"Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus," Philippians 2:5
"Do everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world," Philippians 2:14-15
"Be hospitable to one another without complaining." 1 Peter 4:9
Do you know anyone who complains and thinks nothing ever good happens to them? They might groan, roll their eyes and stomp their feet a lot. When things go wrong, how do you react? Do you ever feel down, grouchy, lazy, hateful, mean, or just want to act ugly? Then you are a victim of a bad or negative attitude. God wants you to trade those bad attitudes for better ones. He tells you that we should not trust your feelings. Feelings lie to us. Jesus has a good attitude and the cure for this syndrome. You need to ask yourself when you feel like moping, "How would Jesus act?" We should think in the same way that Jesus thinks. This is not always easy for us but He can help. You just need to work on your attitude and change the way you think. It is a daily challenge. Match up your attitudes to that of Jesus and see if they looks like His. Acting as Jesus would can bring joy
back into a bad situation! Seek God out and he will help you have an attitude that will honor Him.
Complaining is very common and problems happen all the time in everyday living. But it doesn’t make it right to complain if you feel you are suffering a hardship or being inconvenienced. And who really wants to be around whiners who can rub off on you, lead you to pout yourself and pick up a bad habit? But did you know that the gripers and grumblers of the world don’t have any more problems than anyone else? And did you also know that complaining will not change anything or make the situation better. You might have heard that life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. Having a bad attitude will cause you to feel bitter inside and make you think that the whole world is against you and in turn hurt those around you. Your only hope is prayer and cooperation with God to have a positive attitude.
You need to have an attitude like Jesus and handle situations in your life like He would. He should be your model so you will be a positive Christian example to all those around you. There will be a lot of stress, disappointments and frustrations that you will face in life and family and friends can really let you down. You have the choice of either making them get you down or not. It's how you react to disappointments and act when you don't get your way. It's all in how you handle it! When you feel sorry for yourself and blame others or think that you don't deserve it, just rise above it and choose to repond in a more loving way instead of getting all hurt and angry. It is not easy to free yourself of these feelings but God wants that for you. If you complain too much or focus on all the negative things and all the things that go wrong in your life, you can forget all the good things God does in your life. You can waste your time complaining or you can find a way to make things better, remembering all the others things God has done for you.
A bad attitude can turn you away from God and may lead you to make wrong choices. A happy, positive person can do God’s work and teach others about Him and others will listen. The good news is that you have control over your emotions and can decide your reaction. Having a good attitude and remaining positive will let Christ show in your life. You don’t want to show discontentment with the life God has given you and dissatisfaction with what He is doing in your life. After all, aren’t you supposed to show God’s love in what you say and what you do?
Negative attitudes come from negative thoughts. When negative actions and words come from negative thoughts, your body and mouth will follow with what you are thinking. So all you need to do is turn any negative thoughts you have into positive responses. Every day is a balance of doing what you really want to do and what you feel you have to do that you might not enjoy. When your mom asks you to do something, you can say in a nice tone, "Okay mom" and when you know you did something wrong, just say,“I’m sorry" and when you can’t do something and get a "no" for an answer just say, "Okay, maybe next time." Saying any of those words may feel forced at first but with practice it will become easier and more natural to you. You have a choice every day on what attitude you will have for the day. You are in charge of your attitude.
When you feel in a complaining mood, you can stop and think before you speak and tell yourself that you need to take a deep breath and calm down. You could make a list of the positives and negatives in your life and then focus on the things you wrote on your positive list. This may require a lot of work on your part to pull you back into the positive mode when you think you are slipping into negativity. So try and seek the good and learn to be okay with the bad and then look past the bad to see the good in life. If you can keep a positive attitude then you can manage difficult situations that will creep up in your life. And I bet you can still find the good in those challenging times because God’s blessings are right in front of you.
The opposite of complaining is being grateful and thankful to God because you have to trust that He is only working out His plan for you in your life. And being strong in your faith will make the trials easier and keep you from the temptations of Satan. Put on a new attitude because you belong to God. You can choose not to get mad, or ugly. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you act in kindness and love. No one is stronger than God! The Holy Spirit will show you His power as He helps you change your unpleasant attitudes. When you ask for God's will to be done in you, even your own will is not stronger than His. He wants you to choose to do what is right and use His Holy Spirit's power to help you change the way you act. So remember not to gripe and whine but ask God to help you change and He will give you the grace to overcome complaining and move forward.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Heaven, Hell and Purgatory
"In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth," Gen. 1:1
"Look down, then, from heaven, your holy abode, and bless your people Israel and the soil you have given us in the land flowing with milk and honey which you promised on oath to our fathers." Deu. 26:15
"The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord's throne is in heaven. God's eyes keep careful watch; they test all peoples." Psalms 11:4
"Thus says the Lord: The heavens are my throne, the earth is my footstool. What kind of house can you build for me; what is to be my resting place?" Isaiah 66:1
"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Mat 5:12
"But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal."
Mat. 6:20
"See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. Mat. 8:10
"So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God." Mark 16:19
"In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be." John 14:2-3
"The heavens are my throne, the earth is my footstool. What kind of house can you build for me? says the Lord, or what is to be my resting place?" Act 7:49
"Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together 4 with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord." 1 Thes. 4:17
"But according to his promise we await new heavens and a new earth 11 in which righteousness dwells."
2 Peter 3:13
"Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the victor I will give the right to eat from the tree of life that is in the garden of God." Rev. 2:7
Heaven is where you can enjoy the fullness of communion with God so it is the state of supreme happiness. You can also think of it as the dwelling place of God that you can experience for all eternity if you believed in Him and remained faithful to His will. Jesus opened heaven to us when He died on the cross and rose from the dead. It is not a physical place in the clouds but a living, personal relationship with the Holy Trinity. Heaven is the ultimate goal that you should strive for through His grace if you lived your life welcoming God and opening yourself to His love.
Hell
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few." Matthew 7:13-14
"Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous
and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth." Matthew 13:49-50
"And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Matthew 25:46
"If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched." Mark 9:43-48
"These will pay the penalty of eternal ruin, separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power," 2 Thess. 1:9
"Once I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever. I hold the keys to death and the netherworld."
Revelations 1:18b
"The Devil who had led them astray was thrown into the pool of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." Revelations 20:10
"But as for cowards, 8 the unfaithful, the depraved, murderers, the unchaste, sorcerers, idol-worshipers, and deceivers of every sort, their lot is in the burning pool of fire and sulfur, which is the second death."
Revelations 21:8
Hell is the opposite condition of existence than heaven and is the ultimate consequence of sin if you chose to freely reject God’s love and forgiveness during your life. It brings eternal suffering and everlasting punishment with the loss of God and no return to Him, the source of all life and joy. You can avoid the fiery furnace of hell by saying “yes” to God and “no” to the temptations of the Devil.
Purgatory
"In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison, who had once been disobedient while God patiently waited in the days of Noah during the building of the ark, in which a few persons, eight in all, were saved through water." 1 Pet 3:19-20
"for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, the work of each will come to light, for the Day will disclose it. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire (itself) will test the quality of each one's work. If the work stands that someone built upon the foundation, that person will receive a wage. But if someone's work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire."
1 Cor. 3:11-15
"They disciplined us for a short time as seemed right to them, but he does so for our benefit, in order that we may share his holiness." Heb. 12:10
He then took up a collection among all his soldiers, amounting to two thousand silver drachmas, which he sent to Jerusalem to provide for an expiatory sacrifice. In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view; for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin. 2 Maccabees 12:43-46
"but nothing unclean will enter it, nor any (one) who does abominable things or tells lies. Only those will enter whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." Rev. 21:27
"And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come." Mt. 12:32
You can think of purgatory as the boot camp of heaven so that our sins can be taken off our souls. It is simply the last stage of sanctification or purification (cleansing) after death before you enter into perfect and complete communion with God. It is not a place but a state of being where you have to be brought up to the level of spiritual excellence. In order to do this you must endure some kind of pain or discomfort before you receive the reward of heaven. It is also joyful because your soul is in closer union with God than it is on earth and you will have a final and full appreciation of just how much God loves you and how gracious He is to you since you know you are guaranteed to enjoy God forever.
It is not a middle state between heaven and hell but is more like a mudroom or closet to heaven since everyone who goes to purgatory goes to heaven. After all, you need to get gussied up before entering the King’s palace. You need to be fitted for life in heaven so this transition is necessary to become fully united with God and the whole communion of saints.
You, the living can pray for the souls in purgatory for them to be made holy more quickly and in the most painless way possible. You can even help your deceased loved ones and other poor suffering souls in purgatory by doing good works for them and making sacrifices. If you don’t go straight to heaven, you will remain in purgatory until you pay or make up for your sins (even the ones already forgiven) depending on the number and seriousness of them or until Christ’s second coming at the end of the world. It is then that you will achieve the holiness needed to enter the joy of heaven. While on earth, you can even try and lessen your time in purgatory by avoiding sin, fasting, almsgiving, doing penance and gaining indulgences.
"Look down, then, from heaven, your holy abode, and bless your people Israel and the soil you have given us in the land flowing with milk and honey which you promised on oath to our fathers." Deu. 26:15
"The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord's throne is in heaven. God's eyes keep careful watch; they test all peoples." Psalms 11:4
"Thus says the Lord: The heavens are my throne, the earth is my footstool. What kind of house can you build for me; what is to be my resting place?" Isaiah 66:1
"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Mat 5:12
"But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal."
Mat. 6:20
"See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. Mat. 8:10
"So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God." Mark 16:19
"In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be." John 14:2-3
"The heavens are my throne, the earth is my footstool. What kind of house can you build for me? says the Lord, or what is to be my resting place?" Act 7:49
"Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together 4 with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord." 1 Thes. 4:17
"But according to his promise we await new heavens and a new earth 11 in which righteousness dwells."
2 Peter 3:13
"Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the victor I will give the right to eat from the tree of life that is in the garden of God." Rev. 2:7
Heaven is where you can enjoy the fullness of communion with God so it is the state of supreme happiness. You can also think of it as the dwelling place of God that you can experience for all eternity if you believed in Him and remained faithful to His will. Jesus opened heaven to us when He died on the cross and rose from the dead. It is not a physical place in the clouds but a living, personal relationship with the Holy Trinity. Heaven is the ultimate goal that you should strive for through His grace if you lived your life welcoming God and opening yourself to His love.
Hell
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few." Matthew 7:13-14
"Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous
and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth." Matthew 13:49-50
"And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Matthew 25:46
"If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched." Mark 9:43-48
"These will pay the penalty of eternal ruin, separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power," 2 Thess. 1:9
"Once I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever. I hold the keys to death and the netherworld."
Revelations 1:18b
"The Devil who had led them astray was thrown into the pool of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." Revelations 20:10
"But as for cowards, 8 the unfaithful, the depraved, murderers, the unchaste, sorcerers, idol-worshipers, and deceivers of every sort, their lot is in the burning pool of fire and sulfur, which is the second death."
Revelations 21:8
Hell is the opposite condition of existence than heaven and is the ultimate consequence of sin if you chose to freely reject God’s love and forgiveness during your life. It brings eternal suffering and everlasting punishment with the loss of God and no return to Him, the source of all life and joy. You can avoid the fiery furnace of hell by saying “yes” to God and “no” to the temptations of the Devil.
Purgatory
"In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison, who had once been disobedient while God patiently waited in the days of Noah during the building of the ark, in which a few persons, eight in all, were saved through water." 1 Pet 3:19-20
"for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, the work of each will come to light, for the Day will disclose it. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire (itself) will test the quality of each one's work. If the work stands that someone built upon the foundation, that person will receive a wage. But if someone's work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire."
1 Cor. 3:11-15
"They disciplined us for a short time as seemed right to them, but he does so for our benefit, in order that we may share his holiness." Heb. 12:10
He then took up a collection among all his soldiers, amounting to two thousand silver drachmas, which he sent to Jerusalem to provide for an expiatory sacrifice. In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view; for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin. 2 Maccabees 12:43-46
"but nothing unclean will enter it, nor any (one) who does abominable things or tells lies. Only those will enter whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." Rev. 21:27
"And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come." Mt. 12:32
You can think of purgatory as the boot camp of heaven so that our sins can be taken off our souls. It is simply the last stage of sanctification or purification (cleansing) after death before you enter into perfect and complete communion with God. It is not a place but a state of being where you have to be brought up to the level of spiritual excellence. In order to do this you must endure some kind of pain or discomfort before you receive the reward of heaven. It is also joyful because your soul is in closer union with God than it is on earth and you will have a final and full appreciation of just how much God loves you and how gracious He is to you since you know you are guaranteed to enjoy God forever.
It is not a middle state between heaven and hell but is more like a mudroom or closet to heaven since everyone who goes to purgatory goes to heaven. After all, you need to get gussied up before entering the King’s palace. You need to be fitted for life in heaven so this transition is necessary to become fully united with God and the whole communion of saints.
You, the living can pray for the souls in purgatory for them to be made holy more quickly and in the most painless way possible. You can even help your deceased loved ones and other poor suffering souls in purgatory by doing good works for them and making sacrifices. If you don’t go straight to heaven, you will remain in purgatory until you pay or make up for your sins (even the ones already forgiven) depending on the number and seriousness of them or until Christ’s second coming at the end of the world. It is then that you will achieve the holiness needed to enter the joy of heaven. While on earth, you can even try and lessen your time in purgatory by avoiding sin, fasting, almsgiving, doing penance and gaining indulgences.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
The Media
Inappropriate TV, Movies and Songs
*omit if not age-appropriate
There’s no mistaking that watching TV, videos, movies and listening to songs causes you to relax because it requires low levels of concentration. But did you know that whatever you read, listen to or look at has an incredible power and an effect on you? The power of your mind is awesome, and it can have positive and negative influences on you. When you feed your mind with negative influences, the negative will come out. On the other hand, if you feed your mind with positive messages, then the positive will win. What comes in must come out is often the case with the common phrase "garbage in, garbage out!" When you fill your mind with garbage, the natural thing to do is to act upon it and it may be who you become.
But the good news is that you can, for the most part, control and allow what you want to enter your mind. This ensures that you can live a positive and healthy lifestyle. It's hard to escape the effects media can have on you after processing everything you see and hear. Offensive or inappropriate material is found in TV shows, movies, music, books, magazines and the Internet. Even when you view violence, it makes you less likely to repond to others in a caring and loving way. You have the power to choose what kind of shows and music you invite into your mind. This is why you should choose only media and entertainment that is uplifting for you so you won't lose the Spirit of the Lord. So you really shouldn't attend, view or participate in forms of entertainment which are immoral, violent or vulgar.
A lot of shows that you may find cool and exciting are full of reckless driving, nudity, bad language, drug use, casual *sex/relationships and other risky behaviors such as smoking and underage drinking. So many of them are unrealistic and don’t resemble the true lives of anyone you may know. Even commercials can bombard you with images of impossible thinness and beauty. So you have to ask yourself if will you be truly happy if you buy a certain product that a celebrity is telling you you must have. *Did you know that two-thirds of TV shows and movies contain sexual content with verbal and visual references? So this entertainment is a major source of information/misinformation about sex and does not give healthy attitudes and messages surrounding sex.
Music is an important and powerful part of life and it can have a good influence on you. There's no denying that it plays a significant role in your life. But some music can have evil effects on your mind and spirit. Do you know what the lyrics in the song you listen to are actually saying or referring to? Whether you realize it or not, your mind is recording everything that is placed in it. You might think you are more concerned with the beat than with the words but your mind will pick up on the lyrics even when you aren't focusing on the words to the songs.
Some songs in popular music today (and it can include rock, hip hop, heavy metal country and rap) have lyrics that are full of bad language and themes. These themes can be drugs, alcohol, destructive relationships, and even hate aimed at women and minorities. There are subtle and not-so-subtle lyrics coming out of the mouths of some of your favorite music superstars. Video games can even encourage violence. Some are filled with obscene and indecent images, and they portray characters making poor moral decisions. These are not appropriate values for you. Don't you want to keep your mind and spirit pure like God wants you to be? Taking in questionable content also leaves little room and time for God and takes away from family and friends as well.
So, what's wrong with watching and listening to inappropriate shows, videos, pictures and songs you may find appealing? This type of media can ruin your mind and heart and weaken your affection for God. You'll hear actors cursing God or take God's name in vain in times of anger, pain and even joy. God and the Christian faith are made fun of in many ways with all the immorality, impurity and drug usage. They show disrepect for Jesus and the Holy Spirit and go against the Word of God.
You should choose carefully the shows, videos and music that you watch and listen to; you should be a selective watcher and listener. If you encounter anything that you don't think will meet and keep God's standards, you should have the courage to turn it off, change it, or put it down. You can ask yourself if a certain favorite show or song has control over you. Do you glorify God by watching or listening to it? Could your time be better seeking God's wisdom or spent better in prayer? And just think, would you still be watching these kinds of shows and listening to your music if Jesus came to visit? It is important to show others the love of Christ through your behavior and your lifestyle. You can bring others into God's Kingdom by serving God, living a clean life and guarding your mind against poor influences.
*omit if not age-appropriate
There’s no mistaking that watching TV, videos, movies and listening to songs causes you to relax because it requires low levels of concentration. But did you know that whatever you read, listen to or look at has an incredible power and an effect on you? The power of your mind is awesome, and it can have positive and negative influences on you. When you feed your mind with negative influences, the negative will come out. On the other hand, if you feed your mind with positive messages, then the positive will win. What comes in must come out is often the case with the common phrase "garbage in, garbage out!" When you fill your mind with garbage, the natural thing to do is to act upon it and it may be who you become.
But the good news is that you can, for the most part, control and allow what you want to enter your mind. This ensures that you can live a positive and healthy lifestyle. It's hard to escape the effects media can have on you after processing everything you see and hear. Offensive or inappropriate material is found in TV shows, movies, music, books, magazines and the Internet. Even when you view violence, it makes you less likely to repond to others in a caring and loving way. You have the power to choose what kind of shows and music you invite into your mind. This is why you should choose only media and entertainment that is uplifting for you so you won't lose the Spirit of the Lord. So you really shouldn't attend, view or participate in forms of entertainment which are immoral, violent or vulgar.
A lot of shows that you may find cool and exciting are full of reckless driving, nudity, bad language, drug use, casual *sex/relationships and other risky behaviors such as smoking and underage drinking. So many of them are unrealistic and don’t resemble the true lives of anyone you may know. Even commercials can bombard you with images of impossible thinness and beauty. So you have to ask yourself if will you be truly happy if you buy a certain product that a celebrity is telling you you must have. *Did you know that two-thirds of TV shows and movies contain sexual content with verbal and visual references? So this entertainment is a major source of information/misinformation about sex and does not give healthy attitudes and messages surrounding sex.
Music is an important and powerful part of life and it can have a good influence on you. There's no denying that it plays a significant role in your life. But some music can have evil effects on your mind and spirit. Do you know what the lyrics in the song you listen to are actually saying or referring to? Whether you realize it or not, your mind is recording everything that is placed in it. You might think you are more concerned with the beat than with the words but your mind will pick up on the lyrics even when you aren't focusing on the words to the songs.
Some songs in popular music today (and it can include rock, hip hop, heavy metal country and rap) have lyrics that are full of bad language and themes. These themes can be drugs, alcohol, destructive relationships, and even hate aimed at women and minorities. There are subtle and not-so-subtle lyrics coming out of the mouths of some of your favorite music superstars. Video games can even encourage violence. Some are filled with obscene and indecent images, and they portray characters making poor moral decisions. These are not appropriate values for you. Don't you want to keep your mind and spirit pure like God wants you to be? Taking in questionable content also leaves little room and time for God and takes away from family and friends as well.
So, what's wrong with watching and listening to inappropriate shows, videos, pictures and songs you may find appealing? This type of media can ruin your mind and heart and weaken your affection for God. You'll hear actors cursing God or take God's name in vain in times of anger, pain and even joy. God and the Christian faith are made fun of in many ways with all the immorality, impurity and drug usage. They show disrepect for Jesus and the Holy Spirit and go against the Word of God.
You should choose carefully the shows, videos and music that you watch and listen to; you should be a selective watcher and listener. If you encounter anything that you don't think will meet and keep God's standards, you should have the courage to turn it off, change it, or put it down. You can ask yourself if a certain favorite show or song has control over you. Do you glorify God by watching or listening to it? Could your time be better seeking God's wisdom or spent better in prayer? And just think, would you still be watching these kinds of shows and listening to your music if Jesus came to visit? It is important to show others the love of Christ through your behavior and your lifestyle. You can bring others into God's Kingdom by serving God, living a clean life and guarding your mind against poor influences.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Alcohol and Drugs
Alcohol and Drugs
"Old wine and new deprive my people of understanding." Hosea 4:11b
"Hear, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart in the right way. Consort not with winebibbers, nor with those who eat meat to excess; For the drunkard and the glutton come to poverty," Proverbs 23:19-21a
"Wine is arrogant, strong drink is riotous; none who goes astray for it is wise." Proverbs 20:1
"But these also stagger from wine and stumble from strong drink: Priest and prophet stagger from strong drink, overpowered by wine; Led astray by strong drink, staggering in their visions, tottering when giving judgment." Isaiah 28:7
"For a bishop as God's steward must be blameless, not arrogant, not irritable, not a drunkard, not aggresive, not greedy for sordid gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness, temerate, just, holy, and self-controlled.
Titus 1:7-8
"Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." Galatians 5:19-21
"But I now write to you not to associate with anyone named a brother, if he is immoral, greedy, an idolater, a slanderer, a drunkard, or a robber, not even to eat with such a person. God will judge those outside. "Purge the evil person from your midst." 1 Corinthians 5:11, 13
"nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God."
1 Corinthians 6:10
"And do not get drunk on wine, in which lies debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit," Ephesians 5:18
Do you want to become a statistic in the war on drugs? You better believe that when your lives are controlled by addictions to cigarettes, alcohol or drugs, you are made a slave and those bonds can lead to a life of ruin or even death with the negative effects these substances can have in your life. The world that we live in today will tell you that to have fun and to be social and to look cool, you have to drink or get high. And then later you may end up as an alcoholic or a crackhead. Yes, nowadays you can't drive your car, watch TV, or turn on your radio without somehow seeing and hearing how the world glamorizes the use of alcohol and drugs.
But how does God feel about these substances? The fact is that you are commanded by God to live a life of holiness and you are not showing your love or being a good witness for Christ if such addictions control you, now are you? How many of you are trying to prove something to your so-called friends and fit in with them instead of following God's warning to not abuse these substances that alter your behavior and damage your mind? Don't you want to be used by God? How can God use you as a witness to others if you have no self-control, are setting a bad example to others, and are behaving just like the world by drinking and getting high? God's Word tells us that for us to be used by God, we must be sober and avoid intoxicating substances. The Devil loves it when you get drunk and use drugs because you are then in no shape to fight against his attacks. He knows that with your inhibitions lowered and your judgment gone, you will sin and get into things that you would have avoided had you been sober.
Smoking is an uncool, costly and smelly habit. Why throw your money away on tobacco when you could use that money for clothes or computer games? Smoking makes your skin look older, your teeth yellow and your breath, clothes and hair stink. Most people know that smoking is bad for them and want to quit but find it hard because of the nicotine ingredient. The tar in cigarettes can cause serious health problems like lung cancer. Are you aware that the nicotine in cigarettes can be more addictive than illegal drugs and the tar in marijuana can be four times more dangerous than tobacco smoke? Yes, cigarettes can be a gateway to stronger, more hardcore drugs.
Underage drinking can set you up for a lifetime of trouble because it causes long lasting changes to your developing brain. When of age, drinking itself is not a sin but abusing alcohol is because you no longer have power over yourself. Not only do you lose control of your ability to think clearly, but did you know that drinking alcohol can cause you to become argumentative, act violently, engage in risky behaviors and drive recklessly? It can even go as far as causing the breakdown of families. In fact, illegal drinking and driving causes over half of all road accidents. Did you also know that heavy drinking can lead to liver damage, ulcers, malnourishment, cancer and that it kills brain cells? Don’t you think as a Catholic Christian, you should be strong enough and avoid drinking too much (not consuming alcohol above your tolerance level) and not get into the party scene? When you first go away to college, peer pressure can be heavy because you want to fit in. Our culture tells you that drinking is fun, that people who drink are social and attractive, and you even may see the allure of partying with how the young celebrities behave and how movies portray it. Do you really want to live in such a messed up reality?
If you are a smart, sensible person, you will never even try cigarettes and illegal drugs because of their addictive and harmful nature. Drugs are indeed people wreckers. These substances affect so many of your loved ones if you become a user because they see the damage that it causes you. Drugs don't make you more social, more creative or a cooler person. Those substances only steal your health, cloud your mind, make you a danger to others, and lead you farther from God. They only create money problems, the inability to do well in school or hold down a job, and even lead to an overdose resulting in death. There are many users who even have committed crimes against their neighbors and friends because they had to get some money for a quick fix.
Do you know why a lot of people drink and do drugs? They do it to try to escape their lives, improve their mood and confidence, medicate themselves when they are feeling stress or pain and in times of celebration, make them more outgoing and forget all their worries. But these substances will only weaken your common sense and give you a false sense of security. It makes you feel that you can only experience those things through using these substances. There are a lot of other social interactions that do not revolve around drinking and chemicals such as sports activities or theatrical performances. So live your life without being drunk or getting high. You need to choose this day whom you will serve. You can serve God or you can serve your own fleshly lusts. And if you choose to serve God, you need to follow His commands. The Holy Spirit is in you and you need to glorify God in your body. That means you should look after your body and not put harmful substances in it at all while treating your body as a Temple of the Holy Spirit.
"Old wine and new deprive my people of understanding." Hosea 4:11b
"Hear, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart in the right way. Consort not with winebibbers, nor with those who eat meat to excess; For the drunkard and the glutton come to poverty," Proverbs 23:19-21a
"Wine is arrogant, strong drink is riotous; none who goes astray for it is wise." Proverbs 20:1
"But these also stagger from wine and stumble from strong drink: Priest and prophet stagger from strong drink, overpowered by wine; Led astray by strong drink, staggering in their visions, tottering when giving judgment." Isaiah 28:7
"For a bishop as God's steward must be blameless, not arrogant, not irritable, not a drunkard, not aggresive, not greedy for sordid gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness, temerate, just, holy, and self-controlled.
Titus 1:7-8
"Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." Galatians 5:19-21
"But I now write to you not to associate with anyone named a brother, if he is immoral, greedy, an idolater, a slanderer, a drunkard, or a robber, not even to eat with such a person. God will judge those outside. "Purge the evil person from your midst." 1 Corinthians 5:11, 13
"nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God."
1 Corinthians 6:10
"And do not get drunk on wine, in which lies debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit," Ephesians 5:18
Do you want to become a statistic in the war on drugs? You better believe that when your lives are controlled by addictions to cigarettes, alcohol or drugs, you are made a slave and those bonds can lead to a life of ruin or even death with the negative effects these substances can have in your life. The world that we live in today will tell you that to have fun and to be social and to look cool, you have to drink or get high. And then later you may end up as an alcoholic or a crackhead. Yes, nowadays you can't drive your car, watch TV, or turn on your radio without somehow seeing and hearing how the world glamorizes the use of alcohol and drugs.
But how does God feel about these substances? The fact is that you are commanded by God to live a life of holiness and you are not showing your love or being a good witness for Christ if such addictions control you, now are you? How many of you are trying to prove something to your so-called friends and fit in with them instead of following God's warning to not abuse these substances that alter your behavior and damage your mind? Don't you want to be used by God? How can God use you as a witness to others if you have no self-control, are setting a bad example to others, and are behaving just like the world by drinking and getting high? God's Word tells us that for us to be used by God, we must be sober and avoid intoxicating substances. The Devil loves it when you get drunk and use drugs because you are then in no shape to fight against his attacks. He knows that with your inhibitions lowered and your judgment gone, you will sin and get into things that you would have avoided had you been sober.
Smoking is an uncool, costly and smelly habit. Why throw your money away on tobacco when you could use that money for clothes or computer games? Smoking makes your skin look older, your teeth yellow and your breath, clothes and hair stink. Most people know that smoking is bad for them and want to quit but find it hard because of the nicotine ingredient. The tar in cigarettes can cause serious health problems like lung cancer. Are you aware that the nicotine in cigarettes can be more addictive than illegal drugs and the tar in marijuana can be four times more dangerous than tobacco smoke? Yes, cigarettes can be a gateway to stronger, more hardcore drugs.
Underage drinking can set you up for a lifetime of trouble because it causes long lasting changes to your developing brain. When of age, drinking itself is not a sin but abusing alcohol is because you no longer have power over yourself. Not only do you lose control of your ability to think clearly, but did you know that drinking alcohol can cause you to become argumentative, act violently, engage in risky behaviors and drive recklessly? It can even go as far as causing the breakdown of families. In fact, illegal drinking and driving causes over half of all road accidents. Did you also know that heavy drinking can lead to liver damage, ulcers, malnourishment, cancer and that it kills brain cells? Don’t you think as a Catholic Christian, you should be strong enough and avoid drinking too much (not consuming alcohol above your tolerance level) and not get into the party scene? When you first go away to college, peer pressure can be heavy because you want to fit in. Our culture tells you that drinking is fun, that people who drink are social and attractive, and you even may see the allure of partying with how the young celebrities behave and how movies portray it. Do you really want to live in such a messed up reality?
If you are a smart, sensible person, you will never even try cigarettes and illegal drugs because of their addictive and harmful nature. Drugs are indeed people wreckers. These substances affect so many of your loved ones if you become a user because they see the damage that it causes you. Drugs don't make you more social, more creative or a cooler person. Those substances only steal your health, cloud your mind, make you a danger to others, and lead you farther from God. They only create money problems, the inability to do well in school or hold down a job, and even lead to an overdose resulting in death. There are many users who even have committed crimes against their neighbors and friends because they had to get some money for a quick fix.
Do you know why a lot of people drink and do drugs? They do it to try to escape their lives, improve their mood and confidence, medicate themselves when they are feeling stress or pain and in times of celebration, make them more outgoing and forget all their worries. But these substances will only weaken your common sense and give you a false sense of security. It makes you feel that you can only experience those things through using these substances. There are a lot of other social interactions that do not revolve around drinking and chemicals such as sports activities or theatrical performances. So live your life without being drunk or getting high. You need to choose this day whom you will serve. You can serve God or you can serve your own fleshly lusts. And if you choose to serve God, you need to follow His commands. The Holy Spirit is in you and you need to glorify God in your body. That means you should look after your body and not put harmful substances in it at all while treating your body as a Temple of the Holy Spirit.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Peer Pressure
Peer Pressure
*omit if not age-appropriate
"Happy the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked. Nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, But delights in the law of the Lord and mediates on his law day and night." Psalms 1:1-2
Peer pressure is when you act a certain way because you want to fit in and be accepted by certain people. The pressure comes from your peers, it comes from the media, and it's all around us. Usually we give in to peer pressure from our friends and from the world in order to fit in with certain people and to feel like we belong. You try and behave in certain ways in order to get along with people and blend in with the crowd. You usually have a choice of how you will act. If you decide to do your own thing, you might get laughed at or talked about or shunned. Others may only tease or ridicule you to get you to do the wrong thing and try to do what they want you to do. Nobody wants to be the person who gets talked about or laughed at.
Sometimes the pressure that you feel involves superficial things, like dressing a certain way to be considered cool. You have to have the name-brand clothes or shoes. Or maybe the pressure involves doing things that you think everyone else is doing. Or maybe the pressure involves doing something illegal like drugs or drinking under age. Maybe your friends were in on something and you went along and joined in because you didn't want them to think that you were scared. Or maybe you were the one who convinced one of your friends into doing something wrong. So there's no mistaking, you sometimes feel pressure from our friends.
So why does it seem so important for you to fit in and be accepted? It is probably because you want to belong to something. You want to feel chosen like being picked on a team...feeling as good as everyone else for not being the last person chosen. You want to be part of the "in"crowd but the "in"crowd may not be the crowd you should be with. But then on top of that, you may also get caught up in what the world says is important. The world stresses to us that we have to look a certain way to be cool. The world's value system revolves around money and status. There are going to be times when you have to make a choice. Are you going to choose your peers or what God would have you do? Are you going to choose what the world says is important or what God's Word tells you is important?
Even though to us this might sound like something small, as Catholic Christians we should know that if we don't stand for Christ in the small things, then we are only fooling ourselves if we think we will persevere and be able to stand when really put to the test. The Devil is smart and can trick you. You'll be tempted with, "Why don't you just take a sip of beer just to taste it. What's the harm?" He will say, "Everybody's doing it. It's 'in' to get high" and the next thing you know you're an alcoholic or into drugs.
But, unfortunately, sometimes you lose focus of who you really are because it becomes more important to you just to fit in. So peer pressure happens, basically, when you lose focus. Instead of focusing on God and listening to God's voice and being in touch with what God is trying to do in your life, you start looking at those people around you. Then you start worrying about what other people do and what other people think that you let other people influence your actions. If you are someone who blends in too easily with the crowd and you are comfortable being in the company of friends who don't respect or honor God, you will be influenced by them.
You can even miss out on what God is trying to do with your life. So peer pressure happens when instead of going forward towards God, you get stuck trying to fit in with the world. But if you are smart, you will eventually realize that there is no way to please the world, so why are you even trying? No matter what you do, there is going to be someone who wants to put you down. If you are really smart, they will say you think you know it all. If you are good looking, someone is going to say that you are stuck up or conceited. If you are really thin or really heavy, someone will call you an unflattering nickname.
And do you think in the end when you die and face God on Judgment Day, will your peers matter then? God is not going to look at you and say, "Oh, you have on name-brand clothes. Come on in." "Oh, you had much respect in your neighborhood. I'm impressed." When you die, will you end up in Hell with Satan and those other people who never cared about God, or will Jesus step up and say, "He's on my team. He chose me, and I died for him." Don't you realize that no matter what you look like, whether you have nice clothes or not, Christ is willing to say, "I'll take him." What do your so-called friends have to offer that compares with that?
As you know now, peer pressure sometimes shows itself by the way you act a certain way because you want to blend in and be accepted by a certain group of people. But sometimes you can fold under peer pressure not so much by what you do, but by the things that you don't do. For example, when you don't speak up even though something is going on that you know isn't right. Or maybe it shows itself just in your conversations. *For example, while in the locker room, the conversation turns to dirty jokes or sexual comments about girls that, as a Catholic Christian, you know are inappropriate, but instead of voicing your opinion against such talk, you just smile as though you think it's funny. Did you know that whenever you don't take a stand for your Catholic Christian beliefs and instead you just go along with anything and everything that this world says is okay, then you are giving in to peer pressure?
If you are a true follower of Christ, you should carry yourself in such a way that you are making God proud of you, not saddened by you. Is God proud of you when you are cussing up a storm with your friends, watching R-rated films, *watching sex and violence TV? I bet that breaks God's heart. Even though He knows that we are going to do it, I bet it saddens Him greatly when we let the world influence our actions and we desert Him.
Peter denied knowing Christ three times around Jesus' death. Peter went from being someone who at first gave in to worldly pressure, to ultimately becoming someone God used in a mighty way. And God can do the same for you, but you have to make a choice: Jesus or the world. Is there a time when you should have stood up for someone, but instead you went along with the crowd? Have you ever denied Christ by your words or actions because it was more important for you to be comfortable around your friends? And fortunately for us, God is so good that even when we've denied Him in the past and given in to the temptation of this world, he will still give us another chance. But only if you sincerely admit your mistakes, ask his forgiveness in confession, and turn away from sin.
You don't need to please the wrong types and give into the pressure; just please the Lord and fix your attention on Him and don't take your eyes off Him. Recognize what God wants from you and then you can respond to Him. You don't have to go along with someone who doesn't care if something is right or wrong or care that it may hurt someone. You just need to keep doing what is right and not worry what others think. If you truly love the Lord, then don't follow Christ from a distance. Don't deny Christ by your actions. Read your Bible daily (the 4 Gospels are a good place to start). Pray daily. Wherever the pressure comes from, avoid that situation! And surround yourself with people who will help you to grow in your faith. Stop being a coward trying to please other people rather than standing up for Jesus Christ. You can stop living like the rest of the world and start being a true follower of Christ!
But you know what? If you call yourself a follower of Christ, you are not supposed to even care what is going on with everybody else, let alone try to go along with it. And in the end, people will respect you more if you stand up for what you believe in. Jesus will turn things around to where even your enemies will be at peace with you. The way to reach people isn't by coming down to their level. It is by holding your head up high and standing your ground. Your friends may come around when they see us live lives that honor God and when we refuse to bow down to peer pressure. And what about you? Wouldn't you rather be special and unique and blessed by God instead of being just another face in the crowd? We are supposed to stand out from the crowd. Show that they weren't interested in being like everybody else. Live your life in such a way that shows that Jesus is the only one you care about fitting in with and impressing.
You are the sum total of the choices you make. With every choice you reveal what you actually believe. There really is no confusion in figuring out who a person is and what he or she really believes...simply look at his or her choices!
Every decision tou make either brings us closer to God and His design for our lives, or moves you further from Him and His design. Every choice is filled with opportunities for growth or for stepping backward. There are a lot of voices to which you can respond when making choices. Each voice comes from something or someone who wants you on their side. Remember, God is calling you to choose. Which voice are you going to respond to most often in your life? Are you going to listen to those other 'gods' who are calling for you to follow them, or are you going to tune into God's frequency and follow His voice? As you think about your life today, remember how God has loved you and guided you faithfully. Then as each voice comes and wants you on thier team, choose to follow the voice that leads you onto a path of holiness.
*omit if not age-appropriate
"Happy the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked. Nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, But delights in the law of the Lord and mediates on his law day and night." Psalms 1:1-2
Peer pressure is when you act a certain way because you want to fit in and be accepted by certain people. The pressure comes from your peers, it comes from the media, and it's all around us. Usually we give in to peer pressure from our friends and from the world in order to fit in with certain people and to feel like we belong. You try and behave in certain ways in order to get along with people and blend in with the crowd. You usually have a choice of how you will act. If you decide to do your own thing, you might get laughed at or talked about or shunned. Others may only tease or ridicule you to get you to do the wrong thing and try to do what they want you to do. Nobody wants to be the person who gets talked about or laughed at.
Sometimes the pressure that you feel involves superficial things, like dressing a certain way to be considered cool. You have to have the name-brand clothes or shoes. Or maybe the pressure involves doing things that you think everyone else is doing. Or maybe the pressure involves doing something illegal like drugs or drinking under age. Maybe your friends were in on something and you went along and joined in because you didn't want them to think that you were scared. Or maybe you were the one who convinced one of your friends into doing something wrong. So there's no mistaking, you sometimes feel pressure from our friends.
So why does it seem so important for you to fit in and be accepted? It is probably because you want to belong to something. You want to feel chosen like being picked on a team...feeling as good as everyone else for not being the last person chosen. You want to be part of the "in"crowd but the "in"crowd may not be the crowd you should be with. But then on top of that, you may also get caught up in what the world says is important. The world stresses to us that we have to look a certain way to be cool. The world's value system revolves around money and status. There are going to be times when you have to make a choice. Are you going to choose your peers or what God would have you do? Are you going to choose what the world says is important or what God's Word tells you is important?
Even though to us this might sound like something small, as Catholic Christians we should know that if we don't stand for Christ in the small things, then we are only fooling ourselves if we think we will persevere and be able to stand when really put to the test. The Devil is smart and can trick you. You'll be tempted with, "Why don't you just take a sip of beer just to taste it. What's the harm?" He will say, "Everybody's doing it. It's 'in' to get high" and the next thing you know you're an alcoholic or into drugs.
But, unfortunately, sometimes you lose focus of who you really are because it becomes more important to you just to fit in. So peer pressure happens, basically, when you lose focus. Instead of focusing on God and listening to God's voice and being in touch with what God is trying to do in your life, you start looking at those people around you. Then you start worrying about what other people do and what other people think that you let other people influence your actions. If you are someone who blends in too easily with the crowd and you are comfortable being in the company of friends who don't respect or honor God, you will be influenced by them.
You can even miss out on what God is trying to do with your life. So peer pressure happens when instead of going forward towards God, you get stuck trying to fit in with the world. But if you are smart, you will eventually realize that there is no way to please the world, so why are you even trying? No matter what you do, there is going to be someone who wants to put you down. If you are really smart, they will say you think you know it all. If you are good looking, someone is going to say that you are stuck up or conceited. If you are really thin or really heavy, someone will call you an unflattering nickname.
And do you think in the end when you die and face God on Judgment Day, will your peers matter then? God is not going to look at you and say, "Oh, you have on name-brand clothes. Come on in." "Oh, you had much respect in your neighborhood. I'm impressed." When you die, will you end up in Hell with Satan and those other people who never cared about God, or will Jesus step up and say, "He's on my team. He chose me, and I died for him." Don't you realize that no matter what you look like, whether you have nice clothes or not, Christ is willing to say, "I'll take him." What do your so-called friends have to offer that compares with that?
As you know now, peer pressure sometimes shows itself by the way you act a certain way because you want to blend in and be accepted by a certain group of people. But sometimes you can fold under peer pressure not so much by what you do, but by the things that you don't do. For example, when you don't speak up even though something is going on that you know isn't right. Or maybe it shows itself just in your conversations. *For example, while in the locker room, the conversation turns to dirty jokes or sexual comments about girls that, as a Catholic Christian, you know are inappropriate, but instead of voicing your opinion against such talk, you just smile as though you think it's funny. Did you know that whenever you don't take a stand for your Catholic Christian beliefs and instead you just go along with anything and everything that this world says is okay, then you are giving in to peer pressure?
If you are a true follower of Christ, you should carry yourself in such a way that you are making God proud of you, not saddened by you. Is God proud of you when you are cussing up a storm with your friends, watching R-rated films, *watching sex and violence TV? I bet that breaks God's heart. Even though He knows that we are going to do it, I bet it saddens Him greatly when we let the world influence our actions and we desert Him.
Peter denied knowing Christ three times around Jesus' death. Peter went from being someone who at first gave in to worldly pressure, to ultimately becoming someone God used in a mighty way. And God can do the same for you, but you have to make a choice: Jesus or the world. Is there a time when you should have stood up for someone, but instead you went along with the crowd? Have you ever denied Christ by your words or actions because it was more important for you to be comfortable around your friends? And fortunately for us, God is so good that even when we've denied Him in the past and given in to the temptation of this world, he will still give us another chance. But only if you sincerely admit your mistakes, ask his forgiveness in confession, and turn away from sin.
You don't need to please the wrong types and give into the pressure; just please the Lord and fix your attention on Him and don't take your eyes off Him. Recognize what God wants from you and then you can respond to Him. You don't have to go along with someone who doesn't care if something is right or wrong or care that it may hurt someone. You just need to keep doing what is right and not worry what others think. If you truly love the Lord, then don't follow Christ from a distance. Don't deny Christ by your actions. Read your Bible daily (the 4 Gospels are a good place to start). Pray daily. Wherever the pressure comes from, avoid that situation! And surround yourself with people who will help you to grow in your faith. Stop being a coward trying to please other people rather than standing up for Jesus Christ. You can stop living like the rest of the world and start being a true follower of Christ!
But you know what? If you call yourself a follower of Christ, you are not supposed to even care what is going on with everybody else, let alone try to go along with it. And in the end, people will respect you more if you stand up for what you believe in. Jesus will turn things around to where even your enemies will be at peace with you. The way to reach people isn't by coming down to their level. It is by holding your head up high and standing your ground. Your friends may come around when they see us live lives that honor God and when we refuse to bow down to peer pressure. And what about you? Wouldn't you rather be special and unique and blessed by God instead of being just another face in the crowd? We are supposed to stand out from the crowd. Show that they weren't interested in being like everybody else. Live your life in such a way that shows that Jesus is the only one you care about fitting in with and impressing.
You are the sum total of the choices you make. With every choice you reveal what you actually believe. There really is no confusion in figuring out who a person is and what he or she really believes...simply look at his or her choices!
Every decision tou make either brings us closer to God and His design for our lives, or moves you further from Him and His design. Every choice is filled with opportunities for growth or for stepping backward. There are a lot of voices to which you can respond when making choices. Each voice comes from something or someone who wants you on their side. Remember, God is calling you to choose. Which voice are you going to respond to most often in your life? Are you going to listen to those other 'gods' who are calling for you to follow them, or are you going to tune into God's frequency and follow His voice? As you think about your life today, remember how God has loved you and guided you faithfully. Then as each voice comes and wants you on thier team, choose to follow the voice that leads you onto a path of holiness.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Lust vs. Chastity (Purity)
Lust vs. Chastity (Purity)
"Like an open city with no defenses is the man with no check on his feelings. Proverbs 25:28
"This is the will of God, your holiness: that you refrain from immorality, that each of you knows how to acquire a wife for himself in holiness and honor, not in lustful passion" 1 Thess. 4:3-5a
"For the love of money is the root of all evils." 1 Timothy 6:10 (a)
"For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion, devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love." 2 Peter 1:5-7
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Philippians 4:8
Lust is the self-destructive drive for physical pleasure or for material possessions. It is an excessive love for something that you either shouldn't love or not love as much as you do. It is really about control. Lust is worshiping or idolizing anything material above God. Instead of putting your hope in God for your joy, you put all your hope in money or material things for your happiness. These things are needed to make you feel good, so lusting after things like money is what is really evil. It also can be the desire of power, financial gain, revenge, having an ego (self-importance) or treating someone like scum or a servant to accomplish your own personal will.
Sexual excitement without love is lust and is immoral. Prolonged sexual fantasies are desires that seek to use people and things with the intent of satisfying your own needs and desires. Using a person just as a means of sexual gratification instead of treating a person with respect and dignity and as a child of God is wrong and a serious sin.
Sexual promiscuity and immoral practices turns a person into an animal. It's thinking you can use your body as you see fit and that you're not hurting anyone. It is dominating another person or having an attraction turn into a conquest. Sexual desire is not only a physical attraction but emotional or mental as well. It can not only be a physical attraction but you can even being attracted to someone's mind or demeanor. Lust of the eyes and the flesh lead to sexual sins. Looking at nude pictures or treating or seeing a person as a sexual object does not respect them as a full person with a personality and a soul. You must have self-control and self-discipline to avoid premarital sex, perverse sex, pornography, adultery, homosexuality, and prostitution.
Chastity is innocence and purity in body and soul. Purity is keeping yourself uncontaminated from the world, the flesh and the devil. It is the ability to keep your mind and heart from bad thoughts, desires and feelings. It helps you to guard your senses as well as your own body and those of others as a temple of the Holy Spirit. It is also being chaste in your behavior, manner of clothing and appearance and reflecting your love for God. The purpose of God's creation of sexual feelings was for procreation of humankind. Losing your virginity outside of marriage is sinful and will ruin your reputation. You are called to holiness. Inappropriate images in video games, movies and TV shows can lead to having disordered desires. They can leave mental images in you that can lead to impure thoughts and actions. You can be tempted by dirty magazines and pornography on the Internet.
You can practice romantic courtship and friendship and abstain from sexual conduct if in an unmarried state. You need to try and keep a pure heart and be strong to avoid this sin. Serving your personal desires sets your will against God's. You must develop the ability to refrain from being distracted and influenced by temptation. Self-control is controlling our actions to do what is right. The Holy Spirit will help you do what is right. When you hear Him and obey what He says, you are using your gift of self-control.
Joseph faced a lot of different temptations from Potiphar's wife to thoughts of revenge on the brothers that sold him into slavery. Yet Joseph never wavered in his devotion to the Lord. His actions were always defined by his relationship and faith in God. When he turned down Potiphar's wife, it was with the words, "How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?"
We can all learn lessons from Joseph's self-control. It is so easy today to give into the temptations that you face. Sometimes it is more difficult to walk away from temptation than to give into it. After all, there is so much peer pressure to drink, have sex, do drugs, not go to church, and more. God will eventually reward your self-control and help you to overcome temptations.
"Like an open city with no defenses is the man with no check on his feelings. Proverbs 25:28
"This is the will of God, your holiness: that you refrain from immorality, that each of you knows how to acquire a wife for himself in holiness and honor, not in lustful passion" 1 Thess. 4:3-5a
"For the love of money is the root of all evils." 1 Timothy 6:10 (a)
"For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion, devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love." 2 Peter 1:5-7
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Philippians 4:8
Lust is the self-destructive drive for physical pleasure or for material possessions. It is an excessive love for something that you either shouldn't love or not love as much as you do. It is really about control. Lust is worshiping or idolizing anything material above God. Instead of putting your hope in God for your joy, you put all your hope in money or material things for your happiness. These things are needed to make you feel good, so lusting after things like money is what is really evil. It also can be the desire of power, financial gain, revenge, having an ego (self-importance) or treating someone like scum or a servant to accomplish your own personal will.
Sexual excitement without love is lust and is immoral. Prolonged sexual fantasies are desires that seek to use people and things with the intent of satisfying your own needs and desires. Using a person just as a means of sexual gratification instead of treating a person with respect and dignity and as a child of God is wrong and a serious sin.
Sexual promiscuity and immoral practices turns a person into an animal. It's thinking you can use your body as you see fit and that you're not hurting anyone. It is dominating another person or having an attraction turn into a conquest. Sexual desire is not only a physical attraction but emotional or mental as well. It can not only be a physical attraction but you can even being attracted to someone's mind or demeanor. Lust of the eyes and the flesh lead to sexual sins. Looking at nude pictures or treating or seeing a person as a sexual object does not respect them as a full person with a personality and a soul. You must have self-control and self-discipline to avoid premarital sex, perverse sex, pornography, adultery, homosexuality, and prostitution.
Chastity is innocence and purity in body and soul. Purity is keeping yourself uncontaminated from the world, the flesh and the devil. It is the ability to keep your mind and heart from bad thoughts, desires and feelings. It helps you to guard your senses as well as your own body and those of others as a temple of the Holy Spirit. It is also being chaste in your behavior, manner of clothing and appearance and reflecting your love for God. The purpose of God's creation of sexual feelings was for procreation of humankind. Losing your virginity outside of marriage is sinful and will ruin your reputation. You are called to holiness. Inappropriate images in video games, movies and TV shows can lead to having disordered desires. They can leave mental images in you that can lead to impure thoughts and actions. You can be tempted by dirty magazines and pornography on the Internet.
You can practice romantic courtship and friendship and abstain from sexual conduct if in an unmarried state. You need to try and keep a pure heart and be strong to avoid this sin. Serving your personal desires sets your will against God's. You must develop the ability to refrain from being distracted and influenced by temptation. Self-control is controlling our actions to do what is right. The Holy Spirit will help you do what is right. When you hear Him and obey what He says, you are using your gift of self-control.
Joseph faced a lot of different temptations from Potiphar's wife to thoughts of revenge on the brothers that sold him into slavery. Yet Joseph never wavered in his devotion to the Lord. His actions were always defined by his relationship and faith in God. When he turned down Potiphar's wife, it was with the words, "How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?"
We can all learn lessons from Joseph's self-control. It is so easy today to give into the temptations that you face. Sometimes it is more difficult to walk away from temptation than to give into it. After all, there is so much peer pressure to drink, have sex, do drugs, not go to church, and more. God will eventually reward your self-control and help you to overcome temptations.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Wrath (Anger) vs. Patience (Meekness)
Wrath (Anger) vs. Patience (Meekness)
Deadly Sin vs. Heavenly Virtue/Fruit of the Holy Spirit
"… for the wrath of a man does not accomplish the righteousness of God." James 1:20
"The fool immediately shows his anger, but the shrewd man passes over an insult." Proverbs 12:16
"The quick-tempered man makes a fool of himself, but the prudent man is at peace." Proverbs 14:17
"The patient man shows much good sense, but the quick-tempered man displays folly at its height." Proverbs 14:29
"A mild answer calms wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Proverbs 15:1
"An ill-tempered man stirs up strife, but a patient man allays discord." Proverbs 15:18
"A patient man is better than a warrior, and he who rules his temper, than he who takes a city." Proverbs 16:32
"It is honorable for a man to shun strife, while every fool starts a quarrel." Proverbs 20:3
"Like golden apples in silver settings are words spoken at the proper time." Proverbs 25:11
"Like an open city with no defenses is the man with no check on his feelings." Proverbs 25:28
"The fool gives vent to all his anger; but by biding his time, the wise man calms it." Proverbs 29:11
"An ill-tempered man stirs up disputes, and a hotheaded man is the cause of many sins." Proverbs 29:22
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, and factions (Galatians 5:19-20).
"Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun set on your anger, and do not leave room for the devil." Ephesians 4:26-7
"All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling must be removed from you, along with all malice." Ephesians 4:31
"Know this my dear brothers: everyone should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of a man does not accomplish the righteousness of God." James 1:19-20
"Do not return evil for evil, or insult with insult; but, on the contrary, a blessing, because to this you were called, that you might inherit a blessing." 1 Peter 3:9
"Leave it to the Lord and wait for him; Be not vexed at the successful path of the man who does malicious deeds. Give up your anger, and forsake wrath; be not vexed, it will only harm you. For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall possess the land.” Psalms 37:7-9
"Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because of the coming of the Lord is at hand. James 5:7-8
"… strengthened with every power, in accordance with his glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy," Colossians 1:11
"It is good sense in a man to be slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense." Proverbs 19:11
"Better is the patient spirit than the lofty spirit." Ecclesiastes 7:8 b
Wrath is senseless anger. It causes you to be irritated and intentionally want to cause harm to others. It is when you want revenge or to get even when you feel someone is not treating you fairly. Wrath or anger can strike when you are tired or frustrated. There are days you may find it hard to be loving. You can become angry with the very people we love the most. When someone is not nice, you shouldn't repay one bad deed with another bad deed. You shouldn't take the matter into your own hands but leave the justice to God. You should fill your heart with love and not anger.
God commands us to forgive those who sin against us. This doesn't mean you have to forget about the offense against or ignore the pain that it has caused you. You just need to choose to let go of the wrong that was committed and move on without seeking revenge. You need to take responsibility for your own actions and Jesus asks us to love the sinner but to hate the sin. You shouldn't keep your anger in but turn it into something positive instead. Angry people usually justify their anger, saying it's someone else's fault they are angry. We shouldn't give into anger when we are upset by other people's words or actions. When we give in to anger, we often focus on our own well being, comfort or happiness. Instead, we should be first and foremost concerned about other people’s welfare and being a good witness for God. God does not want us to simply react emotionally to others' actions. God is the judge and will take care of others. Instead, we should respond with a gentle spirit or find a way to turn the situation around for the betterment of everyone concerned.
Patience is the ability to be calm (have control of your emotions), tolerant (kind and considerate to the people different from you) and understanding (putting yourself in another person's shoes). Patience is a type of meekness and selflessness that avoids harming others. Sometimes you may feel that the hardest thing to do is to wait. Waiting your turn in line can be extremely difficult especially when you are excited and in a hurry. You usually know what you want and when you want it which is usually right now. But the right time for things to happen in your life is determined by God and not by us. He will help you in His own time and according to His own plan and he will eventually reveal what He has in store for you. In other words, you must wait for God to make His plans clear.
Are you patient when someone else is unhappy? God wants you to choose not to get angry or upset with yourself and others when things are not going your way. You should also watch out for the feelings of others. You can choose not to get upset because God gave us this wonderful gift of Holy Spirit to help you with this.
Patience is the ability to remain calm in difficult situations. When you are patient, you will have better relationships since you will have tolerance for others’ shortcomings, and able to forgive when someone wrongs you. It can be hard to wait when we want something right NOW and so much harder not to complain about it. We live in a society that promotes instant gratification. The wait on things can be frustrating. After all, you want that guy to ask you out right now. Or you want that car so you can go to the movies tonight. Or you want that great skateboard you saw in the magazine. Advertising tells us that the "now" matters. Yet, there is something to the saying, "Good things come to those who wait." We shouldn't want everything right now because things/tasks can take more time than we thought. You must take your turn, wait for your friend or wait to go somewhere. It may take a lot of practice. If you can just put the needs and wants of others ahead of you, you'll get better at being patient.
We don't always understand why God says "no" to our prayers. You also might not want to wait on God to do something. He wants you to trust Him. He wants you to use the gift of patience as we love Jesus, others and, yes, even yourself, with His special love. God has His own timing so you need to wait on that timing or sometimes our blessings get lost. We cannot know all of His ways, so it is important to have trust in the delay. Eventually what will come your way will be better than you ever thought it could be, because it will come with God's blessings. God will help you gain the patience and the strength to wait for the things He desires for you. Allow Him to work in your heart to provide you with the patience you need.
When you lose your temper, you want to strike out at others with an intention to hurt them and say and do things you shouldn't. So when you are tempted to say unkind words or start an argument, you should learn to slow down and think about things before you do them. After all, you can't take words back. If you blurt out the first words that come into your head, you may say the wrong thing. God wants you to choose your words carefully or you will regret it later and may even lose a friend. You can ask yourself before you speak, if what you say is necessary, true and kind.
Frustration can lead to anger and then even worse, rage and bitterness can follow. Anger may be good for identifying problems but not the answer to solving them. But as you know, the feelings of anger will pass.
You need to take responsibility for your own actions and not blame your hurtful responses on someone else. Stepping back and taking a break from the situation to be alone can be very helpful in managing your anger. This gives you the chance to calm down, think over the happening and determine what to do next. If your response is to act out or attack, you may just need to take a deep breath and leave the room to clean out your anger tank. You can talk about it after you settle down so no mean words will be exchanged. This way you can think more clearly and get a better handle on your emotions to control your anger. Thinking how bad it could have been and expanding your view of the others perspective or thinking of someone who is dealing with a difficult situation can ease the anger. You can try praying, singing a song (in their head); read a favorite passage of Scripture or a "feel-good" wise saying; go for a run, count backwards, call someone to vent or just to just shift your focus and get redirected. Or use grace by serving the object of your wrath a cool glass of water – then have one yourself while you're at it. Inhale slowly, hold your breath for five seconds, then completely exhale slowly and wait five seconds before repeating the inhale and exhale three times...this can at least reduce your pulse rate and lower blood pressure. You may need to try again and start over, adjust your attitude, accept your instruction and remain calm and not blow up. It takes a lot of patience, prayer, self-control and self discipline to get over your anger quickly, channel it into different areas or express it at a different time.
Deadly Sin vs. Heavenly Virtue/Fruit of the Holy Spirit
"… for the wrath of a man does not accomplish the righteousness of God." James 1:20
"The fool immediately shows his anger, but the shrewd man passes over an insult." Proverbs 12:16
"The quick-tempered man makes a fool of himself, but the prudent man is at peace." Proverbs 14:17
"The patient man shows much good sense, but the quick-tempered man displays folly at its height." Proverbs 14:29
"A mild answer calms wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Proverbs 15:1
"An ill-tempered man stirs up strife, but a patient man allays discord." Proverbs 15:18
"A patient man is better than a warrior, and he who rules his temper, than he who takes a city." Proverbs 16:32
"It is honorable for a man to shun strife, while every fool starts a quarrel." Proverbs 20:3
"Like golden apples in silver settings are words spoken at the proper time." Proverbs 25:11
"Like an open city with no defenses is the man with no check on his feelings." Proverbs 25:28
"The fool gives vent to all his anger; but by biding his time, the wise man calms it." Proverbs 29:11
"An ill-tempered man stirs up disputes, and a hotheaded man is the cause of many sins." Proverbs 29:22
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, and factions (Galatians 5:19-20).
"Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun set on your anger, and do not leave room for the devil." Ephesians 4:26-7
"All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling must be removed from you, along with all malice." Ephesians 4:31
"Know this my dear brothers: everyone should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of a man does not accomplish the righteousness of God." James 1:19-20
"Do not return evil for evil, or insult with insult; but, on the contrary, a blessing, because to this you were called, that you might inherit a blessing." 1 Peter 3:9
"Leave it to the Lord and wait for him; Be not vexed at the successful path of the man who does malicious deeds. Give up your anger, and forsake wrath; be not vexed, it will only harm you. For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall possess the land.” Psalms 37:7-9
"Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because of the coming of the Lord is at hand. James 5:7-8
"… strengthened with every power, in accordance with his glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy," Colossians 1:11
"It is good sense in a man to be slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense." Proverbs 19:11
"Better is the patient spirit than the lofty spirit." Ecclesiastes 7:8 b
Wrath is senseless anger. It causes you to be irritated and intentionally want to cause harm to others. It is when you want revenge or to get even when you feel someone is not treating you fairly. Wrath or anger can strike when you are tired or frustrated. There are days you may find it hard to be loving. You can become angry with the very people we love the most. When someone is not nice, you shouldn't repay one bad deed with another bad deed. You shouldn't take the matter into your own hands but leave the justice to God. You should fill your heart with love and not anger.
God commands us to forgive those who sin against us. This doesn't mean you have to forget about the offense against or ignore the pain that it has caused you. You just need to choose to let go of the wrong that was committed and move on without seeking revenge. You need to take responsibility for your own actions and Jesus asks us to love the sinner but to hate the sin. You shouldn't keep your anger in but turn it into something positive instead. Angry people usually justify their anger, saying it's someone else's fault they are angry. We shouldn't give into anger when we are upset by other people's words or actions. When we give in to anger, we often focus on our own well being, comfort or happiness. Instead, we should be first and foremost concerned about other people’s welfare and being a good witness for God. God does not want us to simply react emotionally to others' actions. God is the judge and will take care of others. Instead, we should respond with a gentle spirit or find a way to turn the situation around for the betterment of everyone concerned.
Patience is the ability to be calm (have control of your emotions), tolerant (kind and considerate to the people different from you) and understanding (putting yourself in another person's shoes). Patience is a type of meekness and selflessness that avoids harming others. Sometimes you may feel that the hardest thing to do is to wait. Waiting your turn in line can be extremely difficult especially when you are excited and in a hurry. You usually know what you want and when you want it which is usually right now. But the right time for things to happen in your life is determined by God and not by us. He will help you in His own time and according to His own plan and he will eventually reveal what He has in store for you. In other words, you must wait for God to make His plans clear.
Are you patient when someone else is unhappy? God wants you to choose not to get angry or upset with yourself and others when things are not going your way. You should also watch out for the feelings of others. You can choose not to get upset because God gave us this wonderful gift of Holy Spirit to help you with this.
Patience is the ability to remain calm in difficult situations. When you are patient, you will have better relationships since you will have tolerance for others’ shortcomings, and able to forgive when someone wrongs you. It can be hard to wait when we want something right NOW and so much harder not to complain about it. We live in a society that promotes instant gratification. The wait on things can be frustrating. After all, you want that guy to ask you out right now. Or you want that car so you can go to the movies tonight. Or you want that great skateboard you saw in the magazine. Advertising tells us that the "now" matters. Yet, there is something to the saying, "Good things come to those who wait." We shouldn't want everything right now because things/tasks can take more time than we thought. You must take your turn, wait for your friend or wait to go somewhere. It may take a lot of practice. If you can just put the needs and wants of others ahead of you, you'll get better at being patient.
We don't always understand why God says "no" to our prayers. You also might not want to wait on God to do something. He wants you to trust Him. He wants you to use the gift of patience as we love Jesus, others and, yes, even yourself, with His special love. God has His own timing so you need to wait on that timing or sometimes our blessings get lost. We cannot know all of His ways, so it is important to have trust in the delay. Eventually what will come your way will be better than you ever thought it could be, because it will come with God's blessings. God will help you gain the patience and the strength to wait for the things He desires for you. Allow Him to work in your heart to provide you with the patience you need.
When you lose your temper, you want to strike out at others with an intention to hurt them and say and do things you shouldn't. So when you are tempted to say unkind words or start an argument, you should learn to slow down and think about things before you do them. After all, you can't take words back. If you blurt out the first words that come into your head, you may say the wrong thing. God wants you to choose your words carefully or you will regret it later and may even lose a friend. You can ask yourself before you speak, if what you say is necessary, true and kind.
Frustration can lead to anger and then even worse, rage and bitterness can follow. Anger may be good for identifying problems but not the answer to solving them. But as you know, the feelings of anger will pass.
You need to take responsibility for your own actions and not blame your hurtful responses on someone else. Stepping back and taking a break from the situation to be alone can be very helpful in managing your anger. This gives you the chance to calm down, think over the happening and determine what to do next. If your response is to act out or attack, you may just need to take a deep breath and leave the room to clean out your anger tank. You can talk about it after you settle down so no mean words will be exchanged. This way you can think more clearly and get a better handle on your emotions to control your anger. Thinking how bad it could have been and expanding your view of the others perspective or thinking of someone who is dealing with a difficult situation can ease the anger. You can try praying, singing a song (in their head); read a favorite passage of Scripture or a "feel-good" wise saying; go for a run, count backwards, call someone to vent or just to just shift your focus and get redirected. Or use grace by serving the object of your wrath a cool glass of water – then have one yourself while you're at it. Inhale slowly, hold your breath for five seconds, then completely exhale slowly and wait five seconds before repeating the inhale and exhale three times...this can at least reduce your pulse rate and lower blood pressure. You may need to try again and start over, adjust your attitude, accept your instruction and remain calm and not blow up. It takes a lot of patience, prayer, self-control and self discipline to get over your anger quickly, channel it into different areas or express it at a different time.
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