2 very important verses for high schoolers: Romans 12:1-2

Read Romans 12:1-2

When you're in high school, one of the biggest struggles is trying to fit in. No one wants to stand out and be unique or different. Even the teenagers who say that they are standing out through piercings, tattoos, black clothes, etc, are actually blending into their own peer group where everyone else looks exactly like themselves. They have their own community of emo or punk kids whom they blend in with as well.

I saw on the news yesterday that a reporter in his thirties went back to high school to investigate what it would be like to go back knowing all that he knew now as an adult. He said that as soon as he got back in that building, all the old insecurities he faced in high school returned. Immediately he started worrying about how he looked, what he said, etc. What is it with high school that makes everyone so concerned with fitting in and pleasing everyone around them?

Because this is perhaps the time in your life when you are tempted to blend in the most, I want to share with you 2 verses that will be vital to you as a believer in high school. In Romans 12:1-2, God tells us to do the exact opposite of our peers. We aren't to blend in. In fact, we are told clearly and explicitly not to conform to the world. Let's look a little deeper into these 2 verses.

Verse 1 starts by Paul using pretty strong language, as he uses the phrase, "I urge you, brothers." This implies the importance of the words that will follow. This is more than just a friendly suggestion to believers. He is pleading with us to listen! He next says, "in view of God's mercy." We are to follow this command while remembering God's amazing mercy toward us as believers. Because God has poured out His mercy on us sinners, the least we can do is obey His commands! He continues in verse 1 by telling believers to "offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God." Rather than using our bodies for sinfulness, we are to surrender them entirely to God. What does a living sacrifice look like? Following God with our whole being, and offering everything that we are to Him. Paul goes on to say that this is our "spiritual act of worship." Oftentimes we think of worshipping God as singing to Him in church, but it is so much more than that. This verse shows us that following Him in obedience is also a way of worshipping God.

Verse 2 starts by telling believers, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world." When everyone else in your high school is cheating on assignments, gossipping, mocking the teachers, drinking, cussing, lying, telling crude jokes, etc, you're not to conform to this worldliness. This means that if you follow this verse, your life will look radically different than the lives of those around you. If you're blending in with them, which is so tempting to do, then you're being disobedient to the Lord. You can't blend in with the world and give yourself wholeheartedly to the Lord at the same time.

Instead of comforming, you are to be "transformed by the renewing of your mind." As you follow the Lord and grow closer to Him, your life will be transformed. The more intimate you grow with the Lord through prayer and the reading of the Word, the more you will see the Holy Spirit's transformation in your life. As you grow in your walk with God and become a more mature believer, you will be able to "test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing and perfect will." God's will becomes more clear to you as you grow closer to Him.

Most teenagers will tell me that they want to know God's will for their lives. However, they also want to fit in with their peers. No one wants to stand out and be alone, most of all in high school. I hope you know that if you do resist the temptation to conformity in your schools, that you're not alone, even if it feels that way. The Lord is always with you! When you do resist the urge to conform and give yourself entirely to the Lord, you are pleasing Him and worshipping Him. As you follow Him and grow closer to Him, the Holy Spirit will transform and sanctify you, enabling you to discern the will of God more clearly. What an amazing passage! This is a great passage to cling to as a high schooler, and I challenge you to memorize it and hide it in your heart. Don't conform!

Cling to Him!

Read Joshua 23:8
"But you are to cling to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day."

As I was reading through Joshua, this verse jumped out to me. I love the phrase "cling to the Lord," but what does it mean exactly?

To go deeper in the text, it is often helpful to go back to the original text the Bible was written in. The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew, and the New Testament was originally written in Greek. The Scriptures have since been translated to many different languages. Going back to the original text and discovering the meaning of those Greek and Hebrew words will shed greater light on what the original author was trying to convey. Remember that the Bible is inerrant (without error) in those original texts. I haven't studied Greek or Hebrew, but thankfully, there are many resources out there that translate words for us. My favorite source is www.blueletterbible.org.

I gave you that little lesson on the biblical languages, because it is often not explained. Preachers and teachers often refer to Greek words, but if you don't know why they're doing it, then it doesn't make much sense. So now you know!

With all that being said, the Hebrew word that has been translated "cling" in this passage is the word "dabaq." It means to "cling, stick, stay or keep close, cleave, follow close to, join to, overtake, or catch." I'd also like to point out that this is the same exact word used in Genesis 2:24, which states, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh." The same Hebrew word, "dabaq," is translated "joined to" in this verse. Do you find it interesting that God uses the same word to describe the intimacy of a married couple as our intimacy with the Lord?

The metaphor of marriage is just one way that God reveals His relationship with believers. Christ is referred to as the bridegroom and the church is His bride. I believe that the Lord uses that metaphor in order to give us a glimpse of the extent of love and intimacy we should have with the Lord. Among human relationships, the husband/wife relationship is by far the closest. In this relationship we see the height of intimacy between two people. Two separate people join together and actually become one flesh. Amazingly, this marriage relationship is a reflection of Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:31-32).

How incredible to think that we can have that kind of intimacy with the Lord. I believe that clinging to the Lord includes following Him closely in obedience, knowing Him more deeply (which comes from spending time with Him, praying, reading the Scriptures), and loving Him wholeheartedly. Remember that He loves you more than you know, He knows every single thing about you, and He desires intimacy with you. Ask Him today to help you cling to Him. Pray that your intimacy with Him would deepen and your love for Him would grow even more.

God's Redemption of Rahab: Joshua 2

Read Joshua 2

Don't you love the fact that our God is the Master Redeemer? It is so comforting to know that there is no sin He won't forgive. When we mess up, our lives aren't over. There is never a point that we can wander to in which God will throw up His hands and say, "sorry, that's too far...I can't forgive that trangression." When we come to Him in repentance, He will forgive us every time. What a patient and loving God we serve. One of my favorite stories of God's redemption is the story of Rahab in Joshua 2.

In this story, Joshua has sent spies to Jericho on a dangerous mission to search out the land. They stop at the house of Rahab for refuge, and we find out early on that Rahab is a prostitute. Rahab has lived a life full of wickedness and sin, selling her body in a manner that is repugnant to the Lord. Despite her sinful past, God isn't through with her yet. We will see in this story the way that He graciously redeems her and has an amazing plan for her life.

Immediately, what should stand out to you as you read about Rahab is her great faith in the Lord. Rahab is not a Jew and is unfamiliar with God's laws and teachings. However, she has heard of God's miraculous work in the lives of the Jews (v.10). She not only has heard these stories, but she believes them. She believes that the God of the Jews is real and that He is the one true God (v.11). We also see her faith put into action when she hides the spies from the people of Jericho. She believed in the God of the Israelites so firmly that she was willing to put her life on the line to hide the spies in her home.

We see Rahab again mentioned 3 different times in the New Testament. It is important to know of these later references in order to see God's redemption in her life. In Hebrews 11, the author writes about faith and gives example after example of great heroes of the faith. Rahab is commended in verse 31 for her great faith in hiding the spies. This is pretty incredible, because Rahab is listed next to heroes such as Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses, to name a few. What an incredible place to be! Rahab is again honored in the book of James for putting her faith into action in James 2:25. She is mentioned here next to the great faith of Abraham. We see Rahab a third time in the New Testament in Matthew 1:5. Matthew 1 follows the geneology of Jesus Christ. Rahab is listed as part of Jesus' line! What a glorious honor!

Rahab was a Gentile and a prostitute. However, God took her from this dishonorable state and redeemed her, transforming her into a hero of the faith. Not only is she listed alongside the most faithful followers of God in the Old Testament, but she has a place in the line of Jesus Christ. What an incredible example of God's transforming and redemptive power, His forgiveness, and His grace. You may have a sinful past yourself. Perhaps you have done things you are ahamed of and think that God can't possibly have a plan for you anymore. Well, you're wrong. Walk away from your sin and throw yourself at the mercies of our Lord. He is mighty to save the most lowly of sinners and delights in doing so. Glory to His name!

Test the Spirits: 1 John 4:1-3

Read 1 John 4:1-3

I'm sure you have heard it said before, "Don't believe everything you read." Well, this is certainly true for the most part, but it in no way applies to the Bible. Because of the promise of 2 Timothy 3:16, that "all Scripture is God-breathed," we don't have to read the Scriptures with a cynical eye. Every word of the Bible is inspired by God, which means every word of it is true. However, according to 1 John 4:1-3, we do have to be careful about what we hear. Not every minister or teacher preaches correct theology 100% of the time. They are human, and they make errors. John warns us that there are many "false prophets" that we must beware of (v.1).

Jesus speaks of these false teachers in Matthew 7:15, when He says, "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves." This verse tells us that these false teachers are in "sheep's clothing," which means they are going to look just like other Christians. Their disguise will deceive others. In reality, they are ferocious wolves. This means that when we see a preacher on TV, on the radio, or in person, or we read theological books or sermons, we are to be watchful of false teachers.

You may be thinking, well, I go to Northwest Bible Church, and there aren't any false teachers there. Therefore, this verse doesn't apply to me. I don't think we have any false teachers at NWBC. We do not tolerate unbiblical teaching in this church. However, this doesn't mean you aren't to test the spirits as John says. Though we aren't false teachers at NWBC, we are human teachers. Unlike God's inerrant (without error) Word, our words are fallible (mortal and imperfect). Take John's words in 1 John 4 as a sober warning. Don't blindly write down and follow every thing you ever hear about the Lord, but make sure the preacher's or teacher's words are always in line with Scripture.

I remember seeing a point in a sermon outline a few years back that didn't sound quite right. I went to a Bible-preaching Baptist church, but that one point stood out to me as different than what I had been taught before. Later, I looked up the passage that had been listed as proof of that point, and I found that this Bible verse had nothing to do with the point my pastor had made. I tell you this to warn you to make sure that you have solid biblical support for the messages that you hear. If you hear something that sounds strange, look it up, and then ask someone you can trust. We have spiritual leaders and mentors in our lives to help us in instances like this.

I will close with some wise words by Charles Swindoll in his book "Growing Deep" on this same passage in 1 John:

"I certainly do not want to imply that all of us must become detectives, looking for clues of wrongdoing in another's life or teaching. It's one thing to be suspicious people who question everything we hear...and another thing entirely to be discerning, alert, and perceptive. There is a very real need on our part every time we hear the Word proclaimed, that we listen closely, think it through, sift it out, compare it with other Scriptures and other material we've been taught" (47).

Know what the Scriptures say by studying them in depth yourself, and be watchful for false teaching. This will come especially essential when you reach college and hear many new ideas for the first time. Test the Spirits, stay firmly rooted in God's Word, and do not tolerate false teaching in your life!

Britney Spears' Theology

I don't know about you, but I am sick of Britney's new song "Three." While in the Galleria the other day, i must have heard it at least 4 times. I had not paid much attention to the lyrics of this song before, but I decided to listen to it more carefully next time I heard it, just to see if it was as depraved as I thought it was. And yes, after listening to it more closely, I can definitely say that it is.

So what's the big deal? Britney's last single, "If You Seek Amy," was just as offensive and inappropriate. However, a certain line in "Three" really stood out to me. Several times in the song, Britney sings, "Living in sin is the new thing." I found this interesting, because not many celebrities use the word sin. It would seem that Britney is actually admitting that the sexual immorality her song promotes is a sin. Later on in the song she calls her behavior innocent, but I don't think she actually believes that or wants us to believe it either. I mean, one of her most famous lines is "I'm not that innocent" (in "Oops I did it again," in case you aren't up on your Britney lyrics). Clearly, innocence is not something she is aiming for. So that brings us back to sin. Don't you find it interesting that she refers to her sexual promiscuity in this song as "living in sin?" God designed the world a certain way. He designed sex to be between a man and a woman under the covenant of marriage. Anything outside of this God-ordained design is perverted, twisted, and yes, sinful. Though Britney doesn't claim to be a Christian and is definitely not a Bible scholar, she, and the rest of the world, innately know when something is clearly not right.

Acknowledging that you are a sinner is usually the first step toward salvation. We must understand that we are sinners before we realize that we need a Savior. Britney's realization of sin in her life could lead her to the path of salvation, if she heard the message of the gospel. However, instead of letting her conviction of sin lead her to repentance, she laughs it off and flippantly calls it "the new thing." Well, sin definitely is "the thing," but it certainly isn't new. You only have to read a couple of chapters into the Bible to see the first sin committed by Adam and Eve. This original sin is quickly followed by murder, deceit, idolatry, sexual immorality and homosexuality, to name just a few more. As the writer of Ecclesiastes states, "there is nothing new under the sun" (Ecc. 1:9). Sorry Britney, you're not the first to engage in such wickedness, and you certainly won't be the last.

I point this line in "Three" out to you, because it gives you some insight into what the rest of the unsaved world is thinking about sin. Some, like Britney, may admit openly that their behavior is sinful, though many don't reach this conclusion. However, unless that confession of sin leads to sorrowful repentance at the foot of the cross, there is no hope for those people. We are never to throw up our hands and just keep on sinning because that's what the rest of society is doing. Jesus Christ can free us from that bondage. Britney's theology is skewed, but I hope that she will come to Jesus with a repentant heart one day! Why not pray for her today?

The Curse of the Serpent: Genesis 3:15

Read Genesis 3:15: "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

Man do I hate snakes!! Reading about them always gives me the creeps, even in this passage. This particular verse is part of the curse God gave to the serpent after Adam and Eve's sin in the Garden of Eden. I decided to discuss this particular verse this morning, because I want to point out the profound implications of this curse. Why is this verse significant? What does it mean? Theologians call this verse the "protevangelium." That is a long fancy Latin word that literally means "the first preaching of the gospel." You're probably a little confused at this point, and for good reason! What does this curse for the serpent have to do with the gospel message of Christ? Well, I'm glad you asked!

If you know the story of the fall of mankind in Genesis, you know that this cursed serpent was no ordinary snake. It was actually Satan in disguise, who deceived Eve and tempted her to sin. The first part of the curse applies to the actual animal (he would move on his belly), but the second part of the curse refers to the Satanic power within the serpent. When God talks about enmity between Eve's seed and the serpent's seed, he is referring to the struggle between Satan and mankind. From that point on there would be a continuous battle between humans and the demonic realm.

However, we see hope for mankind in the phrase, "He will crush your head." This refers ultimately to Christ's victory over Satan. Jesus would come from the seed of Eve (born of the virgin Mary) and would triumph over Satan. Therefore, if we are in Christ, we share in this victory and need not fear the demonic forces.

This verse marks the very first reference to the coming Messiah. This is significant, because we see that it was always God's plan to send His Son Jesus, even from the very beginning. This was not a plan B or a backup plan. It also shows us how the Bible all fits together. The Old Testament is not just a bunch of stories strung together and isolated from the New Testament. Rather, all of the Old Testament points to the New Testament, and the New Testament fulfills the Old Testament. We must learn to see the Bible as a cohesive whole, all centered around the gospel message of Jesus Christ.

I hope that this devotional changes your perspective on the Old Testament, and opens your eyes to the centrality of the gospel message in Scripture. Knowing this will change the way you view Scripture!

Cutting

Recent pictures of Lindsey Lohan with cuts up and down her frail arms reveal that she has been cutting herself. In a recent article, her parents confirm that those cuts were indeed self-inflicted. Self-mutilation is a common affliction in teenage girls, and first gained popularity in the 1990's. Though it is a wide-spread problem, it often doesn't make a lot of sense to the rest of the world. I remember a friend of mine in high school taking me into her room with the door closed and confiding in me that she had been cutting herself. I remember being speechless! I had never heard of self-mutilation, and I had no idea what she was going through or what to say to her.

Having researched the subject to some extent, I've learned that girls cut themselves as a way to deal with the pain they are facing. They don't know how to cope with all of the stress and trials they encounter, so they begin to harm themselves as a coping mechanism. Once they start doing this, they repeat it until someone stops them or they severely damage themselves. Statistics show that this type of behavior is a lot more common than we would think.

Lindsey Lohan seems to have everything that this world has to offer...fame, money, looks, talent...but clearly this wasn't enough for her. In reality she is just like every other depressed young lady out there. The fancy clothes, cars, jewelry, and celebrity parties obviously haven't made her happy. If only Lindsey could experience the true satisfaction and joy that only come from Christ! What a transformation we would see!

If you are reading this and have struggled with cutting yourself, I want you to know that you're not alone! I also want you to know that you can be freed from this bondage by Jesus Christ. In this world we will experience pain, suffering, affliction, trials, and tribulations...in fact, it's a guarantee. People deal with this pain in many harmful ways, but only Christ can bring true healing. If you are suffering from cutting yourself, I beg you to tell someone and get help. There is absolutely no shame in getting counseling. Give your pain to the Lord and take heart, dear sister, because the Lord has the power to deliver you from this!

Pray for the Christians of Iran!

Pray for the persecuted church in Iran! Many Muslims are coming to Christ for the first time in Iran. These people are persecuted for their faith and desperately need our prayers!
Check out this website I've been recently introduced to for specific ways to pray for them. You can also follow them on facebook.
http://www.iran30.org

Do Actions Really Speak Louder than Words?

Read Romans 10:12-17

Paul starts out in verse 12 telling the reader that anyone is able to come to the Lord. Whatever your social standing, race, gender, etc, salvation is available to you. We see in verse 13 that salvation comes to those who call on the name of Jesus Christ. With that basis, let's follow Paul's simple reasoning in verses 14 and 15 that show us how this gospel message is to be carried to the lost.

Put simply, people come to Christ when they hear the gospel. Sharing the gospel was (and still is) Jesus' plan to bring people to Christianity. After His resurrection, Jesus' final words to His followers before ascending into heaven are, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19). Christians call these final words "The Great Commission," and acknowledge that we are to carry out these same orders today. There are many ways the Lord could choose to convert people. He could have the gospel message appear automatically in their minds, for example. But, the way God ordained for the gospel message to spread is for believers to preach the gospel to others. This was and still is His best plan for bringing people to Christ.

In verses 14-15, Paul lays out the way people come to Christ. I've labeled the Christian "X" and the unbeliever "Y." This is the reasoning he follows:

X is Sent-> X Preaches the Good News -> Y Hears -> Y Believes -> Y calls on the Lord -> Y is Saved

This is simple, but I want you to think about what this means for us as Christians. We are called to preach the gospel. This means that actions are not enough to convert someone. You could show love and kindness to an unbeliever all day. However, if that is all that you do, that person will not come to Christ. Your actions will often open the door for you to share the gospel, and they may make a profound impact on unbelievers who have never seen the love of Christ displayed. However, you can't stop there. That person simply can not and will not become a Christian unless he/she actually hears the gospel. Actions are necessary, but they are not enough in and of themselves to bring someone to Christ. I don't want to minimize the importance of actions. However, I also don't want you to make the mistake that many Christians do in thinking that the gospel does not need to be spoken along with those actions. Verse 17 states it well when it says, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." Unbelievers can't receive the gospel without hearing it first. If you don't tell them, who will?

Who do you know that needs to hear the gospel message? Pray for boldness. Also pray that God will open doors for you to share your faith, and that you will have the courage to seize those opportunities. I don't know about you, but I know that I have remained silent far too many times...

Unchangeable: Micah 3:6a

Micah 3:6a states, "For I, the LORD, do not change." This verse gives us great insight into the character of God. If God is unchangeable, then all of the things written about Him centuries ago in the Old Testament and New Testament are still true today. God often is described as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Ex. 3:6). The reason He is referred to in connection to these patriarchs is to reiterate the fact that He is the same God today as He was to those men so many years ago. This may seem overly simplistic, but it is a profound truth about God. When we read of God's faithfulness, mercy, compassion, love, justice, holiness, wrath, glory, power, majesty, etc, in the Scriptures, we can know without a doubt that God still holds those same characteristics today.

This knowledge of God's immutability (immutable is another word for unchangeable) should directly affect our lives. For example, if we know that God is faithful to answer prayers (for this is revealed in Scripture), then we should not worry over prayers that we don't see answered right away. God has been faithful to answer prayers in the past, and His unchangeable nature tells us that He will do the same today. This should squash any anxiety we experience when we don't see immediate results to our prayers. Take justice as another example. We see many unjust things take place in our world without seeing any consequences for these evils. However, because we know from Scripture that our God will punish injustice and wickedness, we don't have to worry over this. God has always punished evil, and He will continue to do this, because He is unchangeable. Therefore, we do not have to worry over whether or not evil people will be judged or try to take judgment into our own hands, because we know that God will take care of it in His time.

Additionally, if God is unchangeable, we know that He is not bound by time. We see this in Exodus when Moses asks God how he should reply when people ask him who his God is. In Exodus 3:14, God said to Moses, "'I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.' " Again, in John 8:58, Jesus states, "'I tell you the truth,'" Jesus answered, 'before Abraham was born, I am!'" What does this mean? It means that because God is unchangeable, He is outside of time. Hebrews 13:8 explains this well when it states, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."
Read what Charles Spurgeon said about this doctrine of God:

All creatures change. Man, especially as to his body, is always undergoing revolution. [...] But God is perpetually the same. He is not composed of any substance or material, but is spirit—pure, essential, and ethereal spirit—and therefore he is immutable. He remains everlastingly the same. There are no furrows on his eternal brow. No age hath palsied him; no years have marked him with the mementoes of their flight; he sees ages pass, but with him it is ever now.

There is much more I could say about the immutability of God, but I will stop there. This posting is a bit different than my previous blogs, but the purpose of it is to teach you to study doctrine and theology. We are not called to be ignorant Christians, but to know and study what the Bible says about God! I hope that this lesson on God's immutability will not only deepen your knowledge of Him, but will deepen your faith in Him as well.

Fear of God: Exodus 34:27-35

Read Exodus 34:27-35

This is a small and somewhat obscure Old Testament passage with profound meaning. At this particular time in the book of Exodus, Moses has already led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. God designated Moses as the leader of the Israelites and gave him the task of interceding for the people. The Israelites couldn't speak to God directly. Instead, Moses would go up to Mount Sinai and meet with God and then deliver God's message to the people. At this point in Exodus, Moses had met with God after receiving the ten commandments for the second time (read Exodus 32 to find out what happened to the first tablets), and was coming down Mount Sinai to read them to the Israelites. As he came down, the people noticed that his face was shining! Why? Verse 29 tells us, "it shone because of his speaking with Him." Pretty phenomenal, right? This is just a glimpse of the awesome majesty of our Lord and the marvelous extent of His glory. God is so glorious and radiant that Moses' face began shining just from being in His presence.

What was the people's reaction to this? We see in verse 30 that, "they were afraid to come near him." It freaked them out! This encounter with the supernatural was too much for them to bear. Earlier in Exodus 20:19, the Israelites' fear is shown again when they say to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen but let not God speak to us, or we will die." The glory of the Lord was so great, and His power and majesty so real, that they were literally afraid for their lives. In the midst of God's glory they were humbled and reminded of their own frailty and of the fact that their tiny little lives were in His powerful hands.

I don't know about you, but I don't see this type of fear of God much today. If we really feared God, it would radically impact the way we lived. Oftentimes we show irreverence when we speak to the Lord. T-shirts such as "Jesus is my homeboy," make me cringe, because they directly contradict this powerful image of God in Exodus. We too often think of our God too casually and fail to give Him the reverence and awe He deserves.

I can't end this devotional without mentioning that this passage overwhelmingly points to the cross, which would come about many years later. Like Moses interceded for the Israelites, Jesus became our intercessor. Formerly, we were unable to commune with our perfect and holy God because of our wretched sinfulness. However, because Jesus became the perfect sacrifice on the cross for our sins and made us holy, we are now able to speak to God directly. We have been reconciled to God through the cross. It is so neat to study the Old Testament and see how it all points to the cross! Unlike the Israelites, we are able to speak to God directly because of Jesus' sacrifice. What a privilege!

Thank God today for giving us access to Him through Jesus Christ. Ask Him to forgive you for your lack of reverence in entering His throne room. We are to enter boldly with confidence, but also humbly and with a contrite heart!