Guest Blogger {Shelby}

i have a good friend (who i have actually never met, except for through our blogs!)
she recently posted a "note" on facebook from her niece, challenging others to stand strong in their faith.
it was so encouraging for me to read!
i have been in youth ministry for over 12 years, and am still so blessed when i see and hear about teenagers who are taking a stand, and choosing to live for Christ!


i would love to be able to use this blog to showcase some of these teens...don't you think they deserve it?
i think it is our responsibility to encourage them and pray for them as they are growing up in this world that is becoming more and more difficult to stay strong in!
my plan is to have a guest blogger once a month.
please contact me if you know of someone who you think would want to share something as well!




this is what shelby wrote:

I can't expect this to be read by a whole lot of people because honestly nobody ever reads notes but I can't help myself. 

More and more now, I'm beginning to notice the shallowness of people in general. I'm really beginning to experience the truth of the fact that the intention of humans' hearts is evil from his youth (Gen. 8:21). We are born evil and undeserving of Christ's mercy. Which is completely obvious to me. 

Christianity is becoming almost an add-on to our Facebook profile. It's like.."Yeah I play this sport, I'm in this club, these are my friends, this is where I party every friday, and this is my boyfriend who I am completely in love with. Oh, I also love God." 

Doesn't that seem just a little wrong? 

We are representing Christianity TERRIBLY. This is not at all how it should be. 

Once you are a Christian, every part of you is changed. You are no longer identified with your sinful flesh, you are identified with Christ. EVERY part of you changes when you become a Christian. It's ridiculous to say you are a strong Christian then go off and cuss and drink and submerge yourself in sin. There's no way. 

It's shocking to me how two-faced people are. Saturday night they are cussing, partying, sleeping around, and drinking..and Sunday morning they put on a "Christian mask" going around posting statuses of verses they saw on religious t-shirts but not actually understanding what and who they are representing. Maybe we all just need to step back and look at how we've been living and realize, "hey, I havent exactly been practicing what i've been preaching" and give up the double lives. You either bury yourself in sin and desires of the flesh, or live 100% for Christ. When Christ comes, and we are sat before the throne of God, we are going to be held accountable for EVERY sin we have ever committed. And then you will get one of two responses.

1) "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers."

2) "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

And with each, there are consequences. With the first..complete separation from Christ. Which means, no joy, no peace, no love, and utter darkness.

But with the second..unmeasurable joy and peace. The treasure we will receive in Heaven is greater than anything imaginable. 

The kingdom of Heaven is explained through this story..A very rich man with many earthly treasures and possessions stumbles upon a field full of treasure so great that he covered it up so no one else would find it. Then he immediately went and sold all he has and buys the field.

Obviously the second is what most would prefer. However, to get there, it takes more than saying you are a Christian. Becoming a Christian requires you to abandon yourself.

In Luke 14:26, Jesus tells us.."If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my diciple." Being a Christian is actively submitting yourself to God and making Him your everything.

Unfortunately, humans' reality of this is extremely skewed. It's about time we choose how we are going to live, and stick to that.

please, please take just a second and leave a comment to encourage shelby!

i know that she would appreciate it a lot!

and thank you so much shelby, for being willing to take a stand. i pray that you will hear God's voice loudly...over the voices of the world, and that you will stand strong in your faith. i pray that you will continue to be courageous, and that you will turn this world upside down with the love of Jesus!