Devotions for Teens

[Soldier4Christ]

  Never Alone


Based on: Judges 6:1-32

Fear was a constant companion.  Gideon felt it in the morning when he woke up, straining his ears for horses' hooves.  All through the day, threshing wheat his hands shook and sweat trickled down his back, more from nervousness than heat.  In the evening it was worst.  It seemed that every dark shadow held Midian men, waiting for him to fall asleep.  Then they would rush to his house, kill his family and burn it to the ground.

Gideon tried to concentrate on his threshing.  He was doing his work in a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites.  Bent over the wheat, he did not see a strange figure walking towards him.  The person stopped underneath an oak tree, standing several feet from the winepress.  Out of the corner of his eye, Gideon noticed the man sitting down.  He straightened quickly, his heart hammering.  It was not like the Midianites to rest before attacking, but who else could it be?

"The Lord is with you, mighty warrior," the stranger greeted him.

Gideon felt his fear subsiding.  It was just another Israelite...foolish to be traveling alone.

"But sir if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?  Where are all His wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, 'Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the Lord has abandoned us and allowed the Midianites to ravish our lands...stealing and killing as they wish." As Gideon spoke, he realized there was something different about this man.  There was a look in his eyes. . .  Realization washed over him, and Gideon stared with new interest at the angel.

"The Lord will give you strength to defeat the Midians.  God will be with you."

Gideon struggled with disbelief at this message.  The Lord had chosen him to save the Israelites?

"Peace! Do not be afraid," the angel commanded him before leaving.

That evening, Gideon received another message from the Lord.  He was to tear down the altar to Baal in his village, and erect an altar to the Lord.  Gideon waited until evening to do as he was commanded, for fear of his family.  Then, taking ten servants he destroyed the altar of Baal.  As his hands tore down the stones, Gideon tried to push aside his dread.  All day he had struggled with the Lord's command...the men from the village would most likely kill him for his deed.

Working quickly, Gideon built a new altar.  Then taking a goat he sacrificed it.  Glancing at the sky, he saw that there were several hours before dawn.  Sending his servants home, Gideon began to walk quickly away from the city.  Reaching a small cave, Gideon sat down in the cool recesses.  Now he would only have to wait.  A messenger would come from his father's household to tell Gideon if it was safe for him to return.

Several hours passed, and the sun began to rise.  Still there was no word from the city.  Towards afternoon, a lone figure came running towards him on the road.  Gideon stood slowly, his heart pounding.  This man would either bring word that he must depart immediately, or that he could return to his home.

"What news?" Gideon asked immediately, not waiting for the messenger to catch his breath.

"It- it is- safe," the man gasped out. "Your father told the men- "Are you going- to plead Baal's cause? Are you trying- to save him? Whoever fights for him shall killed by morning! If Baal really is- a god, he can defend- himself when someone- breaks down his altar."

Gideon went numb with relief.  Raising his gaze to the sky, he contemplated the doubt that had been in his heart.  The Lord had protected him.  Closing his eyes, Gideon felt ashamed.  He had not trusted.  Would he trust the Lord if he was called upon again?

Friends, we must always remember that God will not call us to do His will and then leave us to complete the task alone.  He is with us the whole time, assisting and protecting.  We can trust in Him to see us through.  If God has asked you do something for Him...perhaps witnessing to a friend, having a Christ-like example, or even going into the ministry for Him, remember that He will always be there to help you.  You are never alone.  May God bless you and keep you.

[Soldier4Christ]

  If God Forgave me...


Psalm 103:12   as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our
transgressions from us.  (NIV)

Hebrews 10:22  let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance
of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience
and having our bodies washed with pure water.  (NIV)

Colossians 1:22  in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy,
and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—(NKJV)

I John 1:7 says, “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light we have
fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from
all sin.”  (NIV)

When we ask for questions for the Sunday Special request, it seems that this
question comes up very often in my mailbox by a number of people.  Why do I
feel guilty if God forgave me?  I talk to hundreds of students and I know
that there are many people who feel the very same way about this very
subject.  I hope that my insight will help many of you.

It seems that we all understand what guilt is and know exactly how it feels.
Especially when we have committed a sin that we know that we should not have
really done.  But, guilt with God is taken care of when it comes to
forgiveness of sins.

First, we have to understand that when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior,
God promises that He would never stop forgiving you, no matter what you do
wrong.  I John 1:7 says that the “Blood of Christ purifies us from all sin.”
That means that God purifies us from the time that we are saved and as we try
to live the Christian life.  Also, our sin is forgotten and cast as far as
the east is from the west.

Second, we have to remember that Satan (“the accuser”  Rev. 12:10)  wants us
to feel guilty.  He wants us to feel like that we are separated from the
forgiveness and love of God so that we may begin to believe his lies and
deception.  He knows that these feelings of guilt will keep your mind too
busy to actually be where it is supposed to be glorifying God who gave you
the forgiveness.

Finally, when we are presented before God, he looks at us blameless because
of the blood of the lamb.   We are blameless in God’s sight.   Think about
that for a second….Is there a reason then to feel guilty?   Absolutely not!
So you see, God has done an absolutely awesome thing by making sure that we
have no reason to feel guilty, and done it through the blood of His Son.
Just another benefit of being a child of God.  Isn’t that awesome?  May God’s
Grace Abound in You.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Shining Stars


Philippians 2:14-16
Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.

Look closely at this verse, it says do everything without complaining or arguing.  Yes, that means you need to clean your room without complaining.  Too bad, huh? You had almost become a master at getting out of cleaning your room hadn't you? Well, when God says everything He means everything, not just certain things.

It seem as if Paul was writing this directly to us, in our time, doesn't it? A "crooked and depraved generation", well that's this generation all right.  We live in a generation that promotes sex before marriage, singers that are telling us its OK to commit suicide, go on killing sprees, have abortions, have one night stands, its OK to cuss, drink, and do drugs.  If anyone says we don't live in a "crooked and depraved generation they need to get out of that cave they are living in.  We live in one of the most disgusting and revolting generations ever!  No one can deny that.  But you know what? We can shine like stars in this generation! Sorry, not the movie star kind, but as a shining light of Christ's love in a world that is full of darkness.  We are the light of the world (Matt. 5:14) and we should shine like stars in an evil generation.  Just trying to imitate Christ makes us shining stars.  Now this doesn't mean you have to be perfect, because that's impossible! But this means that we need to live Christ-like.

We need to "walk the talk," meaning we need to do what we say and preach. Don't say one thing and do another, that's hypicrytical.  You've probably heard that "actions speak louder than words".  So we need to live out what we believe in our everyday lives.  That's the way to become a shining star in this darkness.  Are you going to be a shining star?

[Soldier4Christ]

  Enter His Presence


~Based on Esther 4-5:2~

Esther studied her reflection in the mirror.  The face staring back at her
was serene, the large brown eyes calm.  She smiled slowly, putting a hand to
her stomach.  Her heart was beating quickly, and her thoughts were tangled
with fear.  But she must do this...there was no other choice.

Standing, the queen turned towards the door.  In a moment she would pass
through and into the hallway beyond.  Then she would be in the presence of
the king...unbidden.  Smoothing the front of her dress, Esther forced herself
to forget that if King Xerxes was not pleased with her appearance, she would
be killed.

"I am queen," she told herself sternly.  I am also a Jew, and my people are
in peril.  Esther remembered the words of the decree sent out by Haman, a
jealous servant of the king.  King Xerxes has ordered through his most
obedient and humble servant Haman, to destroy, kill and annihilate all the
Jews - young and old, women and little children - on a single day, the
thirteenth of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their
goods.

Today Esther would go before the king to plead for the lives of her people.
Perhaps it was even for this purpose that God had placed her in the palace as
queen.  Taking a deep breath, Esther felt her fear melt away.  "If I die, I
die," she said softly.

Gathering her royal robes about her, the queen began the long journey to King
Xerxes' throne room.  Esther's head was held high, each step was measured.
She stopped in the inner court, in view of the king.  For a moment a great
fear almost smothered her.  It was replaced with a feeling of peace, in which
her senses seemed dulled.  Esther heard nothing of the murmuring of
courtiers.  She did not see them glancing at each other with surprise on
their faces.  She only saw the king. 

Esther slowly stepped forward and then knelt before the king.  She gently
touched the extended golden sceptor...a sign of acceptance.  Her life would
be spared...and now Esther was sure that her people, the Jews, would be saved
as well.

I, like Esther, also serve a King.  He is most gracious, only demanding my
obedience, but understanding when I fail.  I may enter His presence whenever
I wish; I do not have to worry about being accepted.  Sometimes, however, I
shun this King's companionship.  It is a burden to talk to Him in prayer, or
spend time daily reading His word.  Sitting in a service on Sunday to honor
Him becomes tiring.  There are so many other things that I want to do with my
time.  And yet, when I surrender, and spend just twenty minutes in the Bible,
or five talking to God in prayer, I am blessed.  I can feel Him with me
through the day, helping me with my temper.  Keeping me from sinning.  My
King can do the same for you.  Just surrender five minutes of your day to
Him.  God bless you and keep you.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Love


What is love? Some people may think of it as when you have a boyfriend or girlfriend. But that's not what love really is. In the dictionary, love is defined "to enjoy greatly." Sure it can mean loving another person, but it doesn't say who or what to enjoy greatly. To me, this definition should be used to mean the love of God.

God loves us so much that he sent His only son to die for us. We all know what John 3:16 says, but read 3:17 & 18. It says: 17) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18) Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

That means God sent Jesus to take our place. I mean, He loved us so much to die when He did absolutely nothing wrong. To me, that's really loving someone.

Let's go one to another kind of love: Loving our enemies. I know that's hard, but if you read Romans 12: 20 & 21 it says: 20) If your enemy is hungry, feed him, if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. 21) Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

So you see, even if we aren't perfect and we sin, we can still love the Father above because he loved us first.

[Soldier4Christ]

  God's Gift


Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be
tempted by evil, not does he Himself tempt anyone.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of
the heavenly lights.

         James 1:13,17

"Man! God must really hate me 'cause He's making all these temptations and
bad things happen to me."  I have heard that so many times from Christians
and non-Christians.  It so discourages me to hear Christians say that when
they have proof that it isn't God tempting them! God isn't capable of
sinning or tempting anyone! Instead of tempting us He gives us good and
perfect gifts.

The definition of gift in the dictionary is something that is bestowed
voluntarily and without compensation.  God blesses us with good and perfect
gifts without wanting something in return.  A friend of mine once said that
the only reason she gave her cousin a gift for her birthday was so she
would get one from the cousin on her birthday.  Isn't that selfish, giving
a gift and then expecting something in return?

God is only capable of giving perfect gifts, He can't give us bad gifts. 
Only good and perfect ones!

So next time you hear someone or even yourself blaming God for something,
remind them or yourself that God is only capable of giving good and perfect
gifts.  Isn't it awesome?

[Soldier4Christ]

  Shout For Joy


Psalm 100
1 Psalm 100 A psalm. For giving thanks.
1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his[1] ; we
are his people, the sheep of his pasture.  4 Enter his gates with
thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his
name. 5  For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness
continues through all generations.   (NIV)

1 Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it
all for the glory of God.


Last Christmas, my wife was so generous, not being a fan of any type of
sport, and bought us a couple of tickets to see the Indianapolis Colts play
the Minnesota Vikings.   My favorite team is the Colts,  and needless to
say, I was happy as all get out to have this opportunity to be able to go to
the RCA Dome and see them play.   Last weekend, while we were on vacation, I
had the opportunity again to go to Indianapolis and shop at the Colts store
where I bought my coming baby a Colts pacifier.   The Indiana Pacers, Notre
Dame Football, the Cleveland Indians, the Detroit Redwings,  all of them my
favorite teams.

We all have favorite teams don’t we?  We all flock to see them play, and
shout louder then we could imagine when they are not doing well, or when
they score, and win the game.  What about God though?  We sometimes find
ourselves so busy with not only watching our favorite sports teams, but with
life in general that we don’t take the time to praise and glorify God.   The
writer of the psalm asks us to “Shout for Joy”, literally be so excited with
joy to worship and glorify Him.  Why?  Because He is good and His love
endures forever.  His faithfulness continues through all generations!!!

Friends, God does not mess around when it comes to His people giving Him the
honor and praise that He deserves, and we need to be sure in all that we do
we are praising and glorifying Him.  He is far better than any sports game
that we may go to, or watch on tv, and deserves for us to cheer Him on for
all that He does, and all that He has done with His creation!  “God is most
glorified when we are most satisfied in Him.”  (John Piper)  May we always
be satisfied in Him and shout for joy in our praise.  May God’s Grace Abound
In You.

[Soldier4Christ]

  The Prayer of a Child



Psalm 91:10-11 10 then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near
your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;  (NIV)

Matthew 6:9-11 9 "This, then, is how you should pray: "`Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread.


It about floored me!   I had just finished packing the car for the trip home from being on vacation when something starting talking to me from one of the bags!  I was startled and then, I said to myself, Where did that come from?  I had to hear it again.

A second later, I looked inside one of the bags, and then I pulled out a plush rabbit that had its hands folded as if it were praying.  I then read the tag and it said, Press my tummy to hear Classic Prayer, and so I did.

As plain as day, the little voice came from the stomach of that plush rabbit, and said,  Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep.  The angels watch me through the night until I wake in the morning light.  Amen.  I about lost it, but now that I really think about it, there is a lot of faith in that prayer!

Friends, that is how we need to pray, with faith like a child.  It seems that when we pray we are praying for the I wants, and expecting God to be a genie, when in actuality, we ought to be praying knowing that God is going to take care of our every need.   That is what praying for God to give us our daily bread is all about, taking care of our every need.   Do you pray like that?  With childlike faith that God is going to take care of your every need?   I would challenge you to look at your prayer life today and ask yourself the question, are you praying to God like He is a genie, or are you praying with childlike faith, knowing that God is sovereign and loves us? May Gods Grace Abound in You.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Field of Dreams

     "Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes." (Ephesians 1:4) NLB

     We all have famous people who we look up to. Someone we admire and wish to one day be like. A person who seems to have everything going for them. Money, fame, and happiness. Who wouldn't want to be a rock guitarist, or star in a lead role with Bruce Willis and Sandra Bullock. Maybe catching the touch down pass from Dan Marino for the super bowl title. We all have dreams and heroes. Mine happens to come in the form of a game we like to call America's favorite past time........baseball.

     As long as I can remember, I have been a sold out Detroit Tiger's fan. Through the good times, (which in my life there hasn't been many) and the bad. For the past decade or so I would cheer and yell for my teem from the Motor City. My hero is a shortstop whose name is Alan Trammell and wore the jersey number three. I remember seeing him play in spring training when I was eight. Ever since that day I have always wanted to meet him. Just to shake his hand and maybe get the chance to receive his autograph.

     The years have gone by and I'm almost 21. I have yet to get closer than 20 feet of him. He has since retired and now joined the team as a batting coach, and when I found out that they were going to be in Tampa playing against the Devil Rays, I got off work early and drove 2 hours to see him. The game ended in a normal loss and the tigers were heading into the locker. I jumped out of my seat and ran down to the stairs to the dug out as fast as I could in hopes of a chance to see my idol. I made it just in time as he headed towards me. Along with a few people beside me calling out to various players I yelled, "Mr. Trammell, could you......."

     I left the ball park like I have many times.............empty handed. All my life I have wanted to be just like him. To be able to play on the Tigers. To wear the number three and to be able to hear the fans calling my name. But once again I am let down. My dreams are shattered as I take the drive home. The only reason I paid the money and drove the long hours was to just have a chance to meet him and tell him how much he has affected my life in such a positive way. To let him know that I was his biggest fan and I thought the world of him. But I leave without him even taking a glance in my direction.

     Friends, so many times we put our trust and faith into the world and the people of the world. I'm sure Alan is a great guy, and when they comes back to town you can bet I'll be in that same seat wearing his jersey and cheering them on. But no matter who it is or what it is, if we put our faith and hope in the things of this world we will be let down. There has been only one person who has always been there for me. Jesus has loved me and has never let me down. He's always made time to talk to me and to listen. Even though so many time I have given him the cold shoulder. It's nice to look up to people but if you want a true hero, look in your bible to the one who died on the cross for you. Who shed His blood because He wants to spend eternity with you. Because once you know Him and give Him your life not only will He become your biggest hero......He will also become your biggest fan too. May peace be with you.

[Soldier4Christ]

  All Your Needs


"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

                                                                                                -Philippians 4:19


     "...all your need..." Looking back on my life as a Christian, I realize how true this statement is. From outward appearances it seems like the verse is referring to monetary or physical needs, but my life, as well as many others that I know of, prove that it means MUCH more than that.

     When I was in second grade, I went to Vacation Bible School for the first time. Nobody in my immediate family was a Christian, but my Grandmother was. She suggested that I go to Vacation Bible School, because my parents had just gone through a divorce, and the fun times would help keep my mind off of that. I had a blast that week, but I'm choosing to focus on the craft that I made on the last day. The teachers had written a Bible verse on construction paper, and then torn it apart to create a puzzle. We had to put our verse back together and then paste it onto a piece of cardboard. My verse was, what else, Philippians 4:19. I was so proud of my craft that I brought it home, and instructed my mom to hang it where everyone could see, so she hung it on the wall in the kitchen. Over the years that craft had been an encouragement to my family, especially when we were going through horrible money problems.

     My entire family got saved around the same time, I was 12. About 2 years ago, I began suffering from a severe depression. I had few, if any, friends besides God. Because I felt like no one liked me, I ostracized myself from everyone, making me even more depressed. I'm not exactly the best looking young man in the world, and the children at school made sure they informed me of this most days of the week. The people in my youth group didn't make fun of me, they just didn't talk to me. This is not of their own doing though, I had pushed them all away. I eventually got to the point where I had decided that it would be best for everybody if I ended my life. I was set to do it early one morning, about 3 o'clock. I had everything planned out and ready to go, but all of a sudden I got a phone call from a girl named Christie. She was one of my few friends. She had somehow figured out what I was going to do, and called me terribly upset. Our youth group was set to leave to go to Centrifuge in a few days, and she somehow convinced me to at least give camp a try. I did, and while I was there, I met a guy named Bud. Bud gave me what I needed, a friend who liked me for me. Thanks to that camp, I rededicated my life to Jesus. As of today, me and Bud are as close as brothers. God, through Christie and Bud, had saved my life. The point I'm making here is this, no matter the need, God will provide. He knew I needed a friend, and he gave me the greatest one I could ever have. After camp, I began to come out of my shell, and now I have many wonderful friends in my youth group and elsewhere, but I cannot begin to even list their names here, it would make this too long. They are now my second family, all of them. I want everyone out there to know, that no matter what you need: friends, money, job, etc...God will provide, if it is in His plan. I hope that I have been an encouragement to at least one of you out there. There is always light at the end of the tunnel, I know, I have found it. It is JESUS. If any of you feel the way that I felt, feel free to email or instant message me.

[Soldier4Christ]

  The Role of Women in the Church


“What is the role of women in the church?”

Ephesians 4: 11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some
evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the
saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son
of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of
Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and
carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the
cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love,
may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- 16from whom the
whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according
to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth
of the body for the edifying of itself in love.  (NKJV)


Last week, I attempted to challenge young men and men to accept their God
given higher standard to become the men and the leaders that we need in our
churches today.  This week, I would like to do the same with our readers who
are young women.   Some of you thought that last weeks topic was very
chauvinistic in thought because it said that women were not to be pastors or
in leadership roles, but I think that we tend to forget that women have just
as much of an important role as men do in the church.

You see, we are all part of the body of Christ, and therefore we will not
work together as the body of Christ (Eph. 4:1-16) unless we all do our part,
and work in balance to what God’s Word says, and women were definitely not
let out of the equation.   At the time of Christ’s ministry here on earth,
it was unheard of for women to have any role in any part of society let
alone church.  The encounters that Jesus had with women and the ministry
that they had to Him, show that He appreciated their intelligence and their
faith.  For example, the Samaritan woman, (John 4:7-30) shows that Jesus did
not care who you were and still revealed to her who He was.   Also, look at
Mary, Martha, and the other women mentioned in the Gospels with their
stories.  Similarly, Paul, speaks of women as “fellow workers”  (Rom.
16:1-3, 6, 12; Phil 4:2-3)  people who have labored side by side with him in
the gospel”  (Phil. 4:3) and as being equal to men and one in Christ. (Gal.
3:28  Therefore, we can come to the conclusion that women are counted as
equals with men, but are given different roles within the church in order to
have harmony in the body.  So, what are those roles?

Let us go back to the ministry of Christ here on earth.  The role that women
had with Christ was absolutely unique.  A role that no man would ever be
able to accomplish.  It is remarkable to notice that while Christ ministered
to men, women were shown as the one’s ministering to Him!  Whenever the
Gospels speak of ministry being rendered directly to Jesus, who is the ones
doing the ministry?  Angels and Women.


After the temptation "angels came and ministered to him" (Matt 4:11; cf.
Mark 1:13). All the other instances speak of the ministry of women. After
Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law, " she arose, and ministered unto them"
(Matt 8:15, KJV). Mention is made of a band of women who followed Christ
constantly and who "ministered unto him of their substance" (Luke 8:3, KJV).
On two occasions it is recorded that Martha served Jesus (Luke 10:40; John
12:2).


So, what are women and young women to do?   I believe that it comes out with
a two fold answer.  First, I feel that women are to serve the church. 
Whenever you look at anything that a woman did within the first church you
will always find that they were never put down because they were women, men
were never chauvinistic, but women served in whatever capacity that they
had.  So, what does that mean for us today?  If God gave you a talent, use
it!  If, He gave you the talent to serve by, sharing the gospel, discipline
other women, singing, listening, older women teaching younger women, showing
compassion towards others, showing mercy, serving in the church, teaching
Sunday School, speaking publicly, having faith, being a prayer warrior,
knowledge, wisdom whatever the gift use it!  God has called you to higher
standards as well, do them.

In conclusion, even though, God has not called women to be leaders within
the church, there is a design here because women are called to other
positions that are even more important in my opinion.  God gave us all
gifts, and we are all called to use them.  May you be challenged today, to
use your gifts, and may we all be challenged to meet those higher standards.
May God’s Grace Abound in You.

[Soldier4Christ]

  What Is Your Kryptonite


Genesis 39:8  “But he refused.”
Genesis 39

Almost 20 years ago, the movie Superman was higher than life, and a lot of
people flocked to see it.   It must have been good because I saw them all,
and now you have four episodes of the film, and the story keeps on going
and going, kind of like Rocky.   A few years ago, they also came out with
the television series, Lois and Clark, while a few months ago, the group
Three Doors Down came out with their song, Kryptonite.

At times, we as teenagers think that we are like Superman or Superwoman.  We
think that there is nothing that can stop us.  “I will never fall into that
sin.”   “I will never catch that disease.”  Then eventually we find out that
we are a lot like Superman, not in our strengths, but in our weaknesses. 
Like Superman, we all have a fatal weakness and that weakness is that which
Satan can use in order to cause us to believe in his deceiving lies, which
will erode away at our hearts and eventually destroy us.

Friends, we all have what I will call our own personal kryptonites - people,
places, and things that we put ourselves into that weaken our faith and
weaken us into temptation.   Joseph had his own personal Kryptonite as well.
 
He was a lonely man, sent away by his brothers into slavery, and now in
head of the Egyptian household of Potipher.  The stage is set for him to
have a major downfall and is lead into temptation, but what does Joseph do?
He Runs!

That is exactly what we have to do when Satan uses our Kryptonite to try to
get us to downfall.  We all have to remember that we are not Superman or
Superwoman, and be alert and cautious about where we are at all times in our
faith.  I would encourage you to find out what your Kryptonite is.  The
person, place or thing that discourages you, causes you to be in trouble, or
gives you the bad vibe, and not just get out of there,  but know when to
run.   May God’s Grace Abound in You.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Forgiven


~Based on Luke 7:36-50~

All noise in the room faded.  Food was left on plates, for the moment forgotten. Laughter had died in guests' throats.  A lone figure stood at the entrance to the dining hall, her head down, weeping.  In her hands she carried a jar.  The woman paid no attention to the looks of revulsion  that the Pharisees were giving her.  Her eyes were on Jesus.

Simon raised himself up onto his elbows.  It was he who had invited Jesus to his house.  The Pharisee felt protesting words rising in his throat.  Before he could speak them though, Simon watched, horrified, as the woman crossed the floor and knelt where Jesus was reclining.  Her tears spilled onto His dirty feet.  She brushed them dry with her hair and kissed them.  Then taking up alabaster jar of perfume, she poured it over his feet.

"If this man were a prophet," Simon mumbled under his breath, staring at Jesus, "he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is- that she is a sinner." 

Jesus turned to the Pharisee beside him. "I have something to tell you, Simon," He said quietly.
Gathering his composure, Simon answered, "Tell me teacher."

"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender.  One owed him five hundred day's wages, and the other fifty.  Neither of them had the money to pay the moneylender back, so he canceled the debts of both.  Now which one of them will be more grateful?"

Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt." 

"You are correct." Jesus turned toward the woman, who was sitting at His feet, her head down.  He laid a hand on her head. "Do you see this woman?" He asked Simon. "I came into your house.  You did not give me any water to wash my feet, but she wet them with her tears and wiped them with her hair.  You did not give me a kiss, but this woman has not stopped kissing my feet.  You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.  Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven- for she loved much.  But he who has been forgiven loves little."  Then Jesus looked down into the woman's eyes. "Your sins are forgiven.  Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

Friends, in this life it is so easy to judge other people.  Because we are Christians, we look down on teens who are prostitutes, drug addicts, drunks, murderers, or thieves.  This woman who came and anointed Jesus' feet was most likely a prostitute.  Yet Jesus did not care.  He did not condemn this woman or draw back from her touch.  Instead Jesus defended her and forgave her of her sins.

In an AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) Meeting, when a person stands up to give a testimony they always say, "Hi, my name is Sue (or Fred, etc.).  I'm an alcoholic."  Even though they have conquered their drinking problem, they are still a former alcoholic.  We should never forget as Christians, that even though we are saved, we're still sinners.  "Hi, my name is Faith.  I'm a sinner."  What about you?   

[Soldier4Christ]

  Pretty High and Tempting


      "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Turn and flee from sin." (James 4:7) NKJV

      Everyday we come in contact with some pretty tough situations. Times when there isn't anyone to turn to and nobody to stand by your side. Sin stares you right in the face and haunts your every move. It stalks you around every turn and is determined to pin you to a corner so you can't escape. Many of you know exactly what I'm talking about. The other day I came in contact with one of those situations. My dad came up from Miami to spend the week at Disney which is only about an hour from my house. Sunday was the only day I had off, so I packed my swimming trunks and drove to Mickey's house. I arrived there just in time to stuff myself with some breakfast and jump on a bus to Disney's Blizzard Beach. But, little did I know what lurked behind those snowy gates.

      The day went by pretty fast and so did my skin as it turned 4 different shades of red before turning to its purple state that it's in now. Life was great, kids where laughing, parents relaxing, and my dad just staring in awe towards the main attraction. I walked over to where he was standing to gaze with wonder. Off in the distanced gleamed the tall, shadowy, silhouette of the largest, fastest, steepest, water slide in the world. My dad smiled, took me by the arm, and the march to my death began.

      The closer we edged to the slide, the more fearful I became. Sweet started rolling down my face as I was gripped with the agony of my fate. As we stepped through the entrance to this suicidal slide, I felt my life come to an end. Then it hit me, the only chance I had was to make a mad dash through the line. There was an opening where I could slip through to the kiddy pool, It just might work. I took a deep breath, said a short prayer and made my last effort to dive through the line to safety. After nearly tripping over every chain and bumping into a really tall hairy man who was having a bad hair day, I was able to make it out.....alive.

      Even though the fear of a slide could never compare to some of the things we face every day in our lives, it symbolizes what we as Christians need to do. As Paul tells us, we need to literally turn and run from sin. When we are tempted, or when sin comes to grab our arm, we need to turn the other direction. In God's word it shows us that we will never be tempted more than we can handle. He also tells us that there will never be a situation that we cannot escape. Even though the slide probably wouldn't have killed me, sin can. Not only can it kill you now, it can keep you from eternal life. If you haven't already, ask Jesus into your heart. If you have, realize that there is nothing that you can't do through Jesus Christ, who we all know strengthens us. The next time you get tempted, or threatened with sin, remember Jesus died on the cross so we can stare at even the biggest sins in the world and simply....walk away. May peace be with you.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Is the Bible Truth?


When I was in college,  I was in Chicago, and my fiancée (wife) was in
Indiana.  We had grown up together in church and youth group, and had
decided to date.  It was easier because I knew that I would get to go home
on the weekends, and vacations.  Anyhow, I would never forget the days that
I would walk into the post office and there before my eyes was a love
letter from her doused in perfume, and ready for me to open.  It would
always make my day.

Friends, God’s Word is just the same.  It is a “love letter” written to
you and I over a span of 1,500 years, inspired by God through 40 different
men.  It is about one central theme and that central theme is that Jesus
Christ God’s Son, came to this earth, died upon the wicked tree, rose
again on the third day, is ALIVE, and wants to live in your heart today. 

It is not some anthology of stories, wars, fables, tales, or merely a
human idea of what God is all about.  It is God Himself revealing His
plan purpose and message for His people.  Although the writers used their
own personal styles, cultures, and context, God told them what to write. 
The Bible events were written by people, and seen by people.  People have
lost their lives or the Bible you have in front of you today.  It is “God
breathed” (KJV)  and we are to use the whole thing  for correction, rebuke,
and guidance in our lives.

In conclusion, we have to look at God’s Word like a love letter that we are
just dying to read.  It is for you and for me.   God wants to show us through
it what is right, and help us to live for Him.  I would encourage you to
develop a whole plan to read the whole Bible.  Maybe try it in a year or
six months.  See God’s plan for your salvation come to life. 
May God Be With You