Prayer of a Teen for Christ

“Dear Lord,
May I not be complacent. The world has low expectations for teens like me, and I’m tired of just being the average teen. I want to step out of my comfort zone. I want to live this life that you’ve given me for you glory. May You be glorified in all that I do.
Lord, You have done so much for me. You died on the cross, and took the punishment of my sin so that I wouldn’t have to pay. You didn’t have to do it, but You did it because you love me.
Show me what you would have me to do. Help me to be willing to give up everything for You, to You. I’m tired of being quite. If I truly call myself a Christian, a follower of Christ, I must live for and imitate You.”
-Anonymous

As followers of Christ, we are called to live for Him, and we are called to imitate Him.

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children.” -Ephesians 5:1

What does it look like to you if you are imitating and living for Christ?

What should it look like?

Creation in Biology Class

I am taking a Freshman Comp. class at college this semester, and we were told to write an argumentative essay of our choice. This is what I wrote and submitted to my teacher for the grade.

Millions of years ago, human beings evolved from some primordial soup. This belief is held and taught in biology classes across the globe today. But there is another side of the story that we are not taught, and that is creationism. Creationism is the belief that Almighty God created the universe, earth, and everything therein in 6 literal days, and rested on the 7th. Creationism should be taught and tolerated in public school biology classes throughout the world today because it is a belief like evolution and it is also a science.

Elementary to college age students have been told that the school system is tolerant towards all personal beliefs. Why then is Creationism an exception to that statement? It is as if the school system is saying we are tolerant of all, except Christian beliefs. Claiming toleration of all, but only be tolerant of some is not toleration at all. If the school system was all that concerned about being tolerant, then they would consider allowing creationism to be taught in their biology classes.

Many teachers and college professors would argue that creationism is a Christian belief, and therefore should not be taught in the school system. But isn’t evolution a belief as well? Evolution is taught in our classes as a fact, but the teachers and professors do not have any solid proof that what they state is fact. A scientific fact is something that can be tested over and over, and never change. By this definition, evolution becomes a hypothesis or belief.

One might say that creationism has no part in biology class because it is not science. But this statement is false. When people speak of creation in a biology class they are dealing with how a type of animal came to be. How an animal began is an intricate part of biology. Unfortunately, all our students are ever taught is an evolutionistic point of view.

As a building tells of a builder, so Creation tells of a Creator. What we see around us couldn’t have happened by some random chance. It isn’t possible.

Psalm 9:1- “Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth.” (KJV)

Psalm. 139:14- “I will praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” (NKJ)

Psalm 104:24
What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations. Oh, look—the deep, wide sea, brimming with fish past counting, sardines and sharks and salmon. Ships plow those waters, and Leviathan, your pet dragon, romps in them. All the creatures look expectantly to you to give them their meals on time. You come, and they gather around; you open your hand and they eat from it. If you turned your back, they’d die in a minute— Take back your Spirit and they die, revert to original mud; Send out your Spirit and they spring to life— the whole countryside in bloom and blossom.(The Message)

Creationism is a Christian belief that deals with how our universe began, and should have a part in our biology classes across the globe today. If the public school system wants to be truly tolerant of all beliefs, then they should give creationism a part in our biology classes.

The aroma of our lives

Back in March, the youth group leader of the church I attend asked a question that caught me off guard, but is an important one none-the-less.
“Does God have a sense of smell?”
In Genesis 8:20-21 we read that after the Flood, Noah built an alter, and praised the Lord by burning a sacrifice on it. In verse 21, we are told that God the pleasing aroma of the sacrifice.
Throughout the Old Testament, we read that when someone whose heart was right burned a sacrifice before the Lord; He smelled it, and was pleased.
God smells the aroma of your life as well.

2 Corinthians 2:15 says, “For we are the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.”

What kid of smell are you giving off?
Is your aroma pleasing to the Lord?

2 Corinthians 5:17- “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

Ephesians 5:1- “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children.”

If you have accepted Christ as your personal Savior, then you are a new creation, and you are called to become an imitator of Christ.
Your aroma needs to be pleasing to the Lord. Your actions, appearance, choices, and thoughts need to imitate that of Christ’s.

Ephesians 5:2- “…live a life of love just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Your life becomes a sweet smelling fragrance when you live you life in love instead of bitterness. Christ chose you to be a shining light to the world. Are you representing Christ well?

Trusting In The Lord In Every Aspect of Our Lives

There is a verse that constantly comes to my mind when I think about the hard decisions I have to make, and about all the confusing things that this life brings. That verse is…

Proverbs 3:5-6–Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your pathes straight.

Sometimes life seems difficult, and at times unbearable. We as followers of Christ are commanded to trust in the Lord.
When I think of the phrase “with all your heart” I think of something along the lines of “with every part of my being. A willingness to die for, and give your all for”
According to the dictionary the word “trust” means reliance, implicit faith, to have faith in, to give credit to, to belive, hope, or to confide in.

So we are to give credit to, believe, hope, have faith, and confide in the Lord with all of our being. Not trusting in ourselves (because we are wicked sinners (Romans 3:23), and we’re in need of a savior (Hebrews 9:22) (1 John 3:16))), but in everything we do acknowledge the Lord and He will make our paths straight. He will lead us in the way that we should go.

Now the word acknowledge is a very interesting word. It simply means to admit as true, or to give thanks for. We as Christ followers are to give thanks to God, admitting that He is true in every aspect of our lives.

So in closing, I want to encourage you all to rely on the Lord with every part of your being; giving thanks to God.

Will We Go?

Recently, in one of my courses for school; I needed to read through the book of Isaiah. There’s a scene in Isaiah 6 that caught my eye…

King Uzziah just died, and now the Lord showed Himself to Isaiah…
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I (Isaiah) said, “Here I am. Send me!” Isaiah 6:8

Isaiah was willing to be sent. He was willing to go. Isaiah knew what it meant if he went for the Lord. It meant that he would have to give up everything that he held dear, and maybe even his very life.

Are we willing to forsake all else for the Gospel of Jesus Christ: Are we willing to give up the comforts of this world to go where the Lord leads us?

“He (Jesus) said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Matthew 28:19

And now the final question is…

Will we go?

Trust God in Life

I’m confused. I don’t know what to do. I fear going forward…I’m determined not to fall back. I close my eyes to try and block what I see only to find out that the images in my head are just as clear as the ones I truly see. I try to harden my heart to the emotions I’m feeling, but only to find it’s no use.
The only thing I can do is trust in God. He holds my future. I don’t see nor do I understand what my future holds, but God does. And for that I’m thankful.
I’m tired. I’m always “on the go”. I want to stop and just give up, but I must run with endurance the race that is set before me. If I stop I will loose and fall. I have to plug along even though it’s hard.
So what if I’m confused? So what if I’m tired. So what if I feel I can’t go on? I’m an overcomer! I put my trust in Jesus. I have lived most of my life for myself and my own selfish ambitions. I will live whatever life I have left for God. He’s all I need. He’s all I should ever want…

Does that sound familiar to you? Do you ever feel that when it gets to hard that you want to quit?
I know that sometimes life gets hard. Sometimes you may feel like you want to just give up. DON’T. When things get hard, trust in God. When you’re confused, trust in God. When you’re tired, trust in God, and He will carry you through.
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”

Rest In Peace Mitch Maltsberger!

“Mitchell Frank Maltsberger, 15, of Oolagah, passed away after a skiing accident in Colorado. He was born on Feb. 1, 1992 in Stillwater, Oklahoma and carried the name of his paternal grandfather, Frank Maltsberger, who preceded him in death. He is survived by his parents, Joe and Terri Maltsberger; his brother Micah; sister Maggie; sister Morgan and her fiance, Phillip Bograt; grandparents Bob and Charlotte Weir and Doris Maltsberger; and cat Bonecrusher. Mitch was a sophomore at Oologah-Talala High School: he was a true renaissance man who argued for the debate team, played tennis, sparred with the wrestling team, and played a major role in the most recent one-act play. He enjoyed hiking and camping with the Boy Scouts of Troop 238 and was working toward the rank of Eagle Schout. He loved reading comics, dancing with his sisters, beating his dad at racquetball, playing computer games with his brother, and being the apple of his mother’s eye. He was active in the ministries of the Bible Church of Owasso and the Harbor Church in Oolagah. Mitchell’s charm was rivaled only by his altuistic heart; his ability to ignite a room with laughter was surpassed only by his personal investment in the happiness of others. His natural charisma and his Christ-focused life enabled him to reach out, build relationships, and relate to all types of people. He was a great friend to many and an inspiration to all.” (the program from Mitchell’s funeral)

I felt compelled to write a little blog post in remembrance of Mitch. He was a wonderful kid, and a true follower of Jesus Christ.

Mitch was only 15 years old when he passed away. Death can happen to any of us at anytime. We don’t know how long we have here on earth. For those who have accepted Christ as their personal Savior; I encourage you to live everyday for the glory of God. Let the hope that you have, and the love of Christ permeate every aspect of your life. I would have to say that Mitch’s death was a wake-up call for me. I want to live every moment of every day for the glory of the Lord.
And for those who haven’t accepted Christ as your Savior; don’t wait any longer! Jesus came to earth, died on the cross, and payed the punishment for your sins. We all sin.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” -Romans 3:23

3 days after Jesus died; He rose from the grave; defeating death. All you need to do is ask God to forgive you of your sins, and acknowledge what He did for you.
Don’t wait! You don’t know when your time might come. It could be today, and it could be tomorrow….

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear,…The Lord God is with us;…’Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth’. The Lord Almight is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” -Psalm 46

Walk The Talk

If you’re going to talk the talk; you had better walk the walk.

You all have probably heard this saying (or something along those lines) before. But did you know that a lot of Christians don’t walk what they talk? (Or they just don’t care)
I know I haven’t always done what I talk. In fact, one time I had been talking to a dear friend of mine about the importance of Bible study. About half way through my sentence; I stopped. I realized at that moment that I was being very hypocritical. I was telling this person that it is important to have a daily quiet time with God, and here I was not putting aside time with God on a daily basis.
Later on when I had gone home that night; I prayed to God and asked Him to forgive me. I also asked Him to help me do what was right, starting with having a daily quiet time with the Lord.
That was about 8 months ago. There are days when I don’t start the day off right by not reading my Bible, and I feel absolutely horrible about it. But now it has come to a point that when I realize that I haven’t read my Bible; I stop with whatever I’m doing and read my Bible. I don’t do it because I feel like I have too; I do it because I want too.
We are being very hypocritical if we say one thing, yet do the complete opposite.
I like how Paul puts it in his letter to the Romans. “You, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?” Romans 2: 21-23
I don’t know about you, but I find that very convicting!
The Bible is very clear about what God thinks about hypocrisy.
Isaiah 1: 10-15—“Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah! ‘The multitude of your sacrifices- what are they to me?’ says the Lord. ‘I have more than enough of burnt offerings, or rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to appear before Me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of My courts? Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to Me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations- I cannot bear your evil assemblies. Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts My soul hates. They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood;’”Now that’s a sobering thought! The Lord hates it when we act like hypocrites. It tells us so in those verses.
But He offers forgiveness to all those who willingly come to Him and ask.
“Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of My sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword. From the mouth of the Lord has spoken” –Isaiah 1:16-20
No sin is too hard for God to cleanse. Whether it’s being hypocritical or lying; He can make you as white as snow.
It’s your choice. Serve God or serve yourself…what are you going to do?

Life After Death

Please read the song lyrics and then scroll down to read my post.
“Life After Death” KJ-52 lyrics

I rolled out the bed as the alarm started going off
rubbed my head with my arm it was the crack of dawn
I’m late fo work and I really just hate my job
I kissed my wife good-bye and then I walk across the lawn
got in the car out the driveway and I’m riding on the road by the mall
past the highway that I’m flying on but
it slows to crawl cause some guy was just driving wrong
and I’m getting mad cuz I wonder why it’s going on
get out the way I just scream as I’m driving on
I hate my day and this way that it started off
I change lanes and I thought that I was pulling onto
the main lane but just then I saw this green Honda
it straight came next thing it was the window shattered
felt a great pain my body being bruised and battered
it all changed went black and I knew I had it
I coughed blood breathed my last breath that was it

Chorus

what ya gonna do when there’s no time left?
what ya gonna do when ya take ya last step?
what ya gonna do when ya breathe ya last breath
out ya chest and find out that there’s life after death? (x2)
next thing I know everything just got real quiet
I opened my eyes to my surprise now it’s real silent
I realized I had died now it’s my judgment
I’m standing before the Most High now and all of the sudden
He said to me, “Why should I let you into My heaven?”
I told God, “Well really I’m a good person.”
He showed my life and all the times now that I was sinning
every line to every curse to every bad decision
from every lie to every word there was nothing hidden
He showed how Christ died and with my life and that I’d killed Him
He showed me time after time how I’d reject Him
I never cared about the sacrifice God had given
I never cared about my life or the way I lived it
and now I’ve died and it’s too late to be forgiven
guilty of my crime I’m sentenced to eternal prison
it’s dark, I’m alone, I feel my flesh burning

CHORUS

I rolled out the bed as the alarm started going off
I scratch my head and then I yawned it was the crack of dawn
I’m praying and I’m thanking God that I got my job
I kissed my wife good-bye then I walked across the lawn
got in the car out the driveway and I’m riding on the road by the mall
past the highway that I’m driving on but
it slows to crawl cause some guy was just driving wrong
but I’m not mad I just wonder why it’s going on
I use the time to pray for my family now and for my mom
I’m thanking God for the way my day had started off
I change lanes and I thought that I was pulling onto
the main lane but doesn’t that guy see my green Honda?
it straight came next thing it was the window shattered
felt a great pain my body being bruised and battered
it all changed went black and I knew I had it
I coughed blood breathed my last breath that was it

CHORUS

next thing I know everything just got real quiet
I opened my eyes to my surprise now it’s real silent
I realized I had died now it’s my judgment
I’m standing before the Most High now and all of the sudden
He said to me, “Why should I let you into My heaven?”
I told God, “I never was a good person.”
He showed my life and all the times now that I was sinning
every line to every curse to every bad decision
from every lie to every word there was nothing hidden
He showed how His Son died and with my life and that I’d killed Him
but He showed the time I chose Christ and I didn’t reject Him
He showed the time when I took the love that God had given
He tried to serve thru my life whenever I lived it
and now I’ve died but I thank God that I’m forgiven
He wiped the tears from my eyes as I cried and thanked Him
cuz forever I’m gonna be with Him just in Heaven

CHORUS

This song talks about two different types of people. The first person represents the non-believer. He does what the world does.
The second person is the one who truly follows Jesus. You can see the difference in his life when he doesn’t overreact while driving on the road. Instead of getting angry he just prays.
The person who does not surrender his life to Jesus will be almost exactly like the first person in the song. He or she will one day die and stand before God for their judgment.
What a sad day that will be when those who thought they could get into Heaven by doing good things and being a good person find out that just being a good person doesn’t cut it. Since they didn’t accept Jesus they will be cast into Hell which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)
On the other hand, the one who truly follows Jesus will one day die and go to Heaven where he or she will worship the Lord forever. The true followers will find out that there’s life after death.
My only question for you is this…

Which of the two types of people are you?