True Beauty

A few weeks ago, my roommate and I were discussing how so many people, especially young ladies, have fallen into this world of "selfies." We talked about how they take so MANY pictures of themselves and that many of the pictures don't even look like them. Part of the reason is because they are worried about looking good and what others will think of their outer beauty.

We all do this in one way or another, trying to let the world around us only see the "good side" of us. But, we need to stop being "conform[ed] to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of [our] minds," (Romans 12:2a). Our outer beauty is not what defines who we are as a person. We are defined by Jesus Christ and the person he is creating us to be (our inner beauty).

We don't need to "be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. [But] should clothe [our]selves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God" (1 Peter 3:3-4). 

In  this age of social media (facebook, twitter, instagram, etc.), we have been so caught up in the idea of how many followers or "friends" we have and what they think of us. So, let's make a conscious decision to stop being so consumed with outer beauty and instead focus on showcasing our inner beauty. We should only be concerned with God's view of our life and remember that our true beauty is found within.

Lessons from Duck Dynasty!

I don't know if you have heard of this reality show called "Duck Dynasty" but it is very entertaining. It focuses on the country Robertson family that has become very wealthy and famous for making duck calls. If you have not see an episode yet, you should definitely click here to watch one. I guarantee you'll love it!

Anyways, I think there are two very important aspects of this family that is portrayed on their show that we all should apply to our lives. Every show consists of some type of small conflict that is resolved by the end of the show. But the part I want to focus on is what the Robertson family does at the end of every show. First of all, the three generations of the Robertsons all gather around the table as a family to eat a meal. I think it is very important to eat with your family and fellowship with one another. I know now a days it seems hard to get all the family around the dinner table, but I think it's important to make the effort to eat as a family.

The second thing they do is before they eat their dinner, Phil (the grandpa/dad) blesses the food and gives God thanks for whatever he has brought them through that day. I think this is a great picture of a loving and truly thankful family. We all should learn from the Robertsons and take time to eat as a family and give thanks for everything God has blessed us with. A family that prays together stays together.

Be Careful...

"I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will sing praise. I will be careful to lead a blameless life- when will you come to me? I will walk in my house with blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me. Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil." Psalms 101:1-4
   This verse reminds me of a song I heard growing up that goes something like this... "Oh be careful little ears what you hear, oh be careful little ears what you hear, for the Father up above is looking down in love, oh be careful little ears what you hear." It is a simple song, but it holds a lot of truth to it, just like those verses in Psalms. The music you listen to can effect your thoughts and actions more than you may realize. The words you hear and maybe even sing have an effect on how you think.
          It's not only the things you hear, but the movies you watch, and the places you go. How you choose to carry yourself throughout your life has benefits or consequences, not only for you, but for those around you. Awhile back in my EC devotional magazine they listed the following covenants that I would like you to consider committing to:

 I will make a covenant with my eyes not to look at the pictures, websites, books, TV shows, and other things that God would consider worthless or sinful

·         I will make a covenant with my hands to turn  the channel, to turn off the computer, and walk away from the situations that compromise my purity

·         I will make a covenant with my ears to listen to what is right and what is righteous rather than things that are evil, divisive, or outside of God’s will for my life (I suggest trying the Klove 30 day challenge, where you just listen to Christian music for 30 days, and see how it impacts your life)

·         I will make a covenant with my feet to refuse to walk with the people who will lead me away from God

So, remember "be careful little ears what you hear, be careful little feet where you go, be careful little mouth what you say, be careful little hands what you do, be careful little eyes what you see, for the Father up above is looking down in love, oh be careful little ears what you hear."

A Glimpse of Heaven

A while back I received a chain e-mail with the following essay. It was written in 1997 by a 17- year old high school student about his view of heaven. He wrote the essay for a class and was very proud of the result. Two months later he passed away. After his death this essay was found in his locker and his parents wanted to share their "son's vision of life after death." He gives a very creative view on the love & forgiveness of Jesus & what we as Christians need to be focusing on in our lives.

"The Room."
In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features except for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endless in either direction, had very different headings.
As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read "Girls I have liked." I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one. And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match. A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching.

A file named "Friends" was next to one marked "Friends I have betrayed." The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird. "Books I Have Read," "Lies I Have Told," "Comfort I have Given," "Jokes I Have Laughed at."

Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: "Things I've yelled at my brothers." Others I couldn't laugh at: "Things I Have Done in My Anger", "Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents." I never ceased to be surprised by the contents Often there were many more cards than expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived.

Could it be possible that I had the time in my years to fill each of these thousands or even millions of cards? But each card confirmed this truth. Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my signature.

When I pulled out the file marked "TV Shows I have watched," I realized the files grew to contain their contents. The cards were packed tightly, and yet after two or three yards, I hadn't found the end of the file. I shut it, shamed, not so much by the quality of shows but more by the vast time I knew that file represented.

When I came to a file marked "Lustful Thoughts," I felt a chill run through my body.. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size, and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content. I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded. An almost animal rage broke on me.

One thought dominated my mind: No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!" In insane frenzy I yanked the file out.. Its size didn't matter now. I had to empty it and burn the cards...
But as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it. Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh.

And then I saw it. The title bore "People I Have Shared the Gospel With." The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand.
And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that they hurt. They started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key. But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him.

No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus. I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards. I couldn't bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own. He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes.
Why did He have to read every one? Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn't anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many things. But He didn't say a word. He just cried with me.

Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card. "No!" I shouted rushing to Him. All I could find to say was "No, no," as I pulled the card from Him... His name shouldn't be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, and so alive.

The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood. He gently took the card back He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the cards. I don't think I'll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side. He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, "It is finished."

I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door. There were still cards to be written.

By: Brian Moore


We still have cards being written every moment of our lives. Each card cannot be destroyed or erased but Jesus is constantly covering our sins as he covers our names on those sinful cards with his own. And we are responsible for filling up our own file of "who I've shared the Gospel with." Let this story be a reminder to live in God's will in every moment.

Thriving in the New Year

Last Sunday our preacher gave a message that focused on Philippians 4:6-9,
^"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." He then gave five different disciplines for starting each day of this new year, that he derived from these verses. I would like to pass these on to you.

First, we should Rise Thankfully. Each day we should wake up giving thanks to the Lord for all the things He has done in our lives, no matter how big or small. We need to give thanks for his protection, salvation, and provision in our lives.

We should also Pray Expectantly. In the scripture above it says to not be anxious about anything, but to tell God about every single thing. We should not only pray, but pray expecting answers, because God answers every pray. He may answer with a yes, no, maybe, or not right now, but he does answer every prayer. As our preacher said, we can pray and believe and receive or we can pray and doubt and do without (James 1:6-8).

Each day we need to make sure to Speak Kindly. The things that we think about are evident in our actions. Not only what we do, but what we say. If we think of the positive attributes of others then we will become better people. We need to focus on the good in others and praise them for it.

This next one can sometimes be difficult but we should Forgive Quickly. We need to forgive and forget, just as God has done for us. When we ask for forgiveness, He forgives us and forgets our sins. As is says in Psalms 103:12, God has cast our sins as far as the East is from the West, and I don't know if you realize this, but that's an infinite distance. In the same way, we must forgive those who have hurt us and not hold a grudge against them for whatever they have done.

The last thing is to Work Worshipfully. As our pastor said, Worship is what you do every day of your life, and do EVERYTHING in the name of the Lord. Worship is where your heart is and how it is responding to God. Every aspect of our lives should reflect an attitude of worship.

These five daily disciples are a good way to not just survive this new year, but to thrive in 2012. I challenge myself to live each day by rising thankfully, praying expectantly, speaking kindly, forgiving quickly and working worshipfully, and I hope that you will do the same.