to do something that leaves a legacy?

Love this song! 

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."

Psalm 51:10

*Encounter is our church youth camp

"I Will Not Be Moved"

"So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good."

1 Peter 4:19

This verse definitely gets me thinking...  So many things are running through my mind as I'm trying to type this. I am thinking of the many people that are overseas in dangerous areas sharing the gospel or the missionaries who have left the comforts of the United States to help the underprivileged third world countries.  Then I come back to me and the one thing I am sitting here worried about is posting something on Facebook and what  people will think.  That seems so small  minuscule and unimportant compared to everything else. This verse makes me look deep inside myself and ask if I truly know what suffering means, let alone suffering for Christ. 

 Suffer means to undergo or feel pain or distress; to sustain injury, disadvantage or loss; to undergo a penalty, as of death. 

Do you really suffer for Christ as defined above?  What makes us so different from the the missionaries in other countries or the people sharing the gospel in dangerous areas? Are you willing to suffer for Christ?  Are you willing to be that light on the hill in your world?  

This verse makes me think of a song by Natalie Grant.  It is the reason for the title of this blog "I Will Not Be Moved" Don't let your faith be moved because of things in your life.  Be willing to live as Christ did and be willing to die for him as He did for us.