Should we be surprised that someone as openly and professingly Christian as Tebow receives so much hate and scorn? Probably not. Remember Christ’s own words: “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.”(John 15:18) Christ did not come to be popular and to be loved by everyone, but He came to be obedient and to show true love to everyone. And what might be even more surprising is that there seems to be an even greater following of supporters.

It is funny to me that I cannot seem to escape the Tim Tebow “time capsule.” He is only a year younger than I am, and he played for the Florida Gators in college. They just happen to be the rival of my favorite college football team, the Georgia Bulldogs. So needless to say, I saw much of him in action, and most of it, I did not like! Simply put, I could not stand him! After he won two national championships with Florida, my distaste for him as a player began to grow. But I could only hope that it would end in college; but, I was wrong. Not only did he go to the NFL, but also he just so happened to be drafted by my favorite AFC team, the Broncos. It’s sometimes funny how things play out.

Now that I have to cheer for him, it’s not so bad. I actually like the guy. I never really disliked him as a person, just as a player. But now, it has been a thrill ride to watch him play, especially when he torches the Steelers in the playoffs. People can hate on him all they want, but in the end, he makes a much better role model than most of the athletes and entertainers in today’s society. I mentioned Ndamukong Suh. He can stomp on an opposing players arm in a fit of rage, and Sportscenter might cover it for a week. But let Tim Tebow say something about God and Jesus Christ on television after a game, and he gets a full slot all month!

I cannot say for sure that Tim Tebow’s success has come because of divine intervention, and that God has nothing to do with it, but I do know that God will bless those who confess Him before the world. And I do know that God uses the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty (I Corinthians 1:27). Think of his stats. Not that impressive, huh? You could probably say that they are “weak”, right? Yet he is still playing while many are sitting home on the couch waiting for next season to roll around. He is still confounding and perplexing those who doubt his abilities. In an NFL where the throwing game is the key to any team even having a shot at making it to the playoffs, Tebow has defied those odds. Why? I’m not certain, but he does seem to be a humble guy, and humility is the first step in being exalted by God. I mean, c’mon! Who else has words made up about them like Tebow? “Tebowing?” “Tebow Time?” Really? He even broke the social media record last weekend for having the most mentions on any social media site at over 9,000 mentions a second!!! That’s reBronculous! (I made that up myself!)

So what does “Tebow Time” really mean? From what we have seen, it means to set your status and pride aside, to realize it’s more than you in the boat, give God all the glory, and give it your best, not worrying about what anyone might say! It would be great to see more young people have a role model like Tebow. And it would be great to see a generation of teens that would become “Tebow Time” Christians, willing to lay aside pride, doing what’s right regardless of what people might say, and ultimately striving to glorify their Lord and Savior in every aspect of their life.

II Corinthians 12:9 – And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

That’s my prayer and I hope it’s yours as well!

The last thing I blogged about was on “Truth.” I was thinking about truth again, when I thought of the word “Dare.” Who hasn’t played the classic game “Truth or Dare” as a teenager and done something crazy or something that they possibly regret bringing up? I know I have! Nothing bad I mind you!

But I began to think about a few “dares” or “challenges” that are important for Christians and Christian teenagers. Jesus lived and spoke out on these challenges, and I believe that the Devil dares teenagers to do these as well. The Lord know the impact these things can make in the life of a teen, but so does Satan. He wants nothing more than to see a teenager turn his back on the Lord. So, to foil his plan, and follow the Lord’s plan, I dare you to do the following:

I DARE YOU TO “GROW.” Luke 2:52 – And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. The only words that we ever find in Scripture about the teenage years of Christ tell us about His growth spurt-”He increased!” Christ grew up physically, but He also grew in favor with God and man. He pleased the father and was pleasing to the adults and other young people in His life. It’s very evident when we have been with the Lord, for we will desire to please Him in our relationships and in our conduct. Peter tells us, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ“(II Peter 3:18). How is your growth coming along? Are you growing, or are you stagnant and not moving at all? Remember, you can cause friction by       going forward and by going in reverse! Anyone can just sit still, but a true disciple will grow in Him! I dare you to grow!

I DARE YOU TO “GLOW.” Matthew 5:16 – Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Christ told His disciples that the best way people could get a glimpse of God and who He is, is to shine as lights. We have been granted a “so great” Salvation, and yet we live like we sit in the dark at home. The Christian life is the best life! It is full of joy and gladness. We don’t understand the fact that sometimes we are the only Jesus people might ever see. We are to live as He lived, love as He loves, and serve as He served! We must shine the light of salvation that God has placed in each of our hearts. Christ called us the “Light of the world” in verse fourteen of Matthew 5. Christ wants to use you today to shine His light of truth into the darkness of the world. Are you glowing for Him? Are you reflecting the light of the Son of God? I dare you to glow!

I DARE YOU TO “GO.” Matthew 28:19 – Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: We have been commissioned to “go” into all the world and preach the gospel. He did not ask us to sit, stay, or soak up all we could get. No! He told us to get going! He said “Go!” But many listen to Him say “Go.” and many choose to say “No!” to the Savior and His call for us to share the gospel with the lost world. Are you going? Who has God asked you to speak to about Salvation and you have refused? Where has God called you to go, and you refuse to give in? There is no greater place than in the center of God’s will. God promised that if He calls us to go somewhere, He will never leave us or forsake us. Are you going where you want to go, or are you going where God wants you to go? Or, are you even going anywhere? I dare you to go!

While at camp, we had the opportunity to hear great preaching, worship the Lord in song, and meet new friends. We had a blast! Many of the teens made a commitment to the Lord to be a better witness for Him, and to stand up for Him no matter how tough it may become. I took advantage of the question and answer times they had for the campers, and my eyes were opened to the needs that teenagers have in the culture we live in. To hear most of the teenagers doubt that they had a purpose in life was a jaw-dropping experience for me. How could they come to this place in their life and make that choice? What caused them to believe this? These were just a few of the questions that rattled through my brain at that time.

Nearly a week has gone by and my mind is still wrapped around those questions. But, from just evaluating the teenagers of society, the teenagers of the world for that matter, and yes, even most adults, we know that many people are not Christ driven. They are culture driven. They allow society to determine what is right, what is wrong, what is true, and what is false. They allow their peers to tell them what they should do. We have rejected the truth of God’s Word and turned to the rudiments of this world.

Why do some people believe they have no purpose in life? It is quite possible that they have rejected the truth altogether. Paul wrote to the church of Galatia in chapter five and verse seven, and said, Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? He was speaking to those whom he believed were his Christian brothers. Someone caused them to stop obeying, and quite possibly, stop believing the truth. Maybe the reason some young people no longer believe they have a purpose in life is that someone has been influencing them to believe they don’t, and no one has been influencing them to believe they do!

People today are seeking for truth. In a world where truth is scarce, and an honest man is hard to come by, people want to know truth. Why? Because with truth, we receive security. With truth comes a foundation. With truth comes consistency. Today, the world is full of instability; from the economy, to the job crisis, to natural disasters, people want something that is stable and firm. And the only one who is stable and firm is Jesus Christ. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever! He never changes! But we only receive that stability in our life when we take ownership of our faith and take our relationship with the Lord seriously. Yes, our future is solid and concrete if we know Him as our Savior. But what about our daily walk with the Lord? It can be just as firm. Our lives will only be as stable as our devotion to Him! Even in the midst of the storms and trouble, there is stability in knowing that the Lord is with you and He will carry you through.

Is it possible to know truth? Why, yes of course. But the truth is only as good as the source. Our truth is found in Christ and His Word. People believe that it is impossible to know any truth, but they obviously have not met the Man of Truth, Jesus Christ!

Truth has appeared. The word truth is mentioned 237 times in Scripture. Christ spoke of truth many times, and He even declared Himself to be the truth in John 14:6. The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to mankind. Christ is God’s revelation of Himself for mankind! In God’s Word and in Jesus Christ,we find the truth. The Bible says in John 1:14 that Christ was full of grace and truth. Three verses later, John writes that the grace and truth of God came by Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, who is the truth, was born of a virgin and dwelt on earth. He lived a sinless life and died on a cross for the sins of the whole world, past, present, and future. The Jews were looking forward to the Messiah. They could not wait for Him to come.

Truth was abjured. It was rejected! Even though they were awaiting the coming of Christ, they rejected Him when He appeared. The Bible says, He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. The people were infuriated that He had not come to set up an earthly kingdom, but a heavenly kingdom. The Pharisees and the Sadducees hated Him and they hated His message. How could His own people give Him up to be crucified? They rejected the truth. The Jews were holding to the law and their own works. When Christ told them it would no longer work that way, they basically told Him He was being intolerable. The world is the same way today. They reject the truth of Christ, and they call Christians intolerable because the Bible says there is only one way to heaven, and that is Jesus Christ. They forget that He was not too intolerable to die for them! That is the grace and truth that John was talking about. Truth to tell us that we need Him, and grace to show He loves us! Romans 1:23 says that the people of the world who have a knowledge of God (vs. 21), changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man. They exchanged God’s glory for idols. They rejected Him. The world still rejects Him every day, and they choose to follow lies. They have a head knowledge of God, but do desire a relationship of the heart.

Truth was altered. Again, in Romans chapter one, we see a digression. Truth appears, people reject it, and then they alter the truth to shape their lifestyle. Romans 1:25 says, Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator. They changed the truth of God into a lie. They began to worship themselves rather than the one who created them and gave them life! We now live in a society where it almost seems that right is wrong and wrong is right. We live according to how things make us feel. If we do not like something, we don’t have to believe it. We live by what we believe is relevant to us. The truth has been changed to fit our lifestyle, rather than our lifestyle being changed to fit the truth.

Truth will be answered. We cannot create the truth, but we can discover it. We cannot change truth, but it can change us. C.S. Lewis said, “The truth is what it is and what it was long before I was born, whether I like it or not.” You see, whether you believe it or not, truth is still truth. Whether you believe it or not that Christ is God’s Son in human flesh, does not change the fact that He is God’s Son. Whether you believe that the Bible is God’s Word or not, does not change the fact that the Bible is God’s Word. How can you know the truth? God said it and God cannot lie. Either Christ is a liar, a lunatic, or He is who He says He is, LORD! The Bible says in Romans 14:11-12, For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Whether we believe in the Truth or not, we will answer to God one day for what we did with the Truth. Every knee will bow to Him one day. There will be knees that have obeyed and received the truth, and there will be knees that have rejected the truth. Which type of knees will be yours?

I want to continue in the truth and obey it. I would not want someone to say to me, “What happened? You were running so well at the beginning of the race! Who has caused you to quit running?” I want to press on and fight strong. I want people to see the truth of Jesus Christ when they look at my life.

We have been shown the truth. What will we do with it? Will we receive it or reject it? We will all give an answer one day as to what we did with it. Christ said, And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Do you know Him? He is all truth. And for those of us who do know Him as our Savior, may we do as John says in 3 John 1:4 and walk in truth. This is my desire, and I pray it is yours as well!

Friendship is not something to be received, but something to be given. The Bible says, Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend (Prov. 27:17).  Not only am I to look for a sharp friend, but I am to be a sharp friend. Many times we look at our friendships with the wrong motive. Many times it is “What can I get out of this relationship?” rather than “What can I give to this relationship?” We should ask ourselves this question: Would I be my own friend? Would I want to be friends with myself if I were someone else? Honestly, at times, I would hate to be my own friend, and I think my wife would second that!

But how do we help a friend who we know is struggling with something serious? Were not talking about personal hygiene here, although that can be a serious issue sometimes! (Again, I work with teenagers.) We are talking about sin that should not be present in the life of someone who claims to be a child of God. The Bible is very clear on how to help this friend.

We must confront them with the situation. If we were to see someone traveling on the wrong side of the highway, it would not be long before someone would call the police and let them know that a crazy person is driving down the highway on the wrong side of the road. Someone would say something to someone. Why? Because they are endangering their own life, and the lives of others. That is the same reason we are to confront our friends. They could ruin their testimony, or be a snare to other Christians.

But we are not to just confront them and beat them over the head with their problems! No! Paul tells us in Galatians 6:1 that we must do it in the spirit of meekness. We are to be humble about the approach. If they would be honest, they more than likely know they are wrong, and they feel bad for what they have done. So why beat them even further into the ground? We are to lift them up. It is easier to do right with encouragement rather than discouragement.

Most of the time we use a microscope to evaluate our friend’s virtues, and a magnifying glass to evaluate their faults. Encourage them by letting them know about all the good things that are evident in their life. Remind them of a time when they might have been living for the Lord, and they were an encouragement to others. When we go to them with a spirit of accusation, we make them look bad, and in the process, we make ourselves look good or self-righteous. We are just like them, and no better. Paul even reminds us of that in the last part of Galatians 6:1 – considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. There just may come a day when we fall into some sin or trouble, and we need help from a friend.

We must also pray with them and for them. James 5:16 says, Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. I can imagine Daniel as he prayed for his three friends,Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He was older than they were and I am sure they looked up to him. David and Jonathan were great friends, despite the fact that Jonathan’s father hated David. I would believe that they prayed to God together and for one another. They cared for each other as brothers. But when is the last time we went to the Lord concerning our struggling friends? Bringing a friend’s name to the Lord in prayer shows deep love and concern for that individual. It shows that we are serious. We would be here all day if we had to list all of our faults to one another. But when we turn them over to the Lord, we know He can make a difference and a change in our lives! It availeth much the Bible says! Not a little, but much! If you want to make a difference in your own life and the life of your friend, pray with them and for them.

We are also to provide help in their situation. We should not just state their problem, pray with them, and walk away, leaving them in their own mess. Provide help for them if you can. I cannot help but think of Josh Hamilton, the outfielder for the Texas Rangers. If you know anything about him, before he accepted Christ as his Savior, he lost both of his parents in a tragic car accident, and then he turned to a worldly lifestyle because of that tragedy. He became addicted to alcohol and that addiction almost took his life. Today, his wife, who also is a Christian, takes him to and from practices and games. He no longer drives. She gives him twenty dollars a week to spend! Now you may think, “Here is a professional athlete who cannot do anything.” But he understands it. His wife understands it. She is there to help him. She drives to keep him accountable and to keep him out of the bars. She gives him twenty dollars a week to spend because she does not want him to go back to that lifestyle. She loves him and honestly is doing her best to help him. And he does not have a problem with that. He knows that in order to avoid temptations grasp, he must avoid temptations reach.

We should encourage them to do what is right. In Matthew 18:15-22, Christ talks to the disciples about people who do wrong to others. He tells them and us how we are to handle that situation. Then Peter asks that great question: “How many times am I to forgive my brother who wrongs me?” I can imagine the disgust in Peter’s voice, as he asks Christ that question, knowing what His response would be. We know Christ’s reply. Not just seven times, but seventy times seven. Just forgive them. Period! We are commanded to forgive them and we are also commanded to help them.

Last of all, if they refuse to listen, or if it is a very serious matter, contact someone who CAN help. Talk to your pastor, youth pastor, or counselors. In a multitude of counselors there is safety. This is not a license to gossip though! I know some of you are getting excited already! Remember, Confess your faults ONE TO THE OTHER. It is not to be between the whole church or the whole neighborhood for that matter. Many people live with this in mind: “If you can’t say something nice, let’s hear it!” We are not to tell everyone. Seek professional help. Seek sound, godly help.

I love what Paul says in Galatians 6:2 – Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. The law of Christ is not one of condemnation, but of compassion. It is not one of loathing, but of love! And when we help out our struggling friends in a spirit of compassion, we fulfill the law of Christ! We must demonstrate the love that we have experienced! Thank God for His wondrous love to us! Let us demonstrate it to those we call our Christian friends!

I spoke to the teens last night about what Youth 180 Ministries is all about. When we speak of a 180 degree turn, we are talking about turning from sin to God. A 360 degree turn would not work in this matter because it would lead us directly back to the same place we started. It is something that should be practiced each and every day by Christians. Say “No” to sin and “Yes” to Christ! We want God to work in the hearts of the teens of Chestertown Baptist Church. We pray for a generation of young people that will have a revolution back to Christ!

A revolution is defined as a sudden, complete or marked change in something. II Corinthians 5:17 says, If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Once someone accepts Christ in his heart, there is to be a sudden, complete, or marked change in the life of that believer. We are to be different than the world. The world is in darkness, and we are called to be light. The world is decaying, and we are called to be salt. A revolution is also defined as an overthrow or replacement of something. There is to be an eradication of sin. Old things are passed away. The words passed away mean just that: to perish, or to omit. The old nature that we had actually dies, but the spirit of that old person is still there. Paul said, The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. That is why it is a daily battle. We must say “No” to sin and “Yes” to Christ every day. We should allow God’s love to overthrow the wickedness in our hearts. We must allow God to replace the lifestyle we had with a new one! ALL things are become new.

A 180 revolution begins with a return to God! Jeremiah 24:7 – And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart. Jeremiah 29:13 says, Ye shall seek me and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart. You don’t search for something that you don’t care about! There must be a desire to do right and to follow Christ. You can see it when you look at certain Christians. They just love serving the Lord! They would not want to do anything else! The Psalmist said it best in Psalm 51:10 – Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. His desire was to be right with God. We must seek the Lord every day with our whole hearts! A 180 revolution begins with a return to God.

A 180 revolution involves a removal of sin. I Peter 2:1 – Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings. There are things that we are to lay aside or put off when we accept Christ as our Savior. Peter just lists a few, and then tells us in the next verse that this is a key to growing in Christ. Paul also lists things to put off in Colossians 3:8-9. James tells us that we are to keep ourselves unspotted from the world. We are to not let the world have a strong pull or influence on the way we think, behave, and live. There is to be a difference. We are no longer to talk like the world, watch the garbage of the world on tv, listen to the music of the world, and act like the world. Paul encourages us in Ephesians 4:22 to put off concerning the former conversation the old man. The word conversation means lifestyle. Our lifestyle is to be different when Christ reigns in our hearts. We are to remove that old lifestyle, just like a person would remove a heavy winter coat when entering a hot building: in a hurry!! A 180 revolution involves a removal of sin.

A 180 revolution involves a replacement factor. We can’t just remove the sin and expect to be fine. We must replace it with something better, something divine, something Christ-like. We know there are certain things that we are to “put off”, but Paul also tells us in Ephesians 4:24 to put on the new man, and in Colossians 3:10, and having put on the new man. We must replace the old lifestyle with a new one. And not just a new one, but a better one; one that is renewed in the knowledge after the image of him that created him(Colossians 3:10). Romans 13:14 says, But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. We are to put on Christ! Say “No” to sin and “Yes” to Christ! Replace the old bad habits with new and better habits. Replace the music of the world with Christ-honoring music. Replace the way you talk with kind and pure words. Replace the bad attitude with one that would be pleasing to God. A 180 revolution involves a replacement factor.

Simply put, it is deciding to live different in a world where living right is looked down upon. If you are a Christian, there are to be signs of a marked change in your life. If that is not the case, turn back to God and he will give you the strength to fight sin and make the changes necessary to live for Him. I pray that this generation of young people will have a revolutionary 180 degree turn in their lives and decide to live for Christ each and every day! Say “No” to sin and “Yes” to Christ!

As we see the trouble in the first three verse, we see in verse 4 God’s response to all the “raging”. He laughs. I think at this point that he is laughing at man’s futile attempts to appease God, to inherit salvation on his own, and to do away with the One who created him. It is not a joking laughter, but almost one of shame and saddened remorse for the condition of man, and his answer to perfection. Then, God declares His Son. He declares His power and His authority. He declares His resurrection! He declares that all that is His belongs to His Son as well. Jesus is God! He tells of His earthly purpose: to rule in Zion. One day, every knee will bow, even the knees of those who rage against God and want to do away with the thought of Him. Every knee will bow and confess that Jesus is LORD!

The requirements are given. The instructions are given. They are found in verse 10-12. “Be wise now”; be wise unto salvation. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. We are to stand in awe of Him! Sometimes I think we get used to God. We grow comfortable. We no longer see the need to know Him more and learn more about Him. We are told to “Kiss the Son.” This is almost like saying in the New Testament, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” – Acts 16:31. We know that “Now is the day of salvation!” Don’t wait!

And amidst all the trouble, all the confusion, all the rebellion and sin of the world, we are given a promise: “Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.” God just wants us to trust Him when things don’t make sense to us. He is the one who gives us victory! “But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” I Corinthians 15:57. TRUST IN HIM!

As Christians, we should not “take a vacation” or have a “summer break”, spiritually speaking. We should constantly desire to mature and grow. The only verse in the Bible that mentions Jesus’ teenage years is Luke 2:52. It tells us that Jesus increased in wisdom, and in stature, and in favor with God, and man. Paul wrote to the church of Colossae and told them that they should be “increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:10). We cannot be stagnant. We are either growing or wilting.

How can you have an unforgettable summer? The world will tell you that Christian’s can’t have any fun. There is nothing farther from the truth! We have fun, but we have fun without all the sin the world thinks you have to add in order to have that fun. You can have an unforgettable summer, and not because it is a summer you regret what you did. God’s Word shows us a few things we should do:

1. Be a good steward of your time (Prov. 6:6-11). Use it wisely. Set a schedule for your day, and don’t sleep in! You could be one of those people who sleep in until noon, but then half of your day is wasted! Take time to walk with the Lord every morning, and don’t miss out on the opportunities He has for you.

2. Be a good servant (Heb. 10:25). Be faithful to church and attend everything, even Sunday school. Don’t miss out on the preaching of God’s Word. If there is an activity, get involved and help. Look for places to serve the Lord. You could spend time memorizing Scripture (Josh. 1:8). Get alone with God and walk with Him every day (Mic. 6:8).

3. Grow in stature (Luke 2:52). And guys, this doesn’t mean just spiritually either. Yes, you should grow stronger as a Christian, but you need to work out those physical muscles as well! I’m sure the ladies would agree. You should be learning something new every day. Ben Franklin said “Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn.” Read a book a month, or at least read one book over the summer. Strengthen the things that are there, both mentally, physically, but more importantly spiritually.

4. Guard your senses (Prov. 4:23). We are commanded to keep our hearts with diligence, for out of them flow the issues of life. What you do says much about the condition of your heart. Be careful what you watch this summer. Don’t be on the computer when mom and dad are not around. Be careful what you listen to and guard your heart against worldly music. Girls, guard your hearts against those boys that drop those three words. They probably have no idea what love really is! Be careful where you go and who you hang out with. Remember…..keep thy heart with ALL diligence. Do not let your guard down. Guard your testimony this summer!

5. Work hard (Prov. 26:13-16). Learn to work and learn to love work. You will be doing it for the rest of your life! And be a good employee that can be depended upon and trusted. Save more money this summer that what you spend!

6. Build on your relationships. Work on your relationship with the Lord, but also your relationship at home. Obey your parents and honor them (Eph. 6:1-3). Work on your relationships with your friends (Prov. 27:17). Help others and love others as Christ has shown love to you!

We can have an unforgettable summer many ways. But only one way promises true joy and peace, and the blessings of God. I want that for my life, and I trust you do too!

When I think of bad things happening to good people, I think of the life of Joseph. He lost his mother, his brothers hated him, dropped him in a well, and sold him to a group of traveling merchants, and he spent the rest of his life hundreds of miles away from home. What more could he ask for, right? Well, he spent years in prison for doing right, and he had every right to be discouraged. But just like the three Hebrew children (last weeks blog), the Bible says the Lord was with Joseph. God used him mightily in a land far from home. And when he was finally reunited with his brothers, who thought he was going to kill them, he told them that they meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. Joseph understood that the Lord used a bad situation in his life to mature  and strengthen him.

Christ tells us in Luke 18:11, that we “ought always to pray and faint not.” In verse eleven of that same chapter, Christ’s asks this question: “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” Prayer is evidence of a life of faith. If we don’t pray, our faith is small. When life is going great, how often do we stop and pray to God? When circumstances get us down, does our faith have to be renewed, or is it already prepared for the trial that lies ahead? When something “bad” happens to us, do we let that situation cause us to think about ourselves, or do we turn to God instead? If we allow it to draw attention to ourselves, then it has become a bad thing, but if we allow it to help us focus on the Lord, then it has become a good thing.

All things, good or bad, will work together for good, to them that love God. It all depends on our perspective of God. The Bible says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee.” If we keep our focus on God, nothing can move us or shake us. We have been placed upon the Solid Rock, Jesus Christ. Nothing can take our salvation away, because it is found only in Him. But, we can put our hope and faith in other things, including ourselves, when it comes to living our lives. When we do that, we are on unstable ground and we will live a life of sadness and sorrow.  If we trust Him for the things that will happen in our life, we can be sure that nothing will be able to move us because it is in Him that we find the strength and peace to continue serving Him. God knows, and we do not! Just trust Him!

These children were taken from their families in Jerusalem back to the wicked city of Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. They were very young when this happened. These children were the best of the best. They were able to live right in a world of wrong only because they had learned to live right when it was expected of them. God would have never been able to use them if they had changed their lifestyle as the new king wanted them to. They were able to stand in Babylon because they had learned to stand in Jerusalem. If a young person cannot learn to serve and love the Lord in Jerusalem, how on earth will they be able to do it on their own in a strange land? How will we do it when we are on our own and have no one to hold us accountable?

We need young people today that will make an effort to stand up for the Lord no matter where they are. We definitely need them to stand up in the world that we live in and declare that He is still God! We can see that life will not always be the same. Life constantly changes, but god does not. He is the same today as He was yesterday. He commands us to be holy as He is holy! (I Peter 1:16) We cannot let the world change us into what it wants us to be! We must live to be conformed into the image of Christ! We must stand like those Hebrew children did. We must not allow the world to change us, but we must change the world one person at a time. We must share Christ, but we must also live Christ!

Young people, God wants to use you mightily! Don’t fight him. If you have a problem serving God under the authority of your parents, church, or Christian school, you are definitely going to struggle on your own. Your only headed for a life of heartache! Start a new direction today. Honor and obey your parents. Be in church every time the doors are open. Discipline yourself now to stay in God’s Word and walk with him each day. There will come a day when you will be on your own. Will you still be serving Jesus then, or will you become a casualty? I pray that will not happen, but it happens every day. God can use you, and He will use you, only if you allow Him! Remember the best ability is availability! Live for Him today! And when the world changes around us, we must stand up and stand outfor Him.