Always a Witness

A saying that I have always heard is that in everything you do, you are a witness; you are either a witness for God, or for Satan. So, who are you witnessing for? In this society it seems that we have forgotten to stress how important actions are, or perhaps is more along the lines that we have begun to think that actions are not important. After all, in most cases our society judges only by outer appearances. This is why you have women going and spending their money on magazines that tell them what the newest trend is and then buying the hottest trend, only to find out that there is a new trend! For guys, all I will ask is how many hours a week do you spend in a gym working out and trying to get the toned body and overall look?
Here is what I am getting at: What do people see when they look at you? Do they see a materialistic girl who cares only about how she looks? Or do they see a God-fearing, loving and worshiping woman, who cares about how she can show God’s love to those around her? What about you guys, do people see a guy who is egotistical, selfish and cares about nothing other than himself? Or a God-fearing man who is not afraid to show the more vulnerable side of himself in order to prove how weak he is and how strong God is? Who are you being a witness for, Satan or God? As you go through your day, just think about that, think about the things that you do and how they affect others. Is there something you need to change, and if so, are you going to?
True devotion calls us to be like Christ in everything we do and say. True devotion calls us to take up our cross. Take up our cross, and carry it. To nail our pride to the cross, along with everything that holds us back. Whether it is memories, other people, selfishness or anything else that entangles you, throw it off, nail it to the cross! Live your life for Christ. Be a witness for that which you believe in, not the thing that tries to drag you down. Something I once heard was that “your life might be the only Bible that people read.” Think about that, what are people reading when they read you?

“I hope that my achievements in life shall be these - that I will have fought for what was right and fair, that I will have risked for that which mattered, and that I will have given help to those who were in need that I will have left the earth a better place for what I've done and who I've been.“ C. Hoppe

Snow in East Texas

Today I woke up to a beautiful snowy spring wonderland. As the day went by I managed to get some pictures (shared below) and had some fun snowball fights. Including one fight that consisted of 2 cars driving and at the red lights hopping out, grabbing snow off the top of the car and throwing it at the other car. ...lots of fun... Enjoy the pictures!
Mercy, Joy and Dedication,
Marissa

My beautiful truck, Patriot (Patty for short):




Some random guy sledding down the hill behind my dorm:


Snowman that a couple of my friends made:


Line of cars covered in snow:


The willows:

True Treasue

The worth of a king
The worth of a pauper
The worth of a heart
The worth of a soul

What is the cost of each of these?
What is the purpose of each of these?

Are they worth sacrifice?
Are they worth abandonment?

The gift of life
The gift of love
The hope of today
The dream of tomorrow

What is the worth of each of these?
What is the desire of each of these?

Are they worth sacrifice?
Are they worth abandonment?

The worth of youth
The worth of beauty
The worth of wisdom
The worth of knowledge

What is the cost of each of these?
What is the purpose of each of these?

Are they worth sacrifice?
Are they worth abandonment?

A heart of gold
A heart of love
Strength for today
Forgiveness for tomorrow

What is the worth of each of these?
What is the cost of each of these?

They are worth abandonment
They are worth sacrifice

The love of God
The mercy of Christ
The forgiveness of God
The comfort of the Spirit

What is the worth of each of these?
What is the cost of each of these?

They are worth sacrifice
They are worth abandonment

Is anything worth more than these?
Is anything more important than these?

Waiting on the Divine Timetable

What are the consequences when we take a desire out of its proper time? What happens when we allow emotion to rule our minds, and not Christ? We mess things up, mistakes happen and we lose control.

“There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven… A time to cry and a time to laugh…A time to love and a time to hate...”

- Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4 and 8

Too often people feel as though they are wasting time in school. For some this might be true, yet for others it is a useful tool that they will not be able to survive in a job without it.
I see students getting discouraged because they see what they are meant to do, yet are stuck in school learning things that might not always apply to them and where they are going. It is frustrating when I see this because in every moment there is an opportunity to grow and become more than you currently are. In every class there is something to learn. What is also frustrating about this attitude of wasting time is that it becomes real. When students think that they are wasting time, they start actually doing it. Instead of getting involved around campus or speaking up in class they go hide in their rooms or play games on their computers. It is frustrating when students simply give up because they are not getting what they want, when they want it.
In truth, each person needs to remain focused on the cross and what it represents in his life; the fact that Christ comes before all and is placed above all. Even when it seems like the right time for something, sometimes it is not. No matter how much you want it to happen; sometimes it is better to wait. The majority of the time we can only see a small portion of the big picture, and while that seems to be perfect, in reality it is not. Yet, when standing on the edge of a cliff, how hard is it to fight gravities pull? How hard is it to say no to the desires that we face every day? It takes will power, determination and trust that the right time will come later. This applies to everyday situations, from relationships to jobs to school. With God’s strength we are able to fight the desires that pull us down. We are able to soar on wings of eagles because Christ’s strength and grace is more than sufficient, it is perfect!

“Those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faith.”

- Isaiah 40:31

We press on knowing that God has a plan; knowing that his timing, his purpose is perfect! He is never early and never late. We press on with hope of tomorrow. When we walk in step with him, the thoughts and desires of our heart and soul will be in line with his. He will give the strength to wait. He will give hope and peace that only he can grant.

“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.

Your heart must not be troubled or fearful.”

-John 14:27

Therefore, perfect peace takes over us and we can relax in trust; knowing that we can rely on him and follow his lead. In doing that we are enabled to lead others and share his love with them. That is our purpose, to lead and disciple others, showing them who Christ is and what he is able to do. This causes us to wait on our desires. We wait in hope and peace, knowing that God’s timing is perfect and that in him and through him, we can do anything.

The Complexity of Relationships

"Ring by Spring, or your money back!" A statement often joked about on the East Texas Baptist University campus. The statement is quite simple compared to the relationship that has to take place before a ring is even considered. Relationships are difficult and often complex. This applies to all relationships, not just the ones of fiancées, boyfriend/girlfriend and married couples. It applies to every relationship that you have.
Every day we influence the relationships that we have. We do this by the choices we make about who we talk to, spend time with and exert emotion towards. Relationships take time, effort, passion and faithfulness. Relationships take time to earn trust, effort to build and strengthen them, passion about touching other people’s lives and making a difference and faithfulness to stay consistent in all responses and actions. Yet, there is one thing that strings these four together and that is love. Relationships take love that forgives mistakes, sacrifices itself and shows through in every action and word.
Why go through all the trouble? Why are relationships worth all of the complexities that we go through in order to enjoy them? They are worth the trouble because we are created to be in relationships. In Genesis 2:18, God is looking at creation and he sees that every creature has a partner and a helper, except for man. He then states that this is not good, and creates a helper for the man. God and Adam were in the perfect relationship with each other. There was no sin and they walked daily with each other. Yet, God said it was not enough. Therefore, we see that man needs human companionship.
Relationships are important. Yet, ultimately each relationship should be between three people; your friend, yourself and God.

“A cord of three strands is not easily broken.”

-Ecclesiastes 4:12

In every relationship there is a need for someone stronger than you to be in ultimate control. Yet, if you place that control and trust in the hands of another human, things are going to get messed up. By placing that control and trust into the hands of God, you are depending on the one person that will not steer you wrong. One way of looking at is like a tricycle. You have probably heard of, and possibly been, someone complaining about being the third wheel in a group. Here is a challenge: start thinking of relationships as tricycles, where there is always a third wheel. Picture a tricycle, it has three wheels and the largest is in front leading the way. The two wheels in the back are of equal size, helping to keep balance. Now, relate that to relationships. The two wheels in the back are you and your friend. The wheel in front is God. Sounds simple, right? You see, if God is leading the way in every relationship you have, and your friends and you are balancing each other out, you create a tricycle that is stable and will not topple due to small bump in the road.

“We loved, because he first loved us.”

-1 John 4:19

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul,
and with all your mind..Love your neighbor as yourself.”

- Matthew 22:37 & 39

The complexity of relationships is actually quite simple. To have strong, healthy relationships we must first love God and then let his love flow through us, into the lives of those around us.

Churches Need Rejuvenation

Churches are dying, why? Why is it that in every town you go to in Texas you will find at least 3 churches; one of which might be truly on fire and ministering in the way that Christ has commanded and the others dying? The church is called to minister through discipleship, honesty, love, forgiveness and biblical teaching. Yet, most churches that I have gone to are filled with politics and cliques. Churches are known for being snobbish and not loving; for covering up their problems and pretending to be perfect, when in reality they are humans that make mistakes and are forgiven for them.

I have been in the church my entire life and there have been several times where the church was the cause for heartache and loss of faith in my life. Discipleship and community were jokes in these churches! I look back now and wonder, if it was that bad for me, what is it like for someone who has not been in the church his entire life? What is it like for someone who does not know that the church is supposed to be more than a calculator of numbers? For someone who goes into these churches and is essentially assigned a number and that is their worth? I would walk away. I think that and want to scream out that there is more than numbers to Christianity; more than politics and cliques. It is a relationship, not a religion!

Church is a place where believers are supposed to come together, fellowship with and build one another up. They are to encourage each other so that each individual is more than a number and each wants to go out on his own and strengthen his relationship with God. The church is meant to disciple those who come hungry and teach them how to feed themselves. I know there are churches out there that are like this but I also know that you have to search for them.

Another thing that I have seen and been told about is the hypocrisy of those in leadership, those who teach and lead the body of Christ; the hypocrisy of Army chaplains that get drunk every night and cheat on their wives because they are in Iraq and will not get caught. The hypocrisy of youth ministers that lie to their youth groups, flirt with married women and ignore their families to the point their wives having an affair with a church staff member. How do Christians overcompensate for the hypocrisy that covers the church and its leaders? I have seen people give up and walk away, others sit and ignore it and a few that try to stand up and say “this is not Christianity, this is not Christ”!

It is a near impossible task to erase the actions of fake Christians from the thoughts of those who know no better, unless you show true Christ-like love. Christ-like love which welcomes all, no matter skin color, gender, age or occupation; love that shows in every action and shouts through every word. If Christ-like love was the basis of the majority of churches today there would be no need for massive number seeking. Instead, people would search for the source of love that overflowed from the church body.

The change that needs to take place is simple. No more cliques based on wealth, gender, age or occupation. No more snubbing those who look, act or dress differently. Instead, welcome them with open arms and show them who Christ truly is. No more allowing those in leadership to get away with hypocrisy and lack of responsibility. Hold them accountable! Without these changes the church will continue on the downward spiral that it is in and it will lose all influence in ministry and reaching those who need it. The church family needs to re-evaluate their priorities and re-establish their foundation in the Bible and Christ-like love.